Day Sixty-Three: Inferno (The Romans, Episode Four)

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start...

Day Sixty-Three: Inferno (The Romans, Episode Four)

Dear Diary,

I've mused on this before (most notably under my posts about Farewell Great Macedon), but when you watch through these early historical adventures in order, you really do get the sense of an emerging narrative - the kind of thing that we'd call a story arc these days.

To recap; in The Aztecs, the Doctor is quite adamant with Barbara - 'You can't change history! Not one line!' - when she even dares to suggest putting her own stamp on the Aztecs and trying to change the course of history. The Reign of Terror sees Ian and Barbara muse on the futility of fighting for a side that history tells them will lose.

They then go on, in the same story, to wonder what will happen if they try to change history, and it's suggested that history will find a way to persevere. This is seen to be true in Farewell Great Macedon (even though it's not technically part of the 'canon' of this arc, if we're dealing exclusively with the early years of the programme).

Here, though, we enter a new territory, when the Doctor becomes actively responsible for giving Nero the idea to burn down Rome. The great fire, which Vicki describes as being read about in history books for 'thousands and thousands of years' all stems from the Doctor's actions in the court.

He refutes this thoroughly to begin with, pointing out again that history would have found a way to give the emperor the same idea. And then there's a wonderful moment;

                THE DOCTOR

Now look here, young lady, let's settle this! Insinuating that all this is my fault!

[He stops. Thinks. The penny drops, and he bursts into a wide smile as he begins to laugh]

My fault! Haha!

This is surely the moment that the Doctor realises that history is a little more flexible than he thought. He's well aware that the fire had to start somehow, but now he's realised that he can have an actual impact on historical events - even if it's just to ensure that they run the way that they're supposed to.

A couple of stories time from now (and following a trip back to the Crusades), the idea of the historical story will be well and truly shaken up. I'll examine the 'arc' more when we reach that point, but it's genuinely fascinating to see the way that things are building up as I make my way through.

Elsewhere in this episode… well, the good news is that I've enjoyed it more than I have the last couple. I'm not sure quite why that is - perhaps venting yesterday has helped to clear my mind somewhat? I've found everything about this episode much more enjoyable than I have so far, right up to Derek Francis' performance as Nero.

He seems to have decided that if this is to be his last episode, then he's going to really just go for it. His scene early on, when he takes a soldier's sword, only to cut the man down with it, while dryly declaring 'He didn't fight hard enough' is possibly my favourite Nero moment (is that a thing? Does everyone have a favourite 'Nero Moment'?).

And then we're back to the villa, the TARDIS team reunited and ready to head off on another adventure. I can't decide whether Ian and Barbara not running into the Doctor and Vicki during their simultaneous trips back is a great end to the repetitive 'not-quite-meetings' that we've had over the last couple of days or a really annoying one. I'm not going to dwell on it much, as I'm not sure I'll like the answer.

What I am sure I like is the last five minutes or so. It's great to have all four of the regulars back together again, and I love how well Maureen O'Brien has slotted into the group. In many ways, she seems to have found a comfortable nook that I'm not sure Carole Ann Ford ever had.

Oh, and returning to my musings on Ian and Barbara's status during Episode One; yes, they're definitely more than friends by now. Just look at the way they resort to a play fight mere minutes after they get back to the villa and find it deserted. It's quite sweet, in its own way…

Next Episode: The Web Planet