Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site cornell.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!houxm!hogpc!houti!ariel!vax135!cornell!jts From: jts@cornell.UUCP Newsgroups: net.tv.drwho Subject: Black Orchid Message-ID: <1526@cornell.UUCP> Date: Fri, 12-Oct-84 12:19:04 EDT Article-I.D.: cornell.1526 Posted: Fri Oct 12 12:19:04 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 16-Oct-84 05:03:11 EDT Sender: jts@cornell.UUCP Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept. Lines: 26 From: jts (Jim Sasaki) >From a recent article on "Black Orchid" -- > ... it is only an ordinary 20's country-house murder story .... > The murderer has some kind of super-strength which is NEVER explained .... > There's an Indian who cannot tie knots, and doesn't learn to keep from > being knocked out repeatedly from behind. Gee, I kind of liked "Black Orchid", precisely because it WAS just a 20's style country-house murder story. (I mean, saving the universe is nice, but surely not EVERY week?) The super-strong insane murderer and his faithful Indian companion seem appropriate, in context. > .... he could have just as easily moved in time as well as space and > prevented the murders from happening (and himself from being suspected) in > the first place! .... I wish they really DID take advantage of the > time-travel aspects; then their writers would really have to WORK .... The basic problem with letting the Doctor change history is that it's hard to know when to stop: go back and prevent the murders? Go back further and keep the murderer from being driven insane? Sure, I agree that it'd be nice to get more of the time-travel aspect into the plots: that's why I liked Mawdryn Undead, flaws and all. But letting the Doctor change history opens up a can of worms. Jim Sasaki (jts@cornell.ARPA, {decvax|ihnp4|uw-beaver|vax135}!cornell!jts)