Emmanuel Lucassen Lucassen itibaren Mathadpalle, Telangana, India
I must admit, I wasn't wowed by "Weapon of Choice" The good: the cast. Lalla Ward and John Leeson have great fun bringing life to their characters, as do the guest stars. The standout is Louise Jameson (Leela is one of my favourite companions) who imbues every line with wit and depth. The dialogue is, generally, sparkling (see the exceptions below) - particularly the guest characters, such as Arkadian who is a sheer delight. But other than that, I was left feeling cold. Now admittedly, I am not a huge fan of Gallifrey and Gallifreyan politics. I'd like to be, but so far my experiences (viewing the Tom Baker portrayals of the planet, primarily) haven't given me much hope. So, forgive me if I'm biased. Also, as I'm assuming this is a setup for the remainder of the series, I'm willing to be lenient. Gallifrey seems as stodgy and boring as in the Baker serials here. The ragged plot doesn't really sustain the length of "Weapon of Choice", even if the primary function is to set relationships up for the next one. And my biggest quibble? The portrayal of Leela. We're given to assume it has been several years since she left the Doctor, so why is she so stupid? It's a bad habit that infiltrated a few of the TV stories, too, where Leela's "savagery" is taken to mean that she's a halfwit. Don't get me wrong, there are some funny jokes here, and it's a very thin line to cross, but Alan Barnes does it on too many occasions. Luckily, Ms Jameson is a pro, and makes everything believable. All in all? If the rest of the Gallifrey series builds on this, "Weapon of Choice" might be three-and-a-half stars. Taken on its own: two-and-a-half, and that's mostly for the cast.
vast and intricate narration of memories interspersed within each other...