Doctor Who/Recap/S14/E06 The Talons of Weng Chiang: Difference between revisions

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[[File:elephant_gun_6151.jpg|frame]]
[[File:elephant_gun_6151.jpg|frame|For shame, Doc! Shooting aliens with an elephant gun!]]
{{quote|''"Doctor, you make me wear strange clothes, you tell me nothing: you are trying to annoy me." ''|'''Leela''' }}
{{quote|''"Doctor, you make me wear strange clothes, you tell me nothing: you are trying to annoy me." ''|'''Leela''' }}


Doctor Who goes all ''[[Sherlock Holmes]]''[[X Meets Y|-Meets-]][[Hammer Horror]] in this tale set in [[Victorian London]]. Police pathologist Professor Litefoot is investigating a body found floating in the Thames, and, with help from the Doctor, determines that hairs found on the body come from a giant rat.
Doctor Who goes all ''[[Sherlock Holmes]]''[[X Meets Y|-Meets-]][[Hammer Horror]] in this tale set in [[Victorian London]]. Police pathologist Professor Litefoot is investigating a body found floating in the Thames, and, with help from the Doctor, determines that hairs found on the body come from a giant rat.


Moving into the sewers to investigate, the Doctor, Leela and Litefoot discover giant rats on the loose and follow the trail to the Palace Theatre. Stage magician Li H'sen Chang has been kidnapping young girls for his master, the ancient Chinese god Weng-Chiang - in reality the 51st century war criminal Magnus Greel, who feeds on the girls' lifeforce to stabilise his molecular structure, which was ravaged by the trip through time.
Moving into the sewers to investigate, the Doctor, Leela and Litefoot discover giant rats on the loose and follow the trail to the Palace Theatre. Stage magician Li H'sen Chang has been kidnapping young girls for his master, the ancient Chinese god Weng-Chiang - in reality the 51st century war criminal Magnus Greel, who feeds on the girls' lifeforce to stabilise his molecular structure, which was ravaged by the trip through time.


Greel's "Time Cabinet" was lost in London and has been found by Litefoot, so Greel sends Chang's ventriloquist's doll, "Mr Sin" - a computerised homonculus with a pig's brain - to infiltrate Litefoot's house and retrieve it. Mr Sin succeeds, but the Doctor and friends manage to intervene before Greel can escape. He falls into his own lifeforce-extracting machine and is disintegrated, before the Doctor manages to deactivate Mr Sin.
Greel's "Time Cabinet" was lost in London and has been found by Litefoot, so Greel sends Chang's ventriloquist's doll, "Mr Sin" - a computerised homonculus with a pig's brain - to infiltrate Litefoot's house and retrieve it. Mr Sin succeeds, but the Doctor and friends manage to intervene before Greel can escape. He falls into his own lifeforce-extracting machine and is disintegrated, before the Doctor manages to deactivate Mr Sin.
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The characters of Jago and Litefoot, along with a few others from the serial, now have [http://www.bigfinish.com/Jago-and-Litefoot their own Big Finish spinoff.]
The characters of Jago and Litefoot, along with a few others from the serial, now have [http://www.bigfinish.com/Jago-and-Litefoot their own Big Finish spinoff.]


Watch it [http://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/xytum_tardismedia_talons-of-weng-chiang/1 here]
Watch it [https://web.archive.org/web/20111230153221/http://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/xytum_tardismedia_talons-of-weng-chiang/1 here]
=== Tropes ===
== Tropes ==


* [[Added Alliterative Appeal]]: As many of Jago's lines as he can possibly manage.
* [[Alliteration]]: As many of Jago's lines as he can possibly manage.
* [[Absurdly Spacious Sewer]]
* [[Absurdly Spacious Sewer]]
* [[Affably Evil]]: Li H'sen Chang.
* [[Affably Evil]]: Li H'sen Chang.
* [[AI Is a Crapshoot]]: Mister Sin.
* [[A.I. Is a Crapshoot]]: Mister Sin.
* [[All Asians Are Alike]]: Chang sarcastically says, "I understand we all look alike," when the Doctor asks if they've met before.
* [[All Asians Are Alike]]: Chang sarcastically says, "I understand we all look alike," when the Doctor asks if they've met before.
* [[BFG]]: Lightfoot's elephant gun is the period equivalent.
* [[BFG]]: Lightfoot's elephant gun is the period equivalent.
* [[Black Comedy]]: On being introduced to Li H'sen Chang the Doctor asks to see a trick. Tong member promptly drops dead from the suicide pill. The Doctor applauds.
* [[Black Comedy]]: On being introduced to Li H'sen Chang the Doctor asks to see a trick. Tong member promptly drops dead from the suicide pill. The Doctor applauds.
* [[The Butcher]] (of Brisbane): Magnus Greel.
* [[The Butcher]] (of Brisbane): Magnus Greel.
* [[Call Back]]: A rather sneaky one: The Doctor mentions he hasn't been to China for [[Doctor Who (TV)/Recap/S1 E4 Marco Polo|about 400 years.]]
* [[Call Back]]: A rather sneaky one: The Doctor mentions he hasn't been to China for [[Doctor Who/Recap/S1/E04 Marco Polo|about 400 years.]]
* [[Changed My Jumper]]: When the TARDIS first materializes, Leela steps out complaining about having to wear appropriate clothes. The Doctor's voice from inside the TARDIS tells her, "You can't go around [[Victorian London]] in skins, you'd frighten the horses." Then [[Hypocritical Humor|he himself emerges in the stereotypical Sherlock Holmes outfit -- only more colorful --]] and says, "We don't want to be conspicuous, do we?"
* [[Changed My Jumper]]: When the TARDIS first materializes, Leela steps out complaining about having to wear appropriate clothes. The Doctor's voice from inside the TARDIS tells her, "You can't go around [[Victorian London]] in skins, you'd frighten the horses." Then [[Hypocritical Humor|he himself emerges in the stereotypical Sherlock Holmes outfit -- only more colorful --]] and says, "We don't want to be conspicuous, do we?"
* [[Chinese Launderer]]
* [[Chinese Launderer]]
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* [[Disposable Sex Worker]]/[[Disposable Vagrant]]: Greel identifies his victims as "a few contemptible slatterns who will never be missed"; Chang protests that they ''are'' being missed and it's getting people's attention.
* [[Disposable Sex Worker]]/[[Disposable Vagrant]]: Greel identifies his victims as "a few contemptible slatterns who will never be missed"; Chang protests that they ''are'' being missed and it's getting people's attention.
* [[Evil Laugh]]: Greel gets an amazing one in the episode 4 cliffhanger.
* [[Evil Laugh]]: Greel gets an amazing one in the episode 4 cliffhanger.
* [[Facing the Bullets One Liner]]: Leela's response to an imminent and agonizing death at the hands of Magnus Greel shows a marked difference in attitude to that of previous female companions.
* [[Facing the Bullets One-Liner]]: Leela's response to an imminent and agonizing death at the hands of Magnus Greel shows a marked difference in attitude to that of previous female companions.
{{quote| "When we are both in the Great Hereafter, I will hunt you down, Bent-Face! And put you through my agonies a thousand times!" }}
{{quote|"When we are both in the Great Hereafter, I will hunt you down, Bent-Face! And put you through my agonies a thousand times!" }}
* [[Filipinos With Firearms]]: Apparently the Philippines is a world power in the 51st century as the Doctor mentions marching with the Filipino Army as they advanced on a Supreme Alliance stronghold of Reykjavik. This is endlessly amusing to the few Filipinos who've heard about this episode (or this show, for that matter).
* [[Filipinos With Firearms]]: Apparently the Philippines is a world power in the 51st century as the Doctor mentions marching with the Filipino Army as they advanced on a Supreme Alliance stronghold of Reykjavik. This is endlessly amusing to the few Filipinos who've heard about this episode (or this show, for that matter).
* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]] -- Leela has a [[Wet Sari Scene]] moment just after the giant rat sequence that apparently has not been edited out in over 30 years...
* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]]—Leela has a [[Wet Sari Scene]] moment just after the giant rat sequence that apparently has not been edited out in over 30 years...
* [[God Guise]]: Magnus Greel posing as Weng-Chiang, though he doesn't try to hide his identify from Chang to whom it makes no difference anyway, as Greel has raised him up from his humble life as a peasant to a man who performs before royalty.
* [[God Guise]]: Magnus Greel posing as Weng-Chiang, though he doesn't try to hide his identify from Chang to whom it makes no difference anyway, as Greel has raised him up from his humble life as a peasant to a man who performs before royalty.
{{quote| '''Doctor:''' "You know he's not a god, don't you?"<br />
{{quote|'''Doctor:''' "You know he's not a god, don't you?"
'''Chang:''' "He came to me like a god, in his cabinet of fire!" }}
'''Chang:''' "He came to me like a god, in his cabinet of fire!" }}
* [[Hoist By His Own Petard]]: {{spoiler|Greel ends up killed by his own life-extraction chamber.}}
* [[Hoist by His Own Petard]]: {{spoiler|Greel ends up killed by his own life-extraction chamber.}}
* [[Instant Sedation]]: Possible subversion - the title villain uses an unspecified knockout drug on a cloth to capture Leela, and she goes down fast ... but she has enough time to [[Nightmare Face|tear the villain's mask off]].
* [[Instant Sedation]]: Possible subversion - the title villain uses an unspecified knockout drug on a cloth to capture Leela, and she goes down fast ... but she has enough time to [[Nightmare Face|tear the villain's mask off]].
** Given the time period, it was probably either chloroform or ether.
** Given the time period, it was probably either chloroform or ether.
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* [[Jack the Ripoff]]: The disappearances and murder of several women in Whitechapel? You guessed it. The original draft had the Doctor chasing Jack the Ripper.
* [[Jack the Ripoff]]: The disappearances and murder of several women in Whitechapel? You guessed it. The original draft had the Doctor chasing Jack the Ripper.
* [[Large Ham]]: MAGNUS GREEL!!!!!
* [[Large Ham]]: MAGNUS GREEL!!!!!
* [[M Agicians Are Wizards]]: Li H'sen Chang is a [[Stage Magician]]...and a bit more, with the technology given to him by his master.
* [[Magicians Are Wizards]]: Li H'sen Chang is a [[Stage Magician]]...and a bit more, with the technology given to him by his master.
* [[Mind Control]]
* [[Mind Control]]
* [[Nice Hat]]: The Doctor, Leela, Chang's thugs, and Greel each have one; Chang has two.
* [[Nice Hat]]: The Doctor, Leela, Chang's thugs, and Greel each have one; Chang has two.
* [[Opium Den]]
* [[Opium Den]]
* [[Pig Man]]: the Peking Homunculus is a murderous midget robot made from the cerebral cortex of a pig.
* [[Pig Man]]: the Peking Homunculus is a murderous midget robot made from the cerebral cortex of a pig.
* [[Raised By Natives]]: The Doctor's cover story for Leela.
* [[Raised by Natives]]: The Doctor's cover story for Leela.
* [[Rodents of Unusual Size]]: The rat.
* [[Rodents of Unusual Size]]: The rat.
* [[See You in Hell]]
* [[See You in Hell]]
* [[Shout Out]]: To ''[[The Importance of Being Earnest]]'' ("A hatbox?").
* [[Shout-Out]]: To ''[[The Importance of Being Earnest]]'' ("A hatbox?").
* [[Slurpasaur]]: That giant rat is played, at least in part, by a perfectly normal rat in a model sewer.
* [[Slurpasaur]]: That giant rat is played, at least in part, by a perfectly normal rat in a model sewer.
* [[Spin Off]]: Jago & Litefoot were so popular that a spinoff was briefly discussed; 30 years later, [[Big Finish]] gave them [http://bigfinish.com/311-Doctor-Who-The-Companion-Chronicles-The-Mahogany-Murderers their own story] and, in 2010, [http://bigfinish.com/Jago-and-Litefoot their own series.]
* [[Spin-Off]]: Jago & Litefoot were so popular that a spinoff was briefly discussed; 30 years later, [[Big Finish]] gave them [http://bigfinish.com/311-Doctor-Who-The-Companion-Chronicles-The-Mahogany-Murderers their own story] and, in 2010, [http://bigfinish.com/Jago-and-Litefoot their own series.]
* [[Title Drop]]
* [[Title Drop]]
* [[Those Two Guys]]: Jago & Litefoot.
* [[Those Two Guys]]: Jago & Litefoot.
* [[The Triads and The Tongs]]: Greel's mooks are members of the Tong of the Black Scorpion.
* [[The Triads and the Tongs]]: Greel's mooks are members of the Tong of the Black Scorpion.
* [[Victorian London]]
* [[Victorian London]]
* [[What Could Have Been]]: Procuder Philip Hinchcliffe revealed that this serial was originally planned to be a Master story
* [[What Could Have Been]]: Procuder Philip Hinchcliffe revealed that this serial was originally planned to be a Master story
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* [[Yellowface]]
* [[Yellowface]]
* [[Yellow Peril]]
* [[Yellow Peril]]
* [[You Have Failed Me]]
* [[You Have Failed Me...]]
* [[You Look Familiar]]: John "[[Doctor Who (TV)/Recap/S11 E2 Invasion of the Dinosaurs|General Finch]]" Bennett returns as Li H'sen Chang.
* [[You Look Familiar]]: John "[[Doctor Who/Recap/S11/E02 Invasion of the Dinosaurs|General Finch]]" Bennett returns as Li H'sen Chang.
* [[You Rebel Scum]]: Magnus Greel repeatedly refers to his Tong hatchetmen mooks as "opium-addicted scum".
* [[You Rebel Scum]]: Magnus Greel repeatedly refers to his Tong hatchetmen mooks as "opium-addicted scum".


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:Doctor Who (TV)/Recap]]
[[Category:Doctor Who S 14 E 6 The Talons Of Weng Chiang]]
[[Category:Recap]]
[[Category:Recap]]
[[Category:Doctor Who]]
⚫
[[Category:Doctor Who/Recap]]

Latest revision as of 22:41, 1 January 2021


For shame, Doc! Shooting aliens with an elephant gun!
"Doctor, you make me wear strange clothes, you tell me nothing: you are trying to annoy me."
—Leela

Doctor Who goes all Sherlock Holmes-Meets-Hammer Horror in this tale set in Victorian London. Police pathologist Professor Litefoot is investigating a body found floating in the Thames, and, with help from the Doctor, determines that hairs found on the body come from a giant rat.

Moving into the sewers to investigate, the Doctor, Leela and Litefoot discover giant rats on the loose and follow the trail to the Palace Theatre. Stage magician Li H'sen Chang has been kidnapping young girls for his master, the ancient Chinese god Weng-Chiang - in reality the 51st century war criminal Magnus Greel, who feeds on the girls' lifeforce to stabilise his molecular structure, which was ravaged by the trip through time.

Greel's "Time Cabinet" was lost in London and has been found by Litefoot, so Greel sends Chang's ventriloquist's doll, "Mr Sin" - a computerised homonculus with a pig's brain - to infiltrate Litefoot's house and retrieve it. Mr Sin succeeds, but the Doctor and friends manage to intervene before Greel can escape. He falls into his own lifeforce-extracting machine and is disintegrated, before the Doctor manages to deactivate Mr Sin.

The characters of Jago and Litefoot, along with a few others from the serial, now have their own Big Finish spinoff.

Watch it here

Tropes

"When we are both in the Great Hereafter, I will hunt you down, Bent-Face! And put you through my agonies a thousand times!"

  • Filipinos With Firearms: Apparently the Philippines is a world power in the 51st century as the Doctor mentions marching with the Filipino Army as they advanced on a Supreme Alliance stronghold of Reykjavik. This is endlessly amusing to the few Filipinos who've heard about this episode (or this show, for that matter).
  • Getting Crap Past the Radar—Leela has a Wet Sari Scene moment just after the giant rat sequence that apparently has not been edited out in over 30 years...
  • God Guise: Magnus Greel posing as Weng-Chiang, though he doesn't try to hide his identify from Chang to whom it makes no difference anyway, as Greel has raised him up from his humble life as a peasant to a man who performs before royalty.

Doctor: "You know he's not a god, don't you?"
Chang: "He came to me like a god, in his cabinet of fire!"

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