21st November, 2022.
Right … it’s officially not Friday.
You knew that.
It’s officially Monday.
Or possibly Tuesday, by the time you read this.
In case you didn’t know?
I watch TV shows: and — for some — will write about what I’ve seen, and have a video and written review up, the next night.
The past few Fridays? Have seen me watching the first series of Star Trek Strange New Worlds.
Whilst the past two Mondays? Have seen me watching classic Dr Who story, The Abominable Snowmen.
As it’s Monday?
And once I’ve had something to eat … ?
I’ll be watching episode three of the serial: and have my written and video reviews up, late tomorrow night.
I hope you’d care to watch …
22nd November, 2022.
Episode 3 — picks up from where we left off: opening with the distinctive sound of a Yeti Control Sphere, the one outside Det-sen Monastery: broadcasting to its companion sphere, inside Det-sen.
A companion sphere that responds by rolling away from the statue of the Buddha: and to a potential hiding place.
The scene shifts: to a small room off of Det-sen’s courtyard, where Victoria, the Doctor and Jamie (Deborah Watling, Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines) are examining the captured Robot Yeti: along Travers, Khrisong and Thomni (Jack Watling, Norman Jones and David Spenser).
The Doctor? Is explaining how the Yeti’s control unit had been dislodged by Jamie, and is somewhere outside the Monastery.
It needs recovering: something the Doctor is eager to do, as he feels a revived Yeti is dangerous.
Khrisong, however? Forbids this: as he trusts no strangers to the area, until it can be shown they mean no harm to the Monastery, or its monks.
Khrisong won’t let Thomni — his most trusted warrior — search for the missing unit, either: nor will he allow Travers out of Det-sen to search for the real Yeti.
After all: anyone in Monastery may controlling the Robot Yeti: Khrisong would rather have Travers where he could see him.
Back in the room where the inactive Yeti has been stored?
The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria are left discussing it: and the control unit Jamie and Victoria had found in the cave.
And that the Doctor had left by a statue in the Courtyard.
And that now … has gone missing.
The team’s only option … ?
Is to start asking around.
Before the control unit gets anywhere near a Yeti … !
~≈🩺≈~
Now … what did I make of episode three?
Good, bad or indifferent?
Have I found anything out?
Are things starting to heat up … ?
I think we can say yes, there!
I know I’ve found out a few things. Or recognised a few thing, at any rate.
Towards the start of the episode?
We see one of the monks — Ralpachan, played by David Baron — polishing the Monastery’s Gong: the one that — for want of a better term — calls the monks to prayer.
It occurred to me, last night, that the thing looked familiar.
It struck me it reminded me of a torii*, the traditional gate of a Japanese Shinto temple.
As far as I can tell … ? The animators have taken the shape of the gong shown in the live action episodes: the second photo, there, is from the live action version of episode two.
So I’m assuming that the set designers for the original series either rented the thing from a props library, got it from the BBC’s props department, or commissioned it, especially for The Abominable Snowmen.
My point? That gong’s a built thing: and I’d love to know where the designer of the thing got the idea: whether he or she had seen a torii and based in on that, or was inspired by a real Tibetan gong.
I’d like to know a little of the thing’s history.
I also did a quick Googling: for Det-sen: the name of the Monastery in the story.
Apparently, it shares its name with Trisong Detsen: one of the ancient Tibetan kings who introduced Buddhism to the country.
I’m assuming that’s a deliberate choice by writers, Lincoln and Haisman: but would love to know more.
As for heating up … ?
By the end of this episode, Travers is far friendlier to the Doctor: friendlier, if not totally helpful.
And Khrisong? If not trusting at the start of the episode, is by the end: going so far as the help the Doctor find the Control unit left outside the Monastery.
We see Abbot Songsten talking to the mysterious Padmasambhava: and, apparently, working with the Yeti.
And we have the almost classic Doctor Who cliffhanger.
Where a hideous monsters wakes up, starts knocking over the furniture … before we cut to the end credits!
It’s a high note to end on!
A very high note to end on.
Frankly?
I’ll be watching episode 4 of The Abominable Snowmen on Monday, 28th November, 2022.
I’ll have my reviews — both written and video — up on the 29th November.
Episode four better be worth it!
Episode 3★★★★
* From the very little I know? You’re supposed to wash your hands and feet before visiting a Shinto shrine: in much the same way as Muslims are supposed to wash their hands, before entering a mosque. I couldn’t tell you what it’s supposed to symbolise. But, post-COVID? The idea of washing your hands and feet, before mixing with crowds of people at temple, mosque, shrine or church? So that everyone is as clean as possible? Is sensible.
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