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  1. #1
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    Default Did Adric work better with the 4th Doctor than with the 5th

    As we all know poor old Matthew Waterhouse, has come in for some stick over the years but is it all justified yes he was poor for most of season 19 but i'm not sure the same can be said for season 18. Adric, clearly worked best in Keeper of Traken and Logopolis when he was the only companion and apart from State of Decay, he was ok in Full Circle and Warriors Gate.

    Ok, Tom and Matthew, may not of been the best of friends off screen but on screen they seem to have a far better chemistry than what Matthew had with Peter Davison.

    so what are people's thoughts on the season 18 Adric.

  2. #2
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    I'm afraid I've never really 'got' the anti-Adric thing. I'll admit he's a bit wooden in State of Decay, but apart from that he's fine in all his stories.

    To answer the question, though, I do think he works better as a sort of young kid in awe to the 'large' character of the fourth Doctor, than as just 'one of the gang' with the fifth. That's not to say there aren't some good scenes between the fifth and Adric in Kinda and Earthshock, but certainly a fair proportion of those are the two 'bickering' in a way Adric never did with the fourth.

    What I really like, and I don't know whether this was something Matthew Waterhouse did deliberately himself, or without realising, or whether he was directed to do so, but in Logopolis and Castrovalva (and probably other stories, but those are two I've seen recently) Adric 'mimics' the fourth Doctor in the way he stands and walks. Take a look, for instance, at the scenes where he's arguing with the Pharos Project guards in early Castrovalva - he has one hand in his pocket a la Tom, and he does that 'strut' that's so distinctive. It's a nice touch, I think, and really fits in with the idea of the Doctor being Adric's role model in his early stories.

  3. #3
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    I'm in full agreement with you, Andrew - I've always liked Adric in S18. I think he gets a good introductory story in Full Circle and I like the way as far as the Doctor and Romana are concerned he was just another character they met, had an adventure with and left behind. I also like the way they don't even realise he's stowed away until well into the next story - rather different from, for example, Zoe being found within minutes! Yes, he plays second fiddle to Romana in Warrior's Gate once he's become a fully fledged companion but I think he works very well with the 4th Doctor in the remaining two stories.

    It is the bickering nature of the young crew in S19 that lessens my liking of the character, although he does get some good stuff in Earthshock, including his suitably shocking exit.

    I'll look out for what you're referring to when I watch Logopolis in a few weeks time, but I wonder if it could be a hint of the evolutionary thing, where the Marshmen started to mimic, and eventually become, the humans? Is Adric evolving into the Doctor?!

  4. #4
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    They never had the right mix of companions to bring out the best in Adric. He works well with Tom and forms a nice partnership with Nyssa. But bringing Tegan in just lets the girls gang up on him and turns him into the brat who thinks he's better than everyone else.

    His naivety - as in for example Four to Doomsday - helped drive an otherwise stagnant plot along and he played a central role in Castrovalva despite not being in it much. There was certainly a lot more that could've been done with the character had the Tardis not been so dominated by Tegan.

    The best use of Adric would've been similar to Big Finish's use of Hex - a companion that has brought the best out of Ace after 20 years by letting her become the big sister and him the younger, more impetuous junior. Adric and Romana could've had that kind of relationship with a bit more time.
    Dennis, Francois, Melba and Smasher are competing to see who can wine and dine Lola Whitecastle and win the contract to write her memoirs. Can Dennis learn how to be charming? Can Francois concentrate on anything else when food is on the table? Will Smasher keep his temper under control?

    If only the 28th century didn't keep popping up to get in Dennis's way...

    #dammitbrent



    The eleventh annual Brenty Four serial is another Planet Skaro exclusive. A new episode each day until Christmas in the Brenty Four-um.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Larry View Post
    Ok, Tom and Matthew, may not of been the best of friends off screen but on screen they seem to have a far better chemistry than what Matthew had with Peter Davison.
    I think you're onto something there. He definitely did work better in season 18.

    I think alas once Tegan came in she kind of bulldozered every other character a little. She probably would have worked much better as a solo character in the same vein as Rose ...
    Remember, just because Davros is dead doesn't mean the Dalek menace has been contained ......

  6. #6
    Captain Tancredi Guest

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    One of the more interesting things about Adric's character in a couple of the early stories is his inexperience and unworldliness- it's a change to have a companion who doesn't have a human moral centre, doesn't really understand the form with Who villains and occasionally believes the more plausible ones. They tried something similar with Turlough but he ended up being shifty and evasive for the sake of it.

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