Firstly, I must apologise for the shortage in updates
recently – due to an accident I had involving a very small cut on my finger, I
ended up blood poisoning and as a result, have ended up with my arm in a sling
and out of use for more than a week.
Added to this the fact that I’ve returned to work, my time has been
limited, to say the least – the pressures of secondary school teaching do not
allow a great deal of ‘down time’ with which to write nonsensical blogs which
may or may not be read by the general public!
I’m back now though, although only able to type with my left hand, and
so there may be a number of errors throughout – if there are, I apologise in
advance!
The Massacre is a
challenging serial to write about for a number of reasons. Whilst it sees John Lucarotti return to
writing for the series, it strays from his usual raison d’etre and focuses on a
period of history less well-known; the period in question is the 1570s in
France, during the tensions between the Catholics and Protestants. This turbulent religious atmosphere is
charged from the outset, and the arrival of the Doctor and Steven doesn’t make
anything any clearer – whilst historicals in the past have assured us, through
known historical figures, exactly where our loyalties lie, The Massacre instead throws us into a quandary, as the two sides
face off with Steven trapped in the middle.
Interestingly, there are mixed accounts of the writing of this serial –
it is suggested that Donald Tosh, as script editor, rewrote much of what was delivered
by Lucarotti due to it straying too far from the original outline
provided. What is evident, however, is
that Lucarotti’s voice is still dominant over the final drafts – the dialogue
is rich and sumptuous, and characterisation is multilayered and intriguing.
This serial is predominantly a vehicle for Steven to cement
his place in the series – whilst he has been on board the TARDIS for several
stories, he has always played second fiddle to the other companions, or to the
Doctor himself. Here, though, the Doctor
leaves the story early into the first episode, to visit the scientist Charles
Preslin, and Steven is left to his own devices, allowed to entertain
himself. Hartnell’s absences were
becoming more and more common place as the series progressed, partly due to his
declining health, and partly, one suspects, due to the tensions between him and
series producer John Wiles. Added to
this Hartnell being on holiday during the filming of episode 2, and the result
is that Purves becomes the lead actor, carrying the weight of the script
magnificently.
The scenes with Hartnell, however, are wonderful – when he
visits Preslin in his shop, he radiates warmth and passion, as he discusses the
man’s experiments, eventually forcing the scientist to admit who he really
is. It is evident that this society is
one filled with danger for forward thinkers, and adds to the tension greatly –
in addition, the dialogue is wonderful, and years later a similar scene will
occur with Binro the Heretic, as he is assured that he is right, and has not
been wasting his life. It is touching
and wonderfully played by Hartnell and Erik Chitty. 
Steven, meanwhile, is whiling away his time in a tavern, and
is taken under the wing of Huguenot Nicholas Muss. The relationship between the two is warm and
pleasant, and the dialogue between the two is lovely. Again, however, tension is ramped up
throughout as Gaston, Muss’ friend, is wary of the dangers which Steven
potentially represents. What is
fascinating about these exchanges, though, is that again, we as an audience are
unclear exactly where our allegiances should lie – whilst the Huguenot’s seem welcoming, it is clear that there is
danger there. Upon the arrival of Anne
Chaplet, a terrified serving girl, we are asked to assume that they are the
‘good guys’, since she tells of the Catholics and their plans to execute more
Protestants, as they did in “Vassy”. But
again, Vassy is a name which means nothing to us, and as such we still sit on a
precarious and unsure line. It is a
dangerous game which Lucarotti plays with the audience, easily wrong-footing
us. Back story is provided through this
naturally-flowing exposition, as we are enlightened to the fact that a marriage
between a Catholic and a Protestant is the cause of the unrest throughout
France.
The cliffhanger at the end of episode 1 is fantastically
delivered – the revelation that the Abbot of Amboise is identical to Hartnell
comes as a surprise, and for a contemporary audience must have been a wonderful
revelation – after Hartnell has been doubled by a variety of different people
in a number of serials, including the laughable sequences in The Chase, it is good to see that here,
Hartnell is given the chance to shine in dual roles.
The second episode serves only to further confuse the
audience – interestingly, this forces us to identify with Steven’s confusion,
as he remains equally unsure who he should be working with or for. As he thinks the Abbot is actually the Doctor
in disguise, he is determined to infiltrate the Catholic camp to find out. But
by revealing that he knows the Abbot – or does he? – he inadvertently turns his
only friends in this dangerous time against him. He is threatened with violence from Gaston
and forced to trick Nicholas, but all the while it remains unclear whether he
is right in any of his actions.
The introduction of the Abbot also allows the introduction
of my favourite performer in this serial, Christopher Tranchell as the
magnificent Roger Colbert. Colbert is
the Abbot’s secretary, and he oozes self-importance and disdain for his
surroundings. Tranchell is wonderful,
and the danger he represents is evident in his scenes with the Huguenots
protecting Anne – his clipped delivery of the phrase “I see” when his request
is rebuffed is chilling.
The dialogue is an absolute delight throughout this serial,
with the greatest gem being “You see shadows where there is no sun” – every
character is wonderfully articulate, and there are no caricatures in any of
this – each and every performer is smart, smooth-talking, and – again –
potentially dangerous.
The revelation provided by Steven’s eavesdropping of the
meeting in the Catholic base is another fascinating one – the discussions of
assassins and codenames is wonderfully engaging, and the discussion of The Sea
Beggar allows the audience a little insight, putting us one foot ahead of
Steven. Although he stayed in the home
of the Admiral de Coligny, Steven is unable to connect the dots, although I
would imagine most of the audience can.
Tension is ramped up further still as the audience realise the danger to
the safety of France, and indeed the Dutch whom de Coligny is so desperate to
assist. The ending of the episode
consolidates the fears of the audience, as de Coligny says “The Sea Beggar – a
title I’d be proud of!”
Episode 3 is interesting for a number of reasons – after all
of the discussions in the preceding episodes, we are finally able to put faces
to the names, and Barry Justice and Joan Young, as King Charles and his
awe-inspiring mother Catherine de Medici are wonderfully drawn, each putting in
fantastic performances as a dysfunctional family whose every whim could have
potentially devastating effects for France and the rest of Europe. Charles’ despair is played brilliantly, as he
attempts to rule with an iron fist but is constantly undermined by his
interfering mother, the real power behind the throne and the person responsible
for the plot to massacre the Huguenots.
Whilst the court intrigue takes centre stage throughout this
episode, Steven is still desperately trying to unravel the clues he has
discovered, and following his evasion of Nicholas Muss, he is reunited with
Anne Chaplet, the serving girl he spared who has been kicked out of the
Admiral’s home for standing up for him, refusing to believe that Steven could
be a spy. Steven and Anne discover that
not only is the Abbot not the Doctor in disguise, but that the Admiral is the
target of the assassination attempt, and rush to assure Nicholas of their
suspicions and their loyalties, only to prove to be too late – the Admiral
leaves the meeting in the Louvre but, thanks to good luck, the attempt is a
failure and the damage is not fatal.
What episode 3 allows, and one of the reasons that it is one
of the most sought-after of missing serials, is that we finally get to see
Hartnell sink his teeth into his dual role as the Abbot. Interestingly, though, whilst many claim that
the Abbot is played in a completely different style to the Doctor, in audio
alone it doesn’t seem too different a
performance. One can only imagine how
Hartnell approached this secondary role – often physically striking with the
posture and gestures as the Doctor, much of the difference may lie in the
nuanced performance, as vocally it does not seem too far a cry from his
portrayal of the First Doctor.
The Abbot’s downfall is due, for the most part, to the
failed assassination attempt. He is
deemed ineffectual and dangerous, and is swiftly killed himself by Tavannes and
Colbert. The murder causes a riot, as the
locals gather around the fallen corpse of the Abbot, and helps the Royal family
– specifically the Queen Mother – to gain the support needed to begin the
massacre. Again, from a moral
standpoint, it is difficult to tell who exactly we should be siding with –
whilst the rabble of Catholics is clearly bloodthirsty and incensed, the
reasoning is clear and understandable, with evidence which clearly supports
their actions. The Queen Mother
monopolises this, using it as the lever to force King Charles to act for what
she holds is the ‘good’ of France, protecting the throne from the Huguenot
would-be King, Henri. What is important
to note here, though, is that it was through Steven’s interference in history
that all of this happens – had he not gone to see the Abbot, Tavannes would not
have ordered his death, and the Catholics would not have risen up against the
Huguenots. Hartnell’s line from The Aztecs is suddenly ringing in our
ears once more, about how “history cannot be rewritten – not one line!” Again, the question is raised, though, as to
whether the time travellers have changed or
influenced history. When Hartnell reappears in episode 4, as the
Doctor, he makes it clear that the date is significant, and he knows of the
eponymous massacre to follow. So the
massacre is, indeed, etched into the history books. But the chief cause of the execution is
predominantly Steven’s role in all of this, forcing the audience to realise that,
all along, the TARDIS was destined to arrive at this point in history, to
ensure that history followed the correct path.
The third episode ends with Steven’s discovery of the
Abbot’s body, and the attack from the Catholic mob, as he is a known Huguenot
sympathiser. It is a troubling scene,
and it must have looked fabulous too – the fury in the voices of the nameless
hordes is wonderful. The arrival of the
Doctor in episode 4 frustrates me mildly – no excuse or explanation is ever
given for his absence over and above the fact that he was “held up”. His refusal to take Anne with him, instead
insisting that she locks herself away safely, is odd – companions have been
made out of lesser people, after all, and Anne’s function has been important
throughout this serial, aiding Steven in his hunt for the truth. His rejection of Anne is an important one
though – and again, it allows us a pivotal moment, and one which will not be
revisited until Tom Baker is alone for The
Deadly Assassin, where the Doctor is stranded, sans companions.
Hartnell, unlike Baker, plays this scene wonderfully – utterly alone,
abandoned and without companions, his soliloquy isn’t played as tongue-in-cheek
aside, as Baker does. Instead, it is
heartbreaking, reflective and realistic.
He realises that, after the death, destruction and abandonment of the
last two serials – leaving Vicki in burning Troy in The Myth Makers and being partly, at least, responsible for the
murders of Katarina, Bret and Sara in The
Daleks’ Master Plan – he is at the lowest point in his life. The fluff in the line – as he mispronounces
Chesterton’s surname – is a wonderful nod back to the former companions, but
that he corrects himself, catching himself out in the mispronunciation is what
is truly heart-warming. Never has
Hartnell seemed so vulnerable.
Redemption is provided, though, in the form of Dodo –
Dorothea Chaplet stumbles into the TARDIS, expecting it to be a normal police
telephone box. Her surname gives the
Doctor and Steven some grounds to start again – perhaps Anne didn’t die after
all. Yes, it’s an inconsistency, as the
maternal name shouldn’t have been passed down.
The novelisation goes some way to cover this, giving us a brother to
Anne who would have carried the family name.
But this doesn’t matter either way.
Whilst Dodo is one of the least popular of companions for many fans, she
has a functionality that we shouldn’t overlook – she reunites the Doctor and
Steven, and allows our travellers to continue as they were.
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