66. The Crusade, Part III: The Wheel of Fortune

Back to the “Lost in Time” DVD for episode 3.

The threat of sexual violence against Barbara seems to be an ever-present unpleasant plot element in these historical stories. You wonder in an unpleasant way whether there was an intentional double meaning to lines like “When you're on your knees before my master...” when the warrior captures Barbara.

This story does have a Shakespearean vibe that most stories don’t. Between the floridly written dialogue, excellent cast (Jean Marsh! Julian Glover!), and quality costumes, it feels a bit like Masterpiece Theater. There’s even a dramatic (if dark) monologue by Haroun, describing the death of his wife and son, put to music that could have been out of King Lear. Even though it’s not a perfect story, those aspects did keep my attention.

Random notes:

  • When Barbara and Safiya were hiding in the closet and the two warriors did not think to look behind the curtain, I was reminded of this scene from the Life of Brian.
  • When Safiya said “It is the will of Allah” without much attention being placed on the line, I thought for a moment that maybe Islam was being portrayed in a non-offensive way. Then Joanna screamed about “that heathenish man, that infidel,” and that theory went out the window.
  • The Doctor and Vicki are sure BFFs.

GRADE: B-plus

Life of brian - the search - YouTube

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