On Friday I had an epic treadmill workout in which I went at 5 mph for the entire 55 minute session, the fastest and furthest I have gone over the course of this ridiculous project. In the past two days I have not been able to duplicate that effort, not even close. Perhaps tomorrow. At least the last two days my weight has been moving back in the right direction after spiking again. I am finding 240 to be the most difficult and elusive barrier yet. That's ok, though. I'll get there. (Or I won't, and that's coll too.) In the meantime, today I started a new story, and boy is it a doozy.

Let's talk about that.

Vengeance on Varos - Part 1

(TARDIS Data Core recap)

Varos is a planet rich in the mineral Zeiton-7, which not-coincidentally is used to power the TARDIS. It is also, similar to The Sun Makers, is run by a corporation that has cowed the population through a combination of over-work and under-pay. This story being filmed in the mid-80's when George Orwell's 1984 was getting lots of attention, the story also features a Big Brother type of setup, with a video screen in every home and the Governor speaking to to the populace constantly. Also televised constantly is the torture and execution of political prisoners, played for entertainment to the masses. It's all bread and circuses, all the time. The Doctor and Peri come to Varos to get a fresh supply of Zeiton-7, and end up as the latest stars on reality tv.

This is a surprisingly bleak and violent story for what is ostensibly a children's program. It has overtones that would not have been out of place in the Holmes/Hinchcliffe era, but amplified by the height of the Cold War oppressive distrust of government and the illusion of freedom. It is actually pretty daring stuff, and dang it if I'm not enjoying it. I am supposed to hate the Sixth Doctor era, I have already firmly established that fact, and for the second story in a row the show is spiting me by being good despite itself. The hour long format continues to work in the show's favor, with much better pacing and much more complex storytelling. If I'm not careful, I might actually end up liking the Sixth Doctor...

STATS:

Doctor(s): Sixth
Companion(s): Peri
Episode(s): Vengeance on Varos - Part 1
Steps Walked: 7,412 today, 2,241,196 total
Distance Walked: 3.98 miles today, 1,153.69 miles total
Weight: 246.62 lbs (five day moving average), net change -60.68 lbs