Cleverest Name pointed out to me yesterday the Fourth Doctor's line on page 150 (
http://comics.shipsinker.com/2008/11/28 ... -page-150/): "What, clones, mutants, androids and blobby things? I don't think any of them count."
If you remember, there was quite a bit of controversy in the comments over whether our dear old Tom Baker would say the line, or whether it could be attributed to the War Chief, or whether it was something that the Sixth or Ninth Doctors could say. It ground to a halt when Rich said that he regretted the line.
Of course, when I come to this point in scripting audio episodes (it's there, somewhere in Episode Seven!), what lines will I pick to replace it?
I came up with three ideas, though I'm open to more. Do roll your suggestions in.
Idea one: The War Chief says The Line. Of course, it would need to be reworked into something more like "Sontaran clone warriors, Dalek mutants, Movellan androids and Rutan ameobae? None of these things count." Then there'd be a strong cut to outside the communications room as the Sontarans are trying to bust that door wide open, so any counter-arguments the Doctors may have will be silenced.
Idea two: The Fourth Doctor says something profound, then cracks wise. This could be used instead of The Line, or maybe after the War Chief's version of it. Something simple like "When war comes, needs must. Anybody for a humbug?" showing his jocular attitude to the concept... and also fore-fore-fore-
fore-shadowing the Time War in a rather gruesome way.
Idea three: The Fourth Doctor has a nice little upbeat soliloquy. This could follow the War Chief's Line, instead of idea two, or it could replace the both. I'm thinking along the lines of "It's a choice between a big bunch of military races we
don't like and a little defenseless planet we
do. And don't we just love an underdog story?"
Any thoughts?