#WW2 Rebuilder

[xboxissues]

New Xbox Games for May 6 to May 10 2024

[lonestarbattleship]

USS NEVADA (BB-36) in the middle of an extensive rebuild and modernization at the Puget Sound Navy Yard. She served as the prototype for post-pearl harbor rebuilds of the US dreadnought battleships.

Photographed on June 3, 1942.

US Navy Photo: 986-42

[valmillion]

i need to write out the worldbuilding lore of my train layout

[alibis-and-wine]

people who never study history simultaneously believe both that things have always been this way and that the past and present are alien and incomprehensible to each other.

Well I would give a medieval peasant some spaghetti.

[szczekaczz]

warsaw is always making me so emotional no matter how much i shit talk about it with my friends

[moonwoodhollow]

Exerzierplatz - a cc lot by moonwoodhollow (feat. The Green Room & the bookshop + a retro corner store)

Exerzierplatz is a building I've been working on for a long time as it was a bit of a trouble-child. I was never satisfied with it and kept thinking that I should scrap it, because of its awkward apartment-floor plans, until I embraced the idea of using it more as a retail/café lot. The result is something I am very satisfied with and I hope it exudes the kind of ~hip/cute neighbourhood~ vibe I'm feeling.

But it's all up to you, how you'll want to use this lot: as a café, a deco lot for your sims-stories (I'd love to see that!!) or as an actual residential building.

More screenshots, info + download link under the cut!

Building background

Another historical brick building, but I'll spare you the historical background this time because I forgot which real-life building inspired me to create this one, but I can tell you how I got the idea for this building in general! (if you care)

The name Exerzierplatz is a bit misleading if you know any German, as a "Platz" is usually a public square, buildings directly next to a square usually receive the square's name as well with a house number added. The square that inspired me is quite a dismal and empty square with a huge car park, but it got me thinking about what kind of buildings originally might have stood there. The historical context here is post-WW2, which left a lot of cities in ruins. Instead of rebuilding the original structures, some cities opted for a "car-friendly" approach, meaning lots of car parks and wide streets, that nowadays feel over-dimensioned.

Now if I had to pin down an era, in which this kind of building was likely constructed, I'd say the latter of the 19th century. It's likely to be a representative of historicism, or at least has elements from this style.

So what do you get?

Exerzierplatz is a 20x20 build best placed in Windenburg, but I could potentially see it in Britechester as well. The building is partly furnished, which means the whole ground floor is furnished, while the other two floors are left unfurnished.

The ground floor includes a café, a bookshop and a Tante Emma Laden (aka a corner store/delicatessen). All three of them are fully furnished and usable as a café or a retail store. The 2nd and 3rd floors are intended as apartments, but everything's up to you!

Uses items from the following packs: I own almost all packs, so I'd say most of them, but I will update this post once I hop back into game to have a look!

Download: Google Drive (600 MB) | Also up on the gallery: aeromantica (but you’ll need the cc files from the Drive folder!)

Is the CC included? Most is! There's an Excel file with all CC that you'll need to download manually, but it's not many files. Deco Sims are NOT included.

Also a BIG THANK YOU to all the CC-creators, without their creations, I wouldn't have been able to build this!

-> Info: I've included 4 merged files, BUT! I've prepared a little note, about which ones are hard requirements, so it's up to you whether you'll include them.

TOU: Please don’t claim as your own or put behind paywalls etc. If you find any issues (wrong/missing files, etc.) please let me know + tag me if you’ll use the house, I’d love to see it in your games.

[you-see-something-strange-here]

I actually love the suburbia vibes we’ve got going on in At Attin because it’s giving america in the 50’s after ww2 when everyone collectively decided that isolation and conformity was important and the best way to rebuilding a society, so I totally see why At Attin went in that direction during the new republic.

[adventures-in-mangaland]

I'm going with 10 All Time Classics from the Captain America (MCU) fandom. I mean, they're all classics to me, at least. In no particular order:

1. This, You Protect by owlet

First installment in the Infinite Coffee and Protection Detail series, which are all amazing. It's a “Bucky escaping Hydra and rebuilding his sense of self” fic, which he does while spying on Steve. With eventual Avengers Family and a lovely cast of OCs bonding with Bucky in the meantime. It has a very distinctive perspective and writing style; Bucky's in constant internal (and sometimes accidentally external) dialogue with himself, making it hilarious and tragic all at the same time. I love it. I've recently been getting into The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells and this Bucky has a similar sassy-but-vulnerable vibe? Read this if you like that, anyway.

2. The One Who Knows by Dira Sudis (dsudis)

This is a Political Animals AU, in that no-powers Steve is inserted into the Political Animals world and Bucky is TJ. Discusses being outed and depression but is ultimately hopeful. The author is one of my all time faves and has written lots of great stories for this and many other fandoms.

3. Blue Scales by chaya

Steve is a merman AU. He's still Captain America, though. It's crack with heart, I love it.

Best line: "May your scales and your love story be our weird secret forever.”

4. Our Lingering Frost by eyres

AU where Bucky is rescued from Hydra in the 50s (?) and so is around for Steve to be found.

5. Assets Out of Containment by follow_the_sun

It's a classic to *me*, OK? Bucky goes undercover at Jurassic World just as that movie's plot kicks off. They're Hydra dinosaurs! It's just great. Also has a podfic and crossovers with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

6. Not Easily Conquered (series) by dropdeaddream and WhatAreFears

Some of the greatest fanfiction I've ever read, the whole series is epic. Anyway, it's a "Steve doesn't go into the ice" AU with added queer angst when (never sent) love letters from Bucky resurface. I particularly like the second installment in the series The Thirteen Letters, which are just Bucky's letters and are insanely well-written.

7. to memory now I can't recall by Etharei

Time travel AU! Featuring post-CATWS Bucky accidentally switching places with CATFA era Bucky.

8. If Wishing Made It So by Leveragehunters (Monkeygreen)

Genie!Bucky AU! This author is great at writing AUs with fantasy/genre elements, it was hard to choose. They've also written an excellent werewolf!Steve AU and a horse!Steve AU that I really love.

9. Into That Good Night by Nonymos

An Interstellar AU! Very angsty and tragic but with an eventual happy ending.

10. Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Square by Speranza

Speranza must be one of the best writers in the fandom, so it was hard to pick just one of their fics. Other strong contenders were All the Angels and the Saints and The Fifties, so check those out too! But this one has a special place in my heart. Steve, Tony and Natasha accidentally time travel to WW2 London, leading to an accidental run-in with CATFA-era Bucky. The author does tragic and romantic time travel tropes so well, but with a happy ending.

I now realise that most of these are AUs, so here’s a bonus rec for a non-AU in-universe story that’s severely underrated and deserves more love:

+1

Heart, Have No Pity on this House of Bone by Sena

This story follows Bucky in-action in the Pacific Theatre. It’s very well written and, from what I can tell, well researched. Steve only appears in Bucky’s imagination and the story focuses on the horrors of war rather than romance, but it’s gripping! And it explores unrequited love, being closeted and period-typical homophobia, which I also enjoyed. I’m still holding out hope for a sequel.

[lisenberry]

Don't have a name for this one yet, but this is Part One of Posh!Price, and my third entry in the Summer Love series.

Inspired in no small part by this amazing ask from a few months ago.

NSFW/MDNI/18+

CW: somewhat public sex, Price smokes and drinks, language.

There was nothing John hated more than pomp and fanfare.  Or tiny plates of cold, unidentifiable food.  Or the physical constraints of formal dinner wear.  Give him a waist-deep swamp, a warm MRE, and thirty pounds of gear any day.  Anything but the soul-sucking misery of a back-patting, bureaucratic group wank.

The only reason he was at the gala at all was because he didn’t have a choice.  Well, he always had a choice, in theory.  But in practice, he knew he’d be there the moment you asked him so nicely.  With a glowing smile and the promise that you’d make it worth his time.  He could sit still, and behave, like a good lad.

For a little while, at least.   

Finally, after the third hour of watching your every move from the edges as you made your rounds to financiers and well-to-dos, he refilled his glass of whisky at the open bar and took a fresh cigar to the secluded terrace.  With the full-bodied taste of earthy leather, sweet molasses and crisp cedar settling thickly on his tongue, he reflected on the circumstances that brought him there.

He’d met you six months prior at a product development retreat to introduce a new communication device that would resist both detection and interference in the field.  He’d been skeptical of your credentials at first, but by the time you finished your presentation and answered every one of his biting remarks with ease, he was left impressed with your knowledge not only of the tech, but of the practical application as well. 

You had experience with the weaknesses of the current equipment, and the upgrades would significantly improve not only the efficiency of the tradecraft, but the safety of his team.

He’d sought you out for the rest of the weekend, practically joined you at the hip, as you bonded over your shared combat experience and time at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, although you’d been several years behind him. 

By the end, you’d exchanged numbers and a handful of nights together since.  When he was off mission, and you were in between business travel.  And there was that one wild night in Dubai when your flight paths had crossed clandestinely. 

Neither of you were in a position to make things any more official, but he never turned down the chance to spend more time with you. 

“How’d I know you’d be hiding out here?”  He heard you approach even before you spoke, as you wrapped your arms around his waist from behind. 

“I’ve hit my limit on polite conversation, I’m afraid.” 

John could stay hidden, and completely still in a bush for 24 hours without so much as blinking, all while holding a rifle scope steady on a target kilometers away.  But he’d grown restless to be so near, and yet so far away from you.

“What about impolite conversation?” you countered, slipping a hand lower to where his tuxedo shirt tucked into his trousers.  “Think we could fuck out here without anyone seeing us?” you murmured into the side of his neck. 

Your heels gave you just enough height to reach a bit of exposed skin above the collar of his well-fit jacket.

“Why do you think I chose this advantage point?” he growled with a grin, twisting around to face you and holding his cigar between his teeth.  It freed his hands to pull you closer, enough to feel just how much he needed you and slip up under the slit of your evening dress.

The smoke from it hung heavy in the humid summer air between you. 

You’d told him you didn't care much for cigars before you met him, but that your granddad would smoke the same label in his office when he’d let you sit atop his lap and listen to old war stories.

He'd been too young in WW2, but he'd served after.  The rebuilding in Berlin and the struggles throughout the continent that followed.  The Cold War and later, the troubles in Ireland.  His greatest successes and his deepest regrets.

John didn’t seem to mind that you’d drawn a connection between him and childhood memories of your grandfather, but you'd held off from confessing that it was something even stronger than just a pleasant recollection.  It was a feeling deep in your bones, of when home was a place in the world.  Concrete and unmoving, and yet a soft place to land.  Not just another tumultuous thing to be handled.  

Navigated.  Fixed.

With John, you found comfort again.  Or at least, recognized the possibility.  But still, you pulled the thick roll from his mouth as if it was competing for his attention and claimed his deceptively soft lips and warm tongue in a kiss that was as long as it was deep. 

“I’ve missed you, John.”  One night together was never enough.  Two was always a pleasant surprise, but they were few and far between.  Anything more was wishful thinking.

“I have a short leave starting the week after next.  Are you free?”  He nuzzled the length of his chin along your cheek, unwillingly to sever the connection even as he spoke.  His hands moved circles up along your hips.

“I’m going home for a family thing at our place in the country.  You’re welcome to tag along.”  You’d meant the last part to sound more sarcastic, but your voice hitched as he pressed you against the stone railing and spread your legs to better fit him against you.

“Where is it?”

“Herefordshire.  I was only kidding.  It’ll be horribly...I don’t even know how to describe it.”  

What were the odds that it would be the same area where he’d grown up as well?  In between his time at boarding schools, at least.  He was about sixteen the last time he’d been home.  He understood all too well the stress of returning.

However, he was unwilling to give you up for long. Not when you smelled like gardenias, looked at him so fondly, and clung so snuggly around his waist.

“How can I say ‘no’, when you’ll be there?”  It was his turn to claim your mouth, as he quickly proved just how clever he was at evading detection.

You just had to stay quiet, and not drop his cigar.

[iamnmbr3]

One of weirdest disconnects (but far from being the only one), I see from the left in regards to Israel is that jews have no claim to the land, are colonizers and oppressors, but at the same time make long ass rants about how native americans had their land stolen from them, deserve to claim it back and get reparations and all that. And the disconnect here is that jewish people, as a group, are native to the region of Israel, their ancestors literally built a country there after escaping slavery, lived there for a long ass time but were eventually kicked out by the Roman Empire, and after thousands of years of being persecute and not felling safe returned to their ancestral homeland, to reclaim and rebuild what was stolen from them. Isn’t that what people say we owe native americans? Or indigenous groups that were kicked out of their lands in general? Yes, in their thousand year absence other peoples built their lives around the region of Jerusalem. Yes, Palestine deserves to be recognized and it’s citizens to have decent lives like everyone else. Should Israel never have existed, or cease to exist? No! There’s plenty of room for both peoples to have their countries, the jewish people belong there too and history proves they need a nation to serve as a refuge! Their land was returned to them by British after WW2, since they legally owed it after the fall of the Byzantine Empire, and while the partition could have been better, after all the horror’s jewish people had experienced it’s hard to blame to UN for giving it a go. Honestly, this whole situation just shows how dumb, hateful, bigoted, misinformed and disingenuous a lot of people in the left are. It’s easy to say that the Hogwart’s Legacy game is anti-jewish, that supporting it gives power and money to evil people and then harassing people that want to play it (which is dumb all around, as pretty much all the other hot takes and boycott to that game), but when it comes down to actually standing with jewish people and showing empathy? Nah, that’s too hard for them. It’s all performative. It’s easier to jump on the hate train and say they deserved what H*mas did to them, it gives them more likes.

Yeah. So many people on the Left are all "land back" until it's time to say land back for Jews. Kind of like how a lot of the Left shouts "believe all victims" about sexual assault till those victims are Jewish. I mean would anyone on the Left call any of the recognized sovereign nations of indigenous people in North America ethnostates that need to be abolished? Or say indigenous people still trying to get back a piece of their ancestral lands should stop because it was too long ago now? The hypocrisy demonstrates how deeply antisemitic views have seeped into parts of the Left. Which we cannot allow.

Jews are indigenous to the Levant. Both Israelis and Palestinians have a claim to the land. Israel exists. That's a fact that won't change. Any workable longterm peace must find a compromise solution that acknowledges both Israeli and Palestinian needs. Any other solution will simply result in more bloodshed (which a lot of "activists" in the West seem more interested in...probably because it's not their blood being shed).

[thekingofwinterblog]

So one small moment that's often glossed over, in large part due to translators not really getting the signifigance, is Endeavor calling All Might an "american"(this translation went with american man, which isnt entierly well translated, but gets the point across) in a very negative manner.

In Japan's more conservative and traditional culture, there an undercurrent of xenophobia against the west and america, in particular amongst more diehard nationalists, in large part due to the american occupation.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the spectrum, one of Japan's greatest strengths is it's cultural ability to absorb the most effective parts of those who are stronger than them, and in turn make themselves much more powerful in the process, as they did after being forced to open themselves up to the west during the age of colonialism, rebuilding themselves completely as a society as they industrialized, going through the most impressive leap from feudal to modern in human history, as well as them again reinventing themselves after WW2, absorbing all the best and strongest elements of the USA into themselves post war as they rebuilt their nation.

Within the context of this, All Might represents the better part of Japan's interactions with the outside world, being the man who went west to learn as much as he possibly could in america and the west, before returning to his homeland with that knowledge and experience to bring about an age of peace and prosperity.

Meanwhile, Endeavor is the opposite, he's a traditionalist, who is both envious of All Might because of his strength and success, but also looks down on him for associating with the outside world, with the clear implication that He, All Might, is no longer a true Japanese man, despite being both born in, and being ethically japanese.

It's also a cultural insult that is WAY worse within Japanese culture than what i make it sound like here, as it's a nation that is VERY proud of it's culture and ancient history.

that has good and negative sides, but Endeavor at the start of his part in the story represents all of the worst ones.

However, he is also a hypocrite in this regard.

In many aspects, Endeavor is about as traditionalist as you can come, his home is a very old school japanese home, his family always eats in the tradtional manner, compared to most households, like the midoriya's

However, despite his trappings of Japanese culture, Endeavor is just as much a departure from the "ideal" of a japnese man as All Might is.

amongst the traditional ideal of japanese culture is stoicism, eternal calmness, an understanding of mutual respect to those around you or at least an aversion to confrontation, cooperation, and keeping yourself always looking respectable and proper in public, amongst many other things.

He's highly agressive, prone to extreme vocal outbursts when his emotions run high.

never bothers keeping his beard in a presentable condition by either shaving, trimming or styling it, and hides this laziness with his fire beard.

In addition to his agressiveness, he refuses to even pretend to uphold japan's unspoken rules about avoiding conflict, and is terrible at cooperating with anyone who is not explicitly underneath him as a subordinate.

In other words, he is a massive hypocrite, as he judges all might for having abandoned Japanese traditional values, while not even attempting to uphold or live by them himself.

in contrast, All Might, despite his bombastic nature, and american iconography embodies a lot of Japanese values in a way Endeavor does not.

He makes great personal sacrifices for the sake of the greater community, taking pain, not upon his family, but his own back for the greater good. He undertands, and lives out his role in society to the fullest. He is a very friendly person who truly does embody Japan's value of respecting those around him and treating them with dignity and respect, and is great at cooperation with others.

And while his style is very bombastic, rather than subdued, All Might allways takes care to look his very best, unlike Enji, who hides his shabby beard with fire, all might always takes pains to look immaculate, proffessional and with hair, face and smile perfect, because he actually understands the value that keeping yourself looking well maintained and respectable has on those around you.

When he has to humble himself, he does so in the most japanese Manner possible, to truly show his commitment, not being to proud or too vain to do so.

In short, All Might presents himself as very American, while at the same time embodying the best parts of Japanese Culture, while Endeavor presents himself as a traditionalist who does not even pretend to fit into the culture he proclaims himself to be a part of.

[centrally-unplanned]

In case anyone wants some scholarly data on the bombing-growth impact, I can provide some good ones. The "bombing didn't impact growth in Germany & Japan" is too well known to bother with; I find this Vietnam paper better, as Vietnam was poorer, bombed more intensely, and most importantly bombed very regionally due to weird political factors; its the best 'experiment' of the impact of bombing on wealth, health, education, etc. And its all zeros; the capacity of humanity to survive the worst modernity can throw at them and rebuild is truly marvelous.

I will also share my favourite results ever in a paper; the areas of London that were bombed during the Blitz are generally the richest areas of London, as the need to rebuild wiped away NIMBY stakeholders and allowed, taller, better buildings to be constructed. London *would be poorer today if it had not been bombed during WW2* is a galaxy brain take that is actually correct, amazing:

I think the last one is illustrative, though - all capital is temporary. When people talk about the "agglomeration of capital", it can invoke ideas of building stocks of factories and tools and vaults of gold or whatever that generate wealth indefinitely, but that doesn't happen. Those factories shred, degrade, become outdated, need to pivot, etc in a matter of years. The economy has to be perpetually worked to generate value. "Agglomeration of capital" is not a stock of permanent wealth, its a stock of present wealth that gives you the power to dictate future wealth and its construction. And most of that wealth is the human capital, the org structures, the commercial relations. The buildings and tools are always cheap in comparison to those. Which is why bombing doesn't impact long run ecomic growth.

[potionmotion]

Was talking to @harvestlord abt post game rebuilding of dragonspyre and how it might follow a similar timeline to the cultural developments in post ww2 soviet Russia and how that would lead to the development of punk in the spiral all of which was an attempt to make a canon interpretation as to why the fuck we got flaming motorcycles and biker gear in a wizard game

[luna-rainbow]

Thoughts about this quote from AM about how Sam doesn't trust Bucky and will probably never completely forgive him for being the Winter Soldier?

Here's the link to the tweet I saw (I don't know how to include screenshots sorry 😭😭):

https://twitter.com/DianneR_99/status/1785867853238833641?t=NUhkilfwG2guZQx31-b82g&s=19

It's apparently from the official Marvel Studios' collector special TFATWS book.

Why is it so hard for people at Marvel to acknowledge that Bucky is a victim not some reformed villain?

(Also please feel free to ignore this ask, I know people have been dogpiled in the past for being slightly critical of AM and the last thing I want is for you to get hate because of me.)

It’s okay I think I’ve blocked most of them, or they’ve gotten tired of dogpiling me and blocked me. If I’ve missed anyone feel free to announce yourselves to get a block 😌

Thanks for bringing this to my attention!

I’ve said in other asks about AM’s comments on Bucky, I never blame an actor for not understanding the nuances of another character. That’s not his job. Understanding Bucky is the job of Sebastian Stan and the writers.

However, I know it’s tempting to compare him to CEvans, who had always spoken so affectionately of Bucky. Remember that Bucky’s story in the movies was complementary to Steve’s, meaning that CEvans had to understand Bucky's tragedy in order to understand Steve’s pain and guilt. To CEvans/Steve, it was important that Bucky was a wronged hero, because it rationalises why Steve would go such lengths to help him. For the entire trilogy, Bucky, and particularly Bucky's suffering, was very much impetus for Steve’s personal journey and growth. I've talked about the narrative motifs in other meta and I want to emphasise I don't mean this from a shipping lens - I mean that thematically, events that happen to Bucky have always been a major driver for Steve to make important narrative choices, and it is true even if you see their relationship as platonic.

Which…I guess brings us to the crux of the disk horse that brought about this tweet. No, Bucky is in no way important personally or narratively to Sam. Sam doesn’t grow or change because he cares about Bucky, although fortunately at least Bucky’s TFATWS arc involves him growing because he cares about Sam. We know Bucky is not personally or narratively important to Sam because of what AM has just said — Sam will always see Bucky as the guy who tore off his wings and kicked him off a helicarrier. Not a WW2 war hero, not a prisoner of war tortured into blank amnesia, not a survivor who had to rebuild most of his identity ground up, not a veteran living with PTSD without any social supports. These same views are echoed by his fans, who will scoff at everything I’ve said above and say we’re trying to “woobify a white fave” without knowing what woobify means. Sam does not care about what Bucky has been through, we know because the writing of the story has told AM that it is not important to understand who Bucky is or what Bucky has been through. All AM needs to do is to banter with this guy like he’s still annoyed at him over an incident 10 years ago when he had amnesia.

Again, I don't blame AM for this, because he can only work with what the writers have told him about the intended relationship between Sam and Bucky. And to be fair, he plays it like it is. At no point does it feel like Sam values or trusts Bucky beyond "annoying guy I put up with for work". I know some fans like to point to the Louisiana scene as proof that Sam trusts Bucky and has him as part of the family -- which would be great fanon if 1) AM didn't just contradict that and b) Sam spends most of the deleted scenes calling Bucky "the Winter Soldier" like the guy had any say in the moniker. And no, Bucky confessing his deeds to Yori is not Bucky reclaiming his identity as the Winter Soldier.

This is not an indictment on the ship, by the way, because you can wrangle canon to make it work, and shipping has been built on far less. I've got nearly 50k words on AO3 proving I've tried. But TFATWS canon is full of things happening off camera and the truth is...we never saw mutual trust and affection on camera between the two men. We saw two guys perpetually annoyed at and annoying to each other, and AM just gave the reason why.

[satoshi-mochida]

Ryukishi07 Visual Novel 'Rose Guns Days' Coming West Through MangaGamer - Noisy Pixel

MangaGamer has announced the western release of Rose Guns Days. The gangster visual novel by writer Ryukishi07 will be available in English, Chinese, and Japanese on Steam and MangaGamer’s own store.

Rose Guns Days was originally released by 07th Expansion in Japan in four seasons, from 2012 to 2014. This new version will follow the same individual chapter sale structure, but it’ll be upscaled from 480p to 1280 x 960.

The game takes us to an alternate history of Japan in which the country was taken over by Chinese and American forces during World War 2 as a way to rebuild Japan. The two countries tried to obtain a superior political stand in the nation, and many people from China and the USA migrated.

Now, with so many people from other countries, the Japanese have even become a minority. However, there are still those who won’t give up. As many gang conflicts arise, a new Japanese mafia family tries to get the upper hand within City 23 and protect their kin.

Rose Guns Days follows Leo Shishigami, a war veteran who sees his country completely changed after WW2 when he returns to it three years later. Alongside him, we also have another protagonist, Rose Haibara, the proprietress of a brothel who tries to protect other women like her.

A manga adaption of the game has also been released in English before through Yen Press. They’ve also released a spin-off prequel manga called Rose Guns Days Sorrowful Cross Knife.

You can view artwork for Rose Guns Days via our gallery below:

[thethirdromana]

Rewatching The Dalek Invasion of Earth

Is this the first moment when we get a glimpse of how long this series could go on for? The seed of the idea that the main cast could and would come and go? Obviously it's nowhere near as significant as the Tenth Planet, but it still feels like the start of something.

Also, it's bloody good.

My thoughts:

DO NOT DUMP BODIES IN THE RIVER would be a lovely, sinister bit of environmental storytelling if they didn't focus on it quite so much. But probably that would have been a bit more subtle on a smaller, fuzzier TV screen.

"What do you do?" "I eat" is an amazing Susan moment that gives an insight into how great her characterisation could have been.

I'm struck by the practicality of "What I need is an acetylene torch". Ian knows how to deal with Daleks and metal girders alike.

Ian is, incidentally, very hot in this.

The whole storyline is staggeringly bleak. You can feel the shadow of WW2 and the Cold War hanging over it all. When they do this kind of thing to Earth in modern Doctor Who (see: the Last of the Time Lords) it gets magically reversed, but I guess they were made of sterner stuff in the 60s.

So much of the hope in this rests on Susan's excitement to rebuild the planet, and Carole Ann Ford sells it perfectly.

Barbara driving a van into a Dalek is fabulous. Her attempt to bamboozle the Daleks with a fake plot is great. And I appreciate the way her hair gets steadily more dishevelled as this story goes on. I think this might be all three companions at their best.

It's a Terry Nation story, and there's a countdown, down your drinks.

The incidental music in episode six is fab.

Susan is definitely too young to be getting married, and the ending is distressingly melancholy for what should, I think, be a moment of hope and excitement. It feels like the focus is the viewers' and the Doctor's feelings about leaving Susan behind, and not the joy at her getting to start a new life.

But she and David are genuinely cute together. Good luck, kids.