Your plastic pal who's fun to be with...

And so to episode 2. The eyeless heads and assorted severed limbs of the dolls is really quite pleasing. But then they start showing the dolls being put together and the rest of that segment turns into the kind of thing that used to form the backbone of a rather cheap piece on "Jim'll Fix it" where some repressed 70's child wrote in to ask whether Jim would fix it for them to see how they get the bristles in toothbrushes. That is, what they really wanted to do was become ABBA for the day but the BBC coned them into some other money saving Fix It against their will and, with the camera rolling, they chocked back the tears as they expressed joy at being able to meet Brian who's job it was to insert each and every bristle whilst they mouthed obscenities towards the production crew.

But I digress. Let's get back to the episode and the subject of genital piercing. Yes, I'm thinking that another side effect of the regeration cycle in addition to the massive energy that's given off as every single atom re-arranges itself in the host body is the appearance of body art and other decorations. We have visual evidence of a tattoo where non was there before and I'm thinking that genital piercing also appears at the moment of regeneration. That's why it's 12 regenerations only, by the time you get to your 13th body there's not an a ounce of untouched flesh left to do anything with.

And some brief observations:

 
• All of Dr Liz's equipment seems to be there just to make a weak, peach flavour squash-based drink.
 
• I'm wondering what "special features" the doll that Ransome's invented has? Realistic cysts, a number of superfluous nipples and a copy of the A-Z for Bromley inscribed onto the inner thighs?
 
• Neck scarfs seem to be some sort of Auton order of the day. Is this some sort of requirement of the Nestene Consciousness? Wrap up warm lads, it's rather inclement out there on planet Earth.

And I do actually find the climax of the episode, as Ransome's menaced, really rather fine.