Message #73007

[ardalyon]

Got to be The Daemons for me. Wasn't so impressed by the Autons second time around. The effects were so tacky and provoked laughter more than terror. The Mind of Evil was good and maybe had Pertwee's best performance as the Doctor, but as I've said elsewhere, I found the story rather disjointed. The Claws of Axos didn't grab me. Colony in Space was so-so -- again, it seem a little disjointed, with the Master's appearance seemingly tacked on to a completely different story that didn't need him.

The Daemons is the only story here that gets a 5 from me, mainly because I loved all the performances. Yates and Benton grab the chance to do more than usual, Jo actually gets a purpose in the plot (albeit a little corny), and the Master is utterly brilliant here. He knows he is biting off more than he can chew but is like a schoolboy amazed by his own audacity, and the scene where he is at first cajoling the villagers and ends by threatening is very revealing, and also interestingly brings him closer to the Doctor, who also is at his most patronising, treating them all like children. There is a sense in which both the Master and the Doctor act like children irritated that those around them won't play along and join in the games they've invented.