The Masque of Mandragora [TV/1976.9.4 ~ 9.25]

★★★★☆

  Philip Hinchcliffe continues to inject his own Gothic horror sensibilities into Doctor Who, and even at this stage it proves to be gorgeously done. The Masque of Mandragora is, for the most part, visually resplendent with the rather well-done effects of the inside of the Mandragora Helix we see in episode 1, and with the magnificent masque at the tail end of episode 4. It's a great reminder that the classic series quite often reached artistic heights with their set/costume design, and that the show was always ambitious with what it wanted to portray onscreen (even with its notorious shoestring budget). I'm most impressed by the way they brought the Duchy of San Martino alive; outdoor shots of the forest, marvellously done castle interiors and Dudley Simpson's music make this setting feel absolutely real — what a treat.

  It's a bit of a shame that the two Sarah Jane adventures of Season 14 are less remembered and talked about than the previous seasons', because this is a bloody good serial with a great showcase of Elisabeth Sladen's acting talent. She understands the Doctor like none other; she can practically end his sentences! Sladen's bit of acting when Hieronymous hypnotises her really, really impressed me — it reminds me not to take for granted the powerhouse that she was (I still miss her terribly). Her in the masquerade dress made my heart leap, too.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ  

  What else could you want in a '70s Doctor Who serial? Ritual sacrifices, secret cults, beautiful castle interiors, the Doctor and his swordfights, and a not-so-subtextual, pretty-obvious gay couple in the form of Giuliano and Marco... this thing was made to be loved, and it's a shame that it's not given the amount of such love it deserves.