The Face of Evil [TV/1977.1.1 ~ 1.22]

(artwork by Daryl Joyce)

★★★★☆

  Rest in peace, Chris Boucher. You were a unique talent, someone who could write the most vivid worlds with style. You will be missed.

  The Face of Evil immediately stands out among most other Doctor Who stories by dealing with consequences: what really happens sometimes when the Doctor comes down from the heavens to help? They may have the best of intentions, but that doesn't necessarily equate to the best of results; in the case of this serial, a computer goes mad and births an entire commandeering religion with itself as the top, using the Fourth Doctor's likeness and voice to exert its will among the divided peoples. Here is where Boucher's imagination shines, in creating such vivid cultures derived from "familiar" science-fiction tropes such as intergalactic explorer groups and scientists. Set and prop design are offered the opportunity to stand out, and the religious robes made from spacesuits, swampy and claustrophobic forest sets and the moody candlelight within the spaceship set make up for a visually unique Doctor Who experience. I'm a sucker for stories that blend genres, and The Face of Evil ticks practically all the boxes in that regard.

  What also helps me enjoy this serial tremendously is Louise Jameson as Leela, who becomes the Doctor's new companion. She's an entirely different story from Sarah Jane, a quick-to-judge and fatalistic warrior who also possesses a heart of gold which takes the Doctor's liking almost immediately. I see a distinct lack of Jameson being mentioned whenever anyone talks about the best actor to play the companion, and I would like to say that it's visibly quite hard to bring alive a character who's a "savage" in 1977 terms, but also one who isn't undermined by the writing and has much more agency than most other companions at that time. Jameson embodies Leela with such warmth while also showing that she's a genuine unknown quantity at times, not being afraid to maim and even kill when she deems it necessary. It lends the entire serial a sense of real, understated danger rarely afforded to the show, and gives Tom Baker the chance to, once again, impress with flying colours. My only complaint about the serial would be that the final episode becomes a bit of a slog, but other than that, The Face of Evil is yet another fantastic slice of Doctor Who from Season 14.