Image of the Fendahl [TV/1977.10.29 ~ 11.19]

★★★★☆

  When Chris Boucher makes a homage to Hammer horror, he does it a little differently. There are less conventional scare factors, more of a creeping sense of dread and a healthy dose of existentialism for the viewers to feel as the genesis of the human race is questioned. I'd hate to instill any wrong ideas, but I think Image of the Fendahl is far more of an intellectual horror piece than Gothic -- although it's got all the trappings of a great Gothic horror piece, as it evidently is -- and leaves far scarier implications for imaginative children to chew over than any Sutekh or Krynoid ever could. 

  It's pretty evident from the way the adventure starts: while most Hinchcliffe Hammer horror-inspired serials start with a foreboding image accompanied by a creepy Dudley Simpson tune, Fendahl starts with a zoom-out of what seems to be an ordinary skull, and a pair of scientists talking scientific stuff. It's at both a way to lull viewers into a false sense of security -- in fact, the whole episode is with how comparatively lowkey it is in terms of scares and frights -- and a hint that Boucher clearly aimed for a more adult and mature take on the type of story prevelant in the Hinchcliffe years. Well, what can I say -- it works, absolutely. The Fendahl and the Fendahleen are truly memorable monsters, mysterious entities from the dawn of time, and Tom Baker doesn't let us down; he's as grumpy, venomous and impatient as ever. Just what the Doctor called for. With winning elements like these coming into play so effortlessly, I have no choice but to love it so dearly.