Day 100 — April 10th 2021
The Web of Fear Episodes Five and Six
The Web of Fear — Episode Five
Back in 2014 I used to do some work for the Doctor Who Experience here in Cardiff, making merchandise which was exclusive to their shop. We used to go in on a Tuesday, because that was the day they were closed, every few weeks and take photographs of props and costumes specially. For a couple of months later in the year they closed the place down for a few weeks to do a major overhaul ready for the Peter Capaldi era. We were absent for most of it — we’d have only been in the way.
Towards the end of the renovation we went in for a meeting, and they took us out on the floor to show us some of the goodies they’d been installing. I can’t remember what costume it was we were specifically being shown. It might have been Peter Capaldi’s outfit, as we’d need to shoot it to match images we’d done the previous year for all the other Doctor Whos. But my attention was firmly elsewhere because across the floor, looming from beside its eventual plinth, was a Web of Fear Yeti.
I was so excited that I genuinely think a little bit of wee might have come out. I had no idea that any of the full costumes for the Yeti survived, and that they’d managed to get hold of one was genuinely mind blowing to me. I think I’m right in saying — but don’t quote me on this — that the costume had been shipped over from Australia specially to go on display.
I spent ages staring at it. The fact that the lights were mostly off simply added to the effect. The creature was stunning, and huge. A little link back to this brilliant story, and I was stood facing it down. It’s one of my most treasured Doctor Who memories.
The difference between the Yeti costumes in The Abominable Snowmen and The Web of Fear isn’t something I’ve ever particularly paid attention to before, but watching today I think the ‘Mark Two’ Yeti are definitely the better design. They’re more refined, and the glowing eyes are fantastic. I’m sad to see that I’ve missed out on an Eaglemoss figure of this iteration, and they’re going for silly money on eBay now. I suspect I’ll be caving in and buying one before the week is through.
And I really enjoy the web guns they carry in this story, too. I know they’re something that Russell T Davies has raised an eyebrow about before (‘Spiders make webs…’, he tells Toby Hadoke in an episode of Who’s Round), but I think there’s something genuinely captivating about them, and the design is great. There’s something about the sight of the soldiers covered in web during Episode Four that really works. I’m always reminded of a brilliant illustration by Adrian Salmon for the Doctor Who Magazine Time Team which shows a Yeti using the gun — isn’t that just a perfectly magical Doctor Who image?
It baffles me that when the Great Intelligence was brought back to the programme in 2012/13 they dispensed with pretty much all the imagery that comes with it in these episodes. There’s no Yeti, no Web, no foam… I love the idea of the sentient snow, but I can’t help thinking it’s a bit of a wasted opportunity. I’d love to see what the modern series could do with the Yeti — I’m not sure they’d manage much better than the ones we had in 1968, because they’re pretty much perfect.
Something else that surprises me about the Intelligence’s return in the New Testament is just how different its aims are. In this episode we get the hear exactly what the Intelligence is after;
The Intelligence: ‘Now you have fallen into the trap that I have so carefully prepared for you.’
Doctor Who: ‘Oh, I see, so that’s why you’ve brought me here. Revenge.’
The Intelligence: ‘No. Revenge is a very human emotion. My purpose for you is far more interesting.’
Doctor Who: ‘And what’s that?’
The Intelligence: ‘Through time and space, I have observed you, Doctor. Your mind surpasses that of all other creatures.’
Doctor Who: ‘What do you want?’
The Intelligence: ‘You! Your mind will be invaluable to me. Therefore I have invented a machine that will drain all past knowledge and experience from your mind.’
But The Name of the Doctor is a story all about the Intelligence seeking revenge on Doctor Who! I know the last time I did a marathon I tried to put together a big timeline which made sense for the Intelligence, and reasoned that after successive defeats revenge became something which was no longer ‘beneath’ it… but that’s bollocks, isn’t it? Watching through this time I think we have to perhaps assume that the Intelligence in the ‘classic’ era and the one which fought Matt Smith were two different — but very similar — entities.
This episode has taken a bit of a tumble from the previous ones, and in many ways it feels a bit like an Episode Three; filled with drawn out padding. Early in the episode Doctor Who is given a deadline of 20 minutes to give himself up, and occasionally throughout we’re told how much of that time has ticked away. I don’t know if they just get an awful lot done very quickly or if it was a comment on the episode, but it surprised me every time we were reminded that we’re still in the 20 minute window.
After all the action and excitement of the last episode, this one feels like a step back, and not in a good way. I’m hoping everything will pick up again for the finale, but this one is a 6/10 at best.
The Web of Fear — Episode Six
I really like the idea that this story ends with ‘unfinished business’ between Doctor Who and the Intelligence, and I’m not sure we’ve ever really seen that before. The Time Meddler ends with the ‘Monk’ swearing vengeance on Doctor Who, but I’m not sure we’ve ever had such a definitive expression of our hero having failed to defeat the enemy and musing that it’s still out there somewhere. It’s perhaps ironic, therefore, that the third encounter between Troughton and the Intelligence ultimately fell by the wayside. I’m not sure if any outlines survive for the third story (Doctor Who Magazine published a breakdown in Issue 262, so there must be something) but I’d love to know fully how they intended to bring it all together.
This final episode is a strong one, and a great improvement from Episode Five. It’s nice to have a final episode where all the pieces are in place, so it doesn’t end up feeling too rushed or ill-conceived. Indeed, there’s a lot in this episode which I’ve found genuinely exciting. There’s a point where they wrong-foot you into thinking that Harold Chorley is another one of the Intelligence’s ‘Human Hands’, and I was genuinely amazed to have forgotten it!
I found it properly exciting, and when it turned out that the rug had been pulled out from under me I was so pleased. I love being thrown off like that, and just like when it’s happened before in this marathon, it makes me enjoy the episode even more. I was going to reference a specific occasion here, but although I can remember being totally wrongfooted already in this marathon and loving an episode for doing so… I can’t now remember which episode it was or what happened! That rather pleases me, as I might yet be surprised all over again the next time I do a marathon (In about 2029 based on my current eight-year gaps!).
The thing that really stood out for me in this episode? The comedy. I feel like I’ve not really talked much about humour in the series during Season Five, because it’s just so much a part of the show in this era that it slips under my radar. But this episode is a masterclass. Of course Doctor Who and Jamie are the centre of much of the comedy, and I particularly enjoy their exchange when trying to work out which Yeti is under their control;
Jamie: ‘Which one is ours?’
Doctor Who: ‘I don’t know.
Jamie: ‘What?’
Doctor Who: ‘Well, unfortunately I’ve lost track of him.’
Jamie: ‘Oh, that’s a great help.’
Doctor Who: ‘Well, never mind, I want you to take this microphone and keep on calling our Yeti to you.’
Jamie: ‘How will I know I’ve got the right one?’
Doctor Who: ‘You’ll soon know if you haven’t got the right one, won’t you?’
The comedy highlight of the episode, though, is Driver Evans. He’s a hoot in this one. He’s brilliant when he first shows up in Episode Two, but by Episode Five the joke was wearing a bit thin for me. I was starting to find him more irritating than funny. Here they’ve turned him up to eleven and it really works in his favour. I genuinely love the moment he avoids one Yeti only to run straight into two more, and greets them with a nonchalant ‘hello’. It might — just might — top Troughton seeing the Ice Warriors for the first time as my comedy highlight of the era.
The more I’ve enjoyed him in this one the more I’ve wished we could have him pop up as an occasional irritant in the 70s UNIT stories. I think he’d be a great way of puncturing all the drama, but in just the right way.
I’m going for a 9/10 on this episode — but it’s hitting that height in a different way to the similarly-scored Episode Four. Overall, I’m not sure that The Web of Fear quite lives up to its stellar reputation as one of those stories that can do no wrong, but it’s certainly very good, and I’m still so pleased that we can actually watch it.
