Day 159 — June 8th 2021
The Sea Devils Episodes One and Two
The Sea Devils — Episode One
Isn’t it strange how some things just feel inherently right for Doctor Who, even when they’ve not been done in the series before? In the case of this story it’s that opening sequence in which a SHIP comes under attack and radios in for help as a scaly hand creeps into frame — it’s not something the series has done before, but it’s very effective and just feels like the kind of thing you expect the series to do.
The sense of menace in this episode is its greatest strength — and Michael Briant does a brilliant job of keeping the Sea Devil mysterious up until the final reveal for the cliffhanger. There’s a risk that seeing the same hand creeping around over and over (it happens on four or five separate occasions here) could start to feel repetitive or stale, but it never does. If anything it gets creepier over time.
It means that when we’re trapped on the sea fort with two maintenance workers, the whole thing is dripping with atmosphere, and then we’re treated to some brilliant direction looking down at the characters as they try to uncover the source of the noises they keep hearing. It’s an unusual piece of direction, and that’s what makes it so effective and unsettling — it’s totally new for the series.
What impresses me the most is that the episode is able to keep such a great atmosphere despite throwing everything at us. Much like the opening episode of Colony in Space, this feels totally packed and moves at a hell of a pace. It does give me a little cause for concern because I felt Malcolm Hulke was forced to start adding in more elements later on in that story which diluted the enjoyable aspects at the beginning — I’m hoping the same won’t be true of this one.
Outside of the creeping around and monster business we get to explore another aspect which is rapidly becoming a staple of the Pertwee years — Doctor Who bristling when faced with bureaucracy. I love the panic on Captain Hart’s face when he realises that our hero has managed to simply sail up to a top secret naval base in a little boat, and there’s something about the way Doctor Who greets a platoon of soldiers — with a broad smile and a cheery ‘good afternoon’ — which is another example of something that feels so entirely right for Doctor Who. I also love the idea that he leaves all the boring admin to Jo;
Captain Hart: ‘If you are from UNIT, then where are your credentials?’
Doctor Who: ‘I never carry the things. A lot of bureaucratic nonsense. If you wish to see my pass, then ask Miss Grant.’
She turns up a few minutes later duly presenting a pair of UNIT passes at the front gate. There’s something really fun about how well Doctor Who and Jo work as a team here — clearly the friendship they were fostering on Peladon has survived the trip back to Earth. They both arrive at the navy base via different means (a boat and a motorbike) but they both obtain their transport by bribing the same man. That gave me a proper chuckle.
I’ve always thought the idea of the Master just being sat in prison for ages — with Doctor Who and Jo popping in for a friendly visit — was a bit silly, but in context it totally works. Of course he’s not just being a good little captive, and has managed to get the prison governor in his pocket. I’m always pleased when something I’ve thought of as ‘not a great idea’ turns out to be better than expected.
8/10.
The Sea Devils — Episode Two
For me, Malcolm Hulke is the person who best ‘gets’ the Master’s love of disguises. In Colony in Space he’s impersonating the Adjudicator — he’s wearing the right costume, but hasn’t made any attempt to disguise his face (although, to be fair, he’s not expecting anyone to recognise him). Here he’s again made an effort to get the outfit right, and is using hypnosis to bluff his way through. This feels so much better than the ill-fitting rubber masks he resorted to in his first few stories.
I also love that he’s so calm and in control until he realises that his hypnosis isn’t having the desired effect, at which point he gets frustrated and lashes out — an act which ultimately proves part of his downfall here, alerting the Navy to the fact that something’s wrong. I’d grown a bit sick of the character after five consecutive stories featuring him during Season Eight, but it’s good to have him back, and even better to see him written so well. Delgado is clearly relishing his return.
It’s a mark of how much I’m enjoying this that I’ve been able to overlook things which I know have bothered me elsewhere. Take the Master’s escape from the base — he makes it past the security barrier mere seconds before the siren goes off to lock the place down. A similar thing happened in The Ambassadors of Death, but where it felt like a cheat in that instance, here I’ve found myself actively cheering for the Master. It’s fun watching him go toe-to-toe with Doctor Who, and I’m actively pleased to see him last enough to have some more fun.
This even extends to the sword fight which takes up the last few minutes of the episode. Before sitting down to watch today I had this moment in my head as something a bit silly and an example of why I wasn’t expecting to enjoy The Sea Devils all that much. In practice, though, it’s a lot of fun.
Someone else returning to the series with this story is Michael Briant on directing duties — and while I enjoyed Colony in Space well enough there’s a lot more for me to latch onto in this one.
I mentioned the unusual ‘shot from above’ moments in Episode One, and during a lengthy chase sequence here there’s some brilliant Dutch Angles which feel incredibly modern and give the shots some real visual flare. I’m surprised I can’t recall them from my last viewing, because they really stand out here.
I’m also a big fan of watching one of my favourite scenes from Doctor Who and the Silurians being turned on it’s head. On that occasion Doctor Who came face to face with a Silurian and offered a hand of friendship. He tries the same technique here when faced with a Sea Devil — ‘Don’t be alarmed. I’ve no wish to harm you…’ — and is shot at in response! It’s great fun, and not where I was expecting the scene to go.
On the whole I’m really enjoying The Sea Devils so far, with another strong 8/10.
