Recap: Doctor Who "The Face of Evil" Episode 1

Today, the Doctor goes someplace and causes more of a stir than usual. And when you consider that the Doctor usually upheaves six civilizations before breakfast on your average day, that's really saying something. Of course, you have to keep in mind that a "day" is a very arbitrary concept when time travel is involved.

Time is an illusion. Breakfast time doubly so.

Tribe Guy: "You are the leader, Andor! It is for you to decide!"

Well, they're dropping us right in the deep end this week.

Tribe Guy: "But there can be but one punishment for such a heresy."

Let me guess. Death.

Tribe Guy: "Banishment."

Dang it, that was my third guess. My second guess was "Cake."

So here's the dealio. Some kind of tribe is conducting some kind of meeting regarding the fate of some kind of young lady named Leela (Louise Jameson). Some kind of leader, Andor (Victor Lucas), has decided that she is to be kicked out for some kind of heresy, even as some kind of a man named Tomas (Brendan Price) tries to ask for some kind of forgiveness for her.

The local shaman, Neeva (David Garfield), refutes Tomas's words, and so does Leela.

Leela: "Do not beg, Tomas. What I said was the truth."

"Frozen is completely overrated, and it only has two passable songs in its entire running time!"

Neeva: "What she said profaned the holy purpose of the tribe of Sevateem."

Leela: "Holy purpose? To die in another useless attack?"

And so, Neeva says that it is the will of their god, Xoanon, that Leela be cast out of the village.

Neeva: "He told me this."

Leela: "Liar! There is no Xoanon!"

Neeva: "Blasphemy!"

Andor, being the wise leader he is, asks if she's willing to take the Test of the Horda to prove her innocence, but she declines. And nobody will take it on her behalf but her own father.

As he is taken away, Leela gets down on her knees and takes back everything she said.

Leela: "What I said... I was wrong. Forgive me, please."

"'Let it Go' is the greatest song ever written! 'Do You Want to Build a Snowman' is a gem!"

"And what of 'Fixer Upper'?"

"It's certainly... in the movie?"

But Leela's dad's death cries ring throughout the room. Whatever the test was, he failed, and Leela makes the holy sign to mourn his death. And so, she is given until sunrise to leave the boundaries of the village. If she's still around by then, they'll toss her to the Horda.

Elsewhere in the area, the TARDIS materializes, and the Doctor walks out all by his lonesome. At this point, the Doctor is traveling without a companion... Unless you count the audience that joins him every week.

"Oh, hello. Good to see you again."

Nah, I'm just kidding. The Doctor's not really one to break the fourth wall and talk to the audience.

Doctor: "I think this is not Hyde Park."

Which, of course, is why the Doctor just broke the fourth wall and said that to the audience. Huh.

Doctor: "Could be a nexial discontinuity. Must remember to overhaul those tracers. Put a knot in my hanky."

So he pulls out his handkerchief... which has a knot in it already.

Doctor: "Wonder what that was for?"

Yeah, he's not stopping anytime soon. The fourth wall has been shattered.

Doctor: "Little look 'round, Doctor? Why not?"

Okay. To my knowledge, as of yet, there have only been three moments where the Doctor has done something like this.

Now, obviously, I'm not claiming that Doctor Who never messes around with the fourth wall. Various characters, including the Doctor, have looked at the camera and made quips before. In fact, that was one of the first things the Doctor did after the Fifth Doctor regenerated.

Before strangling his companion.

But it's a very rare moment where the Doctor looks us right in the eye and has himself a little chat with us like we're his buddies.

The first time was in 1965, when the William Hartnell ad-libbed a Christmas greeting directly to "all of you at home" at the end of the First Doctor episode "The Feast of Steven." The third time was in 2015, when the Twelfth Doctor, completely alone in the TARDIS, talks directly to the audience for over a minute to explain a specific idea.

And everybody probably did.

Then he whips out his guitar, strums the beginning of Beethoven's Fifth, plays a rock and roll rendition of the Doctor Who theme for the intro, and stomps all over the splintered fragments of the fourth wall because TWELVE IS A ROCK STAR AND THAT'S JUST HOW HE ROLLS.

But the Fourth Doctor, here and now, is simply talking to the camera as though he were filling in the missing gaps of "Shada," doing a little comedy for the audience. Nobody on staff but Tom Baker was thrilled with this idea. Personally, I don't mind it too much, although it really does make this seem like a kids' show in a bad way. Like if the Daleks were to show up, the Doctor would need you to say "Exterminator, no exterminating!" to save the day.

But by now, Tom Baker was well aware of all the kids in the audience, since simply walking outside would result in all the kids recognizing him as Doctor Who from off the telly. So both on and off the set, he made sure to set a good example for the young'uns. Off-set, he was very careful not to drink or smoke in public. And on-set, he would alter details of the episodes. (We'll see a few examples of that in this story.) So perhaps that's another reason why he suddenly seems like the host of a kids' show.

But you might be wondering why the Doctor isn't traveling around with his customary companion. Well, to oversimplify, at the end of "The Hand of Fear," the Doctor dropped his companion Sarah Jane off back home. Or rather, he dropped her off in Aberdeen, which would result in a comedic payoff decades later. After an adventure on Gallifrey, we arrive at this point here.

The Doctor has no companion. And Tom Baker wanted it that way. He was popular with audiences from the very beginning, and the critics started warming up to his take on the Doctor by "Terror of the Zygons." So by this point, he argued that he could carry the show all by himself. And after Liz Sladen left the role of Sarah Jane Smith, Tom really wasn't okay with replacing her character, since the two of them had become friends behind the scenes.

But the role of the companion exists so the Doctor has somebody to explain things to, thus preventing the audience from getting too confused. Tom Baker's solution was to stop beating around the bush and talk to the audience directly. The BBC higher-ups couldn't stand the idea (and Robert Holmes had discovered how difficult it was to write a solo Doctor adventure after "The Deadly Assassin"), so the episode indulges Tom with this brief bit and cuts as soon as possible to a crossbow-wielding Leela lurking through the alien jungle, stalked all the way by other villagers with crossbows.

Leela isn't too thrilled to be having a bunch of armed guys following her, so she shoots the first one she runs into. While she reloads, another villager takes aim, but he gets shot by Leela's friend from earlier, Tomas. Tomas wants to take Leela in front of the Council to tell them that Neeva sent these men to kill her, but she knows that it won't make a difference. She's already been banished.

Whatever the "boundary" she has to cross is, Tomas doesn't think she should do it. But Leela says that she has no choice.

Tomas: "There are phantoms in the beyond."

Leela: "Feast fire stories."

Leela is determined to face whatever comes her way without Tomas's help, and she gives him one last warning before she heads off.

Leela: "Beware of the devious Calib."

"And shun the frumious Bandersnatch."

Leela: "One day, he'll get so cunning, even he won't know what he's planning."

Sounds like a regular Colonel Flagg, this one.

Elsewhere in the jungle, the Doctor is wandering around, whistling everybody's favorite song about Nazi testicles, which is probably an odd statement to people who don't know the alternate lyrics to the Colonel Bogey March. Suddenly, he hears a strange, growling noise. Leela hears it too, and she starts running from it. As women in the Classic Series tend to do, she trips and falls, coming face-to-scarf with the Doctor. But the weird thing is... she recognizes him.

The Doctor has worn other people's faces on numerous occasions; he's had incarnations that looked like dictators, Romans, and even another Time Lord. But today, he looks like somebody a bit more unfortunate.

Leela: "The Evil One!"

Doctor: "Well, nobody's perfect, but that's overstating it a little."

And so, they introduce themselves.

Doctor: “I never met anyone called ‘Leela.’”

Well, looks like somebody's Futurama/Doctor Who crossover fanfic isn’t canon.

Doctor: “Would you like a jelly baby?”

Leela: "It's true, then. They say the Evil One eats babies."

The Doctor shows her that he's simply referring to a bag of candy he carries around and hands her one. As she eats it, he listens to the strange noises coming from the jungle, which Leela tells him is coming from the Doctor's own creatures, what with him being the Evil One and all.

Doctor: "What are they like?"

Leela: "They can't be seen."

Doctor: "Ah."

"Looks like the BBC is looking to save money."

The Doctor realizes that an invisible creature would probably not use its eyes to get around, so he sets up an alarm clock while explaining that these creatures (the ones that Leela refers to as "phantoms") probably follow vibrations to stalk their prey. So he quietly tells Leela to slowly and quietly follow him.

Doctor: "And above all, you mustn't run till I tell you, is that clear?"

Don't you mean "When I say 'run,' run"?

The Doctor takes Leela through the forest as invisible footsteps make their way through the sand. The Doctor trips, but his clock goes off to distract the creature, allowing the Doctor and Leela to escape while the angry phantom crushes the noisy alarm clock.

Back at the village, Tomas tells Calib (Lesie Schofield) that Neeva sent warriors to kill Leela. Tomas wants Calib to tell the Council that Neeva broke the law, but Calib knows all too well that Neeva would make some sort of excuse to pacify the Council, since he is the Speaker of Law, and everything. So the Sevateem don't quite have a theocracy going, but that's not to say that any separation of powers between church and state is in effect.

But Calib knows how to strike back against Neeva. Apparently, the god Xoanan told Neeva that their next "raid" will be successful, and Neeva has promised it. So if the upcoming raid isn't successful, then Neeva will look like a lying charlatan. Then they can eliminate Neeva and Andor, who has little actual political power, despite being the ostensible leader. In one stroke, they can eliminate the nigh-theocracy that continually sends men to their deaths.

Tomas wants to stop the raid outright, since they've never succeeded in it before, but Calib points out that speaking up and trying to stop the raid was exactly what got Leela banished. Innocent people may die, but if Calib can use a failed raid to overthrow the government, then perhaps he can prevent any further victims after the latest round of casualties, including Leela.

Speaking of her, she's taking a quick rest. She and the Doctor have crossed the boundary back into the village's outskirts, and the phantoms always stay on their side of the boundary. This seems very odd to the Doctor, and he starts theorizing about what's keeping them contained.

Meanwhile, Neeva is relaxing next to some relics that look oddly like spare sci-fi props, when he suddenly hears the voice of his god, Xoanon, who sounds oddly like Tom Baker. Neeva hasn’t been interpreting the weather, or seeing patterns in the stars, he’s been hearing the actual, audible voice of his god, 1 Samuel 3:8-10-style. And just like in the Old Testament, this is a god who gets a bit upset when you defy his divine will.

Xoanon: "The girl Leela has returned across the boundary. You have failed."

Neeva tries to tell Xoanon that he has carried out his god's will to the best of his abilities, which isn't the sort of thing you say to an angry god, so he quickly apologizes when Xoanon asks the mere mortal if he feels like arguing the point.

Xoanon: "She and the one who is with her must be destroyed. See that it is done."

Back in the jungle, the Doctor has found a sonic disruptor on the ground, and he surmises that a perimeter of them is what keeps the sound-sensitive phantoms in their territory. But how did they get there? Leela lives in a hut and uses a crossbow. Sonic disruptors aren't exactly the sort of thing that would be used by people who haven't yet harnessed electricity.

They might have plastic plants, though.

Leela guesses that such relics are the work of her tribe's god, Xoanon. The Doctor's not up on that particular god, so she explains the deal. Xoanon is their god, who is currently held captive by the Evil One and his dark acolytes, known as the "Tesh."

But Leela's having a bit of a crisis of faith, having spurned her religion earlier today, only to run into a man who looks exactly like the Evil One. That's like telling the local pastor that you don't believe that Jesus died for your sins... right before going outside to find the Four Horsemen ushering in the End of Days.

Doctor: "Well, that sounds healthy anyway, Leela. Never be certain of anything. It's a sign of weakness."

According to the myths of Leela’s people, Xoanon is held "within the Black Wall, wherein lies Paradise."

Doctor: "Is that just religious gobbledegook, or is that an actual place?"

At the very least, there is a wall of some kind, so Leela shows the Doctor the way there.

Back at the Sevateem village, Andor wants to know what the deal with the famine is. Neeva claims that Xoanon knows that some of the Sevateem people aren't exactly faithful, and don't want to participate in the next raid.

Andor: "And so, he starves us?"

Neeva: "No, but how can he bless people who do not love him? There will be food for those who brave the Wall in his name!"

Andor: "Men do not fight well on empty stomachs!"

As somebody who's played Black and White 2, I can confirm that armies fight like crap while hungry. Which sucks, since they eat food at twice the normal rate. So keep an eye out on your stores.

But Neeva is more focused on the raid. The Wall will weaken soon, and then Neeva will speak the Litany, and the hunt will begin. With Neeva's departure once his spiel is over, it's Tomas's turn to speak to Andor. He tells his leader that he agrees with Leela's heresy. The raid to free Xoanon from the Black Wall will not work. They will die, and achieve nothing.

Andor: "Nevertheless, we shall attack. It is the will of Xoanon."

And it is the will of Neeva to eavesdrop on the conversation as Tomas tells Andor that Neeva sent meant to kill Leela.

Tomas: "But perhaps you already knew that!"

Andor tells the guy to shut up and stop speaking out against the raid, and that's final. They're going to free Xoanon from the Evil One's Tesh, or they're going to die trying.

Over in the jungle, Leela hears something, so she quickly hides, even though the Doctor doesn't think anything seems to be amiss.

Doctor: "If they're preparing for a battle, they're hardy likely to send men on patrol on the off-chance that you might come back."

Suddenly, a couple arrows pop out of are fired into a tree inches from the Doctor's face.

Doctor: "On the other hand, I could be wrong about that."

The Doctor whispers to Leela that she should stay low to the ground and run away, but she doesn't want to leave him.

Leela: "They'll kill you."

Doctor: "Go away."

"I can do this show on my own."

And so, the Fourth Doctor whips out the most powerful weapon in his arsenal: the ability to babble.

Doctor: "That was either very good shooting or very bad. Either way, I wouldn't dream of moving."

Warrior: "Who are you?"

Doctor: "I'm the Doctor. Who are you, and why are you shooting at me?"

Valid questions, all things concerned, but the warriors are more interested in asking if this guy knows where Leela is. The Doctor feigns ignorance, and negotiates his way into being allowed to turn around.

Doctor: "I feel a bit silly talking to this tree."

But you were perfectly fine talking to the audience earlier.

The Doctor turns around, and all the warriors recognize his face as belonging to "The Evil One," so they do their Holy Sign to ward off danger. And this gets the Doctor's attention.

Doctor: "It's interesting because it's also the sequence for checking the seals on a Starfall Seven spacesuit."

You know, a lot of fans say that Starfall Seven's the best one, but I have a soft spot for Starfall Eight.

Doctor: "And what makes that particularly interesting... is that you don't know what a Starfall Seven spacesuit is, do you?"

The Doctor's calm voice allowed him to inch closer to the warriors, which in turn allows him to hold one hostage. With a jelly baby.

Yes, this is happening.

Tom Baker’s refused to do the scene as scripted by taking the guy's knife, so he ad-libbed a supposedly "deadly" jelly baby as the Doctor's bluff. After all, these guys don't know that the jelly baby isn't deadly. And when the devil himself claims that he's holding a lethal piece of candy, who's going to argue with him?

The Doctor says he'll kill the guy unless the other drop their weapons, so the response is simple.

Warrior: "Kill him, then."

But instead, the Doctor eats the jelly baby and surrenders.

Doctor: "I don't take orders from anyone. Take me to your leader."

And indeed he is, blindfolded by his own scarf.

Honestly, you'd think more of his enemies would have taken advantage of the scarf by now.

Doctor: "Good evening. I think you're going to be very happy I came here tonight."

As Leela slices her way into the back of the hut, Neeva starts jumping around like he's been burning the good incense, if you know what I mean, and starts shaking a bit of technology in the Doctor's face. Neeva claims that the Evil One fears the holy relic, but the Doctor says he simply doesn't want to be caught in a massive energy explosion.

Doctor: "If you'll just untie my hands, I think I have an idea of what's going on. I may be able to help."

Neeva: "Hear how it squirms for release?"

Neeva tries to turn all of the Doctor's snide comments into proof that the ritual is bringing the Evil One nothing but pain, but the Doctor gets fed up with that very quickly. The Doctor asks Andor whether he or Neeva is the leader of the tribe, which is when Andor decides to do some leading. And he begins by asking the man with the devil's face if he would please release their god, Xoanon.

Doctor: "Well, gladly, if I was holding him prisoner. But I'm not."

So the next step is obvious. Kill the Doctor and release Xoanon. But Neeva of all people prevents Andor from simply slicing the "Evil One's" throat. After all, he has to do the litany. And anyone who's ever been to church knows that there's a strict order of operations. Like, three hymns, donations, another hymn, a sermon, a fifth hymn, the Lord's Prayer, and maybe a couple more hymns just to top it all off, that sort of thing. For the Church of Xoanon, they have to perform the litany, then kill the Evil One, then commence with the holy war against the Black Wall to free their imprisoned god. Then... I don't know, maybe snacks and coffee? 

The signal is given to summon the Sevateem warriors by way of ringing a gong made out of a scrap of sheet metal. Sheet metal that reads "Survey Team 6," which sounds a lot like "Sevateem," doesn't it? Hmmm....

As Neeva prepares himself for the litany, the Doctor tries to explain that he isn't the Evil One, but Andor isn't interested in listening. After all, wouldn't the Evil One try to claim that he isn't the Evil One? They say the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he was just some guy with the same face.

The Doctor also explains that at some point in the past, this planet must have been visited by men from beyond the stars. And unlike all the "ancient aliens" theories regarding Earth, the space travelers in this case left all their stuff lying around. Tools, gear, et cetera.

Doctor: "Your legend of a captive god is obviously related to them in some way."

But Andor still refuses to listen as Neeva goes to begin the litany, clad in the scraps of a spacesuit.

Neeva: "Our fathers of the tribe of Sevateem were sent forth by God to seek Paradise."

All: "And still we seek."

Neeva: "They searched, and found it not. While they searched, the tribe of Tesh..."

All: "Cursed be the cowards of Tesh."

Neeva: "...remained at the place of land, betrayed our fathers."

All: "Death to the betrayers of Tesh."

Leela sneaks in to rescue the Doctor from the next room by stabbing the guard with a thorn.

Leela: "Janis thorn. It paralyzes, then kills."

The Doctor's not too happy about the fact that there's no cure for the plant's venom, but Leela tries to get the Doctor to move quickly. But he'd rather listen to the litany, since it seems to be filling in vital clues as to what happened here. Luckily, Leela knows the litany by heart, so the Doctor can get going before the litany gets to the part about killing the Evil One.

They enter the room to find no trace of the Doctor, but they manage to catch up to him as he escapes through the hut. But Leela whips out another janis thorn, aiding their escape by killing another warrior.

Doctor: "Who licensed you to slaughter people?"

Yeah, Leela, you're not a 00 agent.

Doctor: "No more janis thorns, you understand? Ever."

And I'm sure she'll listen.

....She won't listen. Just FYI.

But the Evil One must be found, so Andor sends a few men out to capture the Doctor, although Neeva demands that the attack against the Back Wall must go as planned.

So, you may be wondering exactly why everybody thinks the Doctor wears the face of the Evil One. When it happened to Spock, it was because he happened to look like an illustration of the Devil's minion in the holy book of the Yangs.

See? He's got Spock's staff and robe and everything.

Here, there's a different depiction of the Evil One, and Leela takes the Doctor to see it.

Doctor: "It seems I have been here before."

Leela: "That's the Evil One."

Doctor: "Is it? I must have made quite an impression."

Boy, Mount Rushmore looked quite different as a work-in-progress.

TO BE CONTINUED!

Coming up in Part 2! Helmets on racks, gloves on heads, and faces on mountains!