The Face of Evil Part Four

The one where the Doctor removes himself from the mind of Xoanon...

Pennant Roberts, a director new to Doctor Who, was not the best at fight or action scenes (prime evidence: Warriors of the Deep). The struggle at the start of this episode between the Doctor, Leela and the Tesh is staged quite clumsily, with very little natural fluidity. The stuntman was Terry Walsh, who I'm guessing also arranged the fight scene, but this time around Walsh fails abysmally, perhaps restricted by the set, who knows? The struggle ends with the Doctor pushing the Tesh against the wall, which Xoanon has made lethal, and so yet again the Doctor is responsible for somebody's death (albeit in self-defence).

Meanwhile, the Sevateem are making their way through the mouth of the idol towards the Tesh ship, and when Calib and Tomas see the (really unconvincing model of a) Mordee ship, they realise that the Doctor was right all along. The ship, to them, is the gateway to paradise, and it's both heartening and tragic to see everything seer Neeva believes unravel before him. He now realises Xoanon is his enemy, and is determined to seek revenge for his tribe.

In fact, Neeva's personal journey is one of the most interesting aspects of this story, as he goes from fanatical fundamentalist to enlightened revolutionary. One of the underlying themes of The Face of Evil is about knowledge and enlightenment, as the Doctor begins to educate Leela, and the tribe of the Sevateem see that their entire way of life and beliefs are based on a lie. When Neeva goes into the main computer complex to confront Xoanon, his false god, he sacrifices himself, but in turn allows the Doctor to complete his job of stopping Xoanon. Neeva is redeemed, but dies in the process, and so in a way succeeds in his mission to save the Sevateem. It's a bittersweet demise, but without Neeva - indeed, without Neeva's psychosis, which protects him from Xoanon's psychic control - the Doctor would be stabbed to death by the brainwashed Sevateem.

There's a lot of running on the spot in this episode, proven by the fact Xoanon is defeated/ rebooted by two-thirds of the way through the episode. Xoanon's attempt to stop the Doctor's interference by using mind control on the Sevateem and Tesh is strung out a little too much, although the scene where the Doctor stops Leela from shooting him is nicely played. It's so sweet that the Doctor doesn't bother to explain to the recovered Leela that she just tried to kill him, knowing that would probably upset her tremendously. It's another example of the Doctor warming to Leela quite quickly, as if he finds her innocence and naivety endearing (which it is).

After removing his brain print from Xoanon's programming, the Doctor is apparently unconscious for two entire days, and through all that time, Leela watches over him, eating chocolate which seems to have come from nowhere (where does that chocolate come from?). And there's yet another lovely moment where the Doctor tests Leela, asking her what she calls Xoanon's domain. The Tesh call it the Sacred Heart. "What do you call it?" tests the Doctor. "The 'main computer complex'," replies Leela nervously, obviously trying so hard to "get it right". So sweet, I love it.

The Doctor and Leela go to see the rebooted Xoanon, voiced by Roy Herrick as reasonable and urbane. This is the true personality of Xoanon, reborn, no longer schizophrenic. He calmly explains to Leela why he did what he did - "I made my madness reality" - but feels no regret or sorrow. He is, after all, still a computer, which is presumably why he asks the Doctor where he started to go wrong. I love the fact Xoanon conjures up a settee and archaic gramophone for his guests, and I particularly love the fact Louise Jameson has Leela sit cross-legged on the settee, as a savage would.

The Doctor refuses to influence who should be the new leader of the bickering Sevateem and Tesh (Sevatesh? Tevateem?), perhaps reflecting the fact that it was his influence which started this mess in the first place. The Face of Evil is the ultimate lesson to the Doctor about the impact his way of life has, how his "passing visits" to times and places have direct consequences when he chooses to get involved (and in a pretty permanent sort of way). Will the Doctor learn from this mistake? Judging by his carefree mood as he returns to his TARDIS, it doesn't feel like it. The Doctor doesn't seem ashamed or affected by the result of his actions. Perhaps he feels vindicated for being the one to sort it out, but it would have been nice to see the Doctor at least reflect on events.

Alarmingly, the Doctor runs out on the two tribes, without even a goodbye to his new friend Leela, which I suppose is rather in character for him, but still feels cold. Leela chases after him, and endearingly asks if she can join him on his travels (how she understands that the blue box is a spaceship, I'm not sure).

LEELA: "Take me with you."
DOCTOR: "Why?"
LEELA: "What? Well, you like me, don't you?"
DOCTOR: "Well yes, I suppose I do like you. But then, I like lots of people but I can't go carting them around the universe with me. Goodbye."

It's a simple exchange, Leela's child-like simplicity countered by the Doctor's cold pragmatism. Maybe the Doctor is thinking he could never replace his Sarah Jane. Maybe he just wants to be alone, travelling the universe in his rackety old police box. But we know that the Doctor needs somebody with him, somebody to explore new times and places with him, somebody to ask questions and to rescue. And somebody to stop him.

Leela barges her way aboard the TARDIS and somehow manages to take off, forcing the Doctor to take her with him. Leela has been shown too much to stop learning now. To her, the Doctor is her mentor, her tutor, her new leader. How can she possibly go back to her old life after meeting the Doctor? I think that's how we all feel, really...

First broadcast: January 22nd, 1977

Steve's Scoreboard
The Good: The projections of the face of Xoanon/ the Doctor are really well done, and memorable.
The Bad: That fight scene. As well as the fact it's ham-fisted in its execution, I just can't take seriously an assailant wearing mint green plimsolls.
Overall score for episode: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (story average: 7.5 out of 10)

"Would you like a jelly baby?" tally: 06

NEXT TIME: The Robots of Death...

My reviews of this story's other episodes: Part One; Part Two; Part Three

Find out birth/death dates, career information, and facts and trivia about this story's cast and crew at the Doctor Who Cast & Crew site: https://doctorwhocastandcrew.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-face-of-evil.html

The Face of Evil is available on BBC DVD. Find it on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Face-Evil-DVD/dp/B006LI4XG2