The Tyrant of France (The Reign of Terror Episode 4)

The one where Susan is threatened with blood-letting...

The Tyrant of France is the earliest episode of Doctor Who that has been reconstructed as a cartoon, as the BBC does not have a copy of the lost episode in its archives. While I did watch the cartoon version on the DVD to review the episode, I'll restrict myself to commenting on the original material available, which is the (sometimes quite poor) off-air soundtrack.

The scene where Lemaitre takes the Doctor to see Robespierre in his office is a cracking way to kick off the episode, as there's some juicy discussion between the tyrant and the imposter about the state France finds itself in. The Doctor is a formidable opponent for Robespierre, who is unfortunately played by a rather shouty, stagy Keith Anderson who perhaps thinks he's projecting for the theatre rather than television. Dennis Spooner writes Robespierre really well, but Anderson does not make the best of the lines. However, it's great to have the Doctor challenging Robespierre on his reign of terror and asking whether the executions are actually feeding the rebellion.

Robespierre seems remorseful of the bloodshed, stating that there have been 342 executions in Paris in the last nine days alone - that's 38 deaths every single day! The tyrant seems haunted by what has become of his homeland: "What a memory I shall leave behind if this thing lasts," he says. It's a fascinating depiction of Robespierre, a man who obviously regrets the mass murder: "Death, always death! Do you think I want this carnage?"

At Jules's digs, Susan is still ill. It's a great shame for Carole Ann Ford to have to endure this poor writing for her character. Susan had so much potential and the writers, by and large, either ignored it or wasted it. It's obvious that Dennis Spooner doesn't know what to do with Susan, so he has her simply be ill or asleep for most of this episode, and being pretty damn useless generally. It's nice that she manages to identify Barbara's liking for Leon, though.

Speaking of Barbara and her tendency to latch on to handsome strangers... It's interesting that her attentions are always held by men who you might say are Ian replacement figures. Thal Ganatus may not have looked like Ian, but he had the same demeanour and personality, and the same could be said for Leon here. I noticed while reviewing Marco Polo that, against expectations, Barbara didn't seem to warm to Marco as much as I expected, and in fact they were often at odds. Marco, of course, had a striking resemblance to Ian, but as Ian was around pretty much all the time, she obviously didn't allow her eye to wander! It's different here. Barbara hasn't seen Ian since they were imprisoned in Guests of Madame Guillotine, so straight away she seems to be searching for a replacement...

Until Ian turns up, of course! Jules and Jean bring Ian to the house, through the window, just like how the French Resistance accessed Rene's cafe in the 1980s sitcom 'Allo 'Allo! It's a lovely moment when Ian and Barbara are reunited, and it's a little naughty of Spooner to have the Jules that Barbara has been involved with turn out to be the same Jules Ian has been searching for. It must be a common name in Paris, after all!

However, Jules Renan isn't the mysterious James Stirling, it seems, so who could he be? Stirling is an English spy who must return to London to pass on his knowledge, but as he is undercover, it's going to be hard to find him. It can only be Leon or Jean if it's anybody we've met yet, and Jules seems adamant it's not his friend Leon. Jean has gone off to rescue the Doctor, so who's left? Maybe Jules is telling white lies...

The episode ends with a visit to the doctor (no, not that one) due to Susan's spiralling illness. The physician becomes suspicious of Susan's condition, and her blistered hands, and prescribes a session of blood-letting with leeches as a remedy. However, he's all out of leeches so has to pop down to the leech shop to buy some, but as we discover he actually runs to the prison to shop them to the jailer. Soldiers are sent to arrest the girls, who are returned to Conciergerie. It is here Barbara is reunited with the Doctor. Remember, they haven't seen each other since pretty early on in A Land of Fear, so the relief is palpable. So palpable in fact that the two hug, which is delightful but unexpected! "My dear Barbara!" smiles the Doctor.

Meanwhile, Ian's rendezvous with Leon Colbert appears to be a trap. Pistols at the ready as credits roll!

Oh and by the way, the animation is bloody awful. It gives me a headache.

First broadcast: August 29th, 1964

Steve's Scoreboard
The Good: The battle of wits between the Doctor and Lemaitre has been a joy to witness unfold. James Cairncross plays Lemaitre as if he knows all too well what's going on, but wants the traitors to make their own mistakes, and Hartnell makes the Doctor very wary of Lemaitre in return.
The Bad: Dennis Spooner's lazy writing means Susan is a weak and weakened character.
Overall score for episode: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

NEXT TIME: A Bargain of Necessity...

My reviews of this story's other episodes: A Land of Fear (episode 1); Guests of Madame Guillotine (episode 2); A Change of Identity (episode 3); A Bargain of Necessity (episode 5); Prisoners of Conciergerie (episode 6)

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: http://doctorwhocastandcrew.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/the-reign-of-terror.html

The Reign of Terror is available on DVD. Find it on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Reign-Terror-DVD/dp/B00AHHVQWW