The Deadly Assassin was once described as a landmark story in Doctor Who history and it’s hard to argue with that. This story is the first to feature the Master since the 1973 story ‘Frontier in Space’. Sadly Roger Delgado died shortly after this story and so it was a curious and brave choice to bring back the character and do it in such a big way. The story is a companionless story after Elisabeth Sladen left in the previous story. Tom Baker has said that he would prefer to have done the rest of his stories without a companion but thankfully Philip Hinchcliffe disagreed and this remains his only solo effort. I must say that the story does gain something from not having a companion thrown into the mix, this means that the Doctor only has to worry about himself and nobody else. The story is written by Robert Holmes and directed by David Maloney. These are two reasons why this story is so good because Holmes is one of the best writers in Doctor Who history and David Maloney is one of the best directors.
The story is set on Gallifrey for the first time and we get a sense of the pomposity of the Timelords. The Doctor is framed for the assignation of the President and the Master is behind it to ensure that he gets the power of the Eye of Harmony. Normally the Master’s plans always tend to border on the convoluted but in this instance it’s a very sound plan. Peter Pratt does a very good job as the Master in what must have been a daunting experience. Obviously we only get to see Pratt’s voice and not his face but it’s enough and his performance is one of the best in this story.
Tom Baker put’s in a great performance because it’s unlike anything we had seen before or since. There is very little in this that suits his comedic style and instead shows us his serious side and why he is such a great Doctor. Bernard Horsfall returns to Doctor Who after stints in ‘The Mind Robber’ (1968) and ‘The War Games’ (1969). He starts off as a senior figure on Gallifrey and is expected to become President but what I like is that there is something not right with his character from the very beginning and its shown to be true when we discover he’s working for the Master and the scenes with Baker in the Matrix scenes are solid because Horsfall. Two performances which aren’t as powerful but still quite enjoyable and that is of George Pravda as Castellan Spandrell and Angus Mackay as Cardinal Borusa. Pravda’s performance is very good because its somewhat laid back. Mackay’s performance is comical because he is playing a politician. When there is debris and all the chaos, Borusa is coming up with spin to make things seem better. His line to the Doctor was also good when he says “Nine out Ten”, a reference to the Doctor’s younger days.
The story really shines in the Matrix scenes. It’s some of the finest moments that I can remember because there’s very little dialogue but a lot of tension and drama and two of the best cliffhangers of the Tom Baker era where the Doctor gets his foot stuck in the railway tracks with a train coming towards him and when Goth holds the Doctor under water with that last frame frozen. This is what caused Mary Whitehouse to get her knickers in a twist and to be honest I think that it’s a fantastic cliffhanger because it’s a wonderfully dark moment and obviously putting the Doctor in a potential death situation is silly but its always great to see how he will get out of a situation.
The Deadly Assassin is a truly superb story that has everything that makes Doctor Who fantastic with some wonderful acting from Tom Baker and Bernard Horsfall. Holmes and Maloney have done a great job putting it all together and everyone who hasn’t seen this story should buy it immediately because it’s a must for any Doctor Who fan.
The story is set on Gallifrey for the first time and we get a sense of the pomposity of the Timelords. The Doctor is framed for the assignation of the President and the Master is behind it to ensure that he gets the power of the Eye of Harmony. Normally the Master’s plans always tend to border on the convoluted but in this instance it’s a very sound plan. Peter Pratt does a very good job as the Master in what must have been a daunting experience. Obviously we only get to see Pratt’s voice and not his face but it’s enough and his performance is one of the best in this story.
Tom Baker put’s in a great performance because it’s unlike anything we had seen before or since. There is very little in this that suits his comedic style and instead shows us his serious side and why he is such a great Doctor. Bernard Horsfall returns to Doctor Who after stints in ‘The Mind Robber’ (1968) and ‘The War Games’ (1969). He starts off as a senior figure on Gallifrey and is expected to become President but what I like is that there is something not right with his character from the very beginning and its shown to be true when we discover he’s working for the Master and the scenes with Baker in the Matrix scenes are solid because Horsfall. Two performances which aren’t as powerful but still quite enjoyable and that is of George Pravda as Castellan Spandrell and Angus Mackay as Cardinal Borusa. Pravda’s performance is very good because its somewhat laid back. Mackay’s performance is comical because he is playing a politician. When there is debris and all the chaos, Borusa is coming up with spin to make things seem better. His line to the Doctor was also good when he says “Nine out Ten”, a reference to the Doctor’s younger days.
The story really shines in the Matrix scenes. It’s some of the finest moments that I can remember because there’s very little dialogue but a lot of tension and drama and two of the best cliffhangers of the Tom Baker era where the Doctor gets his foot stuck in the railway tracks with a train coming towards him and when Goth holds the Doctor under water with that last frame frozen. This is what caused Mary Whitehouse to get her knickers in a twist and to be honest I think that it’s a fantastic cliffhanger because it’s a wonderfully dark moment and obviously putting the Doctor in a potential death situation is silly but its always great to see how he will get out of a situation.
The Deadly Assassin is a truly superb story that has everything that makes Doctor Who fantastic with some wonderful acting from Tom Baker and Bernard Horsfall. Holmes and Maloney have done a great job putting it all together and everyone who hasn’t seen this story should buy it immediately because it’s a must for any Doctor Who fan.
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