May 24: The Mind of Evil Episodes Four & Five

The Master's fear is made manifest. (The Mind of Evil
Episode Four) ©BBC

It's slightly muddled by later dialogue (which seems to suggest that the Master wanted the Doctor's help all along), but it looks like the reason the Doctor isn't left to be killed by the Keller Machine isn't because the Master needs him, but because the Keller Machine is growing so strong that it's affecting everyone in that part of the prison: we see prisoners slumped over, and even the Master has to struggle to overcome its effect.  The really interesting moment of this, therefore, is that we get to see the Master's fear: the Doctor, larger than life, laughing mockingly at the Master.  It's not a moment that's dwelt on, but it gives us a fascinating insight into the Master's character.  Not bad for only his second story.

But as a result of his ordeal with the Keller Machine ("You wanted to know how long I could hold out against that machine.  Well, the answer is I can't.  Nobody can"), the Doctor slips into his third coma in six stories.  It's probably not intentional, but this is starting to become the defining characteristic of this Doctor; consider, after all, the number of times the first and second Doctors went into self-healing comas (none for Hartnell, once for Troughton in The Wheel in Space) and then compare it with the third.  Of course, this does lead to director Timothy Combe's lovely dissolve from the Doctor's unconscious face to the Master's worried one, about ten minutes into episode four.

And this is the episode where the third major plotline comes into play: the Master has a plan to hijack the Thunderbolt missile, conveniently being transported right past Stangmoor Prison.  This, it seems, is why the Master has taken Stangmoor over.  And, oddly, the Doctor doesn't seem the least bit surprised by this development -- as if it's perfectly natural for the Master to try and steal a missile that up to this point has had nothing to do with the plot (at least as far as the Doctor is concerned).  But we do get an exciting setpiece as the prisoners attack the UNIT escort, leading to Sergeant Benton with a head trauma under a van, and Captain Yates with a wounded hand but still enough resolve to follow the stolen missile on a motorbike.

However, even with a stolen nuclear-powered missile full of nerve gas in the Master's possession, the focus of the cliffhanger is still on the eponymous Mind of Evil, the Keller Machine.  We learn that not only is there in fact a living parasite inside the thing, but that it's grown strong enough to teleport around, killing people (and presumably feeding off their "evil") in the process.

The first part of episode five feels like a bit of a delaying action.  We don't learn anything new and nothing of note happens, beyond the Brigadier working out that Stangmoor is the likeliest place for the Master to be operating from.  Well, that's not completely fair; the Master does tell Yates how he was able to capture the missile (with a nice line from the Master near the top of the scene: "All right, Captain.  You can stop pretending to be unconscious now"), but that's about it.  Oh, and we're introduced to UNIT's Major Cosworth, who's clearly intended to be an upper-class "traditional" style of officer, designed to be a contrast with the more practical Brigadier.  But he's so earnest and honest in how he goes about his business that you can't help but like him, even when he's unintentionally treading on the Brigadier's toes.  It's a shame he was never brought back.

Mailer threatens the Doctor's life. (The Mind of Evil Episode
Five) ©BBC

Another thing worth noting is how, after getting the Doctor to help him control the Keller Machine by threatening Jo, the Master's attitude toward the Doctor becomes awfully deferential.  He seems eager to help the Doctor with his plan, and the impression given is less of someone forced to rely on his archenemy for assistance and more that of two friends working toward a common goal.  It's another intriguing look into the Master and the Doctor's relationship.

But what the whole episode is building toward is UNIT's efforts to retake Stangmoor, as the Brigadier heads undercover with a handful of picked men to infiltrate the prison, thus avoiding having to lay siege to a fortress.  Meanwhile, Benton takes some men to a secret passage that leads directly into the prison (er, yes...).  It's fun to see the action sequence, and we also get to see how good a shot the Brigadier is, as he picks off a number of prisoners with deadly accuracy.  But all the commotion has led Mailer to take the Doctor and Jo hostage, to aid his escape -- and when Jo attempts to knock Mailer down, Mailer grabs Jo and points his gun at the Doctor: "I warned you.  I only need one of you."  And then we see the gun go off!  Now that's a cliffhanger.