The Dæmons (Story #59, 1971)
Viewed 15 Oct 2012

Doctor/Companion: Three, Josephine “Jo” Grant, the Brigadier
Stars: Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning, Nicholas Courtney
Preceding Story: Colony in Space (Three, Jo)
Succeeding Story: Day of the Daleks (Three, Jo, the Brigadier)

As per our scheme, this time we watched something representative of the middle of our current Doctor’s era, in this case meaning it needed to feature the Master and Jo.
Granted, G is an easy audience, but those who hearken to received “fan wisdom” about the quality of any given story will be glad to hear that she quite enjoyed this adventure. No need for name-calling here.

I’m not sure it’s the same things that such fans cite as reasons for The Dæmons‘ “classic” status that tickled G’s fancy, though. For one thing, she’s got no personal history with – and therefore no particular emotional attachment to – any of the regulars. She’s never seen Jo before (“She really is cute. Very pretty”), or the Master (“Isn’t he just the most evil thing you’ve ever seen? He looks like every caricature you’ve ever seen of Mephistopheles”). Even the Brigadier – not to mention the Doctor himself! – were only in one other story she’s seen. As for the rest of UNIT, she’s never seen Yates or Benton, either. So no “jolly romp in a pastoral English village with all our favorite characters larking about” for G. More just simply “this is a good one. I’m glad you picked this one.”

So in that sense, maybe this isn’t going to be everything The Fans had hoped for. Regardless, I think G’s enjoyment of The Dæmons will still be entertaining for others (as long as I can get it all across adequately). Let’s begin, then, at the beginning.

The narrative conceit by which the whole situation is introduced – a BBC telecast of a breaking news event – is well received, but G’s bullshit detector has not been checked at the door, either. Considering the BBC’s never been allowed into the barrow before, she thinks it looks like a pretty public-ready facility, complete with wax figures. I’d have to go back and look at it more carefully myself to come up with a suitable rationalization, but I’ll admit that when she pointed it out, that’s how it looked to me, too.

Then we get Miss Hawthorne. Although G doesn’t seem to take to her quite as much as I did, she does seem to like her. She was relieved when Miss Hawthorne was able to calm the winds and thereby avoid getting brained with a heavy rock (“ooh – that was close!”), and was even more so in Episode 2 when it turned out she’d only been locked up by the Master’s lackey (“Oh! They didn’t do her in! She’s still here – yay!”).

When Bok first moves, G love it. “Oh ho ho! Cool!” Similarly, she delights in the appearance both of Azal’s tracks (“oh my goodness, the cleft foot! Oh my gosh, look at the size of ’em!”) and of his corporeal form (no comments on saggy stockings or other unfortunate costuming issues). Her disbelief is more willingly and thoroughly suspended than that of just about anyone else I’ve ever seen.

She’ll still poke fun, though. Laughing at his predicament stuck off site listening to the Doctor and his officers give him orders, she sympathizes, “poor Brigadier; he’s just lost control.” When Yates and Jo are in the dungeon trying (and failing) to evade capture, she notes how they’ve chosen “another good hiding place” behind a fan of metal spikes that are no more effective than previous heroes’ choices. And in the climactic scene (the part of ritual sacrifice this evening will be played by Jo Grant) she mocks the nonchalant way at which the Doctor enters the situation (as the Doctor: “Hello, Jo. Sorry you’re on the sacrificial altar.”)

Despite her previously – and still generally – positive reactions to Three, I was reminded a couple of times of the way Sue (of Adventures with the Wife in Space fame) reacted to the Three/Jo relationship. At two different points, she commented on Three’s snark.

Doctor: Jo, did you fail Latin as well as science?
G: He’s so condescending sometimes, isn’t he?

Jo: Of all the idiotic plans. As if blowing things up solves anything.
Doctor: Jo, the Brigadier is doing his best to cope with an almost impossible situation. And since he is your superior officer, you might at least show him a little respect.
G: Boy… Shut her down.

I can’t disagree with G’s reaction. I’ve always found this particular exchange to be extremely grating myself. First, it’s not like the Doctor has never taken Jo’s attitude with the Brigadier. Further, since when did he get all establishmentarian? It’s always felt like a clash of what I feel like Three would do (be a bit of a chauvinist prat) and what he wouldn’t. I suppose it’s down to the vagaries of different writers.

In the end, though, it was nothing but smiles. I wouldn’t have been surprised if G had chuckled herself to sleep that night to the strains of an old Venusian lullaby: Close your eyes, my darling / Well, three of them, at least…

Verdict: Thumbs up

Looking ahead: Planet of the Spiders