Review of The King’s Demons (#128)
DVD Release Date: 07 Sep 10
Original Air Date: 15 – 16 Mar 1983
Doctors/Companions: Five, Tegan Jovanka, Vislor Turlough
Stars: Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Mark Strickson
Preceding Story: Enlightenment (Five, Tegan, Turlough)
Succeeding Story: The Five Doctors (Five, One, Two, Three, Tegan, Turlough, Susan, the Brigadier, Sarah Jane)
Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate!
Since the holiday happens to fall on a fourth Wednesday, when my regularly scheduled review posts are due, y’all get an extra Christmasy (read: not Christmasy at all) treat with my final planned entry in the Bad Reputation series. (Don’t worry; there will be a new theme for reviews in 2020. Stay tuned for that announcement next week!)
The treat for me is that The King’s Demons, ranked #214 of 254 in io9’s Best-to-Worst list, is only two episodes long. That’s right: if you want to play along at home, you need not even devote a full hour this time. Unfortunately, that’s one of the few positive notes.
In principle, it’s not a bad story. The Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough stumble into medieval England, mere months before King John signs the Magna Carta, only to discover a plot to discredit the king and change the course of history.
Of course, the big cliffhanger reveal at the end of the first episode is (a) not terribly surprising if you’re paying any attention and (b) pretty much spoiled in the cover image. But the particulars of the plot, the reasoning behind it, and the unique pawn in play are mildly diverting if you’ve never seen the story before.
On the other hand, if you do know what’s coming, it’s kind of awkwardly uncomfortable to watch it unfold. Many—if not most—of the characters end up looking naïve and/or gullible, the plot is not complex (which is actually good for a two-parter, but doesn’t give one much to latch onto), and the threat never feels all that menacing.
Focusing on the positive, the BBC can always be counted on for good-looking historical costuming; there’s a comment on swordsmanship that brings Princess Bride to mind, though King’s Demons predates it by four years; and the plotpoint-cum-Companion is actually a clever idea, if ever it could be made to work well (notoriously, it only appears in two stories because it was too difficult to use).
So while there are worse stories to which one could subject oneself, this still isn’t one I’d actually recommend to anyone but a truly dedicated viewer. Someone who truly loves Peter Davison, Anthony Ainley, historical settings, or super short adventures might get a kick out of it. Otherwise, give this mess a pass.