Review of The Deadly Assassin (#88)
DVD Release Date: 01 Sep 09
Original Air Date: 20 Oct – 30 Nov 1976
Doctors/Companions: Four
Stars: Tom Baker
Preceding Story: The Hand of Fear (Four, Sarah Jane)
Succeeding Story: The Face of Evil (Four, Leela)
With the first episode of Series Thirteen less than a week away, it has occurred to me that the post timing for this Highs and Lows series will need to be adjusted. Although the series’s short run means December’s scheduled entry will not be affected, my review of Episode 4 now conflicts with the November Highs & Lows post. (New episode posts will also supersede two Confessions, but those are lower priority anyway, so I’m not concerned about those.)
Since that post was meant to go live right before the American Thanksgiving holiday, I’ll have to consider carefully how to adjust the posting schedule, but I’m sure something will work out. I can’t let one get lost in the shuffle!
For now, though, we get to revisit one of the Highs, ranked at #13 by Charlie Jane Anders on the io9 list I’ve been referencing for the past several years: The Deadly Assassin.
Though he’s far from my own favorite, I know a lot of folks adore Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor. There are times when I enjoy him, too—usually during stories where Baker’s still taking the role seriously, rather than playing the buffoon angle as over-the-top as possible.
Deadly Assassin is certainly one of those more serious instances. It’s full of intrigue, Time Lord society and politics, and danger. And it distinctly lacks a Companion.
On paper, that is its claim to fame: being the only adventure in which the Doctor does not have a regular Companion. (The Doctor has just dropped Sarah Jane off in South Croydon Aberdeen, and has yet to meet Leela. Behind the scenes, Baker had expressed his desire to work alone, without a co-star, which may have affected his approach to this serial. One supposes he wanted to make the result appealing to the Powers That Be.)
It also famously became the target of the ire of “clean-up TV” activist Mary Whitehouse, as the cliffhanger for Part Three is particularly violent for Doctor Who. While no one in this day and age would likely bat an eyelash (especially given the popularity of shows like recent global phenomenon Squid Game), that episode certainly contained more realistic-looking scenes of violence than Doctor Who‘s usual sci-fi fare.
Ironically enough, it that was the very episode that lost my interest—a veritable snooze-fest. While the other episodes give the viewer a lot to chew on, most of the tension in Part Three comes from (a) watching the Doctor struggle physically inside a known mental construct and (b) the mystery of who the other player is. I’m not sure how big a puzzle the latter is for first-time viewers, but when you know the answer already, it’s not very engaging viewing.
Luckily, Part Four picks up the pace nicely, and gives a strong finish—even if the climax is somewhat melodramatic and the eventual fate of the Master (did I mention the Master is in this?) is beyond predictable. The Doctor departs Gallifrey again, having shaken up the Time Lords yet one more time and left them a few things to think about.
As a whole, Deadly Assassin is a strong story with fun twists and a fascinating look—one of our first!–into Time Lord society. If you’ve never seen it before, I do recommend it. And if it’s one you’ve already seen, it’s probably worth a re-watch. It’s hard to go wrong with Time Lords in those fancy collars.