Review of Image of the Fendahl (#94)
DVD Release Date: 29 Jul 20
Original Air Date: 29 Oct – 19 Nov 1977
Doctors/Companions: Four, Leela
Stars: Tom Baker, Louise Jameson
Preceding Story: The Invisible Enemy (Four, Leela, K9)
Succeeding Story: The Sun Makers (Four, Leela)
Something I’ve noticed consistently as I’ve made my way through this Everything Else series, is that the stories that ended up here at the end of the line all have one thing in common: mediocrity.
That’s not to say they’re bad. Quite the opposite, in fact. They are perfectly serviceable, fine examples of the sort of thing Doctor Who is. They’re the workhorses of the series, the stories that neither soar nor stink. They’re just middling.
Since they don’t grab my attention from either a “wow, that’s good!” or a “wow, that’s bad!” perspective, they easily escape my memory. And since I also never reach for one of these middle-of-the-road stories when I’m introducing someone new to the show or just passing the time, the details of them don’t get reinforced, either, and I end up having little or no impression of them.
Case in point: before beginning my re-watch for this post, aside from the iconic image of the possessed woman on the DVD cover, the only details I could remember about Image of the Fendahl were that there was something about a cult, an old house, and a time loop. No wonder I hadn’t thought to watch it in years.
However, there are several things of real interest here. Among other things, I’m fond of Leela (even if her extreme push-up/all the leg outfit makes me cringe; that can’t have been comfortable), so seeing her tackle threats head-on in typical fashion is always fun. It leads to some fun dialog, too. (“There’s a guard. I shall kill him.” / “No.” / “Why not?” / “You’ll upset the dog.”)
Like some other stories, it also provides a fantastical explanation for both certain superstitions (e.g., using salt to ward off evil) and the origin of humanity. (Did I mention there was some timey-wimey stuff?) And although the science-ish explanations left my inner scientist cross-eyed, they made nearly as much sense as such things usually do in Doctor Who.
The main premise, however, felt muddy enough that I really lost the thread. Perhaps things just went past me too quickly (I usually do my re-watch at 1.5-speed, since I already know all the stories, and I don’t have very strong attention for that kind of familiarity these days), but I had to pause during the final episode and actually write down the Doctor’s full, summary explanation to one of the guest characters in order to take it all in. Even then it took me a couple of passes to understand it.
So whether it was through the fault of my own frame of mind as I watched or some failing of the storytelling, Fendahl didn’t really grab me. It’s… fine. It’s not a bad story, by any means, but neither is it top-notch. It is, in a word, mediocre. Depending on one’s definition, many—if not most—Doctor Who stories are.
Would I recommend this adventure wholeheartedly to a new fan? I don’t think so. But by the same token, I wouldn’t steer them away from it. Especially if someone likes the trope where something out-of-the-ordinary turns out to be the real reason behind some folk belief, this might be one to try. Just go in with the knowledge that this one is firmly middle-of-the-road, and you should come out feeling well-served.