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 I'm starting to feel almost overwhelmed by the sheer quality of Season 14. The weakest story so far has been The Masque of Mandragora, which was a fairly good one; and the 3 stories following it have been varying degrees of "very good" and "terrific." If this continues through the remaining 2 stories, I'll have to rank Season 14 alongside Seasons 5 and 7 as a high point of the series.
The Face of Evil is not another formula-busting series deconstruction like The Deadly Assassin was. This story rather decidedly follows the basic Who formula, presenting The Doctor with a tribe of suspicious primitives who he must try to help. It doesn't even seem a very promising story, on the face of it--Doctor Who has rarely been at its best showing extraterrestrial primitives (witness the, uh, "brilliance" of The Krotons). But with polished execution, a tight pace, and several interesting twists, the story overcomes all of its potential pitfalls, and introduces an intriguing new companion in the bargain.
THE GOOD
This new companion, Leela, is the first character we're introduced to in the story, and we are immediately encouraged to identify with her. As we see her tried by her people, we are given several important bits of information about her right off the cuff: (1) she is braver, more outspoken, and less superstitious than the rest of her tribe. We quickly see she is not the only one who doesn't believe all they've been told about Xoanan; but she is the only one who has actually spoken up and said so; (2) she has a strong personal moral code. Though banishment (and death) are near certainties for her, she refuses to apologize and ask forgiveness; (3) she is at least somewhat emotionally vulnerable. When her father is taken to undergo a deadly "test" to confirm her sentence, at that point Leela starts apologizing and begging for her father's life--proving that she won't compromise herself for her own life, but will do so for the life of someone she cares about.
With all of these things established about Leela, only then does she meet The Doctor. Tellingly, even though she recognizes his face as that of "The Evil One," she is won over by his manner almost immediately. Usually, I would carp about the script clumsily making people trust The Doctor far too quickly and easily; but their initial exchange is so nicely-acted and naturally executed, that it felt "right" for both characters, somehow.
With the new partnership established, we move quite smoothly and briskly onto the plot. Seeing this a primitive tribe surrounded by "relics" that are obviously from a crashed spaceship, I felt disappointment wash over me almost instantly. "Cliched" and "obvious" were words that ran prominently through my head.
But then the plot turned. First there was the justly-famous Episode 1 cliffhanger, as The Doctor sees his own face on rocks. Even knowing it was coming (hard to miss, when they stick that very visual on the cover of the video box), it remains a startling and effective moment. Even more intriguing, the tribe's "priest" communes with his "god" Xoanan through the use of a radio. Xoanan answers. His voice? The voice of The Doctor.
Hints such as these lead tantalizingly into the final two episodes, as we discover what lies beyond the mysterious barrier, why The Doctor's face has been carved into the rocks, and who (and/or what) "Xoanan" is. To the story's credit, not one of these answers disappoints.
The serial is presented as a streamlined, tightly-paced action story. But writer Chris Boucher also manages to work in some nice thematic undercurrents. The nature of faith, for instance, is represented by the character of the priest and the other character's interactions with him. Early in the story, The Doctor and Leela witness the priest trying to commune with Xoanan. The Doctor's suspicions are aroused when it becomes clear that this priest actually expects his "god" to answer. This prompts Leela to reply, "Of course. If He doesn't answer, how can we know He's there?" And late in the serial, the primitives' fanatical priest and their practical, warrior chief have the following, genuinely sublime, exchange:
PRIEST: (sadly) We get proof, and we stop believing.
CHIEF: (proudly) With proof, there is no more need to believe!
THE BAD
Yet again, this section of the review is mostly nitpicks. I hated the bit with The Doctor talking to the camera on his arrival. It was not so much a wink to the audience as a sledgehammer levied at the audience's skull. The soundstage sets for the planet are not very successful, and occasionally undermine the serial's effectiveness. Finally, one wonders where the rest of the tribe is? It appears that this tribe is made up of about 7 people. It also appears that Leela is the only woman in the tribe (no wonder the men are all so warlike).
None of these nitpicks are enough to undermine the well-paced and surprisingly thoughtful screenplay, or the generally strong performances by both guest actors and regulars. The Face of Evil is another strong outing in a season that has so far been filled with strong outings. And I find myself already looking forward to the next story.
Rating: 
» Review by J. Paul Halt, Copyright 2003.
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