Doctor Who — The Faceless Ones: Episodes 3 and 4 — A Review

16th April, 2020.

I have to admit, I like to watch TV.

And usually?

And also have to admit, I have a limited palette.

Right at the moment … ?

Right at the moment, I’m watching old favourite, Dr Who.

I’ve been watching The Faceless Ones: one that’s new to me, as it’s been missing since before my birth.

But … ?   I’ve started watching it, just after eight o’clock, tonight: just to avoid any conflict with the Clap For Our Carers event that happens at eight, on a Thursday.

Even though I don’t take part … ?   It’s nice to hear, and to know it’s going on.

Except of course … ?

Tonight, someone decided lighting fireworks would be a good way of joining in.

There’s going to be a lot of annoyed pet owners out there.

At any rate … ?

At any rate, tonight I’ve sat down to two more episodes of The Faceless Ones: and yes.

It’s good!

~≈®≈~

Episode 3 sees the Doctor (Patrick Troughton) trapped in the Chameleon Tours office: managing to escape the freezing gas by blocking the outlets it’s coming from with hanks and rags.

And managing to get away … by shooting Spencer (Victor Windid), the Chameleon staffer who’s been watching him. that finds him.

Meanwhile?   The Doctor mets up with Samantha (Pauline Collins) and Jamie (Frazer Hines): and helps them convince Inspector Crossland (Bernard Kay) that there’s more going on in the airport than just Crossland’s missing colleague. 

It’s all this … ?

It’s all this that makes up Crossland’s mind: he seriously needs to investigate the next Chameleon flight.

~≈®≈~

Episode 4 sees Jamie and Samantha finding an unconscious Doctor … 

Only for the pair to be knocked unconscious by Spencer: and left to the mercies of an ominous laser.

Meanwhile?

Crossland is on the most recent Chameleon flight: having effectively been kidnapped by Captain Blade (Donald Pickering.)

Once out of harms way?   The Doctor manages to investigate Gatwick’s medical centre: with help from the Commandant’s PA, Jean (Wanda Ventham*).

That done … ?   And back at Air Traffic Control … ?

The Commandant thinks there’s only one way he can contribute to the investigation into Chameleon.

Arranging for a jet from the local Royal Air Force base to follow the next Chameleon flight … 

Only for both … to fall off the radar … !

~≈®≈~

Now … 

Is this still good!

Yes, it is, actually!

Right at the moment … ?

I’ll happily confess I found episodes one and two slightly slow.

Frankly?

Episode three and four, seem a little tighter, a little quicker.   Something I felt grateful for.

I swear, the older I get, the more I appreciate shortness in entertainment.

And the more I notice what’s possibly a flaw … but soon realised isn’t.

In one scene in episode three — where Captain Blade orders Spencer to kill the Doctor — I noticed  one patch of Spencer’s finger was white.

White patch

Highlight white patch

But soon realised it was how the animators were representing flares of sunlight.

Frankly?

That’s my picky side coming out.

The other thing I noticed … ?

The one thing I think I’ve picked up on is an old trope.

The old escaping prisoner gag.

You must have seen it.

Two prisoners lure an especially dim guard into their cell: by pretending at least one of them is ill … 

And knock the guard out, once he’s inside: usually with a convenient flower pot.

Or trip him up.

I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Jo Grant (Katy Manning) do something like it.

At any rate … ?   I don’t think The Faceless Ones is the origin of the stunt: but someone pretends to be ill at least once in each episode.

Is that bad?   Am I being picky?

No!

It’s just a fairly common routine that’s used well, in each case: but that’s also common enough for me to watch and say ‘Oh, THAT old gag!’

Oh … 

I also mentioned sound, when watching the first two episodes.

The first two episodes — episode two, in particular — sounded quite tinny in parts: where the animation team were working with fan recordings.

The same thing happened with episode three and four.

Again, episode three sounded OK: as I’m assuming the animators used the sound track from the original episode.

Whereas the opening of episode 4 sounded somewhat tinny: with the rest of the episode sounding fairly good.

Frankly, though?

These are minor points.

These two episode have moved the story forward … 

And left me wanting to see more.

Right now?   I’m looking forward to episodes five and six … !

*        Like Colin (the Commandant) Gordon, Wanda is another graduate of The Prisoner: and also appeared as Colonel Virginia Lake, in the Gerry Anderson series, UFO.   She also played Dr Thea Ransome in the Tom Baker story, Image of the Fendahl.   She’s also Benedict Cumberbatch’s (real world) mother.   She’s not quite an SF icon … but if she’s in your science fiction show, you’ve dotted the ‘i’s.