Doctor Who: The Deadly Assassin: Part Four starts as the Doctor (Tom Baker) manages to defeat Chancellor Goth (Bernard Horsfall) inside the virtual reality of the Matrix, back on Gallifrey the Master (Peter Pratt) realises that he has to change his plans. The Doctor regains consciousness & sets about stopping the Master from destroying Gallifrey...
Episode 12 from season 14 this Doctor Who adventure originally aired here in the UK during November 1976, directed by David Maloney The Deadly Assassin is regard in most Doctor Who fan circles as an undisputed classic & while there are a few elements that I don't like about it I do think it's a great four part story. The script by Robert Holmes is excellent, it has zipped along at a great pace, the character's have been good, the dialogue has been great & it has never felt padded. There are quite a few layers to the story, the assassination of the president, the cover up, the rushed trial & the battle of minds in the Matrix during Part Three. There has been some good twists & turns as well although the presence of the Master is maybe revealed a little bit too early. Here in Part Four it is mentioned for the first time in the classic series that a Timelord only has twelve regenerations before they die, I'm not really sure why the production team would want to limit themselves to such a specific number & if you count the new series David Tennant is the tenth regeneration... I didn't like how the Timelords were portrayed at times but since the story is so strong overall I'll let it go. A must for any fan of the series.
For the transitional effect used to signify going in & out of the Matrix is actually the slit-scan tunnel used in the opening titles. The production values have been high, the sets, the Timelord costumes & effects have all been of a very high standard. The acting has been good too, Tom Baker is just great as usual although Peter Pratt does his best in a very stiff mask but has to almost totally rely on his voice for any sort of emotion. The skull like mask is maybe seen slightly too much here & on a few occasions from a poor camera angle which lessens the effect.
The Deadly Assassin: Part Four is a great end to a great story considered by many as a classic & one of the finest stories of the entire classic series. While I can name many more stories I would rather watch I do think it is an excellent story in it's own right. Overall I will give The Deadly Assassin an impressive seven & a half stars out of ten, a must for the fans & sci-fi lovers.
Episode 12 from season 14 this Doctor Who adventure originally aired here in the UK during November 1976, directed by David Maloney The Deadly Assassin is regard in most Doctor Who fan circles as an undisputed classic & while there are a few elements that I don't like about it I do think it's a great four part story. The script by Robert Holmes is excellent, it has zipped along at a great pace, the character's have been good, the dialogue has been great & it has never felt padded. There are quite a few layers to the story, the assassination of the president, the cover up, the rushed trial & the battle of minds in the Matrix during Part Three. There has been some good twists & turns as well although the presence of the Master is maybe revealed a little bit too early. Here in Part Four it is mentioned for the first time in the classic series that a Timelord only has twelve regenerations before they die, I'm not really sure why the production team would want to limit themselves to such a specific number & if you count the new series David Tennant is the tenth regeneration... I didn't like how the Timelords were portrayed at times but since the story is so strong overall I'll let it go. A must for any fan of the series.
For the transitional effect used to signify going in & out of the Matrix is actually the slit-scan tunnel used in the opening titles. The production values have been high, the sets, the Timelord costumes & effects have all been of a very high standard. The acting has been good too, Tom Baker is just great as usual although Peter Pratt does his best in a very stiff mask but has to almost totally rely on his voice for any sort of emotion. The skull like mask is maybe seen slightly too much here & on a few occasions from a poor camera angle which lessens the effect.
The Deadly Assassin: Part Four is a great end to a great story considered by many as a classic & one of the finest stories of the entire classic series. While I can name many more stories I would rather watch I do think it is an excellent story in it's own right. Overall I will give The Deadly Assassin an impressive seven & a half stars out of ten, a must for the fans & sci-fi lovers.