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| The Doctor meets his exact double - who plans to take over the world! |
6 episodes. Running Time: Approx. 140 minutes. Written by: David Whitaker. Directed by: Barry Letts. Produced by: Innes Lloyd.
THE PLOT:
The TARDIS materializes in Australia in the near future, only for the Doctor to immediately be targeted by assassins. He and his companions are rescued by a mysterious woman named Astrid (Mary Peach), who introduces them to her associate, Giles Kent (Bill Kerr). Kent reveals that the Doctor is an exact double of Salamander (Patrick Troughton), whose renown as a world savior has brought him power - and who Kent insists now seeks to become dictator of the entire planet!
Kent wants the Doctor to impersonate Salamander, to infiltrate his research station to find evidence to discredit him. The Doctor, however, insists that he will not act without evidence. "You and this Salamander are obviously on opposite sides... But which side is good? Which side is bad? And why should I interfere?" To find the answers, he agrees to allow Jamie and Victoria to infiltrate a European conference - but in so doing, he risks leaving his friends in the grasp of a maniac!
THE DOCTOR:
Though much has been said of Troughton's performance as Salamander, this story is also a terrific showcase for his Doctor. Stumbling into a tense situation, he listens to Giles Kent and Astrid, but he isn't ready to take action without proof. He is wary of Kent's willingness to resort to violence, but remains sympathetic to him for the most part. A particular highlight is the scene in Episode Three in which the sadistic Benik (Milton Johns) has his guards destroy Kent's possessions. When the Doctor emerges and sees the damage, he sadly observes that "people spend all their time making nice things, and other people come along and break them."
Inevitably, the Doctor does end up impersonating Salamander - though in a clever bit of scripting, his impersonations never end up being quite the way Kent had planned. When he finally dons the disguise, it is primarily to free Victoria and Jamie, and then to expose the truth. He and Salamander only share the screen once in the story, at the very end. Here, we see shades of the imperious side so prominent in Hartnell's run. Troughton lets all the gleefulness and sympathy drop from his performance as he effectively passes sentence on his doppelganger: "We're going to put you outside... No friends, no safety, nothing." In this moment, this most unimposing of Doctors becomes a figure of startling power and presence.
OTHER CHARACTERS:
Jamie/Victoria: The story's early episodes give them quite a bit to do. Jamie shows an ability to think quickly as he ingratiates himself with Salamander, while Victoria secures a job in the kitchen under the eye of the grumpiest chef in television history (a very funny Reg Lye). Their roles are much reduced in the back half of the serial, though Jamie's protectiveness of Victoria is demonstrated when Benik threatens them with the prospect of a particularly unpleasant interrogation. Somewhat amusingly, Victoria's skirt is a dead match for Jamie's kilt!
Giles Kent: Bill Kerr, best known as a comedian, seems to relish the chance to play a serious role. In a story that carries echoes of the James Bond films, Kent is effectively "M." He delivers the background on the situation and on Salamander and provides the basic plan and opportunity for the infiltration. Kent is decidedly ruthless, actively encouraging his enemy's assassination. Then again, Salamander genuinely is the monster Kent portrays him to be, and his actions have almost certainly killed thousands, making Kent's cold-bloodedness understandable.
Astrid: Mary Peach's Astrid seems to have been modeled after The Avengers' Emma Peel: a quick thinker who is more than a match for any opponent in hand-to-hand combat. She seems less ruthless than Kent; when it's clear that a guard has developed a crush on her, she actually apologizes when knocking him unconscious.
Bruce: Colin Douglas is Donald Bruce, Salamander's head of security. He is a rigid man, clearly comfortable in exercising his own power. When he and his men enter Kent's home in Episode One, he shoots down Kent's outrage by reminding him that he has the right to enter any time he chooses. When the Doctor's Salamander impersonation has him leaving with his tail between his legs, Bruce feels compelled to save face by issuing a warning to Jamie, who has been silent the entire time - essentially trying to regain his lost authority through bluster. For all that, he never comes across an idiot, and is the first to figure out that there is an imposter working with Kent.
Benik: Salamander's deputy, Benik is the sort of man who finds his way to power specifically in order to abuse it. He openly admits that he was "a nasty little boy," but adds that he "had a very enjoyable childhood." Though obviously subtextual in a family show, there is a hint of sexual sadism in his treatment of both Victoria and Salamander's food-taster, Fariah (Carmen Munroe). Milton Johns' performance is anything but restrained, as he grins evilly while acerbically drawing out each syllable he utters; but if he's arch and a bit camp, he is also thoroughly entertaining - and even a bit frightening because, unlike the show's usual monsters, creatures like Benik are all too common in the real world.
Salamander: The biggest compliment I can give to Patrick Troughton is that his performance as the villain is so very different from his Doctor that I often forgot that I was watching the same actor. I'm very glad this story was recovered intact in 2013, because the visual elements of the performance are even more impressive than the vocal ones. Troughton doesn't just put on swarthy make-up and alter his voice - He changes his entire body language. The Doctor is soft-spoken and compassionate. Salamander is harsh. Even when he speaks softly, it's in a wheedling way, as he tries to shift every situation to his own advantage. More impressive still is that when the Doctor imitates Salamander, Troughton doesn't completely replicate the Salamander performance - There's something slightly softer, separating the scenes of Doctor-as-Salamander from the scenes with Salamander himself. It is a masterful performance, one that I doubt many of his successors could have matched.
THOUGHTS:
The Enemy of the World was the last complete story recovered, found in 2013 alongside all but one episode of The Web of Fear. When the recovery was announced, fans were enthusiastic... about The Web of Fear. After its release, however, Enemy received one of the most significant reappraisals of any story in the show's history.
I actually always liked this serial. Even in audio form, I found it an engaging departure from the surrounding monster tales. Even so, seeing the actual episodes makes clear how strong it really is. The subtleties of Troughton's performance (or performances) are revealed, as we see his body language shift depending on which character he is playing. The action scenes obviously benefit, particularly the extended chase in Episode One. Benik's sadism is made more manifest by seeing the nonverbal elements of Milton Johns' performance. And the whole thing is revealed to be a lot tighter and better-paced than appeared to be the case on audio. No wonder that it went from being considered "the so-so one" of Season Five to being regarded as possibly its strongest tale!
The "Characters" section demonstrates what a rich cast inhabits this tale. The only monsters here are of the human variety, with Salamander and Benik coming across as equally vile in different ways. The story is also brimming with characters who appear briefly but make strong impressions. Denesh and his deputy may only be in two episodes, but both characters make a strong impression, as does Fariah (not only a rare role for a woman of color in '60s Who - but a strong and well-characterized one). Other characters are introduced seeming like typical two-dimensional figures, only to be revealed as having more depth by the story's end. David Whitaker, Doctor Who's original script editor, offers an excellent set of scripts, and the regulars and guest cast respond with top-notch performances.
Flaws are relatively minor and typical for '60s Who. Some of the fight choreography is decidedly clunky, and there are a few bad edits - particularly one at the very end of Episdoe Three, that plays for all the world like some transitional shots went missing. The near-future setting helps the story feel a bit more "real"... but then the guards all wear typical silly costumes and carry firearms that look like sci-fi rayguns. If any of these are significant problems for you, though, then I'd advise avoiding all eras of Classic Who.
Overall Rating: 9/10. (Though when it was still missing, and I had only audios and reconstructions to go on, I would likely have awarded it a "7")
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