Image of the Fendahl

A research project that will revolutionize archaeology is being conducted in an old priory house in a haunted wood. The Time Scanner, as it is called, is capable to producing a complete image of an object pulled through time, but the process is highly dangerous and unstable, dragging the TARDIS off course and bringing the Doctor and Leela onto the scene. The Doctor discovers the object of the time scans - a skull that supposedly predates the existence of homo sapeins on Earth, but had actually come from offworld and bears the awesome power of a group entity called the Fendahl. The Fendahl can only be complete with the presence of a priestess and 12 leech-like Fendhaleen, and all can be assembled using a local black magic coven and one of the scientists as raw material. The Fendahl is an entity from the myths of the Time Lords themselves, a vampire like collective that will if unchecked suck the life force out of the planet itself (supposedly it did this to Mars before coming to Earth)and then move on, leaving it as a husk.

First thing to note is after his last minute addition to the cast, K9 is sidelined for the adventure, supposedly suffering from some kind of breakdown. Either that or the script couldn't be reworked fast enough to accomodate him. Take a guess at that. Leela causes a stir as usual running around with a knife and dressed in her skins in "modern" times. She also gets a bit wierd, though, first threatening to kill scientist Adam Colby and then giving him a good luck kiss on the cheek mere scenes later. Some speculate that maybe Leela has some sort of thing for passive-agressive men, which could explain why she's with the Doctor.

Cast notes of interest are Wanda Ventham making her second of three appearances in the series, and Geoffrey Hinsliff who may be better remembered as drunken/gambling/obsessed and eventaully dead (I think) cabbie Don Brennan from Coronation Street.

Let us speak of the glorious visual effects of the Fendhaleen as they slither and slide down the hallways of the Fetch priory. Or of the incredible makeup job that was done to transform Wanda Ventham into the priestess.

Wait. On second thought let's not go there.

It's interesting to note how the demise of civilzation on Mars is blamed on the Fendahl, but no-one actually says "Ice Warriors". Which would have been interesting. Unless the Ice Warriors were already hibernating when the Fendahl arrived and it just wiped out whatever else was left. Maybe. The poor Ice Warriors are always getting a bum deal.

NEXT EPISODE : THE SUNMAKERS