The Face of Evil - Episode 1

This is the first appearance of Louise Jameson as Leela. After Elisabeth Sladen, it was perhaps a wise idea to go in a different direction with the character that would assist the Doctor and its fair to say that this is definelty the case with Leela. This was the first episode of 1977 and it returns after a month long holiday (last episode was November 20), so fans would have been intrigued with seeing what happens next.

Louise Jameson is the first face that we see when the credits end and it doesn’t take long for her to show her defiance and how she might be a bit like Sarah. Leela was one of those characters that was created ‘for the dads’. She wore very little and couldn’t be labelled as a feminist but starts off her time with the Doctor by calling him the evil one. There is an aspect of this story that I’m not a huge fan of and that the whole idea of following voices or higher beings. There will be a sound purpose for this being in the story but at the moment its not a great part of the story.

The threat the Doctor uses when he says he will kill someone with a jelly baby is another bit of humour that seems to be creeping in. Also the part where it looks like he is talking to a tree. Now at the moment these comedic moments are slight and nothing to get really bothered about but over the course of the next few seasons, it will be more of an issue.

Janice Thorn is a weapon that Leela uses and is instantly a source of conflict between the her and the Doctor. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Doctor and Leela’s relationship is the relationship between Tom Baker and Louise Jameson. Nowadays it’s very good in their Big Finish stories but back then its clear that there was a bit of resentment so Louise Jameson was the unwanted companion and that means the friendship that the Doctor and companion should have just isn’t there like it was when Elisabeth Sladen was on the show. For her first episode I think that Jameson does a good job and shows that there is some strength to the character. Whilst she might be like Sarah she is still a stronger character than some that have come before her. If only the could change the costume.

The cliffhanger is a good one because for most of the episode we have been teased with the idea of ‘the evil one’ and it appears that the Doctor has been on the planet before. The final shot is of a massive sculpture of the Doctor’s face. His is the face of evil which a nice way to end the episode. I think that following the previous episode was always going to be a tough job and its not a critiscm but I think that this story does look a bit pedestrian compared to ‘The Deadly Assassin’.