The Talons of Weng-Chiang - Episode 5

Now that Weng-Chiang has his beloved cabinet. The story can move on and it does very much so in a good way. I like Weng-Chiang’s new digs in this episode. They are much better than the previous one. It’s clear that the budget was saved for this set. It wouldn’t look out of place in a Hollywood movie. Despite having the cabinet, he now doesn’t have the key to open it. He’s gone from having the key and not the cabinet to the other way around in quick time.

Mr Sin becomes more or a villain now that Li Hi-sen Chang. Speaking of him, he has got worse since the last episode. He is pretty near death and high on opium. It’s a sad exit for him and it’s a great little speech that he gives before he dies is rather sad and I am still confused about whether I was supposed to sympathise with him or not. At the end of the day, he didn’t outstay his welcome and is one of the reasons why this serial works as well as it does.

The writing and direction have worked really well and whilst watching this episode I am reminded of Robert Holmes’ earlier work and how poor those stories seemed in comparison. David Maloney has always been good and even when the story hasn’t been as good, he has managed to get the best out of the stories. On their own, Tom Baker and Louise Jameson have been very good but together they just don’t seem to have gelled as much as previous Doctor and companion combinations. I think the fact that Tom Baker wasn’t as keen about Louise Jameson as he was about Elisabeth Sladen shows.

We have waited an age for the first meeting of Jago and Litefoot. It’s a great moment because Jago thinks that Litefoot is a servant and when he is corrected he changes his tune. The subsequent scene between the two of them working things out just makes me want to listen to the Big Finish series. They actually steal the show and the Doctor and Leela are the supporting characters.

The episode ends with Leela ripping off Weng-Chiang’s mask and reveals a disgusting melted face. We only see it for a second but it’s long enough to leave a lasting image. It’s been an interesting episode which might sound like damning with faint praise but it’s all really good and there isn’t a specific stand out moment which shows how solid and consistent the episode is. Looking forward to the final episode very much.