Fury from the Deep - Episode 2

The second episode is where the seaweed becomes a proper menace to the story and due to the fact that this is on CD it’s quite fortunate that the presence of this is noted by a rather hypnotic sound effect. I’m struggling to find things to write about this episode because I think that my attention drops during these ‘lost’ episodes and its not because I have something against audio because anyone who visits my blog knows that a good majority of the reviews that I have posted are Big Finish audios so its not that. It’s just that these are all things that were designed for TV and so despite the fine attempt from Frazer Hines, I just find my attention drifting. I pointed out that this was Victoria’s last story and there is still to be any indication that this is the case because she continues to act like she normally does.

The idea of seaweed being a threat is a bonkers one but as I pointed out in the previous episode, only in Doctor Who could they get away with this and it’s the only good thing that I can take from this story so far. The music and the heartbeat throbbing sound effect is the other thing but apart from that there are few positives to take from this. Not even the regulars are given enough to do. There is a moment which does exist on some DVD because it features Mr Oak and Mr Quill and they are under the effect of the seaweed and there is a moment where Mr Quill opens his mouth and attacks Maggie. It’s moments like this that makes me annoyed that this doesn’t exist on TV.

I’m still not totally won over with this story and I think that the next four episodes will continue to be a struggle but I think that this episode is far better than the first. For one there is a proper menace and there seems to be a nice sense of things going completely wrong. It does feel like the story is moving on but it’s difficult to sit through when there is nothing to look at. The cliffhanger is slightly disappointing as it just ended with Robson saying quite ominously that “its down there. In the darkness. In the pipeline. Waiting…” That’s a good line but it just feels like it’s the end of a normal scene not the end of an episode. I’m still waiting for the big scene to come that will grab my attention and prove to me that this is another great six parter but at the moment it just feels like I’m going through the motions and the goodwill that I was getting from watching the last three stories is starting to ebb away.