3.9: The Dæmons
In which we learn that it’s not pronounced “damons”.
Broadcast: May-June 1971
Watched: January 2020
The Dæmons, Episode One
“The one who left in such mysterious circumstances...”
Now this is more like it. I’ve got a lot of affection for this one from the early 90s repeat - was it the first to be re-colourised? - and I know large chunks of it don’t make sense, but still, I’m really pleased to find how much there is to enjoy here.
The gradual ramp up of tension as the episode goes on and midnight approaches is brilliant. The BBC Three stuff is a great framing mechanism (although lol at the Doctor running out to address an emergency, and Mike shrugging and sitting down to watch the football), as is the pub chat, and Horner and his attitude problem feels like something we haven’t seen before. And the chutzpah of having the Master back immediately, and making him a Satanist vicar, is bloody brilliant.
Is this Who’s first trip into folk horror?
I could have sworn Miss Hawthorne was old, not “a bit dowdy”, but there we are. And I have no memory whatsoever of the local plod being momentarily possessed and trying to kill her.
I can never read the name as “the demons”, btw, even though that’s how it’s always said.
The Dæmons, Episode Two
“My helicopter??” This is one of the few stories where the UNIT lot all get a role isn’t it. Benton feels like a character, not a glorified extra for once.
The TV producer’s total lack of bedside manner (“Face it love, he’s had it”) is hilarious. Pertwee really does spend an unusually large amount of his screen time unconscious doesn’t he?
The Brig on the phone discovering everyone’s buggered off without him is also hilarious.
How did they do all the freak weather stuff? Did they literally have to wait for the wind?
Love the fact the next village over is called Satanhall. Very subtle.
Bok is too cute to be scary.
The Dæmons, Episode Three
“Magic!” “Science.” “MAGIC!” “Science.”
The Delgado Master always seems a bit too half hearted about wanting to kill the Doctor for his threats to be taken seriously.
The idea that mankind has only advanced because of help from aliens is not great. (Thinking about it - this is the first time we get “aliens have been with humanity from the beginning”, isn’t it? A thread we get again with Silver Nemesis, the Racnoss, the Monks, probably a dozen others I can’t think of right now.)
Also not great: the way the Doctor just suddenly knows everything and tells everyone, as fun as that scene is. The scene in which the Master blackmails the villagers into a mob is brilliant though.
The Doctor telling Jo to treat the Brig with respect feels more important after two years of him treating him like utter shit.
The UNIT boys are shit at fighting, and the Brig will not be happy when he finds out Mike has been shooting at his helicopter.
Anyway this does have the feel of a finale doesn’t it? The increase in scale, the Master summoning Satan, the real helicopter, the full cast getting something to do... I LOVE the cliffhanger being the Master in trouble.
I really like this one. Remind me why the Who’s Next crew don’t? [A 2005 episode guide book – people used to print those things out and sell them – written by three mates of mine on the mailing list to which I first subjected this stuff. They gave this story a bad review.]
You’d think the Doctor would know how bees fly though.
The Dæmons, Episode Four
The CSO used to show Azal is something else isn’t it.
The Doctor is a complete arse to poor Osgood. [Not that one. She’s probably named after this one. Or possibly his daughter, I don’t remember if that comes up in the novelisation.]
Oh we’re destroying Atlantis again are we, terrific. [This is the second time of three.]
Halfway through and not a lot is happening this episode? Lot of space filling. Jo goes looking for trouble. The Doctor rides a motorbike and then vanishes. Feels like plot blocking to turn a four part story into five parts.
I LOVE that the first thing that happens when the Morris dancers show up is a woman pulls her child inside for his own protection.
Benton has another pointless fight. Well, that’s killed another minute.
Pertwees’s bored expression when Miss Hawthorne does her “great wizard!” routine is quite funny.
Jo literally gets herself into trouble just to keep the plot going.
The Dæmons, Episode Five
Interesting in its way that this story totally sidelines the Brig. Was this a deliberate attempt to give Yates and Benton more to do? I do sort of like that Benton finally gets a character and it turns out he’s violent and a bit thick.
The idea that there’s a power that comes directly from whipping up a violent mob is a nice literalising of a metaphorical idea.
Huh. There’s an American poet called Frances Sargeant Osgood. Did not know that.
The “Chap with wings there, five rounds rapid” scene is brilliant tbf - both Yates and the Brig are great in it. You can see why it becomes sort of iconic.
It is great that the Master’s tragic flaw is his inability to stop telling everyone how awesome he is or bossing more powerful creatures around. Can see this thread in Dhawan’s performance the other week. [Going by the date on which I watched this, I think this is a reference to Spyfall?]
Azal is defeated just a bit too easily isn’t he. The exploding church is cool though. The Master escaping Benton by throwing a cloak over his head is kind of hilarious. Yates asking the Brig to the fertility dance is even funnier.
Just realised that there are only three Delgado stories left. That’s terribly sad.