Only the Doctor can illuminate this mystery. (Doctor Who - Horror Of Fang Rock (DVD))

Member Name: marlowe

Product:	Doctor Who - Horror Of Fang Rock (DVD)
Date:	05/02/09 (30 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very good story, classic horror.

Disadvantages: Some exaggerations

"Horror of Fang Rock" sees the Doctor and his companion Leela almost literally thrown into a nightmarish situation in which the battle for survival will be extremly difficult. After landing on the South Coast in the Edwardian period, with the Doctor wanting to show Leela the Earth of her ancestors, their plans are swiftly changed when the Doctor observes that there is something wrong with the nearby lighthouse. Their decision to go over to investigate sees them party to a series of catastrophic and devastating events which eventually reveal that not everything within the lighthouse is benign. An alien presence is killing and then possessing the people within the lighthouse and, when a shipwrecked group is forced to seek shelter on the island they too are caught up with the events. It falls upon the Doctor to prevent the alien's intentions, which extend far beyond murdering a few people.

The characters within the plot are presented well, each one falling into their role with little problems, though there are occassions when the acting threatens to descend into hysteria and farce, the contrast between Leela and the woman who is shipwrecked being almost too exaggerated for example. However, there is no performance that can be considered poor.

This is one of the stronger Doctor Who stories and one which links up with other narratives, since it contains the Rutans, an alien lifeform who are consistently at bitter war with the Sontarans. Indeed, there is a good crossover or slight reference within the modern Doctor Who stories during "The Poison Sky" when one of the Sontaran generals uses almost exactly the same excuse as the Rutan in "Horr of Fang Rock" as to why they are millions of miles away on Earth rather than engaged in direct battle with the enemy. It is evident, therefore, that pride and stubborness feature heavily in both the groups makeup.

The Rutans themselves are, perhaps ironically, far more unnerving when they are not seen directly, when they instead are busily inhabiting the corpses of those they have slain. When even a small aspect of their true identity becomes known, I felt that a large part of the mystery and apprehension of the story was lost. "Horror of Fang Rock" plays upon some of our most deeprooted fears, that the dead should remain dead and should not be reanimated. Thus, before the presence of the Rutans is truly established, the fear of the unknown ensures that the initial episodes are more powerful.

In many ways this story might be described as a Gothic horror, with the wild and forbidding lighthouse maroooned from all help being synonymous with the castle in Dracula. Moreover, whilst H P Lovecraft was slightly later with his writings we can also observe elements of his style of horror narrative as well, with the strange creature(s) that emerge from the depths to wreck havoc upon those it encounters. This is not a comfortable Doctor Who story to watch, a sense of disappointment in many ways can be felt when the Doctor is not entirely successful in his endeavours, though the overall aims are met. Yet perhaps it is this element that gives the story its edge and ensures it can be rated as amongst the best of the narratives.

Summary: Definitely worth watching