Doctor Who "The Sea Devils - Episode Six" (1972)

This episode was a thrilling conclusion to a great serial. Obvious comparison can be made with this serial and "Doctor Who and the Silurians" due to the villains (ancestral cousins) or the fact that it was the same writer who has a gift for characterization. There are no real one-dimensional roles. But I think "The Sea Devils" comes out on top for its inclusion of the Master into the mix as well as the cooperation of the Royal Navy with location filming and equipment usage. The serial feels like it is set on a grander scale than its predecessor and with the Master foiling the Doctor's pursuit of a peaceful settlement at every turn it makes for captivating viewing and one of the best serials I have seen since I started watching the original series.

The Master leads an assault on the naval base in order to obtain supplies necessary for the completion of his work. Instead of having the Sea Devils kill the Doctor right away he drafts the Doctor to help him with his contraption he needs to build. Even when the Master is ready to personally eliminate the Doctor, he is well aware of the Doctor's scientific prowess and does not let his need for personal revenge cloud his judgment. This is why the Master is such a worthy adversary. He is the Doctor's equal in almost every way. He is not campy or over-the-top. We only get glimpses at his true malevolence as he is quite capable at acting good-natured if it will aide in his plans. Roger Delgado is a pure delight and I love to see him tangle with the Doctor and hope they release his remaining serials soon as this was only the second to be released on DVD. In fandom he is considered the best Master and the one that all the others are compared to. I can't quite verify that statement yet as I've only seen so little of him so far and I only have the new series Masters to compare with him and we saw so little of them but I will say I have been very impressed so far and look forward to seeing his other serials as soon as they are released.

A large portion of the episode is a battle sequence that occurs on location at the naval base and it really is well edited and executed. Only having six Sea Devil costumes to stand in for the entire assault team, you would never think they are using the same bodies over and over again unless you really looked hard. I particularly liked the hover craft arriving back at the beach and the naval assault team exiting to retake their base. You can't do something like this believably in the studio and without the cooperation of the navy it never could have been done at all. They were wise to provide assistance to the Who production team as I am sure their was a renewed interest in the navy once the serial aired originally. The speed boat chase is another wonderful addition considering that Pertwee did all his own driving in that sequence.

In the end it comes down to the Doctor taking out the Sea Devil community ironic considering his damnation of the Brigadier for doing something similar. It's not really though as the Brigadier was ordered to blow up the Silurian base while they were all defenseless in hibernation. Here the Doctor very clearly gives the Chief Sea Devil an opportunity to avert war. It's apparent the Doctor is giving him the chance to save his people but trust and cooperation are no longer possible and the Chief seals his own fate along with the lives of his people. The Doctor does not relish this task laid before him and it's reassuring to see it pains him greatly to have to resort to such measures to prevent further bloodshed on both sides. Remember they have communities around the world so they will live on in some form and I'm sure will tangle with the Doctor once again.

Favorite moment: The Master's escape is a bit dodgy as that mask of himself seems to pop out of nowhere along with his dubious collapse as soon as he is taken back into custody. However it's a wonderful moment when the Doctor realizes the Master is still in the hover craft as it begins to head back out to sea. His wave to the Doctor and the Doctor's uncertain expression regarding his escape epitomizes their entire relationship through this serial. I think the Doctor is ambivalent in the Master's escape. He didn't want to see him dead but out and about and certain to cause more trouble will only mean more danger to humanity. The two will meet again and as soon as it's released on DVD I will rush to see what happens next.