Doctor Who Television Story: Snakedance

Title: Snakedance
Story Number: 124
Season: 20
Screenwriter: Christopher Bailey
Director: Fiona Cumming

Thoughts:

Two of the highlights of the Peter Davision era are Kinda and it’s sequel Snakedance, both featuring the entity the Mara.  Surprisingly the Mara never returned, although I suppose if Russell Davies continues showrunning they might show up as a series finale surprise.  In this story, Tegan is once again haunted by the Mara as the TARDIS arrives on the planet Manussa in the midst of a festival celebrating 500 years of the banishment of the Mara.  I really love the world building in this episode establishing a culture with the Mara in its folklore.  Janet Fielding gets a chance to show her acting range going from scared when the Mara first reemerges in her mind, to evil when it takes full control. Guest star Martin Clunes (long before he became the voice of Kipper) is excellent as the spoiled son of the local royalty who is also possessed by the Mara.  The only downside to this story is that it kind of ends with a fizzle rather than a bang.

Rating: 8 of 10

That was both unexpected and yet, somehow, the only possible way that this series could have ended that so exactly characterizes everything about this series.

#Taskmaster #Series20