Who Review: The Talons of Weng-Chiang
The Doctor takes Leela to late Victorian London with the intention of seeing a variety show at the theater. However, things take a different turn when they are the victims of an attempted ambush by a gang of Chinese men. All but one escapes and he, along with the Doctor and Leela, pay a visit to the police station. It’s there that they become involved in the investigation of missing girls, assisting Professor Litefoot, who has been conducting the autopsies. But this is no repeat of Jack the Ripper. Something sinister is happening at the theater, and the star of the show, Li H’sen Chang and his puppet Mr Sin seem to be involved. And they are not acting of their own accord. Chang believes himself to be in the service of the Chinese god Weng-Chiang. But who is this warped creature, and what does he want with the women of London? More than that, how can the Doctor and Leela stop him before he murders more people to serve his own ends?
SPOILER ALERT!! My comments may (and likely will) contain spoilers for those that haven’t seen this serial. If you want to stay spoiler-free, please watch the story before you continue reading!
Rightly hailed by fans and critics alike as one of the best Doctor Who stories ever, this six-part serial completed the show’s fourteenth season, and also brought to an end Philip Hinchcliffe’s run as the show’s producer, a position he had occupied since Tom Baker’s first story, “Robot.” And what a story to go out on! Robert Holmes’s script is first rate, the pace is good, and the sets and lighting make for a wonderfully atmospheric and creepy story.
It seems as if Hinchcliffe and Holmes were going for a Phantom of the Opera meets Sherlock Holmes feel for the story. Some of the jumping around the theater rafters that the Doctor and Weng-Chiang perform echo “Phantom,” while the Doctor’s attire and demeanor, not to mention Professor Litefoot’s similarity to Dr. Watson, and the fact he has a housekeeper called Mrs. Hudson, certainly echoes the latter.
As well as atmosphere and drama, there’s plenty of humor, and some delightful character moments. For example, when Leela goes to dine with Litefoot, she immediately picks up food with her fingers to eat. Rather than scold her, Litefoot does the same. Later, Leela tries to give Litefoot a drink of port straight from the decanter. Tom Baker’s Doctor constantly rides a line between deadly seriousness and lighthearted unconcern, which makes him both disarming, and formidable. An excellent portrayal considering he’s supposed to be an alien. Also, despite the fact that the Fourth Doctor is “less violent,’ he spends a lot of time engaged in hand-to-hand combat with their Chinese attackers as if he was the Third Doctor!
There are a few iffy moments. The giant rat is almost successful, but not really successful enough to pass muster. Thankfully it has very limited screen time. Also, I thought using flashing lights over Chang’s eyes when he hypnotizes was a little overkill, and a bit hokey. Probably the most controversial aspect of the serial is the stereotypical way the Chinese are represented. Though, to be fair, this story is set in Victorian London, so there might be an element of truth to the Chinese gangs, and they way they dressed and acted at that time. More bothersome is the fact they got an Englishman to play the lead Chinese character, Li H’sen Chang. John Bennett does an excellent job with the part, but it would have been so much better if a real Chinese person could have been cast.
Far more successful is Mr Sin, Chang’s diminutive “puppet” who actually turns out to be a “Chinese homonculus” brought back by the creature posing as Weng-Chiang. He’s a “puppet” because he is, in fact, actually a robot with the cerebral cortex of a pig, making him a deadly hybrid. The costume and performance are well-realized, making for a thoroughly creepy character.
This is MUST-SEE Classic Who. No two ways about it. For me, in a season of classic stories, this and “Robots of Death” stand out. Excellent dialog, excellent story plotting, and just about everything else done to perfection (aside from the iffy moments noted above). If you have never seen “Talons” before, you’re in for a treat. 🙂
