Who Review: Mark of the Rani

A scheduled trip to Kew Gardens in Victorian London is interrupted by the discovery of a time distortion, located somewhere in the town of Killingworth in northern England. The Doctor and Peri discover they have landed in a mining town on the eve of the Industrial Revolution. So-called “Luddites,” scared of the new machinery that threatens their jobs, are causing unrest. And yet something isn’t right. These Luddites are excessively violent, as if something more than fear for their livelihoods has unhinged them. And now miners are going missing, not returning home from the pit. The Doctor becomes embroiled in the mystery when he attempts to visit one of the architects of change, George Stephenson, and finds himself a target of the manic Luddites. But, as the Doctor soon discovers, it’s not the Luddites who ultimately want to see the Doctor’s demise. Not one, but two renegade Time Lords have a plan that will upset the Industrial Revolution, set England’s progress back centuries, and put an end to the Doctor, unless the Doctor can find a way to stop them.

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!

“Mark of the Rani” was husband-wife writing team Pip and Jane Baker’s first attempt at a Doctor Who script, and possibly their best, if only because it gave the Whoniverse a new renegade Time Lord (Time Lady?): the Rani. To introduce her, they teamed her up with the Master. Their quests are quite different, though they are both up to no good. The Rani wants the chemical from the human brain that induces sleep; the Master wants revenge on the Doctor. They form an uneasy alliance when they realize that by working together they can both get what they want. But it is most certainly an uneasy alliance. The Rani has no patience for the Master’s vendetta against the Doctor, and the Master would rather work alone. It’s good to see the Master challenged by someone who is his equal both in intelligence and selfish ambition. They do leave a couple of questions unanswered, however. How did the Master escape the fires of Sarn (see “Planet of Fire”)? The Master’s answer, “I’m indestructible,” is hardly satisfying. And if the Rani is the genius chemist she is supposed to be, why does she need to extract this chemical from all these human brains? Why can she not synthesize and replicate it?

Nothing other than the Doctor’s curiosity, and a desire to meet some nineteenth century industrial boffins, stops him and Peri from leaving. And it’s that curiosity that leads them into the Master’s plot, and causes them to stumble upon the Rani’s diabolical scheme. It seems by extracting this chemical from the brain, the victims become extremely aggressive. Given the fervor of the Luddite rebellion, it’s easy to pass this madness off as symptomatic of their fear and fury. But the Doctor is not easily fooled, and he soon finds a way to put a wrench in her plans and dispose of them both, but not without facing considerable danger along the way. Sort of.

In one scene, the Doctor clings to a chain over the mouth of a well, while sleep-deprived, and easily suggestible, coal miners beat on him, trying to make him fall. At least that was the idea, and it could have been a very dramatic scene if it wasn’t for the fact that the Doctor’s assailants were a little too careful where they laid their blows. One man with a shovel could made short work of the Doctor with one chop of his blade on the Doctor’s hand. But no, he cautiously slaps the chain with his shovel, while the others lay gentle blows against the Doctor’s back and arms.

Another scene finds the Doctor and Peri in the Rani’s laboratory, where a large screen conceals her TARDIS. The Doctor ties a string to the front, and opens a door that releases mustard gas. Peri grabs a couple of gas masks, and together they move the screen out of the way so they can access the Rani’s TARDIS. Maybe I missed something, but why bother releasing the gas? Why not just move the screen? If moving it would have released the gas anyway, they could have made it into the Rani’s TARDIS before the gas took effect. And the Doctor opens the Rani’s TARDIS with his own TARDIS key. That doesn’t seem right. I’m sure even another Time Lord needs the correct key to enter a strange TARDIS (see “Terror of the Autons” and “The Deadly Assassin”).

The Rani’s TARDIS is nicely designed, deliberately more classy-looking than the Doctor’s, with its swirly bar rotor, and push-panel controls. I like the fact they tried to do something different, unlike the Master’s TARDIS which tends to look just like the Doctor’s, only with black trim, or darker lighting. And near the end, when the Master tries to operate the Rani’s TARDIS, does she knee the Master in the groin? It looks like it–way to go, Rani!

Aside from these points, this is not a bad story. It’s competent and cohesive, without too many logical stretches. Most importantly, it’s entertaining, and not at all dull. The location filming is particularly well done, and, being a period drama put on by the BBC, everything looks exquisitely authentic. The principal actors all give great performances, though the extras are a bit disappointing. And the effects are good enough for the time.

“Mark of the Rani” is far from classic Who, and certainly not must-see, but worth watching for the Rani. Kate O’Mara handles the character very well, making her a villain I wouldn’t mind seeing in the New Series.