The Stones of Blood

Doctor Who is very used to demystifying myths and legends- a god, fabulous beast or superstition turns out to be an alien or a computer. This is the basis behind The Stones of Blood; the ancient Celtic goddess Cailleach turns out to be the alien criminal Cessair of Diplos. However, unlike other stories which have kept the Hammeresque atmosphere throughout, the revelation of Cessair of Diplos is accompanied by a wholesale change in the mood of the story. The ‘horror’ aspect of the story is well done, with a mix of latter-day Druidic revivalists, standing stones that come to life and drink blood, ravens acting as spies and a friendly archaeologist. David Fisher has clearly put some thought into the script, such as the Doctor pointing out to De Vries that understanding of ancient Druidic behaviour is mainly based on supposition. There are a few problems with this half of the story. Most obvious is the godawful literal cliff-hanger to part one and De Vries is killed off too early. However the real problems start once the action shifts to the space-craft lurking in hyperspace above the stone circle. There is nothing inherently wrong with the change in mood that this development brings with it- in fact it could have benefitted the story greatly. Unfortunately, the opportunity is wasted. The Doctor is put on trial for a petty crime by the Megara justice machines, while he has to prove that Vivien Fay is really Cessair of Diplos. This leads to a tedious trial sequence that takes up fat too much time. Fisher clearly lost inspiration for this section, which is desperately uninteresting.

The production matches the script a little too well. The scenes set on Earth are very atmospheric, with great sets and locations that are atmospherically lit (although the unwise decision is made to shoot day-for-night and genuine night). The Ogri, the titular monsters, are quite effective most of the time- the deafening heart-beat sound they make is terrifying and there is a scene where De Vries and an acolyte have their skulls crushed by the Ogri that is very close to the mark. However, they lose a bit of their menace when they start moving quickly- at one point, when one bursts through the door, we not only see the trolley it’s on, but a man pushing it and a further man standing behind him! However, the hyperspace scenes are overlit and seem to have been shot in a rush. The Megara come across like two officious fairies, which looks as ridiculous as it sounds. Darrol Blake’s stint in the director chair is mixed, though not uninteresting.

This is a real pity, as there are some great performances to be found, most notable of which is Beatrix Lehmann as Professor Rumford, a wonderfully dotty character played to perfection. Susan Engel puts in a nicely restrained performance as Vivien/ Cessair and, as said, Nicholas McArdle makes De Vries very memorable. The regulars perform well throughout with Tom Baker working very well with Beatrix Lehmann. It is genuinely bizarre seeing Mary Tamm wearing a Burberry cap, considering the current image of that article.

The Stones of Blood is a real mixed bag. It’s certainly entertaining, but if you never see it, you won’t have exactly wasted your life.

NEXT: The Androids of Tara