The Curse of Fenric

"They say evil once lay here."

Writer: Ian Briggs
Format: TV
Broadcast: 25th October-15th November 1989
Season: 26.04

Featuring: Seventh Doctor, Ace

Synopsis

When the Doctor and Ace arrive at a secret military base during World War II, they discover that a centuries-old Viking curse is bringing terror to its inhabitants. As hideous vampires rise from the sea and Russian commandoes begin to close in, they are confronted not only with a mystery from the distant past, but also a terrifying vision of mankind's future...

Verdict 

The Curse of Fenric was a very good serial and one that was full of intrigue and mystery, something synonymous with the Seventh Doctor's era of Doctor Who. I quite liked how this story didn't waste time in getting the characters to learn about the Doctor and Ace and instead we were thrown straight into action with the Time Lord quickly establishing his authority. Given that this was set during World War Two in 1943, that was quite a mean feat. I thought Sylvester McCoy's performance was a decent one here and I liked how he dealt with the challenges that came to his relationship with Ace. That was severely tested during the final part of the serial in what was the highlight of the adventure for me. The enigmatic atmosphere throughout the story was excellent and I loved the focus on the Viking stone inscriptions. The Doctor knew more than he was letting on which is something quite concurrent with this incarnation and Ace was not impressed with his actions. Judson was a terrific character and the way he welcomed the Doctor and Ace's arrival because they understood the logic game and the computers was lovely. He didn't even know them but immediately liked them because they had a grasp of science. Kathleen and Ace had a great relationship but I was quite taken aback by the latter's reaction to discovering the name of the former's baby. It was Audrey, her mother's name, and that confirmed to us that she really didn't have a good relationship with her mum. The reveal at the conclusion of the story that Audrey was actually Ace's mum was superb and her reaction to that was fantastic. She was totally stunned. The part three cliffhanger was brilliant with Fenric finally taking his body in the form of Judson and knowing of the Doctor and the fact he was a Time Lord. The idea of a history between the Doctor and Fenric was intriguing and I liked the chess theme that accompanied how the conflict would be solved. The Haemovores looked quite grotesque which was good but they needed to do a little more to be considered more intimidating in my opinion. Sorin was another good character and the way Ace revealed the winning move to him without realising that Fenric now possessed him was very good. I really liked that. The way Fenric was unexpectedly defeated by the Ancient One was surprising but very good with the toxins finally being used in a way we might have expected. The setting was very much centred around the Second World War but at this point Fenric became the focus and was ultimately defeated. The Doctor making Ace lose all faith and belief in him was sublime and that allowed for things to return to normal despite how much it pained her. Silver Nemesis and Dragonfire were nicely referenced and despite a big challenge, I liked the terms of how the Doctor and Ace finished this story. Overall, a very decent serial!

Rating: 8/10