Season 13 of Doctor Who had been a great success, with tales of organic creatures hiding under Loch Ness, Egyptian Gods possessing curious archaeologists, an insane scientist producing a monstrous body for Morbius, and killer plants threatening to destroy life as we know it.
Producer Philip Hinchcliffe and Script Editor Robert Holmes had raised the level of story telling to staggering levels. This could explain why The Masque of Mandragora is not regarded as a ‘classic’ Doctor Who, despite the fact that the story is generally rather good.
The story starts calmly, with the Doctor and Sarah casually walking around the different TARDIS rooms. After walking around boot cupboards the size of a mansion, they come across the secondary control room. This smaller room, covered with walnut wood panelling, would remain as the normal control room until the next season, where they decided to revert to the brightly lit primary control room.
Seconds later they arrive on an alien planet, where the evil energy Helix finds its way into the TARDIS. The Doctor doesn’t notice the Helix, and accidentally brings it back to Earth in the Renaissance period. Within moments of landing, Sarah is kidnapped by Hieronymous’ cult. Despite the Doctor’s best efforts, she is taken to the Brethren of Demnos to be sacrificed.
Episodes two and three are slightly more dragged out, as they contain a lot of scenes of being captured, escaping, and being captured again. However, there are some exciting scenes, such as the Helix energy revealing itself to the Brotherhood of Demnos. The leader of the brotherhood, Hieronymous, is instructed to get ready for Mandragora's full appearance.
There are also some action sequences in these parts, where the Doctor seems to be far more energetic than normal. He leaps onto horses, throws himself over bridges, and engages in many sword battles, without obtaining a single mark on his body!
As we get into the fourth and final part, the plot begins to build up. Giuliano’s celebratory masque is attacked by the Brethren, who kill many of the guests. Hieronymous, now completely absorbed by Mandragora, confronts the Doctor in the underground temple and attempts to destroy him. However, the Doctor has earthed both himself and the altar so that the energy drains away, leaving the planet safe.
The Masque of Mandragora is a story with a lot of charm and elegance, and convincingly manages to recreate Renaissance Italy. Although there are plenty of dramatic scenes, there are also those which feel unnecessary, such as the need for Sarah to be constantly captured. Still, it was all worth it for the salami sandwich!
Overall Score: 7/10
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