Doctor Who (1963) 14.06.02

The Talons of Weng-Chiang - Part 2

The Doctor and Leela flee from the gaint rat and climb out of the sewer. They return to the police station where they discover that Professor Litefoot left a message for them. They go round to see him at the morgue. They talk about the body of the cabbie and then head back to his place.

Li-Hsen Chang returns to the theater. He goes through a secret passage where he is confronted by a masked man whom Chang calls master. The masked man is from the future and talks of a missing time cabinet. He wants to go look for it.

The Doctor leaves Leela with Professor Litefoot before they reach his house. He goes to the Palace Theater. It is late at night but Henry Gordon Jago, the owner/manager, is still around. The Doctor can see that he's been hypnotized to forget something and undoes the hypnosis. The two men then go for a look around the theater.

Chang and his master have a glowing device which tells them where to find the time cabinet. They find the house where it is kept. Chang's master is weary. Chang convinces him to return to the Palace Theater. Chang will retrieve the cabinet.

The Doctor and Mr. Jago search around the theater. They are just starting to get somewhere when they hear a noise. The Doctor chases it. It is Chang's master. He chases him around the upper reaches of the theater but in the end the masked man escapes.

Professor Litefoot and Leela are just sitting down to have a late meal when the professor thinks he hears something. He goes for a walk around the property but he doesn't make it back. The door opens and Leela is confronted by Mr. Sin, Chang's ventriloquism dummy, walking towards her with a knife in its hand.

Thoughts

The story continues to evolve. I can see elements from a number of series from the late 19th and early 20th century including Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Fu Manchu. I love the sets, especially the parts of the show that take place in the Palace Theater. I'm eager to hear about that in the commentary track or the documentary.

Stories like this really are made better by having supporting characters like Mr. Jago and Professor Litefoot. Both are played by actors who really throw themselves into the role and do considerably more than just read the lines.