The Underwater Menace - Episode 3

After a quick glimpse of the regeneration and the first faltering steps of the new Doctor, we're straight on to the earliest surviving Patrick Troughton episode, and one word sums it up nicely: ugh. Professor Zaroff is played by an actor attempting an accent that sounds unfortunately like Bela Lugosi, and ends up acting even worse than Lugosi in an Ed Wood movie. The costumes are just terrible, especially those of the Fish People (and don't get me started on their "underwater" antics). The executioner in the temple or whatever it is looks like Sewer Urchin from "The Tick" cartoon series. And, of course, Zaroff's famous "Nothink in ze world can shtop me now!" Ick. On the plus side, this is our first Troughton episode, so we get our first: episode with Jamie McCrimmon; recorder performance by the Doctor; disguised Second Doctor. Patrick, in his first full appearance in our marathon, really makes a great impression here. He gives the otherwise crappy episode a lot of energy and lift. I have the feeling that had this been a Hartnell episode, it would be excruciatingly dull and overlong. With Troughton, we get some vigor and verve. Bodes very well for the future. Shame it's such a crap story. On the plus side, it does feature Polly in that fish/seaweed/shell/whatever outfit... yummy. :-)