Doctor Who - The Hand of Fear Reviews

Rating		Votes
10	1%	1
9	6%	5
8	33%	29
7	37%	32
6	15%	13
5	5%	4
4	3%	3
3	0%	0
2	0%	0
1	0%	0
Average Rating 7.1
Votes 87

Synopsis

From http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide

The TARDIS arrives on contemporary Earth, where Sarah comes into contact with what appears to be a fossilised human hand. This is in fact the last surviving fragment of a Kastrian called Eldrad, who was blown up in space as a punishment for attempting to wipe out his own people.

Eldrad's essence lives on in a blue-stoned ring, which the possessed Sarah removes from the hand and places on her own. She then takes the hand to the nearby Nunton nuclear research and development complex where it soaks up the radiation from the reactor core and regenerates into a complete being.

Eldrad - who, having patterned his new body on Sarah's, appears to all intents and purposes female - persuades the Doctor to take him back to Kastria where he might reclaim his heritage. There he discovers only a dead planet: the Kastrians are extinct and their race banks were destroyed by their last King, Rokon, in case Eldrad should ever return.

Furious, Eldrad, whose body has now been reconfigured into its proper form, tries to get the Doctor to return him to Earth so that he might rule there instead. The two time travellers use the Doctor's scarf to trip him into a deep crevasse.

Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor receives a summons to return to Gallifrey and, as he cannot take Sarah there, endeavours to drop her off at her home.

Has Prerequisite Story

0 out of 16 (0.0%) raters say this story requires a previous story.

Extended Ratings

Plot

7.1

(24)

Acting

8.0

(23)

Effects

6.8

(23)

Replay

7.0

(24)

4th Doctor

Sarah Jane Smith

Eldrad

Cast

The Doctor - Tom Baker

Sarah Jane Smith - Elisabeth Sladen

Abbott - David Purcell

Dr. Carter - Rex Robinson

Driscoll - Roy Boyd

Eldrad - Judith Paris

Elgin - John Cannon

Guard - Robin Hargrave

Intern - Renu Setna

Kastrian Eldrad - Stephen Thorne

King Rokon - Roy Skelton

Miss Jackson - Frances Pidgeon

Professor Watson - Glyn Houston

Zazzka - Roy Pattison

Director:

Lennie Mayne

Writer:

Bob Baker

Writer:

Dave Martin

Reviews

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Doctor Who

Classic TV Series

The Hand of Fear

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Reviewed By: TheBigChurroReview Date: 10/15/17 1:18 am

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

The Hand of Fear starts off really interesting, the quarry blowing up with the Doctor and Sarah being in it does start the story off with a bang (pun intended :P ). The story feels very long as their isn't too much plot; hand absorbs radiation for about 3 episodes, then they take it home and it dies.
This isn't worthy of being Sarah's last story, but nonetheless both Tom and Liz Sladen put in great performances.

Doctor Who

Classic TV Series

The Hand of Fear

From the Reviewer:

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Reviewed By: adamelijahReview Date: 4/2/15 9:46 am

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

While this isn't one of the Best Doctor Who stories, it is certainly an entertaining and solidly produced story. It never feels padded and it has a nice selection of settings (although the nuclear power plant from late one to mid-part three is the most memorable location.) The idea of a hand that moves on its own is creepy and done to decent effect.

However, it's the acting that really holds this together . Elizabeth Sladen has some great moments in her last regular outing as Sarah Jane Smith and Tom Baker is in top form. The supporting cast also turned in some stand out performances. Glyn Houston took what would usually be throw away role as a bureaucrat in charge of a nuclear power plant and instead created a character viewers cared about. Judith Paris was superb as the first version of Eldrad.

The farewell scene between the Doctor and Sarah Jane was very classy and understated with some very nice subtle emotional touches that don't go to excess.

The serial's weak point was its resolution of the Eldrad plot which wasn't very satisfying. Still, the journey was fun, and is a great serial to watch for fans of Sarah Jane Smith.