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"THE POWER OF KROLL: A LACKLUSTRE SWAMP ROMP"

The Power of Kroll, the penultimate story of Doctor Who’s sixteenth season, is often considered one of the Fourth Doctor’s weaker outings. Written by series veteran Robert Holmes, this marks his final script for the show until The Caves of Androzani in 1984. Given Holmes’s track record, one might expect a sharp and engaging story, but instead, The Power of Kroll delivers a fairly by-the-numbers adventure, lacking his usual flair for wit and intrigue.

At its core, the plot revolves around a familiar conflict: two warring factions—the green-skinned Swampies and a human refinery crew—mirroring a classic Western dynamic. The Swampies, an indigenous group displaced by industrial expansion, are reminiscent of Native Americans, while the human colonists act as exploitative settlers. Even the filming location, with its swamps and grassy fields, adds to the Western feel. However, while this thematic inspiration is clear, it never develops into anything particularly compelling.

A SLUGGISH NARRATIVE AND FORGETTABLE CHARACTERS

The story unfolds at a sluggish pace, particularly in its early episodes. Part 1 is entirely devoted to exposition, setting up the characters and the conflict but failing to generate much engagement. The dialogue, surprisingly dull for a Holmes script, is often repetitive, with the refinery crew mulling over faith, life, and unanswered questions rather than driving the plot forward.

A major issue is the lack of action. While the Swampies plot an uprising and the humans prepare to retaliate, neither side actually follows through with their plans in a meaningful way. By the final episode, the entire rebellion is practically forgotten, draining the story of any potential tension or stakes.

Tom Baker and Mary Tamm are as charismatic as ever, but they have little to do. Romana, in particular, is sidelined, marking the beginning of her slow transformation into a more passive companion—something that becomes even more apparent in The Armageddon Factor. It’s disappointing, given that Romana’s intelligence and independence made her such a strong character early on.

Among the guest cast, Glyn Owen’s Rohm-Dutt stands out slightly as a Davy Crockett-esque antihero, but his character is underdeveloped and ultimately wasted. Philip Madoc, in his final Doctor Who appearance, delivers a solid but unremarkable performance, a far cry from his standout roles in The War Games and The Brain of Morbius. Neil McCarthy, playing the villainous Thawn, at least looks the part, but his character is as forgettable as the rest of the refinery crew. Meanwhile, John Leeson—best known as the voice of K-9—makes his first and only on-screen appearance, though in a largely unmemorable role.

KROLL: A MONSTER TOO BIG FOR ITS OWN GOOD

One of the main reasons The Power of Kroll is often dismissed is its titular creature. While the massive squid-like Kroll is certainly ambitious, it suffers from poor execution. The CSO effects are some of the most embarrassing in Doctor Who since Invasion of the Dinosaurs, though, to the production team’s credit, Kroll is at least used sparingly. The attack scenes, particularly those featuring its tentacles, are surprisingly well done and provide some of the story’s best moments.

Director Norman Stewart, returning after Underworld, delivers a more competent effort this time around. While he never does anything particularly interesting with the material, at least he avoids drawing attention to its shortcomings.

A FINAL EPISODE THAT COMES TOO LATE

The final episode finally injects some much-needed action and tension, offering a few standout moments. The crew’s paranoia reaches a boiling point, and the Doctor faces off against Kroll in a brief but effective showdown. It’s easy to imagine younger viewers being thrilled by these climactic scenes, but by this point, it feels like too little, too late.

Despite being only four episodes long, The Power of Kroll feels stretched, with much of its runtime devoted to static scenes of the refinery crew watching monitors, the Swampies engaging in religious rituals, and the Doctor and Romana bouncing between them.

📝VERDICT: 4/10

A by-the-numbers Doctor Who story that never fully capitalises on its setting or ideas, The Power of Kroll is far from Robert Holmes’s best work. While the Western-inspired conflict and ambitious monster concept had potential, the sluggish pacing, weak characterisation, and lack of real tension make it one of the more forgettable instalments of The Key to Time arc.