The Mind of Evil

Directed by

UK Viewers

6.1 million

Synopsis

The Doctor and Jo head to Stangmoor Prison to investigate the Keller Machine, which drains the evil impulses from prisoners' minds, while UNIT are handling security at the first world peace conference.

Episode Two

First aired

Saturday, February 6, 1971

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

8.8 million

Synopsis

The Doctor is recalled by UNIT to help investigate Cheng-Tiek's murder but is unaware that Chin-Lee is under the control of the Master.

Episode Three

First aired

Saturday, February 13, 1971

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

7.5 million

Synopsis

Realising Chin-Lee has been using the power of the Keller Machine to carry out assassinations, the Doctor heads back to Stangmoor, only to find the Master has teamed up with Mailer to stage another riot.

Episode Four

First aired

Saturday, February 20, 1971

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

7.4 million

Synopsis

With the Doctor and Jo being held prisoner, the Master convinces Mailer to help him steal the Thunderbolt.

Episode Five

First aired

Saturday, February 27, 1971

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

7.6 million

Synopsis

The Doctor is forced to help the Master control the mind parasite while Yates finds out where the Thunderbolt has been taken only to be captured by the Master's men.

Episode Six

First aired

Saturday, March 6, 1971

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

7.3 million

Synopsis

The Brigadier has recaptured Stangmoor but the Master still has control of the Thunderbolt and the Doctor must find a way to stop him and destroy the Keller Machine.

Characters

Third Doctor

Jo Grant

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The Mind of Evil

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The Mind of Evil (VHS)

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12 reviews

This serial is my Threegado manifesto

Nitronine

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Review last edited on 24-04-25

Would of been stronger if it had less episodes. Still, it's another good one for the third Doctor, Jo and the UNIT regulars. The Master is present as he's still stranded on Earth. But it's really the machine that's the villain.

Scottybguud

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Review last edited on 10-04-25

This review contains spoilers!

There are some fantastic moments in this serial. The checkers scene where both the Doctor and Jo shush the Master, the moment when the Master panics because he thinks he killed the Doctor for real, Jo getting to be brave and clever in her own right, the overacted fight scenes are fun, and both Benton and Yates are great.

However. The plot has FAR too many aspects so that they all sort of get lost: the dangerous effects of the machine, the hostage situation in the prison, the peace conference being hijacked by a hypnotized Chin Lee (who also doesn't get enough on-screen time post hypnosis), the stolen missile used to threaten a third world war, and Barnham wandering around all innocent because he no longer has his evil impulses. It's just too much, making it almost easy to miss that some of it doesn't make sense: the machine takes out "evil impulses" but then the mind grown from that causes people to see their worst fear and then, somehow, literally die from that fear (not the fear itself but whatever is the cause of the fear, ie actually drowning). At first it seems the evil impulses have just imbued the machine with sentience, but then it turns out that somehow a nearly-impossible-to-kill living creature has grown from them. The Master's entire plan is "start a war that decimates the Earth," which on its own would be amusing and I wouldn't mark down, but with everything together it's one more thing that isn't fleshed out.

The story doesn't even have TIME to get into the problematic and eugenicist issues with choosing to (or even having the ability to) remove evil/criminal impulses from a person, beyond a couple throwaway lines at the beginning.

presidentdisastra

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Review last edited on 9-04-25

I’m one of this serial’s biggest defenders. It’s the last gasp of the Season 7 style of storytelling, is the final contribution for both Don Houghton and Timothy Combe, the latter barred from Doctor Who for going over budget, and actually sees UNIT be an international organization. Despite being set in the UK, this is one of those classic Who serials that feels incredibly global, the parallel plots of Stangmoor Prison, the peace conference, and transporting the missile really creating that. It’s also fascinating for how it engages with the international community, care is taken with the script to not paint the Chinese characters as exotic caricatures and keeps the language as close to correct as possible. Chin Lee as a character is genuinely compelling despite being a victim of the Master.

Roger Delgado as the Master gets to really make this fascinating second impression, while it has similar setup to Terror of the Autons with the character making an alliance, as the serial goes on Delgado relishes the chance to seeing what the Master deeply fears. The same can be said with Jon Pertwee as the Doctor, his fears reflecting his experiences in Inferno and the evils he has fought and can no longer face due to his exile. Katy Manning is always a delight with Jo getting to be in the middle of the prison plot while Nicholas Courtney once again excels in the action sequence near the end of the serial. Dudley Simpson being promoted to essentially the main composer also adds leitmotif. Truly an underrated gem.

Newt5996

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Review last edited on 2-04-25

This review contains spoilers!

The first half was really interesting, but once they left the peace conference hotel and the Keller Machine just became a teleporting death machine, the story lost any interest I had.

C. Maybe B.

Azurillkirby

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Review last edited on 27-03-25