Knock, Knock - Review

The first three installments of the series have been rather slow to get going, but Knock, Knock hits the ground running. Bill has moved into a creepy - creaky - old house, and one of her new flatmates falls foul of whatever lurks within before the opening credits roll. Once the others arrive, things start going wrong for them pretty quickly too. Quite what the threat is is held back until quite late on. In the meantime, we get the flat-sharers plagued by mysterious knocks and banging, with doors closing by themselves - sealing them in.
And all the time, the Landlord keeps turning up. He seems benign, if a little creepy himself, but there is clearly a darker undercurrent. Note how he turns when Harry asks about the tower.
I'm sure a lot of reviews will single David Suchet out for praise, and I won't buck that trend. He gave a marvelous performance. It takes a very good actor to elicit sympathy and horror at the same time.
We learn that he has been feeding young people to the house in order to keep his daughter alive. She's his secret, held in the tower. What's making the noises and absorbing people into the floors and walls is a species of alien woodlouse, which the Doctor names as Dryads. Every twenty years a houseful of people are absorbed, their lifeforce going to feed Eliza.

Some wonderfully horrific imagery on show - such as Pavel half absorbed into a wall, still clearly alive, or the likable Harry being consumed by a swarm of the Dryads. Best of all is Eliza herself, played by Mariah Gale. It's a pity we hadn't glimpsed her around the house earlier in the episode.
This wooden woman instantly reminded me of the animated wooden figurehead that appears in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, which always unnerved me. Things which are human-looking, but not human, always unsettle. As it is, she is no monster. She is the daughter that the Landlord is protecting. Except Bill works out that can't be right. The old man can't have been protecting her for 70 years if he is her dad. Dads don't bring insects in to show their children - but little boys might, to show their parents. Yes, Eliza is really the Landlords mother, not his daughter. These scenes show Suchet at his best, as you can see the rather warped little boy struggling to break out in his performance.

The ending did seem a little rushed. Eliza quickly accepts that her time has passed, and she takes her son with her. The recently absorbed flatmates are all returned safe and sound. If it wasn't for Suchet I might have felt a little cheated by these scenes, after all the creepiness that went before. Eliza and the Landlord have gone, and the house is falling down, but it isn't at all clear what all this means for the Dryads. Sure, Eliza can control them, but does this mean that they all die?
A pity they couldn't have stated that Harry is the grandson of Harry Sullivan, once of UNIT and a travelling companion of the Fourth Doctor. It was deemed too obscure a reference, but if handled the right way it wouldn't have got in the way of the narrative and would have been a nice treat for fans.
On to the Vault. Now, if you've read the latest issue of DWM you'll know that the reveal of who or what is in the Vault will be revealed half way through the season - not as part of the finale. The occupant started playing the piano in this episode, and the Doctor can access at will and have dinner with the occupant. It is clearly of Gallifreyan design, judging by the panels on the doors. Three possibilities spring to my mind, so I'll set them down here. Going back to that picture of Susan on his desk, it might be her. He may have hidden her away to protect her from the Time War. Biggest problem with this is why she should still be in the Vault long after Gallifrey has been saved. Theory two is the John Simm Master. The pianist did seem to take delight at the prospect of a story featuring alien woodlice that ate people. Could this be how there are two versions of the Master around at the same time? Problem here is that as far as we know Simm only features in the finale. Third theory is a bit off the wall. Did you notice how the Doctor clammed up when Bill started to question what "regeneration" was? We've twice seen Time Lord avatars of their future incarnations - Cho-Je and the Watcher. What if the person in the Vault is the next Doctor, somehow incarnate too early?
Answers on a postcard...
Next week we have what looks like another haunted house story - but set on a space-station. The crew are coming back from the dead. Certainly looks good. Just to say that I will be away for a few days, so my review won't be coming to you until mid-week

B is for... Bracewell, Prof.

Professor Edwin Bracewell was a scientist, originally from Paisley in Scotland, who worked for Winston Churchill during the Second World War. He had a brilliant mind and had devised a number of weapons. Chief among these were what he called his "Ironsides". These armoured robotic machines had great firepower, and could blow German aircraft out of the skies. Churchill sought the Doctor's advice before deploying them, but the Time Lord failed to respond to his call to the TARDIS, so he pressed ahead. When eventually introduced to Bracewell and his inventions, the Doctor was horrified to discover that they were in fact Daleks.
Bracewell insisted that he had invented them - showing the Doctor his notes and blueprints. He claimed to have other advanced ideas which seemed to come out of nowhere, including devices that would enable aircraft to fly in space. When the Daleks revealed their true plans, Bracewell was horrified to find that his whole life was a fiction. He hadn't created the Daleks - they had created him. To prove the point, one of the Daleks blasted off his left hand. He was a robot, programmed with a whole lifetime of memories.
When the Daleks generated a beam from their spaceship to turn on all the lights in London, just as the Luftwaffe approached, Bracewell had a squadron of Spitfires fitted with his devices so that they could fly into space and attack the saucer.
The Daleks then revealed that Bracewell was fitted with a powerful bomb - an Oblivion Continuum - that could destroy the Earth. As it counted down to detonation, Amy Pond helped the scientist to regain his humanity, with memories of his childhood in Paisley and of a lover named Dorabella. The countdown was halted.
Once the Daleks had left, Bracewell was prepared for the Doctor to dismantle him, but he and Amy gave him time to get away.

As it was, Churchill agreed to keep Bracewell on in his staff. He wore a black glove to hide an artificial hand. He was given a painting by Vincent Van Gogh, retrieved by British soldiers in France. This depicted an exploding TARDIS. He showed it to Churchill, who then tried to phone the Doctor, but the call was diverted to River Song at the Stormcage prison facility.

Played by: Bill Patterson. Appearances: Victory of the Daleks and The Pandorica Opens (2010).

B is for... Botcherby, Oscar

Oscar Botcherby was a resting actor from England who was living in Seville, Spain, where he was looking after a restaurant - Las Cadenas - for a friend. He had a passion for moth collecting, and would take his friend Anita, who also worked in the restaurant, on moth hunting expeditions in the countryside around the city. On one of these trips, they witnessed the landing of a Sontaran spaceship. They suspected it might have been an aeroplane crashing. Oscar liked to give the impression of being a man of action, but balked at the thought of blood and gore. He was pleased to meet the Sixth Doctor, whom he took to be a member of Interpol, as he could relinquish responsibility for investigating the crash.
Later, the Second Doctor - partially transformed into an Androgum - and the alien Shockeye found their way to the restaurant. They ate a vast quantity of food. Anita alerted Oscar. When he tried to press Shockeye for payment, the Androgum stabbed him. He died soon after, regretting that the world would never see his definitive Hamlet. His discarded moth hunting kit, containing cyanide, would later be employed by the Doctor to kill Shockeye.

Played by: James Saxon. Appearances: The Two Doctors (1985).

B is for... Bostock

Squire to Orcini, a Knight who had been expelled from the Grand Order of Oberon. Orcini now worked as a mercenary and assassin for hire. Bostock was his loyal servant and companion. He looked after his master and his weapons, and would advise on mission details. Orcini did not always take his advice. Bostock had very poor personal hygiene, but this didn't seem to matter either to him or his master. Bostock was with Orcini when they were summoned to the planet Necros by the businesswoman Kara. She employed them to assassinate her business partner who was known as the Great Healer. Orcini and Bostock recognised him as Davros. Kara didn't like having to hand over most of her profits to him, and wanted to take control for herself. She gave the assassins a signal box to alert her when the deed was done, but it was really a powerful bomb.
On entering Davros' lair at the heart of the Tranquil Repose funerary complex, Bostock and Orcini shot Davros in his life support unit, believing they had killed him. This was a decoy, however, and Davros appeared unscathed. Bostock was blasted by an electrical charge. Only stunned, he fired upon Davros, blasting off his hand. He was then exterminated by a Dalek guard.

Played by: John Ogwen. Appearances: Revelation of the Daleks (1985).

B is for... BOSS

BOSS is an acronym for Bimorphic Organisational Systems Supervisor. This was a computer installed at the headquarters of Global Chemicals, located near the Welsh village of Llanfairfach. BOSS had been designed to interface directly with the mind of the company's Director, Dr Stevens. The machine took up the whole of the factory's upper floor. The focal point was a large red disc on which BOSS's vocal patterns were displayed. These also appeared on a screen in Stevens' office, where there was also a device which could convert people into mental slaves by means of a headset. This made the staff subject to the computer's will, and could also be used to cause them to destroy themselves. BOSS developed its own personality, based on Stevens' mind. It could be pompous and self-aggrandising. As a machine, however, it saw the logic in maximising profits for Global Chemicals by any means. This meant ignoring environmental safeguards, as the company flushed toxic mutagenic waste into the nearby decommissioned mine workings. BOSS planned to link itself to other computers and take over thousands more staff.
When the Doctor was captured, BOSS found that it could not affect his mind as he easily distracted himself with calculations. He then gave it a logic puzzle which diverted it long enough for him to escape. The Doctor returned to the factory and used the mind-altering blue crystal he had found on Metebelis III to show Stevens the error of his ways. Stevens sacrificed himself to blow up BOSS, along with the whole factory, before it could achieve its global link-up.

Voiced by: John Dearth. Appearances: The Green Death (1973).

• Dearth would be invited back the following season to be seen on screen this time, playing Lupton in Planet of the Spiders.

B is for... Borusa

One of the Doctor's tutors at Prydon Academy on Gallifrey. He didn't think the Doctor would ever amount to much, owing to his propensity towards vulgar facetiousness.
The Doctor's first meeting with him after leaving his homeworld was when he returned to try to prevent the assassination of the President of the High Council. At this point Borusa had been elevated to the Cardinalship and was a politician rather than an academic. He led the College of Cardinals, and so took a close interest in the Doctor's trial after he had been framed for the killing. Though the Time Lords were without a leader, he insisted that the law should not be circumvented.
When it was revealed that the Master and Chancellor Goth were behind the assassination, Borusa was prepared to manipulate the truth. Goth - the real killer - was to be painted as a hero, who had given his life to thwart the Master. If heroes did not exist, then it was necessary to invent them. This would be more palatable than further evidence of corruption at the highest levels of Time Lord society.
Once the crisis was over, he did mark the Doctor well for his efforts in saving the planet, but was glad to see him leave.

The Presidency was not filled immediately, as the only candidate had left the planet. Borusa, now Chancellor, took on the role of acting President. At some point he regenerated. The President-elect finally did return, with his companions Leela and K9. The Doctor took up the position, fiercely opposed by Borusa. The wily old politician realised something was wrong, and much of his argument with the Doctor was merely for show. He guessed the reasoning behind the Doctor having his chambers decorated with heavy lead shielding. When it became known that the Doctor was unwillingly working for the Vardans, who could read thoughts, Borusa admitted that if he had known the full truth he would not have been able to shield his mind. As Chancellor, he knew the location of the Great Key of Rassilon. The Doctor forced him to hand this over in order to build the D-Mat Gun, which was used to destroy the Sontaran invasion attempt.

Borusa was finally confirmed as President of the High Council and regenerated once again. When an enemy force from the universe of anti-matter attempted unsuccessfully to break into this universe and bond with the Doctor, Borusa accepted that the only way to prevent it happening again would be for the Doctor to be executed - his body vapourised. A traitor was at work in his council - Chancellor Hedin - and he tried to frame Borusa, making it look like he was the one in league with the enemy. This was Omega. After the truth had been revealed, Borusa helped the Doctor and Nyssa flee Gallifrey to go in search of Omega on Earth.

After a further regeneration, Borusa began to crave more power. He was no longer content to be Lord President for the remainder of his regenerations. He wanted to rule for all eternity. He knew the legends of the Dark Tower, where Rassilon was said to be entombed. He sought out various artefacts from the ancient times, and located the Time Scoop machinery which had brought alien races to Gallifrey to fight in the Game of Rassilon. He needed access to the Dark Tower, and so abducted the Doctor in all of his incarnations, as well as a number of companions to assist him, and set them down in the Death Zone around the Tower. Borusa framed the Castellan to throw suspicion away from himself, employing a Captain of the Chancellery Guard to kill him in a faked escape attempt. The Fifth Doctor discovered the truth, and found Borusa in the Time Scoop chamber.

Dressed in black, he wore the Coronet of Rassilon, which gave him mental control over others - including the Doctor. The first three Doctors reached the Tower and opened the transmat relay, allowing Borusa to travel there safely. The combined minds of four Doctors were able to overcome the power of the Coronet. Borusa demanded his prize as an image of Rassilon appeared - immortality. The First Doctor argued that he should receive it - knowing that it was a curse rather than a blessing. Others had tried to claim the prize, and they were now frozen in stone on the flanks of Rassilon's bier. Borusa joined them - entombed forever in the Dark Tower.

Played by: Angus MacKay, John Arnatt, Leonard Sachs and Philip Latham. Appearances: The Deadly Assassin (1976), The Invasion of Time (1978), Arc of Infinity (1983), The Five Doctors (1983).

• Four appearances, and a different actor each time. Angus MacKay was sought out to reprise the role in The Invasion of Time, but was unavailable. He featured in the series between the final two appearances of Borusa - as Turlough's headmaster. 
• Leonard Sachs had appeared in the programme before - as Admiral de Coligny in The Massacre.
• Borusa's quest for immortality might have been down to his frequent regenerations, the circumstances of which are never revealed. It is Borusa himself who reveals that a Time Lord can gain a whole new regenerative cycle - when he offers this to the Master. Quite why he did not take this himself instead of embarking on the scheme to penetrate the Dark Tower, we don't know. Presumably his fellow High Council members would have opposed this.
• There has been no mention of Borusa since the Time War. Presumably Rassilon would not have wanted to resurrect him, or any of the other seekers of immortality, as he might have posed a threat to his own authority.

B is for... Bors

A criminal who had been despatched to the planet Desperus, which Space Security Service agent Bret Vyon described as the penal planet of the galaxy. There were no guards here. Prisoners were deposited and left to fend for themselves. Many were driven mad by the Screamers, large bat like creatures which made incessant shrill noises. Bors had managed to make himself leader of one band of convicts, due his possession of a knife - their only weapon. He led an attempt to hijack the Spar 740 spaceship on which the Doctor and his companions had been travelling. It had been sent off course to land here by the Daleks. The Doctor set up an electrical force-field which kept Bors and his fellows at bay, stunning them if they got too close. One of Bors' confederates, Kirksen, did manage to get on board, which had tragic consequences for the Doctor's new companion Katarina.

Played by: Dallas Cavell. Appearances: The Daleks' Master Plan (1965/6).

• Bors appears in episode three only - Devil's Planet.
• Cavell had earlier played the greedy roadworks boss in The Reign of Terror, and would go on to play Captain Trask in The Highlanders, Sir James Quinlan in Ambassadors of Death, and the security guard in part one of Castrovalva. He also played on of the Ugly Sisters in JNT's pantomime of Cinderella, which featured a number of Doctor Who stars.