What’s so great about classic Doctor Who is that every story feels like the best of the bunch, at least that’s how it is for me. It’s easy, and often all too tempting, to spend an entire day watching episode after episode, Doctor after Doctor. While they are all exceptionally enjoyable, there has always been something special about the 3rd Doctor and his entire run on the series. It feels like a different show, which can largely be attributed to his strong ties to UNIT and his inability to go off gallivanting in the TARDIS.
One of the standout serials from the 3rd Doctor’s run was “The Dæmons,” a story steeped in, at least what appeared to be, the occult. The story is classic — in a sleepy, old English town, the Master, masquerading as a vicar, dons a red cloak and appears to be conjuring a demon straight from hell, and it’s up to the Doctor and UNIT to save humanity from the end of the world. It was enough to give me the heebie-jeebies as a little kid, and it’s been one of the key serials that stayed with me as I grew up, so I was thrilled to learn that Character Options had plans to release a box set of figures from “The Dæmons.”
The set features Bok, The Master, and The Brigadier all as they appeared in the serial, encased in Character Options’ classic Doctor Who packaging. It’s a handsome presentation, and what I love about Character Options’ packaging is that there isn’t a lot of dead, empty space (take note, Hasbro and Mattel!). Space is efficiently used and it’s tempting to keep the set boxed just because the presentation is so nice. Also, for those collectors who aren’t familiar with “The Dæmons,” there’s a nice synopsis of the story on the back of the box.
Now, while I love the Brigadier and am happy to have received three versions of the character in 2013, I can’t help but think that perhaps Azal would have been a more appropriate figure to include in the set, but then I suppose that would then make this set another “Enemies of the 3rd Doctor” set, so the Brigadier’s presence does diversify the offering a bit, I suppose.
Another thing that’s cool about these Classic sets, and this set in particular, is that the cardboard tray that houses the figures’ plastic tray can be used as a backdrop for your display. The scene depicted is straight from the serial and it works pretty well. Character Options really goes the extra mile to give collectors their money’s worth, and small touches like this are greatly appreciated.
The Master (as Magister)
The Master comes to us decked-out in the robes he wore while performing incantations in “The Dæmons.” There’s a fantastic attention to detail here, and his ceremonial robes successfully capture the evil-yet-regal look that made the Master seem like a more pronounced threat in the serial.
The only bummer here — and it’s a big one, unfortunately — is that the robes effectively nuke any meaningful articulation the figure may have. The robes are made of a very thick and stiff plastic, and this piece cannot be removed (well, I suppose it CAN be removed, but it’s not intended to be, if you catch my drift), so we are not given the option to display the Master with or without the robes; we can only display him as he appears here. I’m not sure why, exactly, I assumed the robes would be removable, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed to learn he’s essentially a satanic-robe-wearing brick.
Thankfully he’s a great-looking brick, and if you have any of the previously released Master figures, then the non-removable robes won’t be that big a deal.
What you see above is the extent of his “meaningful” articulation. His arms can be raised slightly, his wrists can be rotated, and his head can barely move side-to-side. The thing is, there IS a fully articulated figure under those robes, but the robes are glued shut, so that fully articulated figure has been turned into a very attractive brick. Don’t get me wrong here, I do like the figure very much and I’m glad to have it, but I still find it a little bit frustrating because it’s so close to being perfect.
As mentioned previously, if you own any of the previously released Master figures, then this version simply becomes a new, unique figure to add to the collection, and it gives you the chance to have another Master figure without (much) redundancy.
… and the robes succeed in making him look so darn creepy and evil. I love it.
The Brigadier
Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart comes to us here in show-accurate fatigues and accessories. In less than a year we’ve gone from having no Brigadiers in our collections to having three versions of the character. It’s been quite a year for this classic character.
Aside from the accessories, there isn’t much here that’s new or unique. The body is the same as the figure from the “Claws of Axos” set, and the head is the same sculpt as the version from the “Three Doctors” set.
The paint job on his head is much better and more convincing than what we saw with the “Three Doctors” figure, so that alone makes this release feel less redundant. He comes with a pistol, binoculars, and a baton, all of which add a much-needed degree of diversity in terms of display options. I can have all three versions displayed together without the pangs of redundancy making me want to rearrange everything.
His limited articulation won’t allow him to convincingly hold and use his binoculars, but fortunately they have no trouble staying in place themselves — shall we attribute this to the magic discussed in the serial?
Being able to display the Brigadier with any version of the 3rd Doctor brings me so much joy, I can’t even tell you. They look cool even when posed together in the most neutral manner, as though they’re simply discussing strategy.
Bok the Gargoyle
Bok is a creepy little gargoyle come to life that has the power to seemingly zotz a target off the face of the earth with a simple wave of his hand. He’s extremely dangerous and gives UNIT a serious headache as they try to derail the Master’s plan.
Bok was also my key motivation in getting this set. Since we weren’t getting Azal, I was thrilled to see we were at least getting this little guy to give representation to the “occult” aspect of the serial. That, and there’s something about an evil gargoyle that is so quintessentially “’70s horror” to me that fills me with wicked warm fuzzies. I can’t explain it, but what I can say is I’m so thrilled to be able to add this guy to my collection.
Bok received the characteristic high attention to detail in his sculpt, but I can’t help but feel all that great detail would benefit from a bit more of a paint wash to bring it all out. As it stands, he is still very show-accurate, so your mileage may vary on this point, but I think just a touch more of a wash wouldn’t hurt.
His articulation is more than adequate to replicate some of his more animated poses from the show, and his tail does a great job of balancing him. His tail and wings aren’t articulated themselves, but they’re made of a softer, more pliable plastic. They don’t hold a pose, so I’m wondering why Character Options went this route, but the soft tail does aid in the figure’s stability, so at least there’s that.
He’s such a creepy little bugger. His inclusion in the set totally made it worthwhile for me.
This set is a lot of fun. It gives you the chance to add a couple new versions of classic characters to your collection and the chance to add a brand new figure in Bok to your Doctor Who shelves. Having this set is going to make me want an Azal like crazy, though, so I can only hope that Character Options decides to add to it by giving us some more figures from the serial in the future. An Azal and Bessie box set, perhaps? Do I dare to dream?
