Directed by Hugh David
Main Cast-
The Doctor - Patrick Troughton
Jamie - Frazer Hines
Victoria - Deborah Watling
Main Guest Cast-
Robson - Victor Maddem
Frank Harris - Roy Spencer
Maggie Harris - June Murphy
Megan Jones - Margaret John
Synopsis-
The time travelers arrive on the North Sea coast in what one assumes is present-day 1960's England. After frolicking a bit in the waves, The Doctor investigates a pipeline coming out of the ocean. The pipeline is part of a large gas mine complex. The Doctor uses a sonic screwdriver to open up part of the pipeline and hears an unusual noise emanating from the pipeline.
The Doctor and his companions are caught by some of the gas mine's personnel and taken to the head of the gas mine, Robson. Robson believes that The Doctor has attempted to sabotage the pipeline and thus cut production. Frank Harris, Robson's assistant, listens to The Doctor's story and is more willing to investigate The Doctor's claims.
Maggie Harris, Frank's wife, is sent by Frank to retrieve a needed report about the pressure drops that have been experienced recently. While fetching the report from their living quarters, she is stung by seaweed and begins to fall ill. The seaweed eventually takes control of Maggie.
Robson is also taken over by the seaweed, which The Doctor eventually figures out is a new life form, and a new life form bent on taking over the Earth.
Meanwhile, Megan Jones has arrived to investigate the drops in production at the gas mine. With Robson more or less out of action, she takes over and order an investigation of The Doctor's claims.
The seaweed has relentlessly taken over most of the complex. Pure oxygen could be used as a weapon against the seaweed creatures, but the oxygen room at the mine was damaged by humans under the influence of the seaweed.
The Doctor eventually discovers, thanks to Victoria screaming at one of the creatures in fear, that sound waves can be used to defeat the seaweed creatures. The Doctor travels out to the Control Rig, which is the nerve center of the seaweed creatures. Using a recording of Victoria's screams, the seaweed creatures are destroyed. Maggie Harris and Robson are among the survivors of the seaweed creatures attack.
Gas production resumes, and Victoria decided to remain behind with the Harris' rather than continue with her adventures with The Doctor and Jamie. The Doctor does wait a day for Victoria to change her mind, but eventually The Doctor and Jamie leave without her.
Review-
I really want to like Fury from the Deep, but I found it difficult to get past two things. First is the really bad special effects. Now, I certainly don't expect CGI effects in a 1960's production most likely done on the cheap. There's nothing wrong with inexpensive special effects, after all I did praise the web-like effects from the previous story the Web of Fear. But the seaweed creatures are hidden behind seafoam that for the life of me looks a great deal like someone put too much detergent into the washing machine and it's overflowed! It's a bit hard to get too scared by runaway soap, and the whole effect simply took me out of the story.
Even more than the special effects, though, is the constant complaining and, worse, screaming done by Victoria in this particular episode. This was, of course, made worse by the fact that Fury From the Deep is completely missing from the archives, so there's a premium put on the soundtrack. With very few or no visual cues to go by, all one really gets is a lot of screaming.
The soap-like effects and Victoria's screaming mars what could have been a really great story, as the idea of creature from the sea attempting to take over the Earth is a clever one.
It's probably just as well that Victoria was leaving the show, as the writers had basically turned her into a "screamer" that seemed relatively helpless and in need of being rescued. Contrast that with the Victoria from Tomb of the Cybermen, where she proved a marvelous foil for the villanous Kaftan. It's such a shame that Victoria degenerated so quickly, but Victoria does get a nice farewell scene, something that I felt was missing from the departures of previous companions Ben, Polly and Dodo Chaplet. Indeed, it's the best companion departure since Steven Taylor departed the show. So, kudos to Fury From the Deep for that.
