As I mentioned Saturday, Sutekh, the monstrous villain of the classic Doctor Who serial Pyramids of Mars, returns for the final two episodes of the new Disney + season. The first appearance worked; the second appearance did not. I think it’s interesting to look at why.
In Pyramids, the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Sarah Jane (Elisabeth Sladen) arrive at UNIT headquarters only its 1911 and the site is the home of Egyptologist Professor Scarman (Bernard Archard). On his last trip to Egypt, Scarman became the puppet of Sutekh of the Osirins, variously known as Set and Satan. A genocidal figure who would like to end all life on Earth, then the rest of the universe, Sutekh was barely bound by his fellow Osirans. Now, with Scarman has his agent, he will be free at last!
This is very much in the Hammer Horror style with mummies, Egyptian gods and mind-controlled slaves, only all rationalized as science fiction. There’s one truly terrifying moment when Sarah insists that as they’ve come from 1980, obviously the world won’t end if they go back. The Doctor takes her back to 1980 … and Earth is a dead world.
This establishes Sutekh is a terrifyingly powerful opponent. At the same time, because he’s imprisoned,it’s plausible the Doctor and Sarah Jane can win. He’s determined to escape; their goal is to thwart his plan. Even though we know the Doctor’s going to win, it still feels tight, suspenseful and engrossing. The Doctor’s constantly thinking, constantly finding ways to stop the enemy. It helps that while Sarah’s clearly scared, she’s right there with the Doctor every step, and proves herself a crack shot in one scene.
In the Disney + version, by contrast, once Sutekh wipes out all of UNIT, it’s obvious the damage is going to be undone with no permanent harm. It’s not as scary. And because Sutekh is loose and in full possession of his powers, there’s no good way to defeat him. Instead, the Doctor ties him to the TARDIS — what good is omnipotence against a rope? — flies back through time and space until Sutekh encounters himself and being Death Incarnate, destroys himself.
It doesn’t help that Sutekh is CGI. Sutekh was scarier in his first appearance because he was a flesh-and-blood person under the mask. One of the most startling moments was when his Egyptian mask headgear materializes on Scarman as he takes control. By contrast, CGI Sutek, like the CGI Gort in the Day the Earth Stood Still remake, is insubstantial and ineffective. There’s no there there.
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