10 Huge Questions After Doctor Who: Legend Of The Sea Devils
6. Why Do Sea Devils Need Pet Monsters?
The Sea Devils have at their command a fearsome sea creature, the legendary Hua Shen, which provides a fitting link to Madame Ching’s oriental heritage. It doesn’t shapeshift like the mythical aquatic Chinese dragon, but like the Skarasen/Loch Ness Monster in Terror of the Zygon, a real creature is presented as the source of a human myth.
It’s not the first time the Sea Devils and their Silurian cousins have used another creature in their bid to overcome human opposition. In Warriors of the Deep, they have at their disposal the infamous dinosaur-like Myrka, and in Doctor Who and the Silurians they have as a pet another T-Rex-type monster.
Quite why they need the extra back-up is a moot point. These Sea Devils have superpowers, such as the ability to leap across impossible distances (even though they can also teleport), and technology that can make it appear as if the stars are moving. One can imagine a future earth as an underwater world with all manner of amphibious genetically modified lifeforms, with Sea Devils and Silurians as the ruling elite. Perhaps they enjoy the thrill of scaring their human enemies. After all, that’s the only reason they pimp the Flor De La Mar.