8. "Haven't I Seen You Somewhere Before?" (Meglos)
Toms final season pushes him in some interesting new directions. Previously averse to wearing make up (note that nasty cut on his lip in The Pirate Planet), producer John Nathan-Turner clapped him in prosthetics for Meglos during which the cactus spines on his face and hands are the giveaway for the titular doppelgänger. Toms performance as Meglos is more than just cosmetic, however. Although hes portraying an anthropomorphic xerophyte, whats notable about his take on the character is how subdued it is. Throughout the serial, he makes Meglos seem chronically ill at ease, adopting a vacant expression and dispensing with many of his familiar tics. Its as though hes taken his portrayal of the Doctor and stripped it of all the colour and eccentricity. While the make up is excellent, its the performance that really sells Meglos as an alien interloper. Most actors, after six years in the same role, would be tempted to coast and its fair to say that there are moments in his later years when Tom isnt firing on all cylinders. But Meglos, which is otherwise Who-by-numbers, is enlivened by his chilling performance.
I am Scotland's 278,000th best export and a self-proclaimed expert on all things Bond-related. When I'm not expounding on the delights of A View to a Kill, I might be found under a pile of Dr Who DVDs, or reading all the answers in Star Wars Trivial Pursuit. I also prefer to play Playstation games from the years 1997-1999. These are the things I like.
