112) STATE OF DECAY

State of Decay incorporates mythology, elements of horror and a brief exploration into the evolution of language to create a truly basic, simple plot which is both quite clever and alluring. Once again the medieval aspects of the serial are top notch, the sets and costumes are outstanding and artistic direction is much to be desired. The supporting actors are generally on form – Emrys Jones, Rachel Davies and William Lindsay are outstanding. On another note the humour can be spot on at times and charm is always used to freshen things up a bit. It should be noted that Terrance Dick often writes simple straightforward narratives – Robot, The Brain of Morbius and Horror of Fang Rock who prefers to pit a series of characters against an enemy or two in the process. The good guys overthrow the bad guys but there is always flair of intelligence and creativity anytime Dicks writes for the show. The Rebels are your typically outsiders from the norm, the Guards are your typical guard characters as Aukon says ‘Then die. That is the purpose of guards’ its is almost as if he is summarising twenty years’ worth of Doctor Who guards. Dicks' use of language ‘the forbidden area’ ‘the three who rule’ show an integral representation which both honours classic folklore and Vampire fiction. *****​