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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"You can't mend people!", December 27, 2001
"Kinda", first broadcast in 1982 (not 1975 - how did Amazon come up with that?) as part of season 19, is easily one of the best Peter Davison adventures, if not the entire series. A race of telepathic people, the Kinda, are in turn using and being used by a Terran survey team, all the while trying to avoid the foretold 'second coming' of an ancient and terrible evil, the Mara. Although it seems simplistic, the telling of the story is quite original and, like other recent adventures, geared more in a classic science-fiction vein. Ultimately, however, the whole thing is based around the concepts of Buddhism. Sound strange? It is. But it's some of the best script-writing "Doctor Who" ever saw, with crisp, memorable lines and a villain whose horror is based not in how it attacks people, but how it takes them over. In truth, the sequel - "Snakedance" - is perhaps easier to watch, but "Kinda" has the real brilliance. With the companions mostly out of the way (Nyssa almost totally absent, Tegan seeming to be pivotal but later sidelined, and Adric swapping allegiances) the bulk of the heroism is left up to Peter Davison. But that's no problem - Davison delivers his first solid performance as the Doctor, backed by an unusually superb guest cast. Nerys Hughes' Dr. Todd makes a great surrogate companion, while Simon Rouses mentally disturbed Hindle completely steals every scene he's in. With all this greatness, how can the story possibly fail? It doesn't. Excluding a couple of embarrassing moments, most notably the famous 'rubber snake' at the end, "Kinda" is four of the most absorbing "Doctor Who" episodes, and - unlike many others - will leave you thinking after you've finished watching.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Peter Davison at his finest, June 21, 2001
When I read a review for "Kinda," all I heard was that Janet Fielding was real great in it and such praise like that. So, when I watched it, I found (to my delight) that most of the companions really didn't do much in this story. Nyssa mainly sleeps though the adventure in the TARDIS, Tegan has weird dreams and gets possessed, and Adric is trapped in the dome with the psychos. Who, in my opinion, really shines in this story is Peter Davison. While he gave a great performance in "Castrovalva," he had not established what his Doctor was going to be like. In "Kinda," we get our first look at the Fifth Doctor's personae. Doctor Todd is another outstanding character in the story, and is the Doctor's stand-in companion during this adventure. There's of course little things like huge rubber snakes that strain your suspended disbelief, but that's part of Doctor Who. Any fan of the Fifth Doctor or Peter Davison should watch this.
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15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Creepy, Classic Kinda Finally Slithers onto DVD, December 17, 2010
AS we wind our way into the final two years or so of Doctor WHO DVD releases, There are still a few releases that fit the old adage of "Saving the Best for Last" or near last. While there are still two more Fifth Doctor episodes to go after Kinda and Snakedance, These are the last truly significant Peter Davison episodes to come to DVD (With all do respect to Frontios fans). While Caves, Earthshock and Mawdryn get most of the praise for being the best of the 5Th Doctor's era, Kinda is equally worthy of the title of "Classic" and is one of Davison's best if not one of Doctor Who's best. This is by no means the run of the mill doctor who episodes. There are no cyberman or ice warriors hear nor are there the one hit wonder monster. No, here the Doctor, and perhaps even the viewer, face the worst enemy of all.... the Enemy within. The malevolent force known as the "Mara" hides in the dark corners of the universe and perhaps worse the dark corners of the mind looking for it's next victim or should I say conduit through which it can manifest itself into our realm...for reasons that are pure evil. Christopher Bailey's brilliant script is dark and scary and gets under your skin and the more you watch the deeper it sinks. The whole cast shine here (even Mathew Waterhouse) but the star of the show is Janet Feilding as companion Tegan who is the unwilling host for the maniacal Mara's re-awakening. The music and sounds are keep to a minimum which only adds to the tension; Most likely the decision of the fantastic Dr. Who Director Peter Grimwade who really orchestrates this masterpiece. Be warned this episode is not for everyone or the casual Dr. Who viewer and it is certainly not for children (That was the only knock against this episode when it first aired). I wish I could compare it to another Dr. Who episode but there are really none like it other than it's sequel Snakedance. I have met some Who fans that said they just didn't "get it" but I have known more who that say they will never forget it. I would listen to the later buy it. Even if you don't like it the first time wait a while and watch it again and then again. Each time it will leave you with something different... something in the dark recesses of your mind...something waiting for you..waiting to strike....
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