The major action scene for the Curse of Fenric is the Battle of St. Judes, where the Haemovores attack the church at the centre of the town. It's the scene that stuck with me throughout every viewing that I've had of it, and I even recall writing an assignment examining the music cues in the scene in Year 8. So what does the scene mean in the context of the fuller story?
For a start, it introduces the Haemovores as a threat. We see them as unstoppable monsters, immune to bullets and clearly very strong. This helps to cement them as memorable creatures, and a tangible threat within the story. But what's also interesting about them is their lack of voice. We only see their simple actions, and not the intent present behind them. Even those who can speak, being the vampiric Jean and Phyllis, focus more on attacking the innocents than actually developing some sort of concrete plan. This hints at a stronger force behind them, which we shall look at tomorrow.
There's also the weakness for the Haemovores revealed. They are particularly susceptible to faith, or as I would rather put it, a belief in good, for reasons that will become obvious later. After a long struggle, they finally burst into the room where the Doctor and the Vicar are defending in the church. In a moment of concentrated panic, the Doctor quietly starts reciting some words, which creates a beautiful aural effect forcing the Haemovores away in horror. The words are not meaningless, and are transcribed thusly: "Susan, Ian, Barbara, Vicki, Steven...". These words are the names of his companions, the people that the Doctor has faith in. They are the people who the Doctor knows will always do the best thing, that he trusts, that remind him that there is always good in the Universe. It's an incredibly subtle moment, but it reveals a massive amount about the Doctor and his trust in his companions. Tomorrow, then, we'll see how far that trust can be pushed...
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