The Time Lords have spent a bit of money giving Gallifrey a makeover for the anniversary. Swanky new sets and better robes. They even have random fountains in corridors now, rather than sofas!
Plus it’s a rare occasion where they hardly wear their big stiff collars. #DoctorWho
There are some fan-pleasing and box-ticking moments such as Pertwee finally getting to be on screen with the Cybermen, or him meeting the Ainley Master.
And of course how could you bring back Susan without her pointlessly falling and twisting her ankle? 😄 #DoctorWho
Is the Guard Commander who shoots the Castellan meant to be a regenerated Maxil, perhaps? He seems as much of a dick.
Anyway, here we go…
“NO, NOT THE MIND PROBE!!” #DoctorWho
The Silurians are just plainly introduced in the first few minutes. No attempt to have any kind of mystery or slow build up to a cliffhanger reveal or anything.
And what the hell did they do with those weirdly modulated voices? At least the Sea Devils sound the same. #DoctorWho
“Face it Tegan! He’s drowned!” says Turlough after the Doctor’s been in the water for seconds. Yeah… don’t ever get a job as a lifeguard Turlough!
At least elsewhere he gets a bit of character development and becomes much braver than we’ve ever seen him be before. #DoctorWho
As often happens in this era, random people just wander into the TARDIS for a nose around.
There’s something that just fundamentally feels a bit ‘off’ about the TARDIS not being a separate, safe haven for the regular characters, isolated from the rest of the story. #DoctorWho
There’s a particularly “English” quality that comes through strongly in this era, with its medieval castles and cricket pitches. Its sleepy villages and old churches. All in other eras too of course, but it fits Davison well.
This even ends on a line about liking tea! #DoctorWho
Why exactly is the Doctor so concerned about the Time Lords discovering his interference here? It’s never bothered him before.
Also the Gravis has heard of the Time Lords, TARDISes, etc. This starts to happen in the 80s - everyone knows everyone else in the #DoctorWho universe.
This is a very strong story for Turlough, who gets to be very proactive and go off investigating with Norna, as well as making some Doctor-like deductions by himself.
Plus all the material about his race memory of the Tractators. #DoctorWho
Resurrection Of The Daleks: hmmm, the epitome of Eric Saward’s vision for #DoctorWho - a grittier, nastier version where characters pointlessly snipe at each other and the body count is through the roof.
Even the Doctor starts waving a gun about when hunting the Dalek mutant. 😐
A summary of Resurrection’s plot:
*characters enter a set/location*
ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! AARGH! (they all die).
*characters enter a different set/location*
ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! AARGH! (they all die).
*characters enter another set/location*
ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! AAR…you get the idea.
On top of everything else, Victor Lewis-Smith and TV Offal have ruined this scene for me forever…😆
(If you know, you know…) #DoctorWho
The guy playing Howard is terrible. Pity Kamelion wasn’t able to replicate some decent acting skills when he takes on his form… 🫤
Ah yes, Kamelion. You’d have almost forgotten he was in it. Brought back just to bump him off as part of a clearout before Davison goes. #DoctorWho
Turlough’s whole backstory gets revealed at last, just in time for him to leave too. He’s been one of the most interesting companions we’ve had, when Strickson is given the material.
Anyway, hello Peri! Love the bit when she’s chasing the miniaturised Master around. #DoctorWho
“Won’t you even show mercy to your own… AAGH!”
And thus a million fanfics were spawned… #DoctorWho
As many times as I’ve seen it, part four still has an intense, edge-of-the-seat desperation, as everyone’s plans fail, they all die, and the Doctor barely gets out alive.
The TARDIS has never seemed more like a beacon of hope as he staggers towards it carrying Peri. #DoctorWho
The Twin Dilemma: NEXT!
Attack Of The Cyb… oh alright, I’d better say something about The Twin Dilemma then. 😬
Never been as much of a contrast between two successive stories as Androzani and this, and never as much of a contrast between Doctors either. #DoctorWho
The budget seems to have drastically run out at the end of the season. Everything looks cheap - the sets, the props, the alien designs.
And oh god, the “acting” from the twins. Come back Adric, all is forgiven! 🫣 #DoctorWho
Poor Colin, getting lumbered with this as his debut, with the Doctor being written as completely deranged for most of it. JNT always seemed to want regenerations to go wrong somehow.
By the time he’s strangling Peri even the most loyal fan’s patience was being tested. #DoctorWho
Who are Lytton’s fake cops anyway? Hired human mercenaries, or aliens like himself? We never find out.
And since they barely even saw each other in Resurrection Of The Daleks, why does the Doctor act like he knows Lytton well? #DoctorWho
The second half is where it all starts to unravel. A pointless continuity-fest designed to please members of DWAS who read Doctor Who Bulletin or other 1980s fanzines.
And the sub-plot with Bates and Stratton goes nowhere as they just get killed in the end. #DoctorWho
These twitchy, gesticulating Cybermen are more expressive than ever before.
Also a *hell* of a lot of them are blown up, decapitated, shot, etc. As if there’s an influence of 80s “video nasties” starting to creep in, which leads neatly into the next story… #DoctorWho
Vengeance On Varos: finally, a decent story for Colin, although not without its flaws.
Sil is one of the best original monster creations of the decade. He has that ‘kids-imitating-his-voice-in-the-school-playground’ factor not seen since the Daleks. #DoctorWho
Like many stories of this period, the TARDIS takes just too bloody long to get there and get the Doctor involved in the action.
And while he’s calmed down a lot, there’s still the issue of how he treats Peri. Why the hell does she want to keep travelling with him? #DoctorWho
Is the Doctor too violent here? You could argue the laser that kills the guard was set up as a warning, and he didn’t intend to kill him. And the infamous acid bath scene is clearly an accident.
But he then blatantly kills the bad guys at the end with poison vines…🤷🏻♂️ #DoctorWho
So the story is kind of trying to have its cake and eat it with the subject of violence. Criticising the idea of people watching it while simultaneously indulging in it.
The meta-commentary by Arak and Etta is a highlight of the story though. #DoctorWho
So the Master dresses as a scarecrow and stands in a field like a twat, just to wait for the Doctor so he can gawp at him as he goes past?
He’s not quite right in the head, is he? #DoctorWho
Gavin Winters
Sean C.