Second Doctor Review

Second Doctor

Second Doctor

Doctor: The Second Doctor

Companions: Ben Jackson, Polly Wright, Jamie McCrimmon, Victoria Waterfield, The Brigadier, Zoe Heriot

The Second Doctor era has formulaic stories, but never lacks in a charismatic and thoroughly unique performance from its lead.

The Review

Here’s the scores for the stories

The War Games: 10/10

The Tomb of the Cybermen: 10/10

The Macra Terror: 9.25/10

The Evil of the Daleks: 9.25/10

The Abominable Snowmen: 9/10

The Power of the Daleks: 9/10

The Faceless Ones: 9/10

The Enemy of the World: 8.8/10

The Moonbase: 8.75/10

The Ice Warriors: 8.5/10

The Underwater Menace: 8/10

Fury from the Deep: 8/10

The Invasion: 8/10

The Krotons: 8/10

The Mind Robber: 7.9/10

The Seeds of Death: 7.8/10

The Dominators: 7.7/10

The Web of Fear: 7/10

The Highlanders: 6/10

The Wheel in Space: 6/10

The Space Pirates: 5.7/10

Sadly, much of this era has to live on in reconstructions. What I will remember are Season 4’s tangoes with the Daleks and Cybermen, those stories rating highly in my estimation. Season 5 was the season of the bases under siege, a tired and true formula that more than wore out its welcome by the time the season was over. In Season 6, the stories ran out of juice. What I will always remember is the eternally winging it crusader for righteousness and justice, Patrick Troughton’s Doctor. Accompanied principally by the slow but courageous Scott Jamie, and memorable turns from Ben, Polly, Victoria, and Zoe, the companion crew continues to be an eternal highlight of the show.

Now, his best moments.

5. The wink! The Doctor’s epic wink at Jamie as he prepares his final plan to take down the Dalek Emperor is about as good it gets in The Evil of the Daleks. A mischievous moment that perfectly encapsulates the character of the Doctor.

4. “No I have to go!” The Doctor may have not thought twice about summoning the Time Lords to save the soldiers from the war games, but he certainly doesn’t want to stop running. His furious pleads that has to leave and his mad dramatic dash through slow-motion hell in The War Games shows Troughton at the top of his craft.

3. “The universe has bred evil that must be fought!” Nothing gets me going quicker than the Doctor firmly declaring the necessity of his crusade for the good, and this line in The Moonbase is perfect. It is repeated by the Doctor at his trial in The War Games, and defines his philosophy going forward.

2. “They destroy human life! Completely! Utterly!” Coming in Troughton’s very first story, this plea in The Power of the Daleks is, well, powerful. As the Dalek offers itself as a servant to the humans of Vulcan, the Doctor’s urging shows his Doctor at his best.

1. “Nobody else in the universe can do what we’re doing.” For all the bluster Troughton provides, his best moment is a quiet one. As Victoria is understandably very nervous about her new life, the Doctor comforts her. When he tells her that sometimes he can see his family if he closes his eyes and concentrates very hard, we get a glimpse into what makes the Doctor the Doctor.

For nearly three seasons, Troughton provided us with bluster, bravado, and bravery as the Second Doctor. Unsure of his own abilities, but committed to exploration and the death of dastardly evil, the Second Doctor is a noble evolution of the character. There was only one Patrick Troughton, and his impact on Doctor Who reverberates to the present day.

7.840/10 Troughton’s performance is rated a bit higher in my estimation than the sum of his stories.