Season 21 Review

Season 21

Season 21

Doctor: The Fifth Doctor, the Sixth Doctor

Companions: Tegan Jovanka, Vislor Turlough, Kamelion, Peri Brown

Cracks start to show in twenty years of Doctor Who in Season 21, where we get a full cast change from episode one to twenty-four.

The Review

Here’s the scores for the stories

The Caves of Androzani: 10/10

Warriors of the Deep: 9/10

Planet of Fire: 8.6/10

Frontios: 7.75/10

The Awakening: 7/10

The Twin Dilemma: 6.75/10

Resurrection of the Daleks: 6/10

The highest of highs, and the lowest of lows. The Caves of Androzani lived up to the hype with a spectacular final story for the Fifth Doctor with the kind of directorial skill that was far ahead of its time. Though not as good, Warriors of the Deep was a serious story about the useless of war. On the flip side, in the season finale where we now have Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor, The Twin Dilemma is a mess that almost succeeds as a parody of itself. Still, the worst for my mind is the very disappointing departure story for Tegan, Resurrection of the Daleks, just a soulless mess of insane amounts of violence hurt even more by being broadcast as two forty-five minute episodes. The only bright spot as the great Davison era falls away has been Nicola Bryant as Peri, brave, pretty, and willing to stand up for herself. The next season will need it.

7.871/10 A disappointing step-down at least gives Davison the farewell he deserved

Fifth Doctor Review

Fifth Doctor

Fifth Doctor

Doctor: The Fifth Doctor

Companions: Susan Foreman, The Brigadier, Nyssa, Tegan Jovanka, Vislor Turlough, Kamelion, Peri Brown

It’s easy to forget what a big change the Fifth Doctor was from Tom Baker’s seven season run, but with a talented and capable actor in Peter Davison the show kept up its quality.

The Review

Here’s the scores for the stories

The Caves of Androzani: 10/10

Earthshock: 10/10

Black Orchid: 10/10

The Five Doctors: 9.25/10

Castrovalva: 9/10

The Visitation: 9/10

Enlightenment: 9/10

Warriors of the Deep: 9/10

Mawdryn Undead: 8.9/10

Four to Doomsday: 8.9/10

Planet of Fire: 8.6/10

The King’s Demons: 8.25/10

Snakedance: 8.25/10

Terminus: 8/10

Arc of Infinity: 7.9/10

Kinda: 7.8/10

Time-Flight: 7.75/10

Frontios: 7.75/10

The Awakening: 7/10

Resurrection of the Daleks: 6/10

The performance of Peter Davison is one that is familiar to the more recent takes on the Doctor, but was quite new at the time. The Doctor had been an older man for the past eighteen years, and now Davison bursts onto the scene as by far the youngest Doctor. Not only that, but he brings a much more human touch to the role that hadn’t been seen before. Gone are the days of a grumpy Third Doctor or an incomprehensibly alien Fourth Doctor, the Fifth Doctor is a lot less alien. Don’t mistake me though, Davison was still completely the Doctor, with the passion for good and justice and a few bits of delightful haughty arrogance thrown in. I even think he kind of pulled off his silly cricket outfit well. Let’s give tribute to probably the most human Doctor of them all.

Now, his best moments.

5. “Brave heart Tegan.” When the going got tough, the Doctor always was there to boost and build up Tegan’s confidence. Every time Tegan was starting to feel the heat, the Doctor would help lift her back up.

4. “I never miss.” In a delightful early bit of arrogance, the Fifth Doctor perfectly shoots a door in a way to disable a lock to the astonishment of one of the era’s best supporting characters, Mace.

3. The Fifth Doctor’s entire performance in Earthshock is a sensational one, starting with his quick thinking and dramatics in defusing the bomb early in the story. Davison fully snaps into place as the Doctor in this story, and his command is a sight to behold.

2. “…there should have been another way.” The Doctor puts his life on the line to stop the Silurians from starting a nuclear war on Earth, but when it’s all over, everyone, from Silurian to human, has all died except the TARDIS team. Surveying the carnage, the Doctor can only ruefully shake his head and mourn the choices he had to make.

1. “You’re not going to stop me now!” Like his future son-in-law, Davison’s best moment as the Doctor comes right before his demise. Poisoned, and in a seemingly hopeless situation, he crashes a spaceship back on Androzani Minor because he is going to do whatever it takes to save Peri’s life. Hard to imagine a better ending.

Peter Davison revolutionized the show by proving that the Doctor doesn’t need to be out of this world weird to be an intergalactic hero. Even as the stories got more violent and darker around him, the Fifth Doctor kept up the torch of kindness and good heartedness. I think for me he slots in behind Pertwee as my second favorite classic Doctor. I think the Fifth Doctor era is too under appreciated, and at the very least, should be remembered for it’s awesome version of the theme music. Synthesizers forever!

8.518/10 A big hand for Davison

The Caves of Androzani Review

The Caves of Androzani

The ballad of Sharaz Jek

Story 135, Episodes 619-622, Season 21 Episodes 17-20

Doctor: The Fifth Doctor

Companions: Peri Brown

It all comes crashing down for the Fifth Doctor, but no matter the horrors, nothing is going to stop him now.

The Review

Morgus, the richest man in the five planets, and the President

When it comes to the pinnacle of the classic series, two stories are always listed as a cut above the rest, The City of Death for it striking the rare perfect satirical notes, and The Caves of Androzani for its pulse-pounding excitement and dramatics. I feel it’s difficult for me to judge with so many expectations going in, but the Fifth Doctor’s regeneration delivered. Two show legends collaborate here, the legendary writer Robert Holmes and the soon to be legendary director Graeme Harper. 95% of the classic series is just directed extremely straightforwardly, but not this story. The two dueling forces, Sharaz Jek and Morgus both soliloquize dramatically, Morgus especially staring into the fourth wall letting us know his thoughts. While many classic stories can feel lazy and languid, this one isn’t, bursting with pace and energy at every move. The underlying plot, a fight over a resource, is standard, but the vivid characterization and action very much isn’t.

Meeting the army soldiers

The Doctor and Peri land on Androzani Minor, a desert planet, and are quickly caught up in a war. The world of Androzani Major demands spectrox, a rare substance that can prolong life. Morgus, the head of the Conglomerate, is essentially controlling the government soldiers fighting the rogue Jek, betrayed by Morgus and living deep in the caves with his android army. The android bit doesn’t get too much play, save for a cliffhanger where the Doctor and Peri are shot but it turns out to be android duplicates. Jek feels like an operatic villain, dressed in his black and white suit, obsessed with revenge, and with Peri. He is extremely creepy around her, desiring her beauty. There are so many fantastic characters I don’t really have time to get into them all, but Jek is the most memorable.

The Doctor gives it all up for Peri

Finally, this leaves us with Peter Davison in his final regular turn as the Fifth Doctor. Davison is simply stupendous, and is so perfectly the Doctor we forget it could’ve been anyone else. What finally brings down this incarnation in the end? Simply, he was just too good for this universe. The whole season the stories got darker and more brutal, challenging the personable nature of the Doctor. Here, it reaches its limits, him and Peri are captured and immediately ordered to be executed without a second thought. Not only that, but the Doctor and Peri are both poisoned, and the Doctor has to go through hell to get the antidote. As it all unravels, Morgus deposed by his secretary in a delicious scene, his gun-runners killed, Jek’s death imminent, the army all dead, the Doctor hauls Peri back to the TARDIS. There was only enough of the antidote for her, and the Doctor doesn’t even know if he’ll regenerate. When he does, it’s to a very different man, but somehow, still, the Doctor.

In a story that is electric and exciting and everything the classic series usually isn’t, we can look to Davison’s final cliffhanger to see the mettle of his Doctor. They weren’t going to stop him now.

10/10 High drama provides an incredible ending to the Fifth Doctor

The Sixth Doctor!

Time Crash Review

Time Crash

The Doctors!

Story 187.5

Doctor: Fifth Doctor, Tenth Doctor

A delightful 2007 charity mini-episode that will leave you grinning from ear to ear.

The Review

Tenth Doctor trying to work some magic

How can you not have a big smile on your face watching Time Crash? It has everything to do with David Tennant’s performance, featuring him at the height of his powers as one of the finest actors ever to take the part. Peter Davison is visibly older and almost can’t quite pull off being the famously youthful Fifth Doctor, but he does an admirable job. It’s just a blast to see these two at it, as their Doctors, doing Doctor things. Knowing that Tennant got Davison because he was his favorite Doctor growing up is just perfect, and then the next year he’d meet Davison’s daughter and marry her! How about that? It’s a perfect little love letter to the Fifth Doctor, and incarnation that deserves a lot more love than he gets. What fun!

Wish we’d gotten a few more of these, but we did get Matt Smith and Tom Baker together six years later. Still kind of can’t believe that one.

10/10 Come on, what did you think?

What time differential does to a mf

Planet of Fire Review

Planet of Fire

Who is the true hero?

Story 134, Episodes 615-618, Season 21 Episodes 13-16

Doctor: The Fifth Doctor

Companions: Vislor Turlough, Kamelion, Peri Brown

The penultimate Fifth Doctor story ushers in a regime change while having another face-off with the Master.

The Review

You say you dislike humans Turlough, but come on now

After the dreadfulness of the previous story, this story is a welcome to return to form. It starts with some gorgeous on location filming in Spain, and continues to the planet Sarn which is…still gorgeously filmed in Spain. It’s always a treat to see the classic series expand its boundaries. We meet Peri Brown early on, an American college student visiting her stepfather’s archeological dig who wants to travel in Morocco for a few months. She acts a bit too much like a child, but I like her energy (telling the Master she can yell just as loud as he can ruled). Certainly she’s completely different than Tegan, and the difference is immediate. We also see Kamelion again, and he is quickly taken over by the Master to force all of them to the planet Sarn which has a connection to Turlough. The Master doesn’t join the main cast in summer wear, which looks good on everyone but Turlough’s short shorts. I particularly like the Doctor’s question mark suspenders.

Turlough finally has to be brave, and pulls through

Sarn is supposedly the home of the fire spirit Logar, and a lot of the conflict is between Timanov, a zealot, and other ‘heretics’. Anthony Ainley is in excellent form as the Master, even making his miniaturized self seem threatening. The climax sees Turlough finally risk returning to his home world of Trion by calling them in to save those on Sarn, and learning he is welcome back now. The Doctor has to make some tough calls yet again, Kamelion begs for death after being controlled by the Master and the Doctor grimly obliges. The Doctor then simply watches as the Master seemingly burns to death in the flames of the planet. For the Fifth Doctor starting off so cheery, it’s been a depressing last season for him. He agrees to have Peri travel with him, but with no connections to Tegan, I think he just doesn’t feel himself.

Turlough gets to leave on a high note ‘as a hero’, we are introduced to a spunky new companion, and the Doctor feels sad at the end. Thanks to the unique setting and location filming, plus some great music, the story gets elevated.

8.6/10 Extra points for Davison’s look after seeing the Master burn

Peri standing up for herself

Resurrection of the Daleks Review

Resurrection of the Daleks

I guess he does have the right

Story 133, Episodes 613-614, Season 21 Episodes 11-12

Doctor: The Fifth Doctor

Companions: Tegan Jovanka, Vislor Turlough

A nearly incomprehensible episode is essentially a whole lot of nothing, and a whole lot of death for no real reason.

The Review

Davros on ice

I wonder if my constant Doctor Who watching is starting to burn me out, or this really just wasn’t interesting. I was excited for the Daleks, Davros, and the experimental switch to two forty-five minute episodes. Sadly, none of these paned out. What even is the plot of Resurrection of the Daleks? Well, if you can remember several seasons ago the Daleks were in a war with the Movellans, they lost hard and now need Davros’ intelligence and that of the Doctor’s to find a cure to this virus. To that end, they need to make a duplicate of the Doctor, so they construct this very elaborate scheme placing a time corridor in an abandoned building near Tower Bridge in 1984, drag the TARDIS there, trick the Doctor through going in, etc. I honestly think the normal four-episode structure could’ve done wonders here.

Tegan leaves after the disastrous story

There is constant gunfire and yelling and screaming, and Davros is basically unintelligible at the height of his rants. The Daleks’ plan gets nowhere so fast that outside of a whole lot of shooting, I’m not sure really anything actually happens other than loud gunfire and apoplectic yelling. The story is just an honest mess of meaningless action, that just bores me. Some people say it ‘flew by’, I say it couldn’t get on with it fast enough. If this is what is to come, it’s going to be a very rough patch. The highlight comes at the very end with Tegan’s departure, who after witnessing the carnage says it just wasn’t fun anymore. Janet Fielding will be missed immensely, but seeing a companion horrified at the bloodbath choosing to leave just makes sense.

This is one I am not looking forward to re-watching, but maybe it will make a tiny bit of sense by then. The violence is senseless, and the plot is wasteful.

6/10 Never has Daleks exterminating people been so dull

The last hurrah

Frontios Review

Frontios

How do you do?

Story 132, Episodes 609-612, Season 21 Episodes 7-10

Doctor: The Fifth Doctor

Companions: Tegan Jovanka, Vislor Turlough

On a refugee colony millions of years in the future, a mystery is afoot…

The Review

Plantagenet and friends

I’d never really heard Frontios discussed one way or another over the years, and I can see why. It’s a pretty generic story, though not a bad one. The TARDIS is pulled to the planet Frontios and seemingly is destroyed. There we find a barely surviving human colony fighting a war against someone raining missiles down overhead. The ruler is a young man named Plantagenet, who is serving as leader after his father died a few years ago. All the sets are well-constructed, as well as the sense that this is truly a doomed colony. Despite some occasional disagreements, everyone on Frontios is essentially a good person, no secret hidden spies or anything. It’s a good cast of characters.

The colony founder (maybe a racist, they were all white)

The enemy is a group of large cockroach type creatures called Tractators, which is a sort of silly name. I do appreciate the extremely alien design, it’s always boring when aliens look exactly like humans. Controlled by the Gravis, their leader, their goal is…I don’t know, make a bunch of tunnels I think? They’re gravity engineers, and drew people to Frontios to mess with them. Their goal is pretty ill-defined, but the menace is clear so it works out alright. The Doctor tricks the Gravis into re-assembling the TARDIS, laying him dormant. For some reason the Doctor is really concerned about the Time Lords figuring out this specific story because of how far in the future it is. Ah well. Not much to say, your standard successful story.

When watching Frontios, it’s a fine experience, but there is absolutely nothing memorable about it. Just giant cockroaches for me I think. Maybe some of Turlough’s weird ancestral memory, can we learn his origin already?

7.75/10 How much plot have I already forgotten?

Something draws them closer…

The Awakening Review

The Awakening

Malice thy name is Malus

Story 131, Episodes 607-608, Season 21 Episodes 5-6

Doctor: The Fifth Doctor

Companions: Tegan Jovanka, Vislor Turlough

The last two-part Fifth Doctor story is the least memorable, though I do like the giant head prop.

The Review

The Doctor gets arrested

Right from the start, you could kind of tell this story is going to be forgettable. Firstly, I think The Awakening might be the worst and most generic title in show history. At least with Planet of Evil you know what you’re in for. Things awaken pretty much every story. The crew is going to visit Tegan’s grandfather, who apparently lives in a small village in England. They get there and it’s all gone pear-shaped as troops of people cosplaying as soldiers from the English Civil War are doing ‘war games’ that are a bit too intense. This story kind of feels like they came up with this ‘it’s like a historical but actually it’s people reenacting the battle in present day’ and didn’t get much further than that.

Malus in the TARDIS

The thing that works the best is the Malus is genuinely creepy. I wish I could explain what exactly the Malus is, but the Doctor even struggles to do so. It is some evil devilish creature that runs on pure psychic energy and is deployed by unknown aliens before they an invade a planet. Somehow it’s gotten kind of stuck between 1643 and 1984. I like the big face behind the church wall, and the version of the Malus scaling a pillar in the TARDIS console room was unsettling. Really, this story just comes down to being far too forgettable for me to have much more to say.

This story awakened nothing in me, and feels like rather a waste honestly.

7/10 Probably the worst of the Davison era

When you’ve been on the Malus sauce

Warriors of the Deep Review

Warriors of the Deep

Silurians and Sea Devils at last

Story 130, Episodes 603-606, Season 21 Episodes 1-4

Doctor: The Fifth Doctor

Companions: Tegan Jovanka, Vislor Turlough

In a surprisingly dramatic and action-filled story, the Silurians launch another attempt to destroy humanity in a 21st century paranoia filled world.

The Review

The Mykra

From the start, you can tell that Season 21 is going to have an explosive beginning with tensions running high in an underwater sea base in the year 2084. There are some of the crew operating on their own agenda, and paranoia only increases when the TARDIS team is found. The energy never lets up in Warriors of the Deep, we see the Silurians reviving the Sea Devils before any of the characters know about it, and then the Silurians lead their attack on the base. They bring with them a giant shambling Mykra, and honestly, I didn’t find the prop used for it all that bad. I can’t really compare to the effects you’d see on other shows in 1984, and I may be giving the classic series far too much credit. The two spies for the ‘rival power bloc’ in the base turn out just to be a B-plot, but it carries enough menace and keeps us aware that there are two large factions of humanity fighting it out again. All the actors playing the Sea Base crew are diligently focused on their task.

The Sea Base crew

The main cast do their jobs, Davison is engaging and active as the Fifth Doctor with Tegan being her usual brave self and wearing a bright patterned dress. Turlough’s oddball nature continues, he bravely saves the Doctor and Tegan’s life but when he thinks it’s a lost cause almost doesn’t go with to try and follow them. It is quite funny to have a companion who is kind of a slimy POS a lot of the time, and I enjoy Turlough’s slinking around at the edge of plots. The resolution is effective, but remains one of the grimmest in show history. The Doctor barely prevents the missiles from firing, but when it’s all over everybody except the TARDIS crew has died: humans and Silurians alike. All the Doctor can do in despair is proclaim ‘there should have been another way’. The Silurians are so effective because of the moral dilemma they provide, and the despair that’s always there when they’re beaten.

Bringing the Silurians and Sea Devils together, this well-plotted action-packed story was a great way to start a new year of the show.

9/10 There should have been another way indeed.

The depressing final shot

Season 20 Review

Season 20

Season 20

Doctor: The Fifth Doctor

Companions: The Brigadier, Nyssa, Tegan Jovanka, Visor Turlough, Kamelion

Season 20 is where we fully settle into the Fifth Doctor era, and celebrate 20 years of the show with The Five Doctors

The Review

Here’s the scores for the stories

The Five Doctors: 9.25/10

Enlightenment: 9/10

Mawdryn Undead: 8.9/10

The King’s Demons: 8.25/10

Snakedance: 8.25/10

Terminus: 8/10

Arc of Infinity: 7.9/10

The best story wasn’t technically part of the season, but The Five Doctors is the class of this group of stories, a delightful anniversary special. Behind that, most stories were good but not great, though avoiding any complete disasters. The best story from the season proper was the moody and inspired Enlightenment, while the biggest miss was Arc of Infinity because of its over-reliance on Gallifrey and lore, something that The Five Doctors deftly avoided despite it’s characters.

8.543/10 Season 20 celebrates 20 years of Doctor Who with a classically good season