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.

Twelfth Doctor Review

Twelfth Doctor

Twelfth Doctor

Doctor: The Twelfth Doctor

Companions: Clara Oswald, Madame Vastra, Courtney Woods, River Song, Nardole, Bill Potts

For my mind, at least from what I’ve seen, the Twelfth Doctor’s era was the best in show history. Peter Capaldi’s incredible charisma combined with genre-defying stories create an unmissable era.

The Review

Here’s the scores for the stories

The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar: 10/10

Under The Lake/Before The Flood: 10/10

Flatline: 9.8/10

The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion: 9.8/10

The Girl Who Died/The Woman Who Lived: 9.5/10

Dark Water/Death in Heaven: 9.5/10

Deep Breath: 9.5/10

Kill the Moon: 9.5/10

World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls: 9.35/10

The Eaters of Light: 9.3/10

Robot of Sherwood: 9.3/10

Extremis: 9/10

Sleep No More: 9/10

Mummy on the Orient Express: 9/10

Husbands of River Song: 9/10

Face The Raven/Heaven Sent/Hell Bent: 9/10

Smile: 9/10

The Pyramid at the End of the World: 8.9/10

Oxygen: 8.8/10

Listen: 8.7/10

The Return of Doctor Mysterio: 8.5/10

The Pilot: 8/10

Last Christmas: 7.5/10

Into the Dalek: 7.5/10

In the Forest of the Night: 7/10

Thin Ice: 6.75/10

Twice Upon a Time: 6.5/10

The Caretaker: 6.3/10

Time Heist: 6/10

The Lie of the Land: 5.75/10

The first thing I’m struck with are the the scores that seem just wrong now. Deep Breath is something I’m hirer on than others, but 9.5 is just too high. Despite being a 9, Mummy on the Orient Express is simply too low! Last Christmas is not that bad, I don’t know what kind of mood I was in on Christmas 2014 to give it that score. But with all things averaging out, the score of the Capaldi era is going to be accurate. Talking about genre-defying stories, one needs look no farther than the Listen/Heaven Sent/Extremis trilogy of breaking the conventions of the show. That kind of experimental storytelling often worked. And when Doctor Who went to its meat and potatoes, such as the base under siege Under the Lake/Before the Flood it absolutely delivered. The least successful attempt in the Capaldi era was The Lie of the Land which is a textbook anticlimax.

Now, let’s talk about the companions. Some hate her, others love her, and I certainly do, it’s Clara Oswald. Smart, resourceful, deeply flawed, I really related to Clara as somebody who always tries to be in charge and be resourceful, but those things are also her greatest weaknesses. Her deep relationship with the Doctor leading to her undoing was expertly done. And for all of you negative people out there whining about ‘no consequences!’, Doctor Who is a show about hope. Always. Except for Donna. And people hated that, so there’s no winning for the writers either way. Next up we had Nardole, who started unmemorable and ended a completely hilarious mysterious, kind, almost con-man by the end of Series 10. Extremely memorable. And despite the show occasionally going too far to point out her exist, Bill Potts was a great character. She was what every good companion should be: dedicated to the cause of the good, and enchanted with wonder.

Now of course, the Doctor himself. I loved Capaldi the moment we saw his eyebrows, and he never disappointed. His prickly early personality was a bit aimless at first, but in the back half of Series 8 was expertly written, especially in Dark Water. His gradual mellowing along with his growing out of his wonderful mess of hair was an incredible character arc. It happened because the Doctor was scared, closed off, unsure of himself. The turning point was Death in Heaven, where he became vulnerable and opened himself up, and truly embraced who he was. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable and being true to yourself is something that can help everybody, and I relate so much to Capaldi’s journey. By The Doctor Falls, the Doctor had gone from a man scared of himself, to as complete a person as you could ask for, opening himself to others, and fighting ceaselessly for good. I don’t blame him for not wanting to leave this incarnation, because in universe and out, it was as perfect as it was going to get. Whittaker will be great, but when I think of the Doctor, he’ll always be Peter Capaldi.

Now, his best moments.

5. “Everything ends and it’s always sad. But everything begins again, and that’s always happy. Be happy.” This line in The Return of Doctor Mysterio is some of the best life advice you could ever get. It’s okay to be sad, but the ending of something is always a new beginning for another. Celebrate it.

4. “So there’s this man. He has a time machine.” The complete fourth-wall shattering in the opening to Before the Flood is incredible. A perfect monologue, impeccably delivered, ending with the one-off rock-out version of the theme song. Rock on!

3. “I do it because it’s right! Because it’s decent!” & “I am the Doctor. The original.” The Twelfth Doctor’s speech to the Masters and his death scene in The Doctor Falls are just perfect. I tear up a bit every time he tries to get the Masters to his side, and his epic jumping through the trees, blowing up Cybermen, and facing them down is perfect.

2. “Never trust a hug. It’s just a way to hide your face.” The heartbreaking cafe scene in Death in Heaven is a punch in the gut in every way. Capaldi sacrificing his relationship with Clara so she can live her life is sad and beautiful. Seeing him punch the TARDIS console and slip and cry when he can’t find Gallifrey again is an acting masterclass.

1. “I can remember it all. Every time. And you’ll still be gone.” The entirety of Heaven Sent, which is without a doubt the best episode of Doctor Who.  A one-man show by Capaldi, the Doctor solves a torture chamber designed just for him, by deciding he’d rather break the rules and die billions of times than tell the truth to the Time Lords, all so he can go and save Clara. It is incredible, beautiful, shocking, memorable, horrifying, awe-inspiring, everything. Such incredible television we shall rarely ever see again.

From Christmas 2013 to Christmas 2017, Peter Capaldi graced our screens as the Twelfth Doctor. In the first episode, Clara hugs him and he reacts nervously, saying he’s not a hugging person, sporting short great hair. In his final episode, he warmly hugs Bill and Nardole, his long grey locks billowing in the wind. It’s a journey of a lifetime, and I was honored to be along for the ride.

8.525/10 Peter Capaldi: the best

First Doctor Review

First Doctor

 

First Doctor

Doctor: The First Doctor

Companions: Ian Chesterton, Barbara Wright, Susan Foreman, Vicki Pallister, Steven Taylor, Katarina, Sara Kingdom, Dodo Chaplet, Polly Wright, Ben Jackson

The First Doctor’s over 125+ episode run contains a lot of highs and a lot of lows. However, it defines a show that has continued to run for 50 years after William Hartnell left our screens. In its lowest moments, it invests too heavily into worlds that are too uninteresting, in its best it pushes into bold new sci-fi.

The Review

Here’s the scores for the stories

The Romans: 10/10

Marco Polo: 9.5/10

The Daleks’ Master Plan: 9.5/10

The Savages: 9.25/10

The Daleks: 9/10

The Web Planet: 9/10

The Rescue: 9/10

Mission to the Unknown: 9/10

The Myth Makers: 9/10

The Tenth Planet: 9/10

The Time Meddler: 8.9/10

Planet of Giants: 8.8/10

The War Machines: 8.5/10

The Chase: 8.2/10

The Dalek Invasion of Earth: 8/10

Galaxy 4: 8/10

The Gunfighters: 8/10

The Celestial Toymaker: 7.9/10

The Edge of Destruction: 7.8/10

The Space Museum: 7.75/10

The Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Eve: 7.5/10

The Ark: 7.5/10

The Aztecs: 7.25/10

The Sensorites: 7.25/10

An Unearthly Child: 7.1/10

The Crusade: 7/10

The Reign of Terror: 6.8/10

The Smugglers: 6.75/10

The Keys of Marinus: 6.3/10

So, the First Doctor. There’s quite a lot to talk about. Let’s start with the overall scope of the stories. Some of the worst stories at the bottom there, like The Reign of Terror generally fall into two categories: excessively padded with way too little going on in many episodes, and being way to interested in deep dives into history. The Massacre is a good example of the later, there is genuinely interesting stuff there but there is way too much inter-religious politics in France. This is Doctor Who, with the Daleks. The historical stories have such a big problem with this in general. However, The Romans destroys all these trends by taking a complete comedic route. It is incredible and hilarious, and pitched expertly. The science fiction stories are a lot more interesting, of course, the Daleks are well handled on most occasions. The Daleks’ Master Plan is twelve freaking episodes long and is somehow incredible throughout (except for the first flop off a Christmas special). The final story brings us the Cybermen, and it’s clear why they stuck around, they immediately grab your attention and look amazing. Compare that to the dull politics of The Sensorites.

I do want to get in a note on the companions, the female companions are generally more disappointing than the male ones because they usually get less to do because it’s the 1960s and gender stereotypes are flying like mad. Not like they’re still not, but you know what I mean. The best has to be Ian, he is just such a good pseudo-lead for the show, and you can’t help but be smiling whenever he’s on the case. Alright, it’s time to talk about the man who made a sci-fi phenomenon, William Hartnell. Hartnell is often stereotyped is arrogant to be around and an anti-hero. This couldn’t be further from the truth. It his warmth that shines through in the best moments, treating every companion like they’re his grandchildren, and genuinely caring about them. The Doctor is clearly inexperienced and not sure of every situation, but always manages to take charge and fight rightly. In some ways, the Doctor is seen as grandfatherly and inexperienced, a fighter for good. I don’t think he’s as good as the New Series Doctors, but maybe because the show doesn’t commit to characters as much in the classic series to allow him to reach such operatic highs as the modern Doctors do. Hartnell, you were great.

5. “Now you didn’t mean that, did you?” When the Doctor meets Vicki in The Rescue, his genuine warmth and concern for her makes him an immediate father figure. It’s a touching emotional moment.

4. “I trained the Mauler of Montana!” The Doctor is on top of his game in The Romans, absolutely delighting in getting to be involved in court intrigue in Rome. Hartnell is all smiles the whole time, and his silent lyre playing is stupendous.

3. “Outside, the atoms are rushing toward each other.” Early on, in the very bizarre story The Edge of Destruction, at the end, the Doctor gives a monologue about space and the big bang that is wondrous and creates a sense of wonder.

2. “Yes, I shall come back.” The First Doctor’s touching goodbye to Susan is simply perfect. It’s the first companion departure ever, and the Doctor handles his granddaughter’s farewell with grace. A true classic moment.

1. “Oppose you! Indeed I am going to oppose you!” The Doctor’s defining moment. No other time does the First Doctor so clearly state what he does and who he is. As soon as the truth about the city is revealed in The Savages, the Doctor lets them have it, decrying the mistreatment of human life. It is perfect.

For three and a bit more seasons, Doctor Who created an enduring sci-fi phenomenon in black and white in Britain before Star Trek and Star Wars even got off the ground. This is because that the writers and production staff and William Hartnell create a journey that takes us to magical places, and makes us all want to get in that strange police box. It’s Christmas Eve. Let’s see what happens!

8.19/10 Welcome to the world.

Ninth Doctor/Series 1 Review

Series 1

Ninth Doctor/Series 1

Doctor: The Ninth Doctor

Companions: Rose Tyler, Jack Harkness, Mickey Smith, Jackie Tyler

The Ninth Doctor’s one season runs remains a masterclass of plotting and character development. The Doctor starts out as a veteran suffering from PTSD from an impossible to imagine war covering it up with mania, and Rose goes from a somewhat dull shop girl to one of the most heroic people in the universe.

The Review

Here’s the scores for the stories

Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways: 10/10

Dalek: 9.5/10

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances: 9/10

Father’s Day: 9/10

Boom Town: 8/10

The End of the World: 8/10

Rose: 8/10

The Long Game: 7/10

The Unquiet Dead: 6.5/10

Aliens of London/World War Three: 6/10

We will spent a bit more than usual on the season recaps here as this also serves to wrap up the Ninth Doctor era. Christopher Eccleston has been overshadowed by the show finally exploding on the British scene again with David Tennant, then again in America with Matt Smith. One season doesn’t help matters. But the revival may not have worked without him. He brought a sense of modernization and seriousness to the series amongst all of his ridiculous jokes and wildness. The geek chic of Tennant may not have legitimized the series as a tortured Doctor in a leather jacket did. Broadcasting the the Ninth Doctor’s innate happiness (“I’ll hug anybody!”, head bobbing in The End of the World), Eccleston also showed the tortured veteran whose wartime actions severely scarred him. His top 5 scenes:

5. “Run.” The Doctor’s introduction in the new series, his first scene is so much fun as it shows us the Doctor in media res. He is serious and charming, and completely in control.

4. “I watched it happen, I made it happen!” When Eccleston unloads into the Dalek in Dalek, it immediately course-corrects Series 1 on a back half for the ages. The full fury of Eccleston is unleashed against authorial intent to great effect.

3. “Coward every time.” Standing in for most of his final episode in The Parting of the Ways, this moment finally emphasized that the Doctor was never going to sacrifice lives anymore, no matter the benefit.

2. “Just this once Rose, everybody lives!” Finally the Ninth Doctor got to have a good day as finally nobody in the story died. The Doctor is able to heal everybody, and the sheer joy on Eccleston’s joy is amazing.

1. “And then, just to finish you off, I’m going to blow every last stinkin’ Dalek out of the sky!” The speech to the Daleks explaining exactly what he is going to do in Bad Wolf will remain one of Doctor Who‘s greatest moments forever.

As for Series 1, it starts off pretty slow, but when it picks up steam, it really does pick up steam. With Russel T. Davies narrowing the stakes, this series is really about people. Rose, Mickey, Jackie, Captain Jack, they are all memorable after the series. Adam really isn’t, but that’s down to how much The Long Game fails him. The scope of the series starts out incredibly small with a lot of world-building to do, but the finale has truly immersed the show back in the large world of possibilities in Doctor Who. If you’re trying to make somebody a fan, the episode that will definitely hook them isn’t Rose, but if they’re generous enough to give you a thirteen episode trial run…well they’ll be demanding to see Series 2 in a heartbeat.

8.07/10 A smashing debut, especially as it gets going.