Doctor Who Twitch Watch: recommendations of the day 06/12

We reach season eight in Twitch’s marathon, and today, we meet two important people in the Doctor’s life. His companion Jo Grant, and his arch-enemy, the Master!

Moving on from the grittiness of season seven, Pertwee’s second season as the Third Doctor begins today on Twitch. Once again, all three stories are set on Earth and feature UNIT. But this time, two new regulars join the cast. One is Katy Manning as Jo Grant, the Doctor’s new assistant. The other? Well, that’s someone that most fans will be aware of by now…

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC Press.)

Terror of the Autons

Today begins with an incredibly important story. For the first time ever, in Terror of the Autons, we meet the Doctor’s arch-enemy: the Master.

It’s surprising, considering that we’re up to season eight in Twitch’s Classic Series marathon, but this is genuinely the first time that the major villain’s appeared. (At least officially. Since he’s used various aliases over the years, who knows if he’s shown up before?)

More from Winter is Coming

I have a real soft spot for this story. Broadly speaking, it’s doesn’t really offer anything new with the Autons, at least in terms of plot. They try to take over slowly, using plastic to wipe out mankind. The Nestene Consciousness comes close to forming. And (spoiler alert) the Doctor stops them, with some help. If you’ve seen either Spearhead from Space or Rose, you’ve seen this before.

But in this case, the familiarity works. Because Terror of the Autons gets to focus on introducing two key characters: the new companion and the season’s new major villain.

That’s right: for the whole of season eight, the Master appears in every single story. This has only happened once in Doctor Who history, but it just about works.

New assistant and old enemy

With scientist Liz Shaw having departed, er, entirely off-screen, we’re introduced to the Doctor’s new assistant: Jo Grant.

Jo’s not nearly as qualified as Liz, but then again, that’s kind of the point of her character. After all, it generally makes it a lot easier for the writers to explain the plot to the audience if the companion doesn’t understand the plot either.

That’s not to say that Jo isn’t a great character in her own right, as you’ll soon find out. She’s young, brave, and eager to learn as much from the Doctor as she can. While the Doctor isn’t initially impressed with her, by the end, they’re clearly starting to bond.

Over the next few days, you’ll find out just why the character of Jo Grant has endured, even appearing in spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures.

The Master is given a great introduction in this story too. Together with the Autons, they make for a very effective villainous team. The Autons get to be creepy (at least, when silent), while the Master gets to be charming and dangerous.

Overall, Terror of the Autons is a decent sequel to Spearhead from Space, and an even stronger introduction to two much-loved characters of the Third Doctor’s era.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC Press.)

The Mind of Evil

The Mind of Evil is a story with some really interesting ideas on evil, particularly on how integral it is to most. No one is purely good, after all. Everyone suffers from their own fears and their own negative emotions.

So in a story where the main threat is a creature that feeds on evil, it’s interesting to see how it explores these fears. Particularly with the Doctor, where we get to find out what he’s afraid of most of all.

At six episodes, this one is a little slower paced compared to the previous story. To the point where it rather noticeably drags. The cliffhangers tend to get repetitive too, as half of them seem to be the Keller machine directly attacking the Doctor.

But The Mind of Evil is a story that presents many interesting ideas, at least, and is worth a watch. (Plus, Roger Delgado as the Master is always fantastic to see.)

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC Press.)

The Claws of Axos

Out of today’s three serials, The Claws of Axos is undeniably the most gloriously Seventies. Featuring a lot of colour and some interesting costume and set designs, it’s very much of its time, production wise.

But the story itself feels relevant at its core. When the Axos arrive on Earth offering an abundance of free energy, naturally, every global power on Earth wants it. But the Doctor knows that when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

The Axons themselves are an interesting enemy. While coming across as good people, you know that by the end, they’re going to be anything but that. Still, finding out exactly what they’re really after is certainly intriguing. They’re also a very distinctive design, at least in their humanoid form.

The Claws of Axos is a straightforward Third Doctor story. Its moral – that there are no real quick solutions to major problems – might be a basic one. But it’s also an important one, too.

Overall recommendation of the day: Terror of the Autons

This serial definitely meets the key criteria for a strong recommendation. It’s a very decent story that’s fun to watch. But it’s also great for fans new to the show to see the Master’s first ever story.

Equally important, it’s a great introduction to the original Master himself, Roger Delgado. To this day, he’s still one of the best, and is fantastic to watch in the role. While he’s in all three stories today, it’s still great to see his first ever appearance in the TV series.

Next: Review: Jenny: The Doctor’s Daughter (audio)

Which is your favorite out of today’s three stories? Are you a fan of Roger Delgado’s Master? Are you excited to see the Master’s earliest appearances? Let us know in the comments below.

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