Doctor Who Twitch Watch: recommendations of the day 07/18

The Trial of a Time Lord begins with The Mysterious Planet.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

The Sixth Doctor is on trial for his life against the mysterious Valeyard, as the complete Trial of a Time Lord is broadcast on Twitch today!

So technically, we only have one Doctor Who story today on Twitch. However, it’s only “technically”. Because unlike The War Games, another considerably long story, the fourteen-part The Trial of a Time Lord is really four stories in one.

It is best to watch the whole thing, with this one. Each key story, at least with the trial scenes themselves, contributes to the overall arc. Watching it in one go is a big ask, but it’s just about worth it.

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So, having said that, let’s take a look at each of the stories that Trial features.

The Mysterious Planet

One of the last stories by the brilliant writer Robert Holmes, The Mysterious Planet is a disappointing story, all things considered. The story does have some good ideas, particularly with the idea of a planet being strangely similar to Earth.

We also have two brilliant and distinctive creations of Holmes, Glitz and Dibber. One of his classic double acts, these two highly amoral criminals are great creations. The dialogue between them works brilliantly, and they’re played wonderfully well by Tony Selby and Glen Murphy, respectively.

But both the ideas and the characters are lessened by overall weaker material. The human tribe that live on the surface, led by Queen Katryca, aren’t quite as effective or interesting as they should be.

This could be due to the writing, but there’s also the fact that Joan Sims is playing the “warrior queen”. There are a few key examples of stunt casting being used for completely the wrong person in the Eighties. This is definitely one of them.

A very hit-and-miss story, The Mysterious Planet is a disappointing way for this season to begin.

The Doctor and Sil are reunited in Mindwarp.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

Mindwarp

Now this is more like it. While it’s not without its flaws (particularly with one or two of the actors), Mindwarp is a great story by Philip Martin. Unlike the previous story, this casts a very negative light on the Doctor’s travels, and there are times when you almost wonder if the Valeyard has a point.

There are a lot of moments where you’re left guessing how much is “real” for the Doctor, too. Sometimes, this can be problematic. Especially as you’re left wondering if the Doctor is acting nasty due to his mind getting altered, or whether it’s simply a big lie. With all of these different elements, it does make things confusing.

But on the whole, Mindwarp works very well. Particularly with the final episode, which has one of the best shocks in Doctor Who history. You’ll see what I mean…

Murderous plant life attacks in Terror of the Vervoids.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

Terror of the Vervoids

Set in the Sixth Doctor’s future, one thing that immediately leaps out of Terror of the Vervoids is the glimpse we get of the man Six becomes. And it’s very different to who he is now. Humorous, charming, and considerably mellowed, it’s great that we’re given a vision of where he’s going with this one.

It’s a real shame that this is Colin’s final season. In fact, in terms of production, Terror of the Vervoids was the last story he worked on. The writers clearly had a vision for his Doctor’s development. It’s a shame that wasn’t put on screen, not truly. At least the expanded media have covered it greatly.

The story itself is actually a pretty pleasant one. Featuring your basic Agatha Christie template with murdering vegetables, overall, it does work rather well. I think the Doctor’s character and humor help to add to this considerably.

Terror of the Vervoids might not be one of the greatest Doctor Who stories ever made. (Especially if you ask Chris Chibnall.) But it’s a rather pleasant and entertaining watch, at least.

As the Trial of a Time Lord ends, the Sixth Doctor faces the Ultimate Foe… (Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC. Image obtained from: BBC.)

The Ultimate Foe

The Ultimate Foe is essentially a story of two halves. Or, in this case, two episodes. The first episode was written by Robert Holmes, and unlike The Mysterious Planet, it’s a story that really lives up to his high standards.

The second part was written by Pip & Jane Baker, in very high pressured circumstances. Unsurprisingly, this isn’t quite as strong as the first half.

But all things considered, the final story does work well. Or at least, as well as it could. The revelation of the Valeyard’s true identity was beautifully handled. It’s a great twist, and so subtly done. The Master’s also much better written here than he had been in years. (Not surprising, when you consider that Holmes wrote the Master’s first story, Terror of the Autons.)

It does fall apart in the second half, but only gradually. Particularly with the ending, which doesn’t take that much thinking to realize that it doesn’t quite work.

Still, The Ultimate Foe is an interesting conclusion, full of surreal moments and interesting ideas. It’s just a shame that circumstances behind the scenes forced it to be considerably less than it should have been.

Overall recommendation of the day: Mindwarp

Mindwarp is a wonderfully dark story. Colin Baker gets a lot to do as both a man on trial for his life, and as someone possibly possessed. The final moments especially are heartbreaking to watch. If anyone has any doubts that Colin deserved far better than what he usually got with his stories, the final moments show exactly what he can do with the right script. Definitely the standout story for today.

Next: Twitch Watch: recommendations of the day 07/17

Have you seen The Trial of a Time Lord? What’s your favorite story? Do you think Colin Baker deserved more stories in the role? Let us know in the comments below.

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