The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve

"And now, they're all gone. All gone. None of them could understand. Not even my little Susan. Or Vicki. And as for Barbara and Chatterton - Chesterton - they were all too impatient to get back to their own time. And now, Steven. Perhaps I should go home. Back to my own planet. But I can't... I can't..."

Writers: John Lucarotti & Donald Tosh

Format: TV

Broadcast: 5th-26th August 1966

Season: 3.05

Featuring: First Doctor, Steven

Synopsis 

The TARDIS materialises in Paris in the year 1572 and the Doctor decides to visit the famous apothecary Charles Preslin. Steven, meanwhile, is befriended by a group of Huguenots from the household of the Protestant Admiral de Coligny. Having rescued a young serving girl, Anne Chaplet, from some persuing guards, the Huguenots gain their first inkling of a heinous plan being hatched at the command of the Catholic Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici...

Verdict 

The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve was a very good serial and my thanks must go out again to Loose Cannon productions for putting together absolutely brilliant recons of the completely missing serial, which for the first time I was able to watch in full. With my love of history, I really enjoyed the 16th century French setting! With recent historicals like The Time Meddler, I was expecting the usually better pseudo-historicals but I can't say I was disappointed by the lack of extra terrestrial presence. It had been a while since a pure relatively recent historical with The Crusade a whole season earlier. But back to the story at hand and I really enjoyed the plot. I thought it was terrific how, despite the Doctor being pretty much absent for all of parts 2 and 3, the story was all about him without him being present. The double role for William Hartnell was excellent and his playing of the Abbot of Amboise was fantastic! I liked how despite the actor obviously being Hartnell, and that even appearing in the credits rather than the usual 'Dr. Who'. The guest cast were all excellent and I thought that Anne was an absolutely wonderful character. I didn't quite understand why she didn't end up as companion! She had been with Steven throughout the serial and seemed terrific. The characters of Gaston, Simon, Nicholas and Roger were all very good and I liked the different roles and positions they played. Marshall Tavannes and Admiral de Coligny were also absolutely fantastic! A very strong guest cast that certainly made up for Hartnell's lengthy absence. The cliffhangers were all good but most notably episode three's is the standout where it's intended to show that the Doctor was dead! Is there a bigger shock than the lead of a television series dying? Of course, the Doctor would return and it was revealed that it wasn't him impersonating the role of Abbot, it just wasn't him. I would have liked that expanded upon a bit more but the Doctor's return was tremendous. The reaction by Steven when believing the Doctor was dead was a big highlight! But speaking of highlights, the star scene must go to the Doctor. The scene in the TARDIS when it lands in Wimbledon and Steven intends to leave after the Doctor seemed to send Anne to her death in the massacre. The Doctor standing by his firm belief that history couldn't be changed, not one bit, was great and after Steven left we saw the emotional side of the First Doctor for one of the first times. He'd had many companions come and go but now he was left on his own. Just the Doctor. I loved how he pondered whether to return home, undoubtedly confirming that he wasn't human as some viewers might have thought. The Doctor's references to Susan, Vicki, Barbara and 'Chesterton' was really heartwarming. I really liked the references, as I did with Steven referring to The Daleks' Master Plan with his travels to Egypt. The abrupt and pacy ending was not expected with Dodo arriving on the scene entering the TARDIS, somehow not surprised by the whole bigger on the inside thing and then Steven quickly returning in humorous fashion. I thought Anne should have become companion and the implication that Dodo descended from her was a nice touch. So, a great story with a good setting. And now a new companion! Change is occuring once more. 

Rating: 8/10