"I want you to meet my darker side."
Writers: Robert Holmes & Pip and Jane Baker
Format: TV
Broadcast: 29 November - 6 December 1986
Season: 23d
Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Mel
Synopsis
The Doctor is on trial for his life. Plucked out of time and space by the Time Lords, he is charged with transgressing the First Law of Time. He must defend himself against the prosecution led by the sinister Valeyard...
The Doctor has tried to prove his innocence, but the Valeyard is certain of his guilt and will stop at nothing to carry out a sentence of death. But there is a surprise witness waiting in the wings; one who knows the truth...
With the trial in disarray, the Doctor flees into the Matrix to confront his enemy, into a nightmarish world of torture and punishment. Trapped within, he will have to fight for his life against the ultimate foe...
Verdict
The Ultimate Foe concluded The Trial of a Time Lord in a very unique way to say the least! This really does have a feeling of being so different to the three instalments that preceded it and taking the approach that I have with the titular adventure that comprises Season 23 of Doctor Who, this felt even whackier! It really does have so much going on and one thing it definitely has going for it is intrigue. It's just whacky and that makes it different and I think it pays off. It's a fun tale that doesn't mess around and whilst it does have that feeling of picking pieces up with all that was going on with the writers and production team behind Doctor Who at this time, but it somehow manages to work. The Master is injected which is brilliant and I love seeing the Anthony Ainley version alongside the Sixth Doctor as we didn't get a pure meeting between the pair on screen, but this was as close as it got. I think the way that he calmly announces the true identity of the Valeyard is fun and my only qualm with his appearance is that the Inquisitor doesn't know who he is. I think that fails in terms of continuity from the likes of The Five Doctors and just the general standing of the Master on Gallifrey. It was fun though that as soon as he turned up chaos ensued and the Doctor's claims that the Matrix had been tampered with were found true. The image of the Master from within the Matrix itself was impressive and whilst I found the Keeper of the Matrix pretty pathetic, the audacity of the renegade Time Lord to run riot within the very fabric of Gallifrey is excellent. The Doctor and the Valeyard doing mental battle of sorts was great and I think the fantasy factory and land within the Matrix was brilliant. It was so different and probably a bit ahead of its time, and the cliffhanger is quite the visual. There were a lot of good visuals in the story to be fair. It was definitely a highlight. I think the directing in this one was smart and would have benefited from a time where technology was superior, but I appreciated the effort and the style that was being attempted. The arrivals of Mel and Sabalom Glitz into the adventure were pretty fun, even if they didn't end up doing an awful lot. Glitz having a business relationship with the Master was something fun to explore and I liked that Mel was challenging him on their arrival. Her spoiling the Doctor's plan was amusing as well and I thought Colin Baker performed that cunningly. He took on the verdict of genocide and forced death to ensure a confrontation with the Valeyard, but he didn't quite get it. Popplewick wasn't my favourite of characters, but the confusion that came from so many different versions of him was good. I enjoyed the Master's TARDIS featuring heavily and his desire to help the Doctor over a jealousy of putting him to the sword was amusing, but sure if he defeated the Valeyard then he would get his goal in the end? The concept of the Valeyard is excellent and at the time I imagine it would have been rather fun to explore. Of course, we've now gone past the Doctor's thirteenth incarnation but I can still appreciate that it was all of the dark elements of our famed character. The ending with him having survived was a nice touch and it's a shame there was never a follow up! Overall, a good ending to the season but I maintain that the serial should be viewed in its entirety rather than as four chapters. It just flows better.
Rating: 8/10
Grand one.
ReplyDeleteThe revealing the High Councyl and the Valeyard were behind the harm done was the best drama. Yep. The old scenario of polictians abusing power for arrogance and greed.
The revealing the Valeyard was a version of the Doctor was shocking. A harsh reminder even those pure of heart on darkness within. Chylling music, thouh the music from Davros revealing his organs would be more fitting fo the dark revealing.
The 6th Doctor show his better side well. He was righteously angry when he scold the High Councyl for their actions, horrified on the Valeyard being him, chose to go to stop the Valeyard, and was please Peri survive.
Mel was so spunky and sweet.
I thought up ideas base on this:
ReplyDelete1. Some would believe the Doctors from Wyllyiam Hartnell's one to Jodie's be the 13,a nd deny the 9th Doctor. He act as the war one was a monster, yet prove a hypocrite. The war one show mroe honour and would self sacrifice and also see through lies, whyle the 9th one was ready to sacriifice some and lie. Many would call him the Valeyard.
2. Someone claiming to be a future version of the Doctor would trick the 9th Doctor to try and slay the war one to save Gallifrey. But the war one prove physically stronger and mentally (able to see through tricks) and, help by Rose, reveals the future version be the Valeyard... horrifying many. Rose can also reveal, thansk to spy work on Gallifrey, how Rassylon forge the Valeyard as one of his weapons, and to'd use Sarah to try to convince the Doctor to slay the Daleks (only to cause the Time-War) and how he'd cause Adric's death to push the Doctor to slay the Cybermen.
3. The 9th Doctor would seek revenge on Rassylon only for the War one to stop him, proving a better man.
4. On some stories, some would mistake spads and gaiders as armour. A funny gag.