“Doctor Who” Regenerations – Worst to Best

As we have now had the 13th Doctor’s Regeneration it is time for the updated list of the Doctor and their regenerations.

For the score it really depends on how personal the regeneration is the story it takes place in, what it means to the Doctor, how it is brought about and if there is any intention behind those bringing about the regeneration or the Doctor in how he faces it.

SPOILERS ahead

13th) The 3rd Doctor – “Planet of the Spiders”

This is the worst of the “Doctor Who” regeneration stories and it is a shame because Jon Pertwee’s 3rd Doctor is one of my favorite Doctors. In this the enemies are space spiders called Eight-Legs and they force the Doctor’s regeneration. They have no personal connection to the Doctor and the only good performances outside of Pertwee’s portrayal of the Doctor are the Brig and Sarah Jane Smith who witness the regeneration. There are also white actors in “Yellow Face.” This is a terrible serial and one you should skip. Jon Pertwee deserved a so much better story.

Final Score: 4 / 10

The 3rd Doctor – Season 11, Serial 5 – “Planet of the Spiders” – Bad Action and Writing Only Elevated by Performances

12th) The 7th Doctor – “Doctor Who: The Movie”

“Doctor Who: The Movie” is a bad film and part of why it is bad is how it handles the 7th Doctor’s regeneration. It isn’t purposeful as the Master escapes and sets up the Doctor to get shot, which the Master couldn’t have predicted. The 7th Doctor is sleepwalking through it all too, which is a shame as he was the chessmaster Doctor and strategist and we get none of that here. The Master forcing the regeneration is an accident and the 7th Doctor has no purpose or preparation. It is simply a regeneration that happens setting the tone for a bad film.

Final Score: 5 / 10

12 Days of Doctors – The 8th Doctor – “Doctor Who: The Movie” – Paul McGann Should Have Got a Series

11th) The 5th Doctor – “The Caves of Androzani”

Much like the 3rd Doctor and the Eight-Legs enemy he has no personal connection with the 5th Doctor has no connection to the civil war happening in this serial and he is poisoned by accident. The only reason it isn’t lower is he is risking his life to save his companion Peri and he is the one good person in the entire story so it says something about the Doctor in that way. This still isn’t a serial I’d recommend watching though. There are no compelling characters and it depends entirely on the dark tone and action to carry it outside of Davison’s charisma.

Final Score: 6.4 / 10

The 5th Doctor – Season 21, Serial 6 – “The Caves of Androzani” – The Doctor in the Middle of a Story of Betrayal and Revenge

10th) The 10th Doctor – “The End of Time Part 1 and 2”

David Tennant’s 10th Doctor was my first Doctor and he is one of my favorites. This is a story that drags and the Master’s plan and motivation do not work. We get some good Time Lord lore and story but it is never explained and the inconsistent tone and so many moments of nonsense keep this story from being enjoyable. The 10th Doctor at least got some great conversations with Wilfred and his last good-byes to his past companions keeps me from rating it lower.

Final Score: 6.5 / 10

The 10th Doctor – Doctor Who Specials – “The End of Time Part 1 and 2” – Terrible Pacing and Plot With Moments of Profound Connection

9th) 11th Doctor – “The Time of the Doctor”

“The Time of the Doctor” is a mess with quite a bit of “tell over show” and the Doctor being a creep. It still ends up being an enjoyable story though for how it wraps up the plot threads of the crack in reality, Trenzalore and the Silence and for the support characters like Handles and Orla Brady’s Tasha Lem who elevate the score. It also is short compared to “The End of Time Parts 1 and 2” which makes it work as it doesn’t waste time. It isn’t good but it is a flawed and enjoyable mess with the Doctor defending the Time Lords from the Daleks and going into the unknown with new regenerations as his were coming to an end.

Final Score: 7 / 10

The 11th Doctor – Doctor Who Specials – “The Time of the Doctor” – The Missed Opportunities of Trenzalore and the Problem of Prophecies

8th) The 4th Doctor – “Logopolis”

“Logopolis” is a story that doesn’t take time to reflect on the stakes of it’s own story as Nyssa’s father is killed and possessed by the Master and Logopolis is destroyed, setting off the destruction of the universe. But it works because of how personal the stakes are and that the Master and Doctor do work together to fix the Master’s mistake until his inevitable betrayal. The 4th Doctor’s last act is saving the universe making his distance from is companions through the serial all the personal as it was him grappling his his mortality. Tom Baker does an amazing job it is just the lack of exploration of all that was lost and slow start that keeps the serial from being good.

Final Score: 7.5 / 10

The 4th Doctor – Season 18, Serial 7 – “Logopolis” – Story is Cluttered but the Master and Doctor Relationship Works

7th) The 6th Doctor – “The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure”

Colin Baker was smart to have Big Finish Productions and their audio-dramas tell his last story as his relationship to his companions through time and the Valeyard, his future darker self is explored. There are 4 1 hour long audio-dramas and the 6th Doctor’s stubborn is used for good as we see him at his most empathetic. In the end he chooses death and his regeneration to stop the Valeyard from replacing him and it illustrates just how good he was. It also is what ties into the first 7th Doctor serial as the events of the last audio-drama set it up. The reason it isn’t higher is some of the stories needed more development of the characters.

Final Score: 8.3 / 10

The 6th Doctor – Big Finish Productions – “The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure” – The Valeyard and the Doctor and the Final Confrontation

6th) The 2nd Doctor – “The War Games”

“The War Games” suffers the most from padding and length, it is a 10 episode serial. This doesn’t stop it from being a really good story as it is a rogue Time Lord in the War Chief pulling people from different eras of history that forces the Doctor to call on the Time Lords and be judged for his interference in history, leading to his exile on Earth as the 3rd Doctor. It is deeply personal too as his companions forget all but their first adventure with him and whenever they tried to escape or fight back the Time Lord’s power was too much. This regeneration is a tragedy that only the Doctor’s fight for good keeps from being worse as they Time Lords think he should still be around to fight evil. Patrick Troughton is one of my favorite Doctors and this serial captures that so well.

Final Score: 8.7 / 10

The 2nd Doctor – Season 6, Serial 7 – “The War Games” – An Introduction to the Time Lords and a Farewell

5th) The 13th Doctor – “The Power of the Doctor”

Like most Chibnall stories this one is a bit overstuffed and convoluted but what it gets right it does brilliantly. In this we see the Doctor’s relationship to past and current companions and they are key to the plot and saving her as well as us getting more time with the Master and finally getting to see the CyberMasters in action. The regeneration itself is really peaceful too and is the Doctor putting her best foot forward for creating a new future. A big reason I’m not rating this story higher is there was no reason for the Daleks to be in this plot and some of the details are missing in the overall story. Still it is a really good regeneration story. Jodie Whittaker really gave her Doctor a good send-off.

Final Score: 8.8 / 10

The 13th Doctor – “The Power of the Doctor” – Doctor Who Specials – A Reflection on Legacy and the Companionships of the Doctor

4th) The 9th Doctor – “Bad Wolf” and “The Parting of the Ways”

The 9th Doctor’s regeneration is powerful as it is his facing the Time War and to not be the destroyer he was during it. It is his him choosing healing and “Bad Wolf” and “The Parting of the Ways” tell that story well. The only reason I don’t rate it higher is “Bad Wolf” is a it too pop culture referency in the game shows and we never fully explore and know if the Daleks destroyed all humans on Earth. The Dalek Emperor and self-hating human-made Daleks is compelling though. The Doctor regenerating to save Rose is great though as are his last words recognizing how fantastic both of them were.

Final Score: 9 / 10

The 9th Doctor – Series 1, Episodes 12 and 13 – “Bad Wolf” and “The Parting of the Ways” – The Time War’s Transformations

3rd) The 1st Doctor – “The Tenth Planet”

“The Tenth Planet” is the 1st Doctor’s regeneration and works so amazingly given footage was lost so had to be animated to go with audio and Hartnell was sick so the story had to work with the Doctor not in the last parts of the story beyond voice over. The fact that this works speaks to how well Hartnell’s Doctor worked. This story introduces the Cybermen and their actions are what bring about his regeneration as they are an overwhelming threat that are only one through the Doctor outsmarting them. His acceptance of his death is powerful and the only reason I don’t rate it higher is due to the Doctor’s companion Polly being sidelined. She should have been as active in the plot as the other companion Ben.

Final Score: 9.5 / 10

The 1st Doctor – Season 4, Serial 2 – “The Tenth Planet” – Survival and Change and the Introduction to the Cybermen

2nd) The 12th Doctor – “Twice Upon a Time”

Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor is my favorite Doctor and this story is the introspection of his Doctor on full display as he is choosing whether to regenerate or not after all he’s lost as well as him looking back on his past through the lens of the 1st Doctor he is with. This is a deeply personal episode and it gets so much right. I wish he hadn’t got the memory of Clara back though as that was consequence of the adventures. The critique of the past doesn’t always work but the Doctor’s regeneration is intentional with kindness at the core with Capaldi’s monologue for who he hopes the 13th Doctor will be. I loved this and even though all the past reflection doesn’t always work, the core story does. 12th’s regeneration brought about by the death of his companions by the Cybermen and the death of the Master who was now his friend and ally in Missy from Simm’s Master would leave this Doctor broken so him choosing regeneration meant something.

Final Score: 9.6 / 10

The 12th Doctor – Doctor Who Specials – “Twice Upon a Time” – Reflecting, Critiquing and Honoring the Old to the New to Bring the 13th Doctor

1st) The 8th Doctor – “The Night of the Doctor”

Much like how personal the 12th Doctor’s regeneration is, the 8th is is even more-so. It is only kept from perfection by us not getting enough time with the potential companion Cass and not getting any hints of what the 8th Doctor has been up during the Time War. In this we have the Sisterhood of Karn return as the Doctor must choose who he wants to regenerate to be as he chooses to be a warrior and no longer a Doctor as we see the Daleks and Time Lords have no doubt lead to the loss of potential companions and friends like Cass so he must no longer be a Doctor to change it. It is an amazing performance and I am still hoping for that Paul McGann mini-series to see what lead up this universe changing moment.

Final Score: 9.8 / 10

The 8th Doctor – Doctor Who Specials – “The Night of the Doctor” – The Cost to Ending the Time War

Here is what the next regeneration stories bring.

Here is my prior list:

“Doctor Who” Regenerations – Worst to Best

“Doctor Who” Regenerations – Worst to Best

As we have yet to have a release date for the 13th Doctor’s regeneration story I wanted to create the list of how I’d rate the “Doctor Who” regeneration stories so far. It was so much fun returning to these stories and I can’t wait to see what Chibnall does to end his run as the 13th Doctor regenerates into the 14th Doctor. Until that point, here is how I’d rate the “Doctor Who” regenerations thus far.

For the score it really depends on how personal the regeneration is the story it takes place in, what it means to the Doctor, how it is brought about and if there is any intention behind those bringing about the regeneration or the Doctor in how he faces it.

SPOILERS ahead

12th) The 3rd Doctor – “Planet of the Spiders”

This is the worst of the “Doctor Who” regeneration stories and it is a shame because Jon Pertwee’s 3rd Doctor is one of my favorite Doctors. In this the enemies are space spiders called Eight-Legs and they force the Doctor’s regeneration. They have no personal connection to the Doctor and the only good performances outside of Pertwee’s portrayal of the Doctor are the Brig and Sarah Jane Smith who witness the regeneration. There are also white actors in “Yellow Face.” This is a terrible serial and one you should skip. Jon Pertwee deserved a so much better story.

Final Score: 4 / 10

The 3rd Doctor – Season 11, Serial 5 – “Planet of the Spiders” – Bad Action and Writing Only Elevated by Performances

11th) The 7th Doctor – “Doctor Who: The Movie”

“Doctor Who: The Movie” is a bad film and part of why it is bad is how it handles the 7th Doctor’s regeneration. It isn’t purposeful as the Master escapes and sets up the Doctor to get shot, which the Master couldn’t have predicted. The 7th Doctor is sleepwalking through it all too, which is a shame as he was the chessmaster Doctor and strategist and we get none of that here. The Master forcing the regeneration is an accident and the 7th Doctor has no purpose or preparation. It is simply a regeneration that happens setting the tone for a bad film.

Final Score: 5 / 10

12 Days of Doctors – The 8th Doctor – “Doctor Who: The Movie” – Paul McGann Should Have Got a Series

10th) The 5th Doctor – “The Caves of Androzani”

Much like the 3rd Doctor and the Eight-Legs enemy he has no personal connection with the 5th Doctor has no connection to the civil war happening in this serial and he is poisoned by accident. The only reason it isn’t lower is he is risking his life to save his companion Peri and he is the one good person in the entire story so it says something about the Doctor in that way. This still isn’t a serial I’d recommend watching though. There are no compelling characters and it depends entirely on the dark tone and action to carry it outside of Davison’s charisma.

Final Score: 6.4 / 10

The 5th Doctor – Season 21, Serial 6 – “The Caves of Androzani” – The Doctor in the Middle of a Story of Betrayal and Revenge

9th) The 10th Doctor – “The End of Time Part 1 and 2”

David Tennant’s 10th Doctor was my first Doctor and he is one of my favorites. This is a story that drags and the Master’s plan and motivation do not work. We get some good Time Lord lore and story but it is never explained and the inconsistent tone and so many moments of nonsense keep this story from being enjoyable. The 10th Doctor at least got some great conversations with Wilfred and his last good-byes to his past companions keeps me from rating it lower.

Final Score: 6.5 / 10

The 10th Doctor – Doctor Who Specials – “The End of Time Part 1 and 2” – Terrible Pacing and Plot With Moments of Profound Connection

8th) 11th Doctor – “The Time of the Doctor”

“The Time of the Doctor” is a mess with quite a bit of “tell over show” and the Doctor being a creep. It still ends up being an enjoyable story though for how it wraps up the plot threads of the crack in reality, Trenzalore and the Silence and for the support characters like Handles and Orla Brady’s Tasha Lem who elevate the score. It also is short compared to “The End of Time Parts 1 and 2” which makes it work as it doesn’t waste time. It isn’t good but it is a flawed and enjoyable mess with the Doctor defending the Time Lords from the Daleks and going into the unknown with new regenerations as his were coming to an end.

Final Score: 7 / 10

The 11th Doctor – Doctor Who Specials – “The Time of the Doctor” – The Missed Opportunities of Trenzalore and the Problem of Prophecies

7th) The 4th Doctor – “Logopolis”

“Logopolis” is a story that doesn’t take time to reflect on the stakes of it’s own story as Nyssa’s father is killed and possessed by the Master and Logopolis is destroyed, setting off the destruction of the universe. But it works because of how personal the stakes are and that the Master and Doctor do work together to fix the Master’s mistake until his inevitable betrayal. The 4th Doctor’s last act is saving the universe making his distance from is companions through the serial all the personal as it was him grappling his his mortality. Tom Baker does an amazing job it is just the lack of exploration of all that was lost and slow start that keeps the serial from being good.

Final Score: 7.5 / 10

The 4th Doctor – Season 18, Serial 7 – “Logopolis” – Story is Cluttered but the Master and Doctor Relationship Works

6th) The 6th Doctor – “The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure”

Colin Baker was smart to have Big Finish Productions and their audio-dramas tell his last story as his relationship to his companions through time and the Valeyard, his future darker self is explored. There are 4 1 hour long audio-dramas and the 6th Doctor’s stubborn is used for good as we see him at his most empathetic. In the end he chooses death and his regeneration to stop the Valeyard from replacing him and it illustrates just how good he was. It also is what ties into the first 7th Doctor serial as the events of the last audio-drama set it up. The reason it isn’t higher is some of the stories needed more development of the characters.

Final Score: 8.3 / 10

The 6th Doctor – Big Finish Productions – “The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure” – The Valeyard and the Doctor and the Final Confrontation

5th) The 2nd Doctor – “The War Games”

“The War Games” suffers the most from padding and length, it is a 10 episode serial. This doesn’t stop it from being a really good story as it is a rogue Time Lord in the War Chief pulling people from different eras of history that forces the Doctor to call on the Time Lords and be judged for his interference in history, leading to his exile on Earth as the 3rd Doctor. It is deeply personal too as his companions forget all but their first adventure with him and whenever they tried to escape or fight back the Time Lord’s power was too much. This regeneration is a tragedy that only the Doctor’s fight for good keeps from being worse as they Time Lords think he should still be around to fight evil. Patrick Troughton is one of my favorite Doctors and this serial captures that so well.

Final Score: 8.7 / 10

The 2nd Doctor – Season 6, Serial 7 – “The War Games” – An Introduction to the Time Lords and a Farewell

4th) The 9th Doctor – “Bad Wolf” and “The Parting of the Ways”

The 9th Doctor’s regeneration is powerful as it is his facing the Time War and to not be the destroyer he was during it. It is his him choosing healing and “Bad Wolf” and “The Parting of the Ways” tell that story well. The only reason I don’t rate it higher is “Bad Wolf” is a it too pop culture referency in the game shows and we never fully explore and know if the Daleks destroyed all humans on Earth. The Dalek Emperor and self-hating human-made Daleks is compelling though. The Doctor regenerating to save Rose is great though as are his last words recognizing how fantastic both of them were.

Final Score: 9 / 10

The 9th Doctor – Series 1, Episodes 12 and 13 – “Bad Wolf” and “The Parting of the Ways” – The Time War’s Transformations

3rd) The 1st Doctor – “The Tenth Planet”

“The Tenth Planet” is the 1st Doctor’s regeneration and works so amazingly given footage was lost so had to be animated to go with audio and Hartnell was sick so the story had to work with the Doctor not in the last parts of the story beyond voice over. The fact that this works speaks to how well Hartnell’s Doctor worked. This story introduces the Cybermen and their actions are what bring about his regeneration as they are an overwhelming threat that are only one through the Doctor outsmarting them. His acceptance of his death is powerful and the only reason I don’t rate it higher is due to the Doctor’s companion Polly being sidelined. She should have been as active in the plot as the other companion Ben.

Final Score: 9.5 / 10

The 1st Doctor – Season 4, Serial 2 – “The Tenth Planet” – Survival and Change and the Introduction to the Cybermen

2nd) The 12th Doctor – “Twice Upon a Time”

Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor is my favorite Doctor and this story is the introspection of his Doctor on full display as he is choosing whether to regenerate or not after all he’s lost as well as him looking back on his past through the lens of the 1st Doctor he is with. This is a deeply personal episode and it gets so much right. I wish he hadn’t got the memory of Clara back though as that was consequence of the adventures. The critique of the past doesn’t always work but the Doctor’s regeneration is intentional with kindness at the core with Capaldi’s monologue for who he hopes the 13th Doctor will be. I loved this and even though all the past reflection doesn’t always work, the core story does. 12th’s regeneration brought about by the death of his companions by the Cybermen and the death of the Master who was now his friend and ally in Missy from Simm’s Master would leave this Doctor broken so him choosing regeneration meant something.

Final Score: 9.6 / 10

The 12th Doctor – Doctor Who Specials – “Twice Upon a Time” – Reflecting, Critiquing and Honoring the Old to the New to Bring the 13th Doctor

1st) The 8th Doctor – “The Night of the Doctor”

Much like how personal the 12th Doctor’s regeneration is, the 8th is is even more-so. It is only kept from perfection by us not getting enough time with the potential companion Cass and not getting any hints of what the 8th Doctor has been up during the Time War. In this we have the Sisterhood of Karn return as the Doctor must choose who he wants to regenerate to be as he chooses to be a warrior and no longer a Doctor as we see the Daleks and Time Lords have no doubt lead to the loss of potential companions and friends like Cass so he must no longer be a Doctor to change it. It is an amazing performance and I am still hoping for that Paul McGann mini-series to see what lead up this universe changing moment.

Final Score: 9.8 / 10

The 8th Doctor – Doctor Who Specials – “The Night of the Doctor” – The Cost to Ending the Time War

Looking forward to see how Chibnall tells the story of the 13th Doctor’s regeneration and where that story will fall on this list. How would you rate the regenerations of the Doctors? Curious to hear your thoughts.

Also here is a list of the first adventures of the Doctors I made and is updated with the 13th Doctor’s first adventure. Looking forward to adding the 14h Doctor’s first adventure to the list as well.:

Doctor Who – The Doctors’ First Adventures from Worst to Best

The 11th Doctor – Doctor Who Specials – “The Time of the Doctor” – The Missed Opportunities of Trenzalore and the Problem of Prophecies

We continue the lead up to the 13th Doctor’s regeneration episode with the 11th Doctor’s regeneration story in “The Time of the Doctor.” “The Time of the Doctor” is a story that isn’t good but I enjoyed it more than I expected as it wraps up the plot threads of Trenzalore, The Silence and the crack in reality. It doesn’t succeed in all of these but it was an enjoyable episode even if it is on the weaker side of regeneration stories.

The episode was directed by Jamie Payne and written by Steven Moffat.

The Doctor is brought to a mysterious planet of Trenzalore that he must defend from his foes who seek prevent the return of Gallifrey and the Time Lords.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Cinematography – As the series have continued the cinematography continues to be great and that is very much the case here. The scenes are beautifully shot and feel like the quality you would see in a high budget film.

The Soundtrack – Murray Gold continues to kill it with his score and that is very much the case here where he puts in a lot of the work when the script is falling short. This episode is told like a fairy tale and the score expresses that so well.

Handles – Handles is a Cyberman head working with the Doctor and he is great. He does what he wants while helping the Doctor and when he dies it is actually sad as he was the Doctor’s only friend we saw him with on Trenzalore after he sends Clara away. Moffat does a great job writing and giving complexity to his side characters.

Tasha Lem and the Church of the Silence – Orla Brady is an amazing actress and I loved her as Tasha Lem, the leader of the Church of the Papal Mainframe redubbed the Church of the Silence to make sure the Doctor is protected and that he doesn’t say his name and bring back the Time Lords. She fights off Dalek conditioning and is in the final battle of Trenzalore and is the one to bring Clara back to Trenzalore which leads to the the Time Lords giving the Doctor more regenerations.

Protecting Gallifrey to Prevent the Time War Returning – The idea of the Church of the Papal Mainframe seeking to keep the Doctor silent so that the Time Lords won’t return and Time War won’t restart is compelling especially since the Daleks and the Church end up defeating the Weeping Angels, Sontarans and Cybermen leaving them as the last 2 factions. The Daleks as the final boos works so well especially since they want to destroy the Time Lords and Doctor the most. This core plot of defending the Time Lords I liked a lot, especially how the final battle had the Daleks winning, forcing the Time Lords to intervene and help the Doctor, giving him the new regenerations.

Okay:

Clara – Jenna Coleman does a good job but her character is written as attracted to the Doctor and him to her and it feels off. She is still the “Impossible Girl” plot device except this time it is saving the Doctor by convincing the Time Lords to give the Doctor more regenerations. She isn’t bad but in the plot she’s just okay.

The Cons:

Tell Over Show – The story is told like a fairy tale with Tasha Lem narrating to start and like “The End of Time” this hurts the story. Stop telling us the story and show us. We don’t need to be told what we are seeing. This is the problem with prophecies as they turn into stories told and take away character agency and give us “tell over show.”

The Town of Christmas – We get a Dickens village that doesn’t advance over hundreds of years and is static. First, the name is dumb and is a cheap way to make it a “Christmas special” and you have the Papal Mainframe advanced technology and the Doctor. The town should change and we don’t see it.

The Missed Opportunities of Trenzalore – Trenzalore is where the Doctor’s allies were supposed to die and besides Handles we don’t see any of them die. We should have lost the Paternoster Gang here. Trenzalore needed consequence beyond a regeneration we know is coming. The Kovarian faction should have shown up here too given they were an offshoot of The Church of the Silence who tried to kill the Doctor and blew up the TARDIS.

The Doctor and Women – The 11th Doctor is one of my lower rated Doctors because of how he acts around women. He kisses Tasha Lem without asking her(2nd time I know of, of the 11th Doctor doing this to a character) and his objectification of Clara as his “Impossible Girl” and mixed romantic signals he sends her. This is Moffat writing at his worst and I’m glad Capaldi’s 12th Doctor was nothing like this and owned up to the 11th Doctor’s actions.

This was an enjoyable and deeply flawed regeneration story. Trenzalore was not made the most of and the story lacks consequences of how important it was setup to be. This story needed more development to be good and I wish it had been given how many plot threads it took to arrive here. I do think this story works enough to be a flawed enjoyable episode though and is worth checking out.

Final Score: 7 / 10

Here is my review of the 12th Doctor regeneration story:

The 12th Doctor – Doctor Who Specials – “Twice Upon a Time” – Reflecting, Critiquing and Honoring the Old to the New to Bring the 13th Doctor

The 10th Doctor – Doctor Who Specials – “The End of Time Part 1 and 2” – Terrible Pacing and Plot With Moments of Profound Connection

“The End of Time Part 1 and 2” are not a good regeneration story. This is a shame as the 10th Doctor was my first Doctor and one of my favorites but the story is so much happenstance and chance for moving forward and drags throughout both parts. It is really Bernard Cribbin’s Wilfred and David Tennant’s conversations that keep the story from being bad as at times Davies gives us profound moments of connection, even if it is in a terrible plot.

The episodes were directed by Euros Lyn and written by Russell T. Davies.

As the Doctor seeks to escape his regeneration he is pulled back into danger when his old Nemesis the Master returns as forces beyond them both plot.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Cinematography – There are great moments of cinematography in this and it is a good looking two-parter, especially with the wide cinematic shots. Sadly it doesn’t boost the story at all.

The Soundtrack – Murray Gold is putting in some of his best work with this special as he elevates scenes from the conversations with Wilfred to the Doctor’s farewell. His music from these episodes are songs I stilll come back to.

Rassilon – Timothy Dalton is wonderful as Rassilon and his desperate plot to save his people from annihilation in the Time War is compelling. His plan for the Time Lord to ascend isn’t explained well but I liked how well he played the desperate leader seeking to stave off annihilation. I hope we see this version of Rassilon again as Dalton has presence and he owned all his scenes.

Wilfred – Wilfred is the Doctor’s companion in this and is there to remind the Doctor of his mortality, given Wilfred is old. He is also Donna’s grandfather so he is the Doctor’s way of checking up on how she is doing after the events of the Series 4 finale where the Doctor wiped her memory of him to save her life. They have so many great conversations and Wilfred keeps the Doctor good as being alone is when he went selfish and cruel during he specials and it is Wilfred saving another that gets Wilfred trapped, leading to the Doctor sacrificing himself to save him. Bernard Cribbins is amazing and is such a good companion.

The Doctor – The Doctor facing his coming “death” and regeneration is the theme of the Doctor’s story these two episodes and when he is talking to Wilfred it is done well. The Doctor is afraid but driven to write the wrongs in stopping the Master and later the Time Lords. David Tennant is giving his all and his final act of sacrifice and his good-byes to his companions are memorable as his his returning the Time Lords back to the Time War to save time from being destroyed. I wish he’d gotten a better story as the themes are all great and Tennant is amazing as video.

Discussions of Mortality and Humanity – We have some amazing discussions of mortality in this, from the Time Lords fear of death leading to time’s eventual annihilation to the 10th Doctor willingness to finally regenerate showing he can change unlike the Time Lords and Master. The 10th Doctor describes humans as giants and you see how much he cares for humanity. These conversations are the best parts in episodes that aren’t good.

The Doctor’s Good-byes – The Doctor says good-bye to Martha, Jack, attends Donna’s wedding and gives her the winning lottery ticket and even meets the ancestor of the woman he was with him “Human Nature” and “Family of Blood” before seeing Rose one last time before he regenerates into the 11th Doctor before saying he, “Doesn’t want to go.” It is a sad and a powerful good-bye.

The Cons:

The Pacing – These episodes are really slow with a lot of wasted time of characters running around or sitting around. These were bad as there wasn’t talking or character moments, it was just burning time to get to the point.

The Action – The action isn’t good. You have the Master turning skeletal and eating people and random gunfights shot in darkness so you can’t see anything. The action is really bad in this.

Tonal Whiplash – You have the Time War and the Master’s madness and trauma attempted being explored with bad jokes and the Master turning everyone into him and at one point a bunch of older folks working wit Wilfred to find the Doctor. There is no consistent tone so it hurts the dramatic scenes which are well written some of the time.

Tell Over Show – Rassilon is telling us the story via prophecy and explaining the plot and this “tell over show” is constant through both episodes. This is part of what makes the pacing feel so awful most of the time.

The Master and his Nonsense Plot – The Master exploits a random Vinvocci “Immortality Gate” that a corrupt billionaire is using and turns everyone on Earth into him except the Doctor, Donna and Wilfred. The plot is dumb and all random chance. The Master is just eating everything, including people and feels like a bad joke. This version of the Master feels like “Doctor Who: The Movie” where all we have is bad camp trying to be scary but just coming off as gross. This was one of the worst Master portrayals.

The Problem of Prophecy – The entire plot is prophecy with the Ood saying it the Time Lords having and with it all choices are made less as the Doctor’s agency is stolen, as is the Master with him being made a weapon of he Time Lords. This hurt the plot overall in both parts.

The Master and Doctor relationship is mostly wasted in this as so much time is wasted to gt the point. What keeps the story from being bad are the moments of profound connection between Wilfred and the Doctor and I liked the Gallifrey plot, even if it wasn’t explored enough. For this reason I would recommend checking out the good-bye scenes and conversations but you this two-parter isn’t worth it as a whole.

“Part 1” Score: 6 / 10

“Part 2” Score: 7 / 10

Final Score: 6.5 / 10 Only reason it isn’t rated lower is because of those profound moments of connection between characters who deserved a better story.

The 9th Doctor – Series 1, Episodes 12 and 13 – “Bad Wolf” and “The Parting of the Ways” – The Time War’s Transformations

We continue the lead up to the 13th Doctor’s regeneration story with the 9th Doctor’s regeneration story in the two-part story “Bad Wolf” and “The Parting of the Ways.” These episodes were better tan I remember and I do recommend them both, though they get off to an uneven start they end up giving a great payoff to the Time War and how it changed characters. Christopher Eccleston is amazing and is one of my favorite Doctors, so I’m glad he got more than a singly episode to tell this story.

The episodes were directed by Joe Ahearne and written by Russell T. Davies.

When the Doctor finds himself trapped on a mysterious and deadly game show he must find out who is controlling the Controller of the games and save Jack and Rose.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

Resistance to the Daleks and the Game – We learn by the end of “Bad Wolf” that the Controller saw the Doctor as her way to fight back against Dalek enslavement. It is powerful and her final acts of resistance are echoed later in characters like Lynda who could have been potential companions and the people working the games who fight back. All die except for Jack who is brought back by the Bad Wolf Entity.

Jack Harkness – Jack Harkness shows he is a good guy in this and his affection for Rose and the Doctor when he kisses them both when he goes to fight the Daleks, which he believes to be going to his death. He also frees himself from the deadly game show on his own too and supports the Doctor in his mission to destroy the Daleks. All of this makes the Doctor leaving him behind when he is resurrected all the more tragic.

Rose and the Bad Wolf Entity – Rose needs rescuing in “Bad Wolf” but in “The Parting of the Ways” she is the one saving the Doctor as she figures out the power of the Time Vortex and uses it to become the Bad Wolf Entity, closing the time loop of the season. She saves the Doctor and is there for his regeneration as we are left wondering how much she remembers as the Bad Wolf Entity which was basically Rose and the TARDIS as one. I wish she remembered more as when she is the Bad Wolf her and the Doctor have full understanding of each other.

The Cost of the Time War – The Daleks ruin 100 years of human history to make more Daleks from humans and the Doctor is left with the choice to wipe out all humanity and the Daleks or let the Daleks win. The echoes of what the Time War has done is still real and causing death this series and it accumulates in the Doctor against the Dalek Emperor.

The Dalek Emperor and Daleks – The Dalek Emperor is fascinating as he fell through time and survived the Time War and believed himself to be a God because of it as he made his self-hating Daleks created from dead humans worship him. It is personal too as he wants to make the Doctor like him and doesn’t care if he dies. This is a fascinating faction of Daleks who are transformed from surviving the war that wiped out all Daleks and Time Lords.

The Doctor – The Doctor is wonderful as always in this. He nearly has a new companion in Lynda who he inspires to fight the Daleks and for the first time this series chooses not to destroy. We see him beginning to heal when he refuses to fire the weapon that will wipe out humans and Daleks. This leads to the Bad Wolf saving him and wiping out the Daleks and the Doctor saving Rose by absorbing the time vortex so she won’t burn up. His regeneration is short and powerful as he tells Rose she was fantastic, and that he was too.

The Cons:

Introduction of the Games – There is some awkward direction of the game shows as they get setup and it takes a while to establish the stakes which hurts the tension as a lot of the side characters are pretty one-dimesional. This part of the scrip in “Bad Wolf” needed work.

Some of the Soundtrack – Back to bad in the games. The first game has loud techno music that is just awful. It makes no sense in the context of the show and I don’t why Murray Gold thought it was a good idea. Murray Gold’s music is usually amazing but there were some bad choices at times in these two episodes.

The State of Earth and Humanity at Story’s End – Is anyone left on Earth? We see the Daleks bomb all the continents and kill everyone on the satellite. What was the point? Human colonists are referenced once but more was needed as the Dalek victory feels so complete. Who did the Bad Wolf save in the end besides Jack and the Doctor?

This is one of the better regeneration stories for “Doctor Who.” “Bad Wolf” is good even if the characters and game show setup doesn’t always work. It keeps tension well and “The Parting of the Ways” is a great episode with the Daleks forming a religious cult around their Emperor and being made from humans as is the Doctor choosing not to destroy. He is finally no longer defined by being “The oncoming storm” and destroyer. For these reasons and more I highly recommend this two-part story.

“Bad Wolf” Score: 8.5 / 10 Is good with tension but some of the side characters aren’t well written and the pop culture references of the reality games is a tired trope.

“The Parting of the Ways” Score: 9.5 / 10 Great way to wrap up the Dalek Emperor and Doctor story but not perfect due to the ambiguity if any of humanity on Earth is even left after the Dalek invasion.

Final Score: 9 / 10 Solidly great regeneration story for the Doctor.

The 6th Doctor – Big Finish Productions – “The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure” – The Valeyard and the Doctor and the Final Confrontation

The 6th Doctor never had a show or film for his regeneration but Big Finish Productions did convince Colin Baker to come back for this story so his regeneration story could still be told. This is my first audio-production review and I’ll be reviewing the 4 dramas that make up this last adventure for the 6th Doctor and his regeneration into the 7th Doctor in the lead-up to the 13th Doctor’s regeneration. I’m so glad these exist as I’ve loved audio-storytelling and it was in the audio being saved in how so many Classic “Doctor Who” adventures still exist and became saved through animation later. I hope that Big Finish can eventually do it for this last adventure too and make it official canon and animates this last adventure as I don’t see the BBC giving us another story and so much work went into this last adventure for Colin Baker’s 6th Doctor.

Nicholas Briggs directed all 4 audio-dramas and I’ll credit the writers for their individual stories.

The 4 dramas explore the Valeyard’s plot as the Doctor seeks to stop him.

SPOILERS ahead

The End of the Line

Written by Simon Barnard & Paul Morris

The story has the Doctor and his companion Constance seeking to stop the unraveling of a dimensional nexus that exists as a train station as the Master must be stopped from unraveling all reality. The story is solid with the Valeyard showing up after the Doctor convinces the Normans (folks who run the dimension for the now extinct “Parallel Faction” to save the dimensions.) to stop the Master and the Valeyard stops the Master from interfering as we learn this Train Station Nexus is where he recharges his power. Constance was a good companion taking control of situations but a lot of the supporting cast never got beyond base stock characters except for the Master reveal and Valeyard arrival.

Score: 8 / 10 Solidly good story.

The Red House

Written by Alan Barnes

The Doctor and his companion Charley end up in a village of inverted werewolves who are intelligent in their werewolf forms and aggressive in their human forms. The conflict around the human colonists on the mainland and werewolves is good but isn’t given much depth. The most interesting story parts are the Valeyard manipulating Charley as his plot continues to unfold and the Doctor’s empathy and fighting for the werewolves. Charley has awareness of time given she’s an 8th Doctor companion as the Valeyard points out so it adds a complicated element to her relationship with the Doctor. I liked Constance better though as Charley has no awareness of her wealth, privilege and classism so her only plus as a companion is her awareness and relationship to the Doctor’s future 8th incarnation that she can’t talk to the 6th Doctor about.

Score: 7.3 / 10

Stage Fright

Written by Matt Fitton

The Valeyard’s plot in Victorian London is unraveled as he recreates plays of the past Doctor regenerations to reinvigorate himself and consume the Doctor. The Valeyard succeeds to strengthen himself though the Doctor’s companion Flip stops him from fully consuming the Doctor. The past returning characters from Victorian England are okay as is Flip but the Doctor’s self-reflection and the Valeyard threat make this story good. The internal conflict within Colin Baker’s 6th Doctor really strengthens the story and it is the most personal in the lead up to the final audio-drama.

Score: 8.4 / 10

The Brink of Death

Written by Nicholas Briggs

This final story really is an amazing send-up to the 6th Doctor. The Doctor uses the own Valeyard’s plan against him as he starves the Nathemus who were letting the Valeyard possess the Doctor and trap him in the Matrix, in turn allowing the Valeyard to escape. This is a personal story and the Valeyard confronting his darker self in the Valeyard is powerful as the Doctor chooses possible permanent Death and regeneration and in turn defeats the Valeyard. This personal fight and denying Valeyard conquest of the Time Lords is an amazing end to the terrible introduction he received in “The Twin Dilemma” as Colin Baker receives a great send-off to his Doctor. Mel is present as the 6th Doctor’s companion to tie into her being Sylvester McCoy’s 7th Doctor’s companion at the beginning of his run.

Score: 9 / 10

For an introduction to Big Finish Audio Productions and the first 6th Doctor story that was actually good this is one I recommend. The companions aren’t the strongest part but they are never bad and the Doctor and Valeyard plot that is the heart of the story works. It is a shame Colin Baker couldn’t get more stories like these during his run on the show and that it took Big Finish Productions for his Doctor to receive quality stories.

Final Score: 8.3 / 10

The 5th Doctor – Season 21, Serial 6 – “The Caves of Androzani” – The Doctor in the Middle of a Story of Betrayal and Revenge

As we work I way to the 13th Doctor’s upcoming regeneration story next we have the 5th Doctor’s regeneration story in “The Caves of Androzani.” This is a serial that succeeds in the dark tone and action but fails in giving compelling characters who are any deeper than what they appear to be. Peter Davison carries this serial and makes it okay but I failed to enjoy it. The characters needed nuance for this story to fully work and there wasn’t any nuance or character depth present.

The serial was directed by Graeme Harper and written by Robert Holmes.

The Doctor and Peri find themselves trapped in the middle of a war for the life-prolonging substance of “spectrox” on the planet Androzani Minor.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Tone – The dark tone works well in this serial. The war is established early and we see how ruthless the Adrozani Major leaders are in Morgus and his general Chellak are as well as Sharaz Jek and his androids are as well as a group of mercenaries are who are being used by Morgus are too. The dark and bleak tone of this story works for the story being told.

The Action – The action is good in this and never lags. We have the mercenaries fighting the Adrozani Major military and same goes with the mercs. This is an action heavy serial given the war story and it is one of the strongest elements.

The Doctor – The Doctor and Peri begin dying pretty early on and the Doctor’s motives are to save and cure Peri through the serial. He is the only good person in this entire story and it really demonstrates why he is a hero. It is a shame the 6th Doctor introduction has this new regeneration as terrible. Still Peter Davison is giving his all and gives us an amazing performance in his last serial.

The Themes of Revenge and Betrayal – Morgus betrayed Sharaz Jek leading to him being scarred by the mud, leading to Morgus getting killed by him. Morgus’s secretary also takes over after Morgus had killed the President and went to get the “spectrox.” Revenge and betrayal is a constant theme and the secretary is one of the few characters to survive. Everyone on Androzani Minor dies with the Doctor and Peri just escaping.

Okay:

Peri – Peri’s action isn’t consistent and she is captured most of the time. I didn’t think she was entirely a con and was okay as she at least wasn’t just a passive person following the Doctor. I got their friendship in this.

The Cons:

The Factions and Leaders – All the leaders are awful cruel. Morgus is paranoid, Sharaz Jek is a creep and Chellak and the Merc leader are just cruel and blindly following orders. There is no depth and beyond base character motivations and it keeps the story from being enjoyable.

The Regeneration and 6th Doctor Introduction – We get the 5th Doctor’s companions telling him to live and the Master telling him to die. It is a mess of a presentation and the 6th Doctor appears and insults Peri showing he’s cruel like everyone in this story. The 5th Doctor’s empathy is gone now and with us is just another cruel character. Why should we care about this new Doctor?

This story is okay but needed more nuance and depth to be enjoyable or good. The fact the regeneration is bad doesn’t help. Still as a darker Doctor serial this story is worth checking out as Davison is giving his all and does a great job. It is a shame he wasn’t given a better final serial, though this isn’t the worst of the “Doctor Who” regeneration stories.

Final Score: 6.4 / 10

The 4th Doctor – Season 18, Serial 7 – “Logopolis” – Story is Cluttered but the Master and Doctor Relationship Works

We continue the Doctor regeneration stories in the lead up to the 13th Doctor’s regeneration with the 4th Doctor’s final serial in “Logopolis.” This is a story that suffers from a bit of a cluttered cast and a bit too much tell over show but is still an enjoyable sendup to Tom Baker’s 4th Doctor. This one is worth checking out, especially once the story takes off.

The serial was directed by Peter Grimwade and written by Christoper H. Bidmead.

The Doctor and Master must form a temporary truce when the Master’s plot on Logopolis leads to the universe unraveling and must be stopped.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

Saving the Universe – When we finally get to the Master’s plot and him showing up the story takes off as we have the Doctor, Master and Tegan as one team and Nyssa and Adric on the other team as they must work to save the universe’s destruction. It keeps the tension going and gives actions for all the characters.

The Master – Anthony Ainley does a great job as the Master as he seeks to save the universe after he nearly caused the end of the universe but also seeks to blackmail the universe and control it. He never stops being a villain so it creates another problem the Doctor must face through the serial.

The Doctor – Tom Baker’s 4th Doctor is one of my favorite Doctors and in this we see him seeking to protect his companions and save the universe while still keeping distance between his companions as he knows his death and regeneration is coming. Tom Baker gives such amazing pathos and his remembering all his companions before regenerating is a powerful scene as his last act saves the universe and stops the Master’s takeover plot.

The Doctor’s Good-bye – Adric, Nyssa and Tegan all call out the Doctor’s name as he recalls Romana, Sarah Jane Smith, K-9 and all past companions over his run. There is sadness in it but it is touching soon as he remembers those closest to him before he regenerates into the 5th Doctor.

Okay:

Logopolis – You have a civilization of white haired humanoids who compute through language and keep the universe going. They don’t get much depth than this though and mostly exist as an interesting idea. With more development the planet and people could have been a pro.

The Companions – Nyssa’s father was killed and body possessed by the Master and the Master killed Tegan’s Aunt. We get moments of sadness but not time to mourn as like Adric they are largely plot devices driving the plot. This is the problem with 3 companions as no one gets development. Still all the performances are good they just deserved time to be better explored as characters, especially Tegan as this was her introduction story.

The Cons:

The Setup and Pacing – The first 2 of 4 episodes lack focus and because of it have really slow pacing. All of it is meant to be setup of the Master causing the accidental unraveling of the universe but not enough is done to focus on that coming up or to explore Tegan and Adric as characters.

Tell Over Show – We are told what Logopolis. We are told Tegan is an airline stewardess and that is it. So much of the first 2 episodes are tell over show and it keeps the story from ever reaching the levels of good.

This was an enjoyable serial that with a bit more development could have been good or great. With less companions the story could have been more focused and with it Logopolis as a planet and people could have been better explored too. Still this was an enjoyable regeneration episode that I do recommend.

Final Score: 7.5 / 10 Boosted by the Doctor’s good-bye and seeing his past companions before regenerating.

The 2nd Doctor – Season 6, Serial 7 – “The War Games” – An Introduction to the Time Lords and a Farewell

We continue the covering of Doctor regeneration stories in “The War Games.” “The War Games” is a flawed but good final adventure for Patrick Troughton’s 2nd Doctor. In this we are introduced to the Time Lords for the first time and have a compelling plot for the Doctor and his companions to uncover. This serial is long though and though good is extremely flawed, still worth checking out for classic “Doctor Who” though.

The serial was directed by David Maloney and written by Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke.

The Doctor and his companions Jamie and Zoe find themselves trapped on an alien planet that has brainwashed humans through history taking part in war games in an alien plot to conquer the galaxy.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Doctor’s Allies – Lady Jennifer and Lt. Carstairs are from the World War 1 zone and are first to help the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe escape. At one point Lady Jennifer just disappears from the story but before that these 2 are the reason the Doctor figures out the war games are happening.

The Resistance – I like that people from different war zones broke their conditioning. It showed that the War Lords plot was flawed thinking he could control people as each zone had a resistance movement. This helped the story flow and they were key to stopping the plan of the War Lords.

The War Chief – The War Chief is a Time Lord who is working with the War Lords to use them and the plan to rule the galaxy. He reminded me a lot of the Master given his conquering ambition and voice inflection but in the end is killed when he tells the Doctor his plan to overthrow the War Lord and the leader War Lord figures it out and kills him for it. He cared for the Doctor which was interesting too as he saw solidarity in their exile from the Time Lords. Edward Brayshaw was compelling in the role.

The War Lord – The War Lord is leader of the aliens called the War Lords and ends up being quite a threat as he nearly escapes Time Lord justice and even kills the War Chief before the War Chief can kill him. He is erased from time for his cruelty though and his planet is placed in stasis so it cannot conquer. He was a good threat and his plans mostly worked it was just the Security Chief and War Chief not working together that foiled his scheme of conquest. Philip Madoc gave him a very cold threatening demeanor that made him stand out as a foe to the Doctor.

The Time Lords – The Time Lords are shown to be so powerful that the Doctor has no where to run, the people pulled from time are returned to their times and the War Lord is erased from time and erasing Zoe and Jamie’s memories of the Doctor so they’d only remember the first adventures they had with the Doctor. They also have a sense of fairness too as they chose Earth to exile the Doctor given his connection to the place and they agreed that he should be around to stop evil. It really is a great first introduction. The Judges are 3 Time Lords.

Jamie – Frazer Hines’s Jamie is a wonderful companion as we see him always seeking allies and to help the Doctor. It makes his good-bye all the sadder given how long he’s traveled with the Doctor. He even stands up to the Time Lords, which is probably why they let him team up again with the 2nd Doctor in a Multi-Doctors Story.

Zoe – Wendy Padbury’s Zoe is the brains of the group as we see her organize the resistance and figure out the War Lords technology and stand up to folks on multiple occasions. She is never passive and is always seeking to solve problems. She was a great companion and like Jamie’s good-bye her’s was sad.

The Doctor – Troughton’s trickster Doctor is fully on display in this as we see him trick people in the war zones to learn what is going on and even pretend to join the War Lord at one point to save the resistance leaders and his companions. It also hurts for him to call in the Time Lords but he does it since he knows it is the only way to return everyone to their time periods. He stands up to the Time Lords though and they listen to his need for action to stop evil and not non-interference. All of this illustrates so many reasons why he is one of my favorite Doctors and his good-bye to his companions is sad and powerful before the Time Lords force him to regenerate and exile him to earth with no memory of how to work the TARDIS until they deem time.

The Cons:

The Beginning – We spent way too long in the World War 1 zone and figuring out what is going on. It doesn’t do much in the ways of character development so it just feels like padding in a very long story.

The War Zone Presentation – You got English actors portraying Mexican men and Eastern Europeans and it is pretty awful. I get they wanted to show all the different wars on Earth but they could have gone about it without the racism.

The Pacing – This serial is 10 episodes and it drags at times. Part of the issue is the War Lord and War Chief aren’t introduced soon enough so we waste a lot of time in World War 1 that doesn’t really payoff. This story could have easily been 6 or 7 episodes given things don’t start really happening until episode 3.

Troughton’s good-bye to Jamie and Zoe is powerful as all they get is memory of their first adventure with him. We also see how powerful the Time Lords are too in how easily they stop the War Lord when he attempts to escape. Because of this the story carries weight and given Troughton is one of my favorite Doctors I appreciated his good-bye and how with it came his exile to Earth as he regenerates into the 3rd Doctor.

Final Score: 8.7 / 10 Boosted by strong character moments and the Time Lords first appearance but still a very flawed final adventure for the 2nd Doctor.

Here is the 1st Doctor’s regeneration story.:

The 1st Doctor – Season 4, Serial 2 – “The Tenth Planet” – Survival and Change and the Introduction to the Cybermen

The 1st Doctor – Season 4, Serial 2 – “The Tenth Planet” – Survival and Change and the Introduction to the Cybermen

“The Tenth Planet” is one of my favorite “Doctor Who” stories. This is story that gives us compelling characters and villains, has high stakes and also poses dilemmas while introducing us to one of the most fascinating antagonists for the Doctor in the Cybermen and gives us the first instance of Time Lord regeneration. This is a story I highly recommend checking out.

The story was directed by Derek Martinus and written by Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis.

The Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions arrive in Antarctica as a new threat arises for humanity during a routine space launch in 1986 as Earth’s twin planet Mondas returns to Earth and with it the Cybermen.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Mystery – The Cybermen are revealed slowly overtime and it is handled really well. The idea of Mondas being a twin planet and therefore the Cybermen were once like us is fascinating and discovering that over the course of power being lost and the Cybermen reveal is handled really well.

The Pacing – These 4 episodes do not lag or waste time. Action is always occurring and we are being shown something that matters or a character is making a choice or figuring out a solution. I was never bored over the course of this serial and it accomplished a lot.

The Stakes – The stakes of this story are high. Mondas is sucking energy from the Earth as it is dying and needs Earth’s energy to live and the Cybermen are intent on destroying Earth before Earth’s power destroys it. Already we have this core problem as either way an entire planet will die. On top of that we have General Cutler who wants to use the Z Bomb to destroy Mondas but the radiation might also destroy a lot of the Earth but he sees it as the only way to make certain his son gets back to Earth safely. This leads to him becoming a secondary antagonist in all of this. This leads so much for our heroes to overcome and the story handles these takes beautifully.

General Cutler – Robert Beatty is fantastic as General Cutler. This general believes that war is the only way to defeat the Cybermen and that the bomb is the only certainty as the Doctor’s theory of Mondas being destroyed by taking in too much energy is unproven while he knows bombs work. He is obsessed and threatening but also sympathetic as protecting his son and Earth as a whole is his primary goal. He’s also tough too as he survives a direct hit from a Cybermen’s weapon. In the end he is killed by the Cybermen though when the second invasion force they send retakes the Antarctic base.

Dr. Barclay – Dr. Barclay is the scientist who is working with Cutler but is convinced by the Doctor and Ben to not go through with the Bomb and to trust in the science of the situation and not put more lives at risk. He is conflicted over the course of the story and is a compelling character. David Dodimead did a great job and I loved seeing the active part he played in defeating the Cybermen both by stopping the bomb and using radiation to defeat the Cybermen.

Ben – Ben is first presented as an unnoticeable companion in the story. He largely does what the Doctor says but not much beyond that until the Doctor is out of action and we see him as the active problem solver as his inventiveness helps defeat the Cybermen in the end as he realizes their fear of radiation and uses that as a weapon against them as well as realizes the reason they plan to use the Z Bomb to destroy Earth. In the end he was a leader and lead the resistance to defeat the Cybermen on the base while the Doctor was trapped by them and in the end he and the others were the ones to rescue the Doctor and Polly. Michael Craze did a fantastic job.

The Cybermen – The Cybermen are creepy in this and their introduction is fantastic. We see them easily take out the military soldiers outside the base and quickly take it over when there are only 3 of them. After those 3 are defeated the second invasion force takes it over again and we see they know the threat Earth poses by having so much energy so plan to use the Z Bomb to destroy Earth in order to save Mondas. They are tragic as all they do is for survival to the point where they are no longer human. They no longer have emotions or feelings and everything they do is logical to them. This makes them all the more frightening as there is no malice. They nearly succeed too and it is only through Ben teaming up with the humans that resist and all of them following the Doctor’s plan to let Mondas destroy itself from taking in too much of Earth’s energy that they win. This is a great introduction to an amazing. The Mondas Cybermen are the best and most interesting Cybermen in “Doctor Who.”

The Doctor – The Doctor is a dying man in this who is fighting up until the end for understanding and to save lives. We see this when he protests General Cutler killing the last 2 remaining in the first invasion force and later when he offers Earth as peaceful option for the Cybermen to settle later. In each case it is shut down making his reveal that the by waiting Mondas will die from taking in too much energy from the Earth all the more tragic as he had spent his life searching for an alternative than for one of their worlds to die. You get from what he hints that he knew of Mondas it was near Earth and before the Cybermen which makes his death along with the death of Mondas all the more tragic. The people of Mondas transformed into Cybermen and in this episode the 1st Doctor dies and in turn becomes the 2nd failing to save both worlds even though he did help save Earth.

The Regeneration – The regeneration is powerful and compelling as at first the Doctor goes alone into the TARDIS and his companions find him looking dead before the transformation begins. Throughout the story we see how weak he is and that he knows his time is coming but he holds it in until the end and it is fitting he chooses the TARDIS as where he needs to regenerate. For the first regeneration on “Doctor Who” it is great.

The Cons:

Polly – I really hated how Polly was written in this story as she never got to take an active part in any situation. She was always trapped by General Cutler or the Cybermen so was always in need of rescue while Ben got to do the heroics. I really wish they’d let her be an active part of the story, she deserved better.

The Voice of the Cybermen – The Cybermen look terrifying and creepy but the voice is not. Their voice is in the higher octaves and sounds like someone speaking through a voice manipulator so it doesn’t sound as alien as it does in “The Tomb of the Cybermen” or low and threatening like the appearances after that. This was the only thing about them in this story that didn’t work.

This is a great story that is well worth your time. The modern animation used to recreate the lost footage is beautifully done in Episode 4 and the story has high stakes, great antagonists (in both the Cybermen and General Cutler) while giving us an amazing good-bye to the 1st Doctor as we witness the first regeneration in “Doctor Who.” This is a story that is a part of history and is easily one of my favorite stories in all of “Doctor Who.” This was a haunting introduction to the Cybermen as a threat and I can see why they would become such iconic foes in “Doctor Who” because of it. William Hartnell truly defined this role and I can’t recommend this serial enough.

Final Score: 9.5 / 10 A favorite “Doctor Who” story I just wish Polly had been given an active part in the story and the Cybermen had a better voice (which they do receive later).