REVIEW OVERVIEW - THE NEFARIOUS WAYS OF RENEGADE TIME LORDS - RANKING THEIR MALEVOLENCE

As predicted, I couldn't quite rest for the remainder of June. I needed to get just a bit more blogging done. I still had one more idea kicking around about the current topic I was covering. I figured I should explore it. 

JUST HOW NASTY ARE THOSE DARNED RENEGADE TIME LORDS?! 

After a fairly comprehensive classification of every single Renegade Time Lord we've ever seen on the show (with the exception of Salyavin - whose exclusion I explained in the Comments of the last entry), I thought there might be one more way to analyse them that could prove interesting. I'd had this ranking system in mind since I first conceived the essay but wasn't sure if I would have the time to get into it. But,  since I seemed to break speed records composing the first two parts of the essay, I thought I would indulge in Part Three. 

This third installment, however, doesn't really qualify as an ANALYTICAL essay. We must shift gears a bit if we're going to be pedantic about these things (and, God knows, I'm always pedantic about these things!). So, from this point onward, this shall be a REVIEW OVERVIEW essay.  

What I, basically, want to do is take all those Renegae Time Lords that we analysed during the first two parts and put them through a grading system. We are going to arrange them from most malevolent to least.

PARAMETERS OF MALEVOLENCY

As is the case with REVIEW OVERVIEW essays, we need to set just a few essential guidelines for the curve these Renegades will be graded on. More specifically, we're going to lay down a bit of a definition, too. 

When we examine how malevolent a Renegade Time Lord is, we will be looking at their potential to cause harm. We will base this assessment on their track record: How much harm have they caused already? This will give us a clear idea of just how far they are willing to go in order to hurt other living beings around them. 

Naturally enough, the highest level of harm is murder. But there are all kinds of other physical and psychological torture these Renegades have inflicted on others that will also be called into account. Attempts to even just oppress lesser cultures without really damaging them in any concrete way will have some bearing in this.

Nonetheless, a Renegade Time Lord with a high death count to their name will, quite obviously, be considered more malevolent. Time Lords that have caused little or no harm to anyone will be lower on the spectrum. 

Some might also argue that intention should have a role to play in this scale. But any number of these characters were full of good intentions and still did some pretty horrible things. It's not uncommon for the most ruthless of tyrants to believe that they are trying to accomplish a greater good. So a moral code of any sort will not factor into this much. We will be basing things on actions rather than words. 

Indeed, the Road to Evil is often paved with good intentions (or words to that effect). 

LET THE GRADING BEGIN

This list will still be ever-so-slightly influenced by the format of an ANALYTICAL essay. The Renegade Time Lords will still be broken down into categories  as we rank them. 

Evil for the Sheer Sake of it

This is truly the most black-hearted type of Renegade. There aren't a lot of them like this - and that's probably a good thing. Time Lords of this nature are probably some of the most dangerous beings in the Universe. 

There are any number of Renegades that hatch sinister plans to elevate their status or gain power. If they have to hurt or even kill a few people along the way in order to achieve those goals, they're up for it. But such gestures only occur within the context of executing their plots. They might even be fairly sadistic and enjoy hurting others, but still only do if it assists in the advancing of their agenda. 

This first type of Renegade goes one step further. Yes, they will also have plans to take over the Galaxy or some other such thing, but they're not afraid to harm people just for the sheer fun of it. They revel in the pain of others and will take any opportunity they can to inflict it. Sometimes it will even be to the detriment of their agenda. They will bring a plot they are scheming to a screeching halt just to take a moment to hurt someone. Or, as one of them was once described, they would "delay an execution just to pull the wings off a fly."

Which leads us quite neatly to our first candidate on this list. The Master is, without a doubt, the most malevolent Renegade of them all. In his earlier incarnations, he's a bit more composed. The Delgado Master, for instance, does tend to stick to his plans and only kill when there's a reason for it. But as he regenerates or steals bodies in order to extend his lifespan, he descends deeper and deeper into madness. In so doing, his cruelty grows more and more out of control. Even in his first full story, the Ainley Master is slaughtering people with his tissue compressor with little rhyme or reason. We can almost see why he takes out some Logopolitans in the later episodes of the tale, but the police officer and Tegan's aunt were killed purely out of pleasure. There was no real need for him to do that.

As we get into New Who, the needless slaughter increases even more. Particularly with the two most recent incarnations. Missy makes a point of killing several UNIT agents just to prove to Clara that she's still evil. The Dhawan Master threatens the entire crowd at the invention exhibition in the 1800s with his tissue compressor. Even though they are complying with his instructions, he still decides to kill someone. Just for fun. There are countless other examples of this sort of behavior from these two incarnations. Yes, Missy does start redeeming herself during Series 10, but she kills with wild abandon during her two other seasons. 

There really is no one worse than the Master. The quintessence of evil. 

There are two other Renegades that fit into this category. Both of them, however, don't fall into destructive behavior half as much as the Master does. For the most part, they stick to their plans. Only losing control on rare occasions. 

Most of the time, Omega seeks to merely return to our Universe. He executes very specific steps to accomplish this in both of his stories. However, there comes a point where his scheme falls into ruin. In The Three Doctors, he learns that he no longer possesses a body and, thus, cannot leave the Singularity Point. In Arc of Infinity, the transfer he has made from anti-matter to matter will not stabilise. 

Rather than meekly accept defeat, he chooses needless destruction, instead.  In Arc, he begins to will his own destruction. Knowing that it will cause an enormous explosion that can damage a small part of the cosmos. In Three Doctors, he seems prepared to destroy the whole Universe of matter because he cannot return to it. 

Quite often, Omega just manages to hold in his temper. But when things don't go his way, a much more violent nature comes from him. He rages out of control and will try to cause as much destruction as he can. There's no constructive reason for why he will try to harm so many. It's simply a manifestation of his anger.

Our last wantonly destructive Time Lord can almost be a bit of a grey area. But I still think he belongs here. 

During most of The Brain of Morbius, the titular character is working to a very specific plan and restrains himself accordingly. As we learn his backstory, we don't seem to see any real hints of reckless cruelty, either. But something seems to "snap" in Morbius when Solon tries to make him more portable by placing him in the brain globe. In a fit pique, he escapes into the night and ruthlessly kills a member of the Sisterhood of Karn. Which is a legitimately counter-productive gesture. It incenses his opponents when he is supposed to be hiding from them. But he can't resist acting on his hatred of them.

Solon does explain, at one point, that the Time Lord's mind is operating on the basest of levels because he hasn't fully hooked him up, yet. So some might claim that this is Morbius acting out of character. That, if the surgery had been properly completed, he might not have attacked the Sister. But you can just as easily say that Morbius' condition at the time was letting his true self out. That, like the Master or Omega, he just needs to occasionally kill without any clear motive. 

Galactic Conquerors

These are Renegades that are still pretty damned ruthless but work to a stricter agenda. They will kill. They'll even enjoy killing. But, ultimately, they only tend to do it when it seems necessary. Their sadism is justified in their own minds. They don't just revel in carnage like our first category does. 

This type of criminal Time Lord is also harboring dreams of dictatorship. Not just over a specific group of people in one place, they want to conquer the Galaxy. Or even the Universe. This makes them quite the danger, of course. Which is why they come in second on this list. They are almost as malevolent as the first category. In fact, both the Master and Morbius have similar aspirations to these Renegades. They too, dream of taking over the cosmos. The only real difference between these two categories is that this group shows just a bit more self-restraint.  

Although he is only in one story (one very long story!), the War Chief is a clear demonstration of just how powerful and deadly a Time Lord can be. We had seen a few Renegades before him. They were more concerned with simply travelling through Time and Space or, at best, causing minor mischief. The War Chief was the first to show what a Time Lord can accomplish if he really sets his mind to something. His masterplan with the War Lords almost reaches fruition, too. If not for the timely intervention of the Doctor, he would have surely conquered the Galaxy with the army he was building. This is the potential of the Galactic Conqueror. They can corrupt the Universe on a massive scale. 

The Rani also slides quite nicely into this category. Admittedly, in Mark of the Rani, her ambitions seem a bit more small time. She is just trying to maintain control over the people of Miasimia Goria. But Time and the Rani sees her attempting to create a Time Manipulator: a phenomenon that will give her control over the Order of Creation. Ultimately, she will be able to bend the Universe to her will. She definitely steps up her game in her second tale. Which, in turn, causes her to suit the description of a Galactic Conqueror. She seems a bit less malevolent than the War Chief only because the scope of her plans in her first adventure are a bit narrower. It is a close match between these two, however, Her schemes in Time and the Rani seem to have a broader reach than the War Chief's did. But, since it took her a bit of time to reach that level of  ambition, we'll let the War Chief take the lead on this one. 

The Social Climbers

It's right around here that I think all those Time Lords that stayed on Gallifrey but still got up to all sorts of terrible things to advance their political careers belong. As a rule, these weren't Renegades that were trying to take over the galaxy. But they were trying to control one of the most powerful races in existence. Which would, essentially, grant them the ability to do all sorts of other nasty things to the Universe if they desired. In the case of, at least, one of the Renegades on this list, they attempted exactly that. 

Determining where each of these Renegades fits on the scale is a bit tricky. There are a few of these characters who behave like the Master and kill for no clear reason. They should rank closer to the top. But other Time Lords showed greater ambition in their social climbing. They could, technically, be considered more malevolent as their greater position of power would enable them to cause more damage. And then, finally, there's some Renegades that have just scored a higher death count than others - even if they didn't achieve as much status or kill needlessly. They would constitute as quite malevolent, too.  

After considerable reflection, this is the ranking I came up with:

At the very top would be Rassilon. He is not just Lord President during End of Time and Hell Bent, he's also one of the Founders of Time Lord culture. You don't get much more powerful than that on Gallifrey. He also tends to kill just out of sheer rage. Look what he did to that poor Time Lady who simply voiced an opinion he didn't agree with. And then, finally, we see him using his powers to actually re-structure Time and Space so that all other species in the Universe would die out and Time Lords would become creatures of pure consciousness. That's some malicious stuff that is, pretty much, on par with what we saw Renegades on the first two tiers doing. 

Like Rassilon, the corrupt High Council during Trial of a Time Lord were also high ranking officials. And they have some considerable blood on their hands, too. Therefore, they place only a little lower than the Fallen Time Lord Hero. We don't quite know how densely populated the Earth was when they moved it across space and re-named it Ravalox. But, potentially, they could have ended countless lives through the fireball such a gesture created. That makes them pretty horrible people. On top of that, they did quite a few terrible things to try to take out the Doctor when he learnt the truth about Ravalox. 

Speaking of the Sixth Doctor's bogus trial, we have the Valeyard next. While he only achieves the position of Keeper of the Matrix, his ultimate plans during Trial of a Time Lord seem more like an act of senseless destruction than a means of advancing an agenda. To kill off The Supreme Council of Law would spread tremendous chaos but it wouldn't really serve the Valeyard in any kind of major constructive way. So he does seem more like a Renegade from our first category. He's just being evil for the sheer sake of it. He doesn't rank in that top position, however, because he chooses to stay local rather than go out into the galaxy and cause trouble. So his potential for harm is much lower. 

Borusa would be next on this list. He achieves Lord Presidency and wants to hold the position for all eternity. Which gives him a huge potential to abuse his power and create endless mayhem. He's also got a bit of death count going on. Not just with what he did to frame the Castellan, but he's responsible for some loss of life when he re-activated the Death Zone. 

Goth doesn't quite make it to Lord President. But he does cause quite a few deaths as he tries to climb his way to the top. The very fact that he allowed the Master back on Gallifrey and worked secretly with him makes him responsible for a lot of the violence that occurs during Deadly Assassin. 

Up next would be Hedin. He seeks to put Omega at the top of Time Lord hierarchy but would probably come in as a close second-in-command. He's also responsible for one or two deaths that happen in Arc of Infintiy. 

Then, finally, we have Kelner. He acted in a somewhat corrupt manner during Invasion of Time and probably became Lord President after its events. But he didn't seem to have to kill anyone to do this. Potentially, he could have done some considerable harm in such a position of power. But no damage from his reign seems to have occurred. So he finishes up at the bottom of this list. 

The Mischief Makers

At this point, we are just-about done with genuinely evil Time Lords. We are now dealing with Renegades who don't have the purest of motives but also don't really cause all that much trouble in the greater scheme of things. They're still, mainly, out for themselves. But their villainy, for the most part, is so ineffectual that we really can't claim they're all that malevolent at all. 

The Monk is the first that fits into this category. Sure, he likes to pervert the course of history. But, compared to someone like the War Chief or even Chancellor Goth, he's not so bad a fellow. Yes, he does briefly ally himself with the Daleks during his second story, but he is acting under duress. If your life was on the line, you'd probably strike a bargain with them too. The fact that he's such a bumbler also makes him seem all-the-more harmless. We really can't consider him all that wretched of a character. He's even a bit likeable. 

Another Mischief Maker would be Drax. Clearly, he gets up to a bit of no good with his "wheeling and dealing". But, overall, he's an okay guy. He even seems to adhere to a certain code of honor with what sort of jobs he will take. If it wasn't for the fact that he was initially ready to betray the Doctor to the Shadow, we wouldn't consider him a baddie at all. As it stands, he barely qualifies as one since he does come over to the Doctor's side pretty quickly.

The Sheboogans also fit quite decently into this slot. They don't seem to actually hurt anyone as they run around the Citadel committing acts of vandalism and suchlike, but they are a gang of troublemakers. In general, they just get up to some mischief. But they belong at the very bottom of this section since they really don't get up to much of it. In comparison to the other two candidates, at least. 

"The Partyers"

And now we really are done with the bad guys. We are moving into the domain of Time Lords who really are trying to be decent We start with Renegades who are out for a bit of fun by flitting about in a TARDIS and seeing the Universe. Occasionally, they might make bad judgement calls and hurt people. But, overall, they're just looking for some good times and to do the right thing when they see an injustice. 

The Doctor hits the top of this particular section. One would think that he would be at the very bottom of everything. That he is the most benevolent of all the Renegades. But, the truth of the matter is, he's made some bad choices over the years. Not counting Daleks and Cybermen (and if we did, that would probably make him, pretty much, one of the most malevolent Time Lords of all) he even has some real blood on his hands. In some cases, he was in a kill-or-be-killed situation. Which, again, I won't fault him for. But there are times - particularly in the New Series - where he has either allowed someone to die or just flat-out murdered them. The Sycorax Leader or Solomon are just a few of his victims who come immediately to mind. So, yes, the Doctor is someone who is searching for adventure and trying to do the right thing. But he has his darker side. And I'm not just talking about the Valeyard!   

While we know little about him, we'll guess that the Corsair fits in next. The way the Doctor talks about him, he was quite the raucous fellow. So he probably stepped on a few toes as he had his fun. But we don't hear any hard evidence of him validly hurting anyone. So we'll say he's less malevolent than the Doctor but still not quite as nice as the third Time Lord that fits into this category. 

Of the "Partyers", Romana is probably the nicest of the bunch. She likes travelling the Universe and enjoying herself. She's even willing to right wrongs when she sees them. But she seems to always fix problems in the most peaceful of manners. She doesn't really harm a whole lot of other people as she does her thing. She hurt a few Nimon - but that's about all I can really think of!   

The Well-and-Truly Harmless

At last, we get to the really nice guys. While the Master delays executions to pull the wings off insects, these Time Lords would be reluctant to hurt a fly! These are the most benevolent of them all. 

The Shobogans, for the most part, seek a peaceful life in the Wastelands of Gallifrey. They thrive in the most primitive of conditions and don't want to harm anything more than the occasional animal to provide them with food or furs. They are prepared to take arms for the defense of the Citadel when it gets invaded - but that's really as hostile as they get. And, at least, it's for a good cause. 

Azmael is probably just marginally more peaceful than the Shobogans. We never see him actually take up a weapon like they do - but he is willing to abduct young twins. Which is a bit underhanded. His intentions are, more-or-less decent, though. He's stealing Romulus and Remus for the good of Jocunda. While he was a ruler of that particular planet for quite some time, he was a very kind one. Always trying to have the best interests of the Jocundans, at heart. 

Finally, we have the kindest of all the kind Renegades. The Mentor never seems to lift a finger against anyone. Even though he seems to possess greater mental powers than any Time Lord we've ever seen. Still, when the humans possessed by the Spiders of Metebelis Three break into his room, he lets them attack and kill him. More than likely, he could have simply wished those Spiders out of existence. But that is not his way. 

There is, perhaps, no Renegade more benevolent than the Mentor. Quite deservedly, he comes in at the very bottom of this list. 

And, there we go. All the Renegades ranked in order of how malevolent they seem. Again, I think I've gotten everyone! I looked through everyone I listed in the first two parts and made sure I fit them in somewhere in this one. 

Speaking of those first two parts, here are links to them if you didn't read them and want to: 

Part One:

https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2021/06/analytical-nefarious-ways-of-renegade.html

Part Two:

https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2021/06/analytical-nefarious-ways-of-renegade_13.html

ANALYTICAL: THE NEFARIOUS WAYS OF RENEGADE TIME LORDS: PART TWO

Our study into Renegade Time Lords continues as we examine the second and, frankly, far-more-interesting category. 

If you missed the first part, it would be prudent to still read it. Part Two makes several different references to it. But, if nothing else, you should look at the definition I gave before starting the whole study. 

Here be the link: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2021/06/analytical-nefarious-ways-of-renegade.html

SOME MORE OF THOSE DARNED RENEGADES! 

As we take a second look at Renegade Time Lords, it should be noted that there will, once more, be "Grey Areas". These are Renegade Time Lords who don't quite properly fall into the category but still, sort of, qualify. When first mentioned, they will have a nice little asterisk (*) beside them. A better explanation of why they are in a Grey Area will be provided in a later footnote. 

This entry will also feature "Super Grey Areas". These are special Renegade Time Lords that don't truly fit into any category but their own. They will also be featured at the end of the essay.  

CATEGORY TWO: THOSE THAT LEFT GALLIFREY

While Gallifrey seems to be infested with criminals that have never ventured off-world, there seems to be just as many that have escaped into the Universe - never to be seen again (or, make only occasional visits back home to create trouble). These are Transgressors of the First Law. They became involved with lesser species - something a Time Lord is never meant to do. As with our first category, there are several subsets to examine. 

The first one would be: 

The TARDIS-Stealers

The Time Lords of Gallifrey are one of the most technology-advanced societies in Time and Space. Which means they have created all kinds of sophisticated forms of transportation. There's Time Scoops and Time Rings or even good 'ole fashioned space shuttles. But a TARDIS does seem to be their favorite way to get around. There's a lot of practicality to them. You're very safe within your own pocket dimension when you want to be. If the Chameleon Circuit is working properly, you can disguise yourself quite nicely. And, of course, you can go anywhere and anytime. So, if you're a Renegade Time Lord who's tired of being on your home planet and you want to go off and see what's out there - stealing a TARDIS is the best way to go. Which is why you'll see quite a few Renegades in this category. 

We'll tackle them in order of appearance. 

Quite obviously, the first one we should mention  is the Doctor him/herself. If the Ruth and/or Refugee Doctor really does take place before William Hartnell, then this might actually be the first Time Lord to ever successfully steal a TARDIS (although, technically, she might be only so successful - the Time Lords do seem to eventually find her and turn her into the Doctor we have all known since Unearthly Child). But, even if we are starting at Hartnell, there are probably not too many Renegades before him who have attempted this stunt. It would even seem that the Doctor intentionally chose an outdated model so that his people would be less likely to notice or care about what he had done. Since he is in every episode of the show (with the exception of Mission to the Unknown, of course), he is the Renegade we have gotten to know the best. We've become quite familiar with his TARDIS, too. It has almost always been in the shape of a Police Box but there have been any number of mild alterations made to its exterior over the years. For almost all of the Classic Series, it has used the "white rondel motif" for its interior (Season 14 excepted). Only as we reach Doctor Who - The Movie  do we start seeing some radical alterations to the decor within. 

The next TARDIS-Stealer that we meet would be the Monk (sometimes referred to as the Meddling Monk). According to dialogue in the story, the Monk appears to have left Gallifrey about 50 years after the Doctor did. His TARDIS is considered a superior model to the Doctor's. Although the "Type" of TARDIS is not mentioned. It is labeled a Mark Four, instead. While we have only ever seen these two clash twice onscreen, a fun little trend developed between them. Each time they met, the Doctor found an inventive way to sabotage the Monk's TARDIS (although the Monk did exact some revenge on the Doctor by messing with the lock on his TARDIS during Dalek Masterplan). On the first occasion, he damaged the Monk's dimensional stabliser and caused the console room to shrink to a size that made it impossible to enter. During their second altercation, the Doctor removed the Monks navigation circuit. Making his TARDIS impossible to steer accurately. 

And then we get to the Master. Outside of the Doctor, this is the Renegade TARDIS-Stealer that has made the most appearances on the show (some might even say that he returned a little too often during Season Eight!).  He's also one of the few TARDIS-Stealers that we have witnessed in multiple incarnations. Once more, a discussion is had in his first adventure about the difference in the Doctor and the Master's TARDIS models (or, at least, the models of the dematerialisation circuits). Again, they talk about "Marks" rather than "Types". 

Quite a bit of drama occurs with the Master's TARDIS. By the end of Terror of the Autons, he has been stranded on Earth because the Doctor "pulled a Monk on him" and stole his dematerialisation circuit. The Master, however, recovers it in the very next story. In the tale after that, Axos seems to seize his TARDIS from him but he manages to get it back by the end of the adventure. We get to see the interior of his TARDIS for the first time during Colony in Space. The Master, during this period, seems to favor the color brown a lot. 

While the Master's TARDIS does have a fully functioning chameleon circuit, he tends to engage in certain familiar exterior shapes. During his "Corpse Master Phase", he likes to keep his TARDIS in the form of a grandfather clock. Whereas when he starts living on borrowed time during the Anthony Ainley period, he uses an ionic column on several occasions. It is most interesting to note that as he transitions from Corpse to Ainley, he possesses two TARDISes for a time. He even keeps one inside the other. 

The Ainley Master seems to become almost obsessed with being the anti-thesis of the Doctor. This is reflected in how the interior of his TARDIS looks. It is, essentially, identical to the Doctor's but done up in black. During this period, more damage occurs to his vehicle. He burns out its power source by Time Flight and replaces it with the collective consciousness of the Xeriphas.  He also gets separated from his TARDIS quite badly at the end of Mark of the Rani and Survival. It would appear that, on both occasions, he does find his way back to it. More than likely, however, he must leave his TARDIS behind again on Skaro as he tries to hatch another scheme to take over the Doctor's body during Doctor Who - The Movie. In a truly bizarre twist of circumstances, he seems to get stranded inside the Heart of the Doctor's TARDIS at the end of that particular adventure.  

It would seem that both the Simm Master and Missy were in possession of a TARDIS. More than likely, it wasn't the same one that we saw throughout most of the Classic Series. Both also seem to have suffered periods of separation from their vehicle. The Simm Master doesn't actually seem to get a proper TARDIS until after The End of Time. There's more trouble with the dematerialisation circuit  during The Doctor Falls that Missy fixes by having a handy spare. Missy, however, is seen to be relying on a Vortex Manipulator during Magician's Apprentice/Witch's Familiar so, perhaps, there's been some more problems with her TARDIS that we never get a clear answer about. 

At last, we get to see the Master's TARDIS again when Sacha Dhawan takes over the role. Once more, he favors a certain exterior for a bit. He likes it to appear as a house. Which also has an influence on the interior decor. This TARDIS appears to have been taken from him at the end of Spyfall by the Doctor. What she ended up doing with it - no one knows! More than likely, the Master escaped the Death Particle exploding in the ruins of Gallifrey by stealing yet another TARDIS. 

It should also be noted that the Master is one of the few Renegades that has successfully managed to sabotage the Doctor's TARDIS (something the Doctor does quite frequently to his opponents). He really messes with the TARDIS' Eye of Harmony during The 96 Telemovie and manages to convert the console room into a Paradox Engine during Last of the Time Lords. We've seen some interesting "TARDIS fights" during The Time Monster and Logopolis as the two TARDISes materialise within one another. There's also some weird thing that the Doctor does to the Master's TARDIS near the end of Timeflight. But I'm not exactly sure what it was. Somehow, however, it's comparable to cricket!  

Okay, that's a complete chronicle of the Master and his TARDISes. That took way more paragraphs than I expected! 

The next TARDIS-Stealer that we encounter in the series is Drax*. But we don't get to meet him for long. He only pops up in the last few episodes of a six-parter. This is the first time in the show that we meet someone with a TARDIS but we never actually get a proper look at it (no doubt, they were trying to save a bit of money on set design!). There are, at least, pieces of it lying around in the cave the Shadow has trapped him in. And Drax does mention he's heading to his TARDIS towards the end of Armageddon Factor to strike his latest dodgy deal. But we don't even get a look at its exterior. Forget about actually seeing inside of it! 

We get the exact opposite situation with the Rani. In both of her appearances, we see her TARDIS inside and out. She actually does a pretty weird thing with her chameleon circuit. The outer plasmic shell takes on forms that don't actually blend in well with its surroundings. In both instances, the exterior stands out quite a bit and even looks alien. She also seems to have done a re-design on the inside of her ship between Mark of the Rani and Time and the Rani. Although it's difficult to say for sure as she doesn't actually appear to be in her console room during Time when we see her inside her ship. We could just be seeing a single room in her TARDIS that looks very different from everything else. 

Oddly enough, the key to the Doctor's TARDIS also works in the Rani's lock. There is a logic to this. Both Deadly Assassin and Invasion of Time have scenes in them that imply that there is only a certain number of styles of locks that exist on TARDISes. The Doctor and the Rani must both have the same sort of lock. When the Doctor breaks in to her ship in Mark, he does some serious sabotage to the drive system which creates magnificent amounts of G-force and time spillage. It would seem that the Rani is, eventually, able to repair this. We were never given an update, however, on how she dealt with the Tetraps that had captured her and were ready to enslave her.

Finally, we have the Corsair. His situation is even more unique than Drax's. Not only do we never witness his TARDIS, we never actually meet him (well, we do see a few pieces of him!). We merely hear about him and his funky snake tattoo. We assume, by the way he's discussed, that he also owned a TARDIS. In fact, it's highly unlikely House would have lured the Corsair into his universe if the Renegade Time Lord didn't. The Corsair is also unique in that it is during a discussion about him that we first get any real evidence that Time Lords can gender-swap during regeneration. 

They Found a Way Off Gallifrey Without a TARDIS

Like TARDIS-Stealers, these are Time Lords that made their way out into the Universe and are transgressing that First Law. We're just not exactly sure how they got off-world as they don't seem to be in possession of a TARDIS. 

For the most part, they base themselves' in one place in Time and Space and operate from there. Some of these Renegades are still up to no good but a few of them are quite benevolent. They didn't agree with the policies of their people but just want to live in peace. In the eyes of the Time Lords, they're still criminals, of course. But there's not anything really all that bad about them. 

Our first Renegade that we meet that left Gallifrey without a TARDIS, however, was not that nice of a person. He was, in fact, one of the more evil Renegade Time Lords we've seen in the history of the entire show. 

The War Lord did build SIDRATs for the War Lords. They may have been constructed by cannibalising a TARDIS he used to escape from Gallifrey. We only join the story once things are well underway between the Time Lord and this evil race bent on universal domination. Who knows, for sure, how he met them or what the early stages of their operation.looked like. But I'm fairly certain that if the War Chief had stolen a TARDIS, he would have kept it as an "ace up his sleeve" rather than sacrificing it to advance the cause of the War Lords. Chances are, the SIDRATs were created from some other resource. The fact that the War Chief also seems to really value the idea that the Doctor has a TARDIS would further indicate he has no vehicle of his own like this. And probably never had one at any point before The War Games. 

The next Renegade that we meet that didn't own a TARDIS is definitely one of the kinder ones. Perhaps the kindest. I prefer to call this particular Time Lord the Mentor. But when he appears in Planet of Spiders, he seems to go by either K'anpo Ripoche or Cho-Je. Depending on which incarnation he is walking in. 

It's generally a mystery as to how a non-TARDIS-stealing Time Lord left Gallifrey. The Mentor would be an exception to this rule. He seems to have developed incredible mental powers. The first evidence of these abilities is unveiled when we learn that he is, somehow, projecting his own future incarnation into the timeline of his current one. Essentially, he is existing in two bodies  at once. But this does not seem to be a case of crossing his own time stream through time travel.  It's something more complicated than that (I've always postulated that the Doctor's Watcher in Logopolis seems to be existing under a similar principle). 

The next display of the Mentor's seemingly magical powers is seen moments before the third Doctor regenerates. He just suddenly seems to appear in the UNIT lab floating in mid-air. He helps to push the whole regenerative process along a bit and then fades out of existence. No doubt, he's gone off  somewhere else to enjoy more adventures. 

It seems clear that the Mentor used some similar means of egress to get off his home planet. Somehow, he can just will himself from one place to another. In this sense, he just might be one of the most powerful Time Lords we've ever seen. If he were to actually use his incredible abilities in an aggressive manner, he might actually be unstoppable. Especially when you consider how much the Doctor treasures him. He would be the only Renegade Time Lord who might stand a chance to defeat him should the Mentor choose a darker path. But he would find it very difficult to oppose such a dear friend. Fortunately for the Universe, the Mentor is a very peaceful being. 

And back to evil Renegades we go as we deal with Morbius. It's entirely possible that he used a TARDIS to first escape from Gallifrey. But that, when he was eventually captured and executed, that TARDIS was taken away from him. It's difficult to say as we only hear so much about what he got up to before he came to Karn. But he was a high-ranking Time Lord before he left his home planet. This would probably give him easy access to TARDISes. 

As we listen to accounts of what occurred when he built up the Cult of Morbius, however, everything seems to take place within one time zone. Which might support the idea better that he was without a time vessel. Having a prestigious position in Time Lord society might even work against him. He might get noticed all-the-more easily and would have to be dealt with for an act of theft because he was such a public figure. We should also be mindful of the fact that most TARDISes possess a recall device. It's presumed that TARDIS-Stealers find a way to deactivate them. But, again, Morbius was probably very quickly noticed when he left Gallifrey. Most likely, he wouldn't have time to switch his off. So if Morbius had stolen a TARDIS, he would have been hauled back immediately. His plans to build an army would have been thwarted before they could even begin. So it's doubtful that he ever had a TARDIS. He found a more discreet means of egress.  

When we meet him in Brain of Morbius, it seems pretty clear that the Renegade has no TARDIS. Surely, if he'd had such a form of transportation at his disposal, he and Solon would have left Karn shortly after his "execution" and set up a decent laboratory somewhere else in Time and Space. They certainly wouldn't have stayed on Karn and worked under such poor conditions. Morbius might not have had a body at that point, but he was probably already in his brain tank with a communications device so he could have just given Solon directions on how to pilot a TARDIS. Instead, they seem stranded on Karn when the Doctor arrives. So it's pretty safe to assume that he was one of those Renegades that never owned a TARDIS. 

Next up is Azmael. Like Borusa, he was one of the Doctor's teachers at the Academy. He's also another one of those more benevolent Renegade Time Lords. 

There's a lot to indicate that the former professor found his way from Gallifrey to Jocunda without the use of a TARDIS. The very fact that he travels on a space freighter to abduct the twins is probably the best piece of evidence to support this. If he'd had a TARDIS, he would have used that to materialise in Romulus and Remus' room and then stolen them away. Hugo Lang would have had no chance of chasing him.

It could be that Azmael had a TARDIS and Mestor was, somehow, able to wrest it from him. The old Renegade talks of how the gastropod knows how to travel in time because of him. But that could easily be because Mestor is a powerful mind-reader and  was able to extract temporal theory from Azmael's memories. It seems to me that if the TARDIS had been taken from the Renegade Time Lord we would have seen Mestor using it in some way. Or would have, at least, heard about it while the Doctor was unravelling the gastropod's whole plot to infest the cosmos with his eggs.  

The Valeyard* is, technically, a renegade who made it off of Gallifrey. It seems that he traveled with all the other Time Lords that were on the space station where the Doctor's trial was held. How they actually got there, of course, no one knows for sure. It probably wasn't by TARDIS, though. The Space Station, itself, probably just did a big time jump.  

He definitely doesn't seem to be in possession of any sort of TARDIS once the trial begins. Surely, if he was, he would have done like the Master and parked it somewhere within the Matrix. And we would have seen it at some point during The Ultimate Foe. 

A SPECIAL SUBSET THAT ENCOMPASSES BOTH CATEGORIES

With the exception of some Super Grey Areas that I will cover shortly in the Footnotes, we've tackled every Renegade Time Lord that has been seen on the show (at least, I'm pretty sure we have. Did I miss anybody? I'm sure someone will let me know if I did!). But there is one more trend I wanted to bring up that I found interesting. It's something we see that spans almost all the types of Renegades that we have discussed. 

Planet Rulers

Many Renegade Time Lords have dreams of ruling the cosmos. They, at least, partially succeed by taking over a single planet for a time. It's quite the common occurrence, in fact. So much so, that it deserves mention in this essay. 

We have a few TARDIS-Stealers that fit this title:

We hear mention of the Rani ruling a planet called Miasimia Goria in Mark of the Rani. Her whole reason for being on Earth and extracting brain fluid is because she is having problems with controlling her subjects. We don't know, for sure, if she is still in power by Time and the Rani. The topic is never brought up in that story. But it seems likely that the people of Miasimia Goria somehow broke out from under her dominance. 

The Master did rule over the Earth for a year during Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords. But this does, sort of, qualify as a Grey Area. His entire reign ends up becoming an aborted timeline as the season finale concludes. 

The most peculiar case of a Planet Ruler hails from the Those Who Made it off of Gallifrey Wihout a TARDIS subset.

Azmael, for a time, was the ruler of Jocunda. But he appears to have been benevolent in his reign. He cares for his subjects and we see some of them respond in kind to him in Twin Dilemma. It's assumed that the only Jocundans that do oppose him only do so out of fear of Mestor. This is one of the few instances we ever see of something like this. Most other Renegade Planet Rulers seem to veer towards dictatorship. 

Since Lord President of the Time Lords is, in fact, the highest position of power on Gallifrey, some Social Climbers from the first part of this essay would also be Planet Rulers. Borusa, then, is definitely a Social Climber Renegade who fits in to this category. Unlike Azmael, he is a malevolent Planet Ruler. Not right away, of course, since he is a Sleeper Social Climber. But he definitely is a baddie by The Five Doctors.

Rassilon would be another Planet Ruler. Although there might be a slightly more altruistic streak to him. He rules with quite the iron fist (pun completely intended if you look at the accessory he wears in End of Time and Hell Bent!), but he is trying to save Gallifrey from the effects of the Time Wars and the Prophecy of the Hybrid. So he's not quite as greedy as Borusa was.

There's a sizeable amount of dialogue that indicates Morbius was a very important Time Lord before he escaped into the Universe and began his Cult. It's entirely possible he was also Lord President for a time. But it's difficult to say.... 

Kelner from Invasion of Time falls into a similar situation. We think he became Lord President for, at least, a little while after the Vardan/Sontaran attack. But we're not sure about him, either...

We can also guess that whoever was Lord President during Trial of a Time Lord was a nasty old bastard. We know the High Council became corrupt and we assume that the Lord President would have been a part of the Ravalox Scandal. But we can't be entirely certain...   

Finally, of course, the Doctor had a stint as Lord President. He would be another rare example of a kind Planet Ruler. Although he did pretend to be a dictator for the sake of fooling the Vardans. 

The Doctor is also the only Planet Ruler that we've seen run two worlds. As he also becomes President of Earth during any extreme international crisis.   

* Grey Areas

* Drax - It's not entirely certain if Drax is truly a Time Lord or just a Gallifreyan that stole a TARDIS. He and the Doctor have quite the discussion about their days back in the Academy and it does seem like Drax never properly graduated. Which would indicate he's not a Time Lord. It's a bit unclear, really. So, if we're splitting hairs, he is a TARDIS-Stealer. But he's not, necessarily, a Renegade Time Lord TARDIS-Stealer!   

* The Valeyard - I don't discuss the Valeyard much in this because, in many ways, we were already talking about him when I covered the Doctor. They are, after all, one and the same. But he is his own independent entity too. So he should get some individual mention. 

Super Grey Areas

No asterisks to be found beside these names as they didn't really fall under any of the categories that I have brought up. But they do qualify as Renegades. So we ought to discuss them, somewhere. 

Omega - By a truly technical definition, he is a Renegade. He does break some of the laws of his people in both The Three Doctors and Arc of Infinity. But it's difficult to truly label him a criminal and not just a really poor victim of circumstance. 

He believes himself to have been abandoned by the Time Lords and, ultimately, just wants to return home. If they won't accept him, however, then he's willing to force his way back. He's not on Gallifrey so he can't really be a Rejector or a Social Climber. He's also not a TARDIS Stealer but actually appears to have built one for himself once he was expelled from his planet. He's even only sort of a Planet Ruler as Hedin does seem to be setting him up as Lord President but his reign is quite tenuous. So he really does have his own specific category.

In the end, he is a Renegade. But a very unique one. Also, a very tragic one.  

Romana - Another very specialised scenario. Initially, she was travelling with the Doctor because she was sent on a special mission by who she believed to be the Lord President (but was, actually, the White Guardian in disguise). She never had any intention of flouting the laws of her people. 

But as the Quest for the Key to Time concludes, she should have requested to have been brought back home. But it's never brought up. This would certainly indicate the beginning of Romana becoming a Renegade. She has, most definitely, begun breaking the First Law as she starts flitting around the Universe and getting in trouble with the Doctor during Season 17. 

One might almost argue that she doesn't ask to be brought back to Gallifrey because the Randomiser would prohibit the Doctor from being able to do it, anyway. But we do see in City of Death that the device can be switched off. So Romana staying on after her regeneration is a bit of a blurry situation. 

As the Time Lords make a formal request for Romana to be returned at the end of Meglos, we finally see her taking a firm stance. She wants to keep travelling the Universe and breaking that First Law. But it took quite a while for this decision to be firmly stated. So we could almost call her a Sleeper Renegade. A good season-and-some-change elapses between Armageddon Factor and Full Circle. During this period, we watch Romana's attitude shift more and more towards rejecting the ways of her people. As the E-Space Trilogy begins, Romana is definitely a fully-fledged Renegade. 

Like Omega, she's not a TARDIS-Stealer, either. But she is going to be building one as Warrior's Gate reaches its conclusion. With a little help from K9 - Mark Two, of course!

Phew! We did it. We really seemed to cover every single Renegade Time Lord there ever was. Again, if I missed anyone, I'm sure someone will let me know!

I got this series done quicker than I expected. So I might play with the theme a little longer but take it into a whole new Essay Category. We'll see. I might just enjoy the rest of June without blogging. 

I doubt it, though.

   

ANALYTICAL: THE NEFARIOUS WAYS OF RENEGADE TIME LORDS - PART ONE

I felt it was about time to write a nice series of ANALYTICAL essays. I am always conscious of how much opinion I inject into this blog and do my best to counter-balance it with entries that are more objective in the way they look at the show. When I create something in this particular category, I really am staying away from my own personal biases as much as possible and trying to make honest observations about certain subjects Doctor Who has covered. 

THOSE DARNED RENEGADES!   

Considering the Time Lords are meant to have created one of the most advanced and idyllic civilisations in the Universe, there sure are a lot of them that reject their most basic laws. The criminal element within their society does seem to be a sizeable issue. So much so, that it is possible to compile a considerable profile on the various forms of illegal activity that goes on, there. 

The term "Renegade" is the most popular title applied to Time Lords that break the laws of their own people. The infractions they commit range in both severity and even malevolence. But a fairly wide blanket term is used to describe them. So, before we analyze this less-reputable element of their society, we should probably try to give a fairly clear definition of them: 

Definition: 

A Renegade Time Lord is a Time Lord that has chosen to seriously violate the laws or procedures of their people in a way that makes their behavior no longer acceptable to their peers. Like the citizen of any society, there are times when a Time Lord may "fudge the rules" a little bit (ie: Borusa creating a false story about how Goth died in The Deadly Assassin). But a Renegade goes against the ways of their people so much that a serious punishment must be inflicted upon them should they ever be apprehended. 

Most Renegades violate the First Law of the Time Lords. Which is, of course, the Rule of Non-Intervention. Time Lords are meant to merely observe the ways of lesser species and never try to influence or interfere with them (except in extreme cases where the CIA has sanctioned the need to interact with a certain event and insure that the desired outcome occurs). 

But breaking the First Law is not the only way a Renegade can receive their title. A Time Lord, in general, is meant to live a quiet life and follow a very strict code of conduct. There are any number of infractions that they can commit within the very framework of their own society that can earn them the severest of penalties. They don't, necessarily, have to leave their homeworld and interact with non-Gallifreyans in order to be penalised. They can get into plenty of trouble right at home. 

That's a fairly all-encompassing definition of a Renegade Time Lord that should include most of the different types that we will look at. With such a definition in place, we can now get into specifics and start breaking them down into different categories.

Before we begin, however, we need to make one more important note: Occasionally, a Renegade will be mentioned with an asterisk (*) beside their name. This indicates that they fall into a very special category that I will simply refer to as "A Grey Area". Essentially, they don't totally adhere to the definition I just provided but still come pretty close. Later on in the entry, we will have an actual Grey Area category that will discuss in greater detail what causes them to differ from that main definition. 

CATEGORY ONE: THOSE THAT REMAIN ON GALLIFREY

As I mentioned, going out into the cosmos and actually interfering with other species is not the only way to become a Renegade. There are plenty of Time Lords causing serious problems right in their home territory. This particular category of Renegade Time Lord breaks down into two specific groups: 

The "Rejectors"

This is, specifically, a Time Lord that has renounced their lifestyle and chooses to operate outside of the strictures of the Time Lord Code but still remains on Gallifrey. As I first mentioned during a History of Gallifrey essay (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2016/02/chronologies-and-timelines-history-of.html - the discussion happens during the second section of the essay), there is a certain level of confusion about this particular type of criminal. 

The very clear illustration that is given of this kind of Renegade are the Shobogans. We see a whole gang of them in The Invasion of Time. These are Time Lords that, for whatever reason, have come to disagree with how their society is run. They have chosen to leave the Citadel and live by the most primitive of means in the Wastelands beyond. They are, for the most part, hunter/gatherers. They also tend to exist in tribes most of the time. So we meet several of them at once during Invasion of Time. While we see quite a few of them (as many extras as the BBC could produce for that day of shooting!), only a few of their names are given. These would include Nesbin, Presta, Ablif and Jasko. 

More than likely, the Doctor's Mentor (sometimes known as K'anpo Ripoche or Cho-Je) was probably classified as a Shobogan, too, when he lived as a hermit on Gallifrey. He was a rare instance of a Shobogan that did not join a tribe. 

Quite possibly, there is a subset to this culture who are referred to as Sheboogans* (Oh look! A Grey Area already!). Like the Shobogans, they no longer subscribe to the politics of their people. But they chose to remain within the Citadel. More than likely, they hide in disused areas of the city. They seem to be somewhat disruptive. Participating in acts of vandalism and other types of hooliganism. 

The Social Climbers

There are Renegades that have remained on Gallifrey but break its laws in a very different way. The "Rejectors" (totally a word) we just discussed make a conscious choice to become rebels and/or outsiders. They just don't want anything to do with being a "Proper Time Lord", anymore. The Social Climbers, however, continue to operate within the parameters of Time Lord culture but twist various protocols in order to advance their careers. Outwardly, they still maintain the pomp and circumstance of their position. But something very dark is going on beneath the surface. 

The first Renegade of this nature would be Chancellor Goth in The Deadly Assassin. Upon discovering that he would not be named the next Lord President, he secretly allied himself with the Master and hatched a plot to assassinate the current President and frame the Doctor for it. Of all the Social Climbers, he was probably the most ruthless. To say he merely "twisted protocols" like I did in my last paragraph is a vicious understatement. He was truly a murderous villain. 

Castellan Kelner* from The Invasion of Time would be our next example of a Social Climber. He takes full of advantage of the situations created by both the Vardans and the Sontarans as they attempt to overrun Gallifrey. 

Councillor Hedin in Arc of Infinity would be a Social Climber who almost seems altruistic in his goals. He speaks highly of honoring Omega for the sacrifice he made for the Time Lords and wishes to give him the powers of the Lord President. But I think it's safe to say that, had his plans worked and he had not been killed, he would have been given some sort of reward for his efforts (Omega does make a promise of this nature to him, at one point). So I wouldn't even consider him a Grey Area. He's definitely a Social Climber. 

While we never actually meet them, we can also assume that most or all of the High Council during Trial of a Time Lord were Renegades at heart(s). They were willing to attempt to turn the Doctor into a criminal and have him executed so that he wouldn't reveal the Ravalox Scandal. This was a huge perversion of Gallifreyan Law just so they could maintain their position of power. The fact that they were willing to create a strange, twisted creature like the Valeyard and strike a deal with him takes their villainy to even greater heights.  We may have never seen these guys, but they seem as nasty as Goth, himself. 

Just like the Rejectors (still totally a word), we run into another subset. I like to refer to them as: Sleeper Social Climbers. These were Time Lords we encountered a few times before they genuinely became corrupt and chose to pervert justice to suit their own needs. For a while, they were good guys. They only turned to evil in a later adventure. 

The best example of this type of Renegade would be Borusa. A Time Lord we saw on three different occasions before he went bad. During those first three instances, he was climbing through the ranks of Time Lord politics without having to do anything underhanded. He did seem somewhat cold and dispassionate in both The Deadly Assassin and Arc of Infinity. But it was quite easy to warm to him during Invasion of Time (another great example of how regeneration does trigger changes in personality as well as appearance). But, by The Five Doctors, he has become drunk with power. He chooses to play the Game of Rassilon in order to become Lord President Eternal. Of all the Social Climbers, his Fall from Grace is perhaps the most tragic. We really feel the Doctor's sadness when he proclaims: "What's happened to you Borusa?!" We experience these sort of emotions because he was a Sleeper Social Climber. We spent quite some time getting to know him and liking him a bit before he finally went Renegade. 

It's in The Five Doctors that we first meet the other Sleeper. While there are various rumors and legends that support the idea that Rassilon had a darker side to him, he really does seem quite pleasant during the brief time that he appears at the end of the 20th Anniversary Special. It's only when we see him again in The End of Time that we definitely sense that he's become corrupt. However, he seems to have more-or-less the full backing of his people as he tries to initiate his plans to save Gallifrey from the Time Wars. So it's difficult to label him a Renegade, at this point. In truth, he's not really breaking any of the laws of his people. Almost all of them are backing up his decision. It's only when we get to Hell Bent that he is rejected by the Time Lords and punished for what appear to be war crimes (he is probably also being reprimanded for attempting to execute a war hero). It's safe to say that, at this point, the rest of the High Council that ruled with him are also classified as Renegades. It is stated that the Doctor is having them kicked off Gallifrey, too. This is a great example, however, of how being a Renegade is a genuine legal status. Rassilon is accepted by the Time Lords until someone comes along and adjusts the Law accordingly. It is highly ironic, however, that one of the Greatest Founders of Time Lord Culture eventually becomes a criminal within its system of government. 

One could also dispute that Goth from Deadly Assassin might be considered a Sleeper. Bernard Horsefall also plays one of the Time Lords on the Tribunal that sentenced the Doctor to exile during The War Games. So that may have been the first time we met Goth. While a bit harsh, he still seemed like a decent enough individual. It's not til Assassin that he becomes a rogue. But it's entirely possible that the Time Lord in War Games is not actually Goth. Lookalikes have been known to happen amongst Gallifreyans (ie: Maxil and the Sixth Doctor). 

*Grey Areas

* Sheboogans - As discussed in my History of Gallifrey essay, it's entirely possible that there is no real difference between these two classes of Renegades. While the pronunciation is radically different from the spelling, these two cultures might be one and the same. Some Shobogans live outside the city, others within. No distinction is actually made between them in the way they are labelled. Time Lords just say the word Shobogan with a really weird accent! 

At first, we only heard Spandrell give mention of them. Since then, the Twelfth Doctor has also pronounced their name in the same way as the Castellan did. In both instances that their title is spoken, they are referenced in ways that indicate they are city dwellers. So this could be a special classification of its own that is spelt similarly to "Shobogans" but is still distinct from them. Shobogans leave the Citadel, Sheboogans stick around. 

The Master does help with this argument during The Timeless Children. He mentions that the indigenous population of Ancient Gallifrey were called Shobogans. He pronounces it the way it's spelt. He also seems to insinuate that they didn't dwell in cities (they take on a new identity when the Citadel is finally built). This does seems to help with the idea that Shobogans and Sheboogans are not one and the same. But we still can't say, for sure, that these ancient Shobogans have the same name as the modern-day Renegades who abandon civilisation to dwell in the Wastelands.     

The biggest problem is that the outsiders in Invasion of Time are named only in print - their label is never spoken in that story. If someone had said their name and it was pronounced the way it was spelt, we would have more concrete evidence that these really are two separate groups.

At this point, however, the argument that they are different cultures with individual names is still up in the air. 

* Castellan Kelner - While he is a devilish rogue, Kelner doesn't quite fit the description of a Social Climber Renegade Time Lord. A Social Climber is consciously manipulating rules and customs to create a desired result. This doesn't really seem to be the case with Kelner. Opportunities just seem to be handed to him as the Vardans and Sontarans seize control of Gallifrey. He takes advantage of these situations but he didn't create them, himself - as other Social Climbers do. Admittedly, when these tyrants are in control, he does start changing the law to suit him. But he is just benefiting from this twist of events rather than plotting his rise to power all on his own. This does, sort of, disqualify him as a "true" social climber. Had the Vardans or Sontarans never landed in the Citadel, Kelner would have just kept on being the Castellan and would never have advanced in status the way he did. 

It's not only difficult to label Kelner as a Social Climber, but even calling him Renegade, in general, is a stretch. As my definition states, a Renegade commits crimes that get them punished should they be apprehended. The Castellan is definitely behaving in a manner that is unbecoming of a Time Lord during Invasion of Time. But, ultimately, when his plans fall into ruin, he receives no penalty for what he's done. In fact, it's insinuated in Season 16 that he may have become Lord President for a time. 

Kelner is, essentially, a "baddie" who remains on Gallifrey and engineers situations to advance himself. So he does suit the description in some ways. But he doesn't fit the mold perfectly. 

Well, that encapsulates all the different types of Renegade Time Lords that remain on Gallifrey (or, at least, we seem to have hit most of them!). This seems a good place to stop, for now. 

Part Two will cover the Second Major Category of Renegade Time Lord. It should go on a bit longer than this entry as there are considerably more Time Lords that suit this description. 

REVIEW OVERVIEW: THE TRILOGIES OF DOCTOR WHO

Once more, we dive into another REVIEW OVERVIEW essay. I've been coming up with quite a few of these, lately. So they will be making some fairly regular appearances over the next while. 

Trilogies in Doctor Who are a fairly unique phenomenon.  We really only see them in the JNT era (although, I have decided there is one more example of a trilogy from a different period - but it's my own personal opinion that defines it as such. I don't tend to hear other fans saying the same thing). Many of the trilogies that appeared in the 80s are fairly clear and distinct. Some are a bit less obvious. We will go through them all and rate them with a scale of sorts. 

To be clear: a trilogy is a series of three self-contained stories that combine together to tell a bigger tale. Or, at the very least, that deal with a single significant theme. Once that ongoing storyline or concept is done, the show very clearly moves on to something else. 

Trilogies, of course, should not be confused with the Three-parters we, sometimes, see in the New Series (or the three-parter we once saw in Season 22). These three-parters can bear a close resemblance to a trilogy. I look, for instance, at the three episodes about the Monks in Series 10 and see some pretty distinct stories that combine to tell a whole. But I'd still be more inclined to call that a three-parter. Trilogies from the Classic Series are much more discernible because they are multi-part stories that come together to tell a bigger tale. Whereas a three-parter is only made of three episodes, trilogies are usually comprised of twelve.    

RATING SYSTEM

Last time we did one of these, we were very thorough and scientific-seeming (totally a legitimate hyphenated term!). Even a little bit ambitious. We did five whole different points of criteria and addressed each of them specifically with every candidate. I was very proud of myself for being so clinical. Check it out for yourself if you want to be legitimately impressed with me (or, at least, mildly impressed with me!): https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2021/04/review-overview-which-doctor-is-best-at.html

This time, we're playing things a bit more loose. I'm only going with two points of criteria that will get, at least, vaguely touched-upon during my reviews of each trilogy. 

Point of Criteria #1: Execution of the Trilogy's Main Thrust

This would be the most obvious. There needs to be a through-theme that connects the three stories and makes them feel cohesive. Otherwise, we really don't have a proper trilogy. 

If we go to the Star Wars trilogies, for instance. The original three movies detailed the redemption of Anakin Skywalker. There were tonnes of other stories going on too, of course. But, behind it all, this plot was there. You just had to be looking for it. 

While many bemoan the Prequels, the main theme of this trilogy is well-displayed. In this case, we were watching the Fall of Anakin Skywalker. This process was shown quite clearly and evidently throughout the course of the three movies. It was also constructed in a very realistic manner. If we had gone through the same experiences Anakin had been put through, we probably would have made the same choice. 

So, if we were to compare these two trilogies, the main thrust of the Prequels is probably the better-executed of the two. Complain all you want about Jar Jar or the apparent wooden acting of certain performers. Or even how the story is just too political. But the Fall of Anakin is better-handled than his redemption (which, in some ways, almost seems to come out of nowhere during the third movie).   

We will be making these same sort of observations about the trilogies we'll be examining in Doctor Who. Do we see an underlying storyline building up throughout the three tales? Or could it have been shown more clearly?    

Point of Criteria #2: Actual Story Quality 

While Point of Criteria #1 is pretty important, this can have a very strong bearing too. The self-contained stories being told within the framework of the trilogy need to be well-executed. Otherwise, the whole thing can fall flat. 

Let's go back to that Star Wars comparison just a bit more. I have just pointed out that the Prequels do a much better job with the through-theme than Episodes IV, V and VI. But ask just-about any Star Wars fan which trilogy is better. Some might say those Prequels get picked on way harder than they should (and I would be one of those fans - I actually find them to be quite enjoyable), but would still admit that the Original Trilogy is the better of the two. Why do they feel that? The individual movies that make up the trilogy are just better-made. It's as simple as that. 

So, while a good through-theme is important, it's not everything. If the parts that make a whole are well-conceived, that can really make a difference in our appreciation of a trilogy. 

Special Note: I intentionally didn't go into the shambles that is the Disney trilogy as it would just get me ranting for way too long. And this is meant to be a Doctor Who blog, not Star Wars! 

THE ACTUAL TRILOGIES

Rather than try to rank them immediately, I am just going to tackle them in chronological order. I'll list each one and give a brief analysis on how well they handled those two Points of Criteria. At the end of the individual review, I will give them a score from 1 to 10. Based on that score, you can determine where I rank them all on your own. 

THE E-SPACE TRILOGY 

What impresses me the most about this particular trilogy was the fact that the production team seems to understand that this is the first time they are trying something like this so they keep it pretty simple. No complex multi-layered theme to examine, here. The TARDIS slips through a CVE that takes them into another universe. They then spend the next three stories trying to find their way back into their own reality. Pretty straightforward stuff. 

Both Full Circle and Warrior's Gate keep a strong enough focus on this theme. Particularly Warrior's Gate. The whole story is really about trying to find a way through to the other side of those mirrors. What is nice, though, is that State of Decay is telling a very different type of story from the other two. It really is more of a classic vampire story. With the Doctor and Romana, sort of, becoming Van Helsing together. But enough is inserted into the story about escaping E-Space that it still feels very cohesive. It's not like the middle story forgot, altogether, about the main thrust of the trilogy and just went for something wildly different. It all stitches up together quite nicely. 

All three stories are quite strong. Warrior's Gate is particularly brilliant. It almost makes it into my Top Ten all-time favorite stories, in fact. I'd definitely say it's in my Top Twenty. Which means that the trilogy finishes off beautifully. There's definitely a sense of progression, here. 

The trilogy does lose a point in Full Circle, though. Christopher Bidmead's desire to give Doctor Who a hard sci-fi edge goes just a bit too far, for once. There is, perhaps, just a bit too much technobabble going on, in places. Which causes the story to feel too remote and even a tad confusing. Overall, it's still a very good story. Particularly when you consider the age of its author. And it does also contribute to the overall arc quite nicely. 

The E-Space Saga also loses a point for, perhaps, just being a little too simple and straightforward. Especially as later trilogies come along and we see them dealing with far more complex and sophisticated matters. 

Overall, thought, still a strong trilogy. Especially for a first effort. 

Final Score:                                                                                8/10

THE REGENERATION TRILOGY 

Hot on the heels of The E-Space Trilogy comes a tale that does go for something higher concept. The production team has a little more confidence, now. Instead of using a plot element to link the three stories, it's something more thematic. They give us a very good product, though. Even if they're doing another trilogy again so soon. 

I would go so far to say that it's not so much the concept of regeneration that is the central premise. But, rather, rebirth. The Doctor's transformation is a natural process that all Time Lords must face. So he deals with it in a more healthy manner. The Master, of course, induces his change through the most ungodly of means. But, in both instances, we are watching these two major characters become something new and different. So that the whole thrust of the show can move in a new direction. Doctor Who, itself, becomes reborn as this trilogy concludes.

On this occasion, I like the middle story best. Logopolis actually makes it into my Top Ten (check it out, right here: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2015/12/book-of-lists-top-ten-who-stories-10.html). Of all the swansong stories we've gotten, nothing beats this one. Nor do I think anything ever will. But the bookends to Logopolis are still quite magnificent, too.  There is a beautiful poetic quality to both Keeper of Traken and Castrovalva. Keeper plays out like a sci-fi Elizabethan drama while Castrovalva seems to almost hail from the Renaissance Period. It's great to see such classical influences in what is meant to be popular family viewing. It's all quite incredible. At a time when most still considered science fiction and/or fantasy to be "kids' stuff", stories like these prove such theories to be grossly inaccurate. This is very heady content. I'm so glad Bidmead was allowed to realize his full vision. Especially since it actually carried into a period he was no longer script editing for. The very fact that this trilogy completes itself in the next season speaks volumes of its potency. 

Having said all that, both Keeper and Castrovalva do have the slightest of sags to them. If the production team had not waited til the Sylvester McCoy Era to become open to the idea of three parters, both of these stories might have benefited greatly from losing an episode. It's still not enough to hurt the final score too much. But the sag is still there and needs to be acknowledged. 

Final Score:                                                                                9/10

THE GUARDIAN TRILOGY

After taking about a season off from making trilogies, the production team comes back with something truly amazing. The Guardian Trilogy just might be absolutely perfect. 

Mawdryn Undead is a timey-whimey work of brilliance that makes you think it inspired a young Steven Moffat to not be afraid to write the sort of complex paradoxes that we would see when he started contributing to the New Series. It does a remarkable job of bringing back the Brigadier, too (even though it was originally meant to be Ian!). I also love the amount of pathos that is created for the supposed "monsters" of the story. 

Terminus, like State of Decay, is the odd-man-out. It's telling a very different story. One that is very gritty and even a bit political (Stephen Gallagher really seems to hate Big Business!). But it's still a very solid middle tale that sees off Nyssa in a way that seems befitting to the character. Her little striptease is quite nice, too! 

And then there's Enlightenment. Sailing ships in space. Empty Eternals feeding off of our souls. A final showdown between the Guardians and the Doctor that feels legitimately epic (something the Classic Series could have a really hard time doing when it built up a longer arc because its budget was so limited). This is also another one of those 80s stories that seems to have an almost poetic quality to it. Not just because of the gorgeous flow of the dialogue. But the imagery, itself, conjures up that feeling of heightened sensitivity and deeper layers of meaning that a good piece of verse can create.  

And how can you not love: "Enlightenment was not the diamond. Enlightenment was the choice." Shivers every time! 

In terms of the through-theme, the execution is also flawless. Particularly in the middle story. Turlough checks in just often enough with the Black Guardian to remind us that the whole central predicament of the plot was caused by their unholy alliance. I also love that the White Guardian doesn't start appearing til the final tale. It gives us a sense that things are building up. That this is no longer just about the Black Guardian's revenge, it really is a clash between Good and Evil. 

Of course, there's also that bit in Mawdryn Undead where Turlough sees his own sleeping form as he realizes his conversation with the Headmaster was all a dream. So mega-cool! 

There really is nothing I can find wrong in this trilogy. 

Final Score:                                                                                10/10

THE TUTELAGE OF ACE TRILOGY

These last few trilogies start to become more and more subjective. With our first three, the production team tended to refer to them as actual trilogies. A very conscious effort was being made to get three stories to link together into a larger narrative. 

The Tutelage of Ace seems to be more of something that the fans have picked up on. There might have been some degree of intention from the creative team, too -  but it's difficult to say.  This really might be more of an afterthought. That, only after watching the last three stories of Seasond 26, we all decided there was a sort of through-theme going on. 

Naturally enough, that sense of continuity between the stories is fairly muddled. In Ghostlight, there is a definite idea that the Doctor has issued a challenge to Ace to assess where she is and what's going on, there. He is very consciously giving her a lesson of some sort. Which is why we come up with this whole idea that she is being specifically mentored (or even groomed) in these three stories. But the other two stories in the trilogy don't take on the same motif. The Doctor does still seem to be moving Ace through certain specific processes, but he becomes less and less obvious about it in every story. In Ghostlight, he is very consciously trying to teach her how to conquer her fear. In Curse of Fenric, he's a bit more discreet. But he is trying to get her to let go of her resentments. His intention in Survival seems even less clear. He's bringing Ace back home to help her come to terms with where she came from. And to, maybe,  help her to just move on from her past, in general. To be in the present. It really is difficult to tell. But, like the other two stories, he seems to have some sort of agenda. He has given her a goal to achieve. She's just not always aware that he's doing that. But this does cause us to believe that all three stories are interconnected in their own way. 

The fact that the through-line is not as clear-cut as it is in other trilogies is not, necessarily, a bad thing. If  anything, it shows that the production team can make three stories relate to each other without having to hit you over the head with what the central theme is meant to be. In some ways, I do feel that this particular trilogy has more artistic merit than the others. 

This is another trilogy where the stories are amazing. Ghostlight is, perhaps, one of the most sophisticated pieces of television ever created. It really demands that the viewers work out for themselves what the actual story is about. To create their own plot from what they are seeing. You just don't really see stuff like that on television. Curse of Fenric is an absolute Classic. In fact, I prefer this story over many of the tales that most fans attach this sort of label to. It's much better than, say, Genesis of the Daleks or Caves of Androzani. Survival might be the weakest entry of the three, but that's only because the bar is so ridiculously high. It's still incredible and takes the whole show out on a very classy note. I was delighted to see Rona Munro come back and write for New Who (where she did yet another amazing job!). She deserved the status of "First Writer from the Classic Series to Return to the Modern Version." 

Admittedly, I do still wonder if we can truly refer to this as a trilogy. As this does seem more like a title fans have ascribed to it rather than a genuine fact. That is about the only thing that really works to its detriment, though. In so many other ways, this is a great piece of work that builds up a fascinating backstory for Ace. Sadly, the arc it set in motion was meant to be completed in Season 27. But we never got to see it come to fruition. 

Final Score:                                                                                9/10

THE "OF THE DOCTOR" TRILOGY

When I posted my What Constitutes a Three-Parter essay a while back (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2019/09/points-of-debate-what-constitutes-three.html), an interesting point was made in the comments. Some fans felt that Name of the Doctor, Day of the Doctor and Time of the Doctor could constitute a very loosely-linked three-part adventure. 

I would like to take that theory one step further. Rather than call it a three part story, I think it actually constitutes a legitimate trilogy. Yes, these are just three episodes back-to-back. My own definition states that a trilogy is made up of several multi-part stories. But, when you consider the running times of some of the episodes, it is like you are getting multi-part adventures. Day has the length of about a four-parter. And Time is close to a three-part length. So we can "fudge the rules" just a little bit and let this one be a trilogy. 

How well do the stories link together? Fairly well. All three of them do tend to get a bit more introspective about our protagonist than usual. They take a deeper look into the Doctor and the nature of his heroism.We are definitely looking at some of the core issues of the character. Particularly in Day and Time. Both examine the philosophies that the Doctor holds that make him into the hero that he is. Name doesn't quite dive into this as strongly. It gets more into the idea of how he deals with his failures. It is also concentrating quite a bit on the whole Impossible Girl storyline. Almost to the point of distraction. It does link nicely with Day, at least, in that it deals with multiple incarnations a bit. So there is still some cohesiveness, there. 

There is another major theme that the trilogy deals with a bit better. Much of these three episodes narrate the Last Stages of the Doctor's Journey to Trenzalore. Which, in many ways, is meant to be the Doctor facing his Final End. In this sense, Name and Time connect better. Whereas Day only makes some very incidental mentions of it. Moff almost seems to be grafting on the arc a bit in Day rather than properly integrating it. 

What this does basically mean is that the through-themes only seem to work so well. Some stories link well with each other in some ways. And, in other manners, they're only so cohesive. Overall, though, I do think the connections are strong enough that we can call this a trilogy if we want to. 

Not too much problems with the stories. Name is competently-told. Day actually makes it into my Top Ten (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2015/12/book-of-lists-top-ten-who-stories-7.html). Time is definitely one of the better swansong stories the show has ever produced - particularly in the New Series. So there's little to complain about, there. 

There is, however, a sort of weird disconnect between Name and Day that, again, damages the cohesiveness of the whole trilogy. At the end of Name, the Doctor is still trapped in his own timeline. In Day, he has escaped it without any explanation. One almost expects the Doctor to proclaim: "I'm indestructible! The whole Universe knows that!" 

In some ways, of course, we can only complain so much about the disconnectedness. I don't really think the production team were trying to make this into a legitimate trilogy. Like the Tutelage of Ace, this is more of a fan concept. I would even say it's more of a concept of just one specific fan! 

However, if I am to subject it to my Points of Criteria, I still see that it's a pretty good trilogy. It deserves a decent score even if other trilogies are much better-constructed. 

Final Score:                                                                                7/10 

A FEW FINAL OBSERVATIONS

That, to me, constitutes all the trilogies that exist in the whole of the series. Because of the simple scoring system, I don't really see a need to rank them too formally. You can, pretty much, work it out for yourself. Quite obviously, I think The Guardians Trilogy is the best. "Of the Doctor" comes in at the bottom. 

Like my Review Overview of Visually Comedic Doctors, these scores are all quite high. This is another area where I always felt the show succeeded quite well. These trilogies were always competently-handled. It's not like, say, some of the regenerations that have been portrayed over the years. Some of them really were badly-done. Trilogies always seemed to be quite solid. 

One should take particular note of the strength of the stories that we find in these trilogies. None of them really ever had a "dud". In fact, several of these tales are very highly-regarded. Not just by me. But fandom, in general. It does almost seem like when trilogies were being made, much better attention was given to the execution of the story-telling. Which makes sense. When you're trying to link three adventures together into a bigger tale, you have to concentrate harder on the scripts. Which, in turn, creates stronger plots that are better-told. 

I do hope this latest entry didn't get a bit too lengthy for you. I was tempted to break it down into two parts but the word-count didn't quite constitute the need to do so. As a single entry, however, it does go a bit long. But it did seem better to keep it that way rather than break it apart. Hope you feel the same. 

Having said that, I really do think trilogies have worked excellently in Doctor Who. I would love to do a follow-up, someday, where I review a few more of them... 

 

COMPLETE AND UTTER SILLINESS: HOW TO WATCH THE DOCTOR'S REGENERATIONS "PROPERLY"!

Way back in the 1960s, I wrote my Ranking The Regenerations entry (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-book-of-lists-ranking-regenarations.html). A half-century later, I had to give it a bit of an update (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2020/12/book-of-lists-appendix-1-ranking.html). I revealed in those entries how I tend to view the Doctor's regeneration stories a bit differently than most fans do. But I felt that I still really didn't explain myself clearly enough. That there's even more viewing that has to go on as you watch the Doctor move into a new incarnation. 

So I felt it was time to do a true "deep cut" of how I enjoy each time the Doctor changes. The way I observe a regeneration is almost absurd - but I still wanted to share the process with you. And, because I'm a bit ridiculous in how I do it, I felt this qualified as my latest COMPLETE AND UTTER SILLINESS essay. 

As I first pointed out in my Ranking the Regenerations essay, I feel that just watching a Doctor's swansong story is not enough. If you truly want to observe the whole process, you need to also watch the first story of the new Doctor, too. On some occasions, the story starts with a re-cap of the previous incarnation's dying moments. So, from a technical perspective, you are still watching the regeneration. It seems to me, then, that it is crucial to see how the Doctor recovers from the whole transformation and moves on in his new body. That recovery is still part of the whole regeneration process. So if you truly want to follow the experience to its fullest extent, you should be watching more than just a Doctor's final story. If, for example, you put on Time of the Doctor, then you should follow it up with Deep Breath. 

But now it's time go one level deeper. In my ridiculously-skewed and/or warped perspective, I've found that there are often even more stories that should be viewed if you're trying to fully take in a complete regeneration that the Doctor is going through. 

Once or twice a year, I will just decide to go through all the times the Doctor changes. It can be quite the lengthy undertaking since I do throw in so many additional stories that one normally wouldn't bother with. But I want the full impact of the whole transition. So I go to all these extra lengths. 

I should note that I'm not trying to rate these regenerations again. I've done that enough already. I'm just going to tackle them chronologically and site all my reasons for the extra viewing that I feel is required. I do think you'll find most of my reasoning to be outrageously pedantic. But maybe you'll give my way a try, anyway. It might all be a bit silly. But silly can be quite fun. 

So, without much further ado....

FIRST REGENERATION: 

Up until a few years ago, it was pretty straightforward. I watched the first three episodes of The Tenth Planet along with the reconstructed version of Part Four that uses both telesnaps and some recovered footage. Then I went for the telesnap version of Power of the Daleks.

Things have gotten a bit more complicated, now. I'm not a huge fan of the style of animation that gets used for lost stories. The nicest way to put it is to say that it just doesn't really agree with my tastes. I still respect that efforts are being made to make these lost stories a bit more accessible. I just wish they'd do it differently. 

So that means I still tend to watch the reconstructed fourth episode of Tenth Planet rather than the animated version. However, six episodes of telesnaps is a bit tough to push through. So, for Power of the Daleks, I will watch the cartoons. 

But, these days. things have become even more complicated. We now have Twice Upon a Time to contend with. Sometime between the First Doctor leaving the Cyber-ship and entering his TARDIS to shed his first body, he has a whole separate adventure with his Twelfth Self. This must now be factored in if you are to fully enjoy the Doctor's very first regeneration. 

So now I sandwich in Twice Upon a Time between Tenth Planet and Power of the Daleks. It just doesn't feel right if I don't. As this is a special Appendix that has been added to the whole story where we see the First Doctor wrestling with letting go of himself and surrendering to change. It adds a whole new dimension to this pivotal moment in the Doctor's life. 

Important Note: As soon as the First Doctor returns to his proper timeline and initiates the regeneration, I shut Twice Upon a Time off. There's no need to hang around and watch what happens afterwards. That will get its proper viewing much further down the road.    

SECOND REGENERATION

This is another one that used to be a whole lot less complicated. There was a time when you could simply enjoy the long-but-epic War Games followed by the very filmic and colorful Spearhead from Space. 

But then we started having some continuity issues with Patrick Troughton's return appearances in the 80s. In The Five Doctors, how did the Second Doctor know about Jamie and Zoe's final fate when he shouldn't? Why is the Second Doctor doing errands for the Time Lords in The Two Doctors when he is meant to still be running away from them? 

Fandom manages to come up with the very clever Season 6b theory. The belief that the Doctor led a whole secret life between War Games and Spearhead. That, just before his regeneration was triggered, the Celestial Intervention Agency spirited him away and had him undertake a whole series of secret missions for them. When the whole thing was eventually discovered by the High Council, the Second Doctor was re-captured, forced to regenerate and serve his exile on Earth. 

So, now, if you're going to enjoy that second regeneration properly, you're going to have to watch The War Games, The Five Doctors, The Two Doctors and then Spearhead from Space. 

It gets quite a few things to make better sense. Not just the discrepancies that present themselves in the multi-Doctor adventures, but even some things that occur in other stories. Like where did the Third Doctor get his TARDIS homing device in Spearhead from Space when he clearly didn't have it in The War Games? (It must have been another gift he was given by the CIA - just like the Statenheim Remote Control) Or why does the Doctor seem to be describing a very different trial to Jo Grant during Frontier In Space? (When the High Council discovered the Doctor's secret life in Season 6b, they brought him back to Gallifrey and put him through a second sentencing). 

It's a very cool way to enjoy this regeneration. Those 80s tales where Troughton returns have a very different feel to them, now. You're watching the Second Doctor living on borrowed time that you know he will eventually lose. 

THIRD REGENERATION

No actual change to this one. Which you will see from time-to-time in this entry. 

Thus far, there have been no episodes that came out after Planet of Spiders and Robot that have, somehow, added to the whole transition of Third to Fourth Doctor. So there is no need to place more stories in between them like we did with the first two regenerations. The two adventures can stand on their own. 

Which, in many ways, is good for me. I'm not particularly fond of either of these tales (neither of them really seem to have enough story to fill the episodes they've been allocated). So the less time I have to spend on this regeneration, the better! 

FOURTH REGENERATION

Technically, you can just watch Logopolis and Castrovalva back-to-back and be done with it. But I really do think you should include Keeper of Traken. 

These three stories are commonly referred to as The Regeneration Trilogy. So you should keep them all together. Particularly since Keeper of Traken does flow directly into Logopolis. Several key plot points  in Keeper of Traken (the Master's "regeneration", the introduction of Nyssa, etc...) have a direct influence on the Fourth Doctor's final tale. Some of these elements will even bleed into Castrovalva just a bit. 

So, really, you should experience The Regeneration Trilogy as a whole. Rather than cutting it off at the knees by excluding the first four episodes. 

FIFTH REGENERATION

Like the Second Regeneration, this one goes quite a bit longer than one might expect. For me, at least. 

I do even bring this up in my original Ranking the Regenerations essay. The Sixth Doctor's recovery period goes on much longer than usual. For the most part, a new Doctor is running on all cylinders by the end of his first adventure. But I don't think Sixie truly settles in until halfway through Vengeance on Varos. We are still seeing lots of clear signs of instability up until that point. The Doctor has weird memory issues in Attack of the Cybermen and seems to be legitimately scattered during Vengeance on Varos. And, in both stories, he's experiencing uncharacteristic manic outbursts that I  believe to be negative side effects from his latest transformation.

I do sincerely feel that we haven't truly witnessed the full regeneration until the new Doctor has completely recovered. So, this regeneration is not complete until we have viewed Caves of Androzani, Twin Dilemma, Attack of the Cybermen and the first part of Vengeance on Varos. 

The Doctor's near-death experience at the cliffhanger of Part One of Varos gives a shock to his system that finally gets him to stabilise (Thirteen goes through something similar that she describes near the end of The Woman Who Fell to Earth). So you don't have to watch that second part if you don't want to. Truthfully, though, I usually watch the whole story anyway. Because Vengeance on Varos is pretty damned brilliant. I love it this much: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2016/01/book-of-lists-top-ten-who-stories-3.html. 

SIXTH REGENERATION 

Believe it or not, I'm actually not going to add something when others might be inclined to. 

Some would say that you should watch the final two episodes of Trial of a Time Lord (aka: The Ultimate Foe) before embarking upon Time and the Rani. They claim that, because we see the Doctor in the same outfit he wore as he left the space station/coutroom that the regeneration happens immediately after the events of Season 23. 

But I don't subscribe to that particular theory. I'm more inclined to believe that a good 50 years takes place between Trial of a Time Lord and Time and the Rani. The Sixth Doctor just happens to put on the same vest and cravat that he was wearing during Ultimate Foe when the Rani diverts the course of his TARDIS and brings him to Lakyerta. So, as much as I like to watch all the Sixie I can, there is no need to view Ultimate Foe before the regeneration. 

Time and the Rani can stand by itself. Yes, there are parts of it that are a bit difficult to watch. But it's really not as bad as some would lead you to believe. So just enjoy it for what it's worth! 

SEVENTH REGENERATION

No additions necessary, here, either. Just sit back and watch what I believe to be the most visually-impressive regeneration of them all. Watching Seven turn into Eight as Frankenstein plays is absolutely gorgeous. 

Doctor Who - The Movie, like Time and the Rani, can be enjoyed all by itself. And, just like Time and the Rani, there are a few problems with the whole plot structure. But, really, you shouldn't get too hung up on it. There's a lot of fun, here, too. Just check your brain at the door and have a good time! 

EIGHTH REGENERATION

Night of the Doctor can also stand alone. Enjoy the near-seven minutes of the most-anticipated regeneration in the history of the show. McGann is brilliant and the briefest of glimpses of a young John Hurt is an excellent touch. 

NINTH REGENERATION

And, once more, I can start over-complicating things!

Although, really, Moff complicated things, first. He created a hidden Doctor that we never knew existed until the 50th anniversary. So, if you truly want to see every possible moment of the War Doctor's existence, then bother to watch Name of the Doctor. Just so you can see him appear in that final minute of the episode. I don't think it's mandatory, though (but then, is anything that I'm suggesting completely required of you?!). I will admit that, sometimes, I'm in the mood to watch Name of the Doctor when I observe this regeneration. Other times, I choose not to bother with it. So I leave it up to you, too. Watch it if you feel like it. 

Day of the Doctor, on the other hand, is completely necessary. It really is the only story that gives us any legitimate exposure to the War Doctor. John Hurt makes the best of his brief appearance. And, while it still pains me more that we don't get a greater quantity of McGann, it is also a bit sad that we will only ever see Hurt here and nowhere else. 

Like Twice Upon a Time, you are welcome to shut everything down after the War Doctor regenerates. But it's tough to stop things when you know that the Tom Baker cameo is coming. All eleven incarnations of the Doctor standing in dry ice fog is also great fun to watch. So, chances are you will finish things up. 

Once you are done, though, you need to include Rose in the viewing. That briefest of scenes where Nine appears to be seeing himself in a mirror for the first time indicates to me that the regeneration occurred only moments ago. So Day of the Doctor and Rose flow into each other and need to be watched back-to-back. 

TENTH REGENERATION

This is another one where I feel you get some options to play with. 

You do need to watch Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways to get the full experience of seeing Nine die. Some might argue that you should also watch Boomtown since it explains the all-important concept of staring into the Heart of the TARDIS. But I don't think that's necessary. Skip Boomtown. 

Once in a Blue Moon, I will bother with the Children In Need Special that they shot that is meant to take place immediately after the regeneration. But, really, it's so inconsequential that it doesn't need to be included. It really is much better to go straight from Parting of Ways to The Christmas Invasion. 

After that, you have more choices to make. I will, on occasion, pop in New Earth. That opening sequence where the Tenth Doctor is powering up the TARDIS console for the first time in his new body while Rose says bye to Mom and Mickey does feel very poignant. It, sort of, indicates that the regeneration recovery is truly complete. He's feeling better and is ready to go. 

So, sometimes, I will just bother to watch that scene and then be done with it. Other times,  I will watch all of New Earth - just because it feels weird to stop things after the pre-titles! Most of the time, however, it really is just Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways and The Christmas Invasion. It's just that, every once in a while, I'm in the mood for a bit more... 

ELEVENTH REGENERATION 

Don't get confused, here. We're counting Ten changing back into himself as a proper regeneration. 

For me, this is simply about Stolen Earth and Journey's End and nothing else. Even though some might feel that Turn Left should be included in the mix. 

However, I did do a big POINT OF DEBATE essay a while back about What Constitutes a Three Parter? (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2019/09/points-of-debate-what-constitutes-three.html). In it, I claimed that I felt that Turn Left stands as its own separate story and that the season finale is just a two-parter. So, once again, I'm trimming things down, here. I really enjoy Turn Left, but I don't include it in this particular study. This is, in my opinion, a completely ludicrous regeneration. So, the quicker we can get through it, the better.     

TWELFTH REGENERATION

This is another one I like to get through fast. I'm really not fond of The End of Time Part 1 and 2. In terms of final stories for a Doctor, I think it's probably the worst one that's been made, so far.  

I am much happier with the The Eleventh Hour. It does, perhaps, move a bit too slowly at the beginning. But it finishes up quite well.  Overall, though, I treat this one in much the same way as I would the Third Regeneration (although with a little bit less disdain since most of Eleventh Hour is rather enjoyable). Essentially, watch End of Time and Eleventh Hour and get on to something better.  

THIRTEENTH REGENERATION 

And so, the first regeneration cycle reaches its conclusion. A truly momentous occasion, but I still keep it pretty simple: Time of the Doctor and Deep Breath. That's all you need, here. Nothing more. 

FOURTEENTH REGENERATION

I just recently talked about my reasoning for this one in my Ranking The Regenerations Appendix so I won't go on about it too much in case you bothered to read that entry. 

World Enough and Time opens with the Doctor stumbling out of the TARDIS at the South Pole and starting to regenerate. So, to me, this is where the regeneration story starts. Because The Woman Who Fell to Earth ends on a cliffhanger, we should also include The Ghost Monument in the whole arc. 

So this regeneration takes a whopping five episodes: World Enough and Time, The Doctor Falls, Twice Upon a Time (you can watch it all the way through, this time - don't shut it off after One dies!), The Woman Who Fell to Earth and The Ghost Monument. This is quite long by New Who standards. But it is fun to watch. For me, at least. Those less fond of Chibnall-era Who may beg to differ! 

SUPPLEMENTAL REGENERATION STUFF:

In the last few years, we've watched the Doctor mess around a bit here and there with regeneration energy. We're not entirely sure what sort of consequence such gestures might have. The Twelfth Doctor joked that it may cause deficiencies in future incarnations but he didn't sound particularly serious about it. If you are doing a deep study into the Doctor's regenerations, you may want to observe all these sequences. So, I'll bother to list them: 

First Time

The first time we saw the Doctor do this was in Angels Take Manhattan. After River's hand gets hurt, he gives her a little regeneration energy to heal it. Up until this moment, we'd never seen him do this. I suppose he could only accomplish this sort of trick with another Time Lord. Or, in the case of River, a partial Time Lord. I even think this might be a special modification that was made to their DNA during the Time Wars. As a means to help cure light wounds during battle, a Time Lord can give some of their regeneration energy to another Time Lord who might be in need of it. 

What makes less sense about this sequence, however, is the fact that the Doctor is meant to be on his last incarnation. How did he find any regeneration energy to give her? It's my guess that, even in the final incarnation, a Time Lord does have some regeneration energy left in them. Just not enough to trigger a complete transformation. 

Second Time

The next occasion that this occurs would be in The Witch's Familiar. Believing Davros to be near death and wanting him to live long enough to watch one more Skarosian sunrise, the Doctor modifies some life-support equipment so that he can donate regeneration energy to the mad scientist. It's all just a big trap that Davros has set up, of course. But that didn't matter, cause the Doctor knew what was really going on and had a trick of his own up his sleeve. It all almost kinda felt like Remembrance of the Daleks again! 

The Doctor does seem to be using a lot of regeneration energy, here. He does, essentially, end up donating it to every single Dalek on Skaro. The regeneration energy is also drained from him for a substantial period of time before it's finally stopped. If there's ever a time when he may have actually used up an entire regeneration, it might be here. 

Third Time 

Finally there's that time he tests Bill during The Lie of the Land. She shoots him with a gun loaded with blanks and he pretends to go into a regeneration. We see that familiar golden glow envelope him for a moment and then he suddenly brings it to a stop. The whole thing was just a big prank! 

This one seems the most inconsequential. He doesn't seem to use up much regeneration energy during this sequence. 

All these incidents lead us to wonder what exactly might be going on with the just how much the Doctor will be able to regenerate in this latest cycle. This could just be "spare" regeneration energy that he can mess with a bit without it really affecting his overall ability to change into new bodies. Or he may have lost an entire incarnation or two. 

Of course, Moff was clever enough not to reveal just how many regenerations the Doctor had been granted, this time. So part of the reason why the Doctor might be more liberal with his regeneration energy is because he has been given a whole lot more of it. Alternatively, it could just be that the Doctor has become quite reckless and doesn't care about how much longer he might be able to live (unlike that moment of reluctance in Mawdryn Undead where helping the weird exposed-brain aliens would have robbed him of his remaining lives). Better he sacrifice some regeneration energy to accomplish a greater good than try to survive for as long as possible.    

Special Note: "But Rob," some of you might be saying (there you go again!), "you forgot about that time in The Impossible Astronaut where the Doctor used some regeneration energy up when he was faking his death! Surely that counts as another one of those occasions!" 

I assume that, because he is safely inside the Teselecta while all of this is happening that he is not creating the effect. But, rather, the Teselecta, itself, is doing it (if they can create a whole motorcycle, they should be able to produce a golden glow!). More than likely, the miniaturized people piloting the whole thing understood how Time Lords worked and knew they had to make it look like the Doctor was attempting a regeneration before he died. Alternatively, the Doctor may have explained this to them. Either way, his death had to look convincing so they added the effect at the appropriate moment. But this is not the Doctor doing this. Which is why I don't qualify it as a "messing with regeneration energy" moment.    

WHAT ABOUT THAT CRAZY TIMELESS CHILD?! 

I suppose, technically, if you want to watch all the Doctor's regenerations, then you will also have to watch The Timeless Children. While some fans are still holding on to a belief that the Master was lying to the Doctor, most of us feel that this is now an important aspect of the Doctor's origins. That, as the Chibnall era progresses, we'll learn more and more of how this whole backstory fits in. So the very first regeneration on Gallifrey also counts as another one of the Doctor's. 

It should be noted, however, that there is one substantial difference between how the Timeless Child and the Doctor regenerate. It really does seem like the Timeless Child had an infinite (or, at the very least, near-infinite) number of regenerations. While we still haven't quite gotten the full story, it would appear that the Timeless Child, somehow, pissed off the Division and was punished by being turned into a normal Time Lord. So, while the Doctor was originally the Timeless Child, he has lost that ability to regenerate endlessly. He really did only have twelve regenerations in his first cycle. Again, we don't know how many this new cycle has (and he might not know, either!). But, at the end of Time of the Doctor, he really was going to die unless the Time Lords interceded. 

I am, very much, interested in seeing what other differences may exist with the regeneration process of the Timeless Child and the Doctor. We have seen that there are things that can kill a Time Lord, outright. That, if enough damage is done, the Doctor won't actually be able initiate a regeneration. He'll simply just die. I do suspect that the Timeless Child really was immortal. That, no matter what damage was done to her, she'll still regenerate. We'll have to wait and see if my theory is correct. More than likely, it won't be. Just about any time I try to predict something on Doctor Who, I am dead wrong. If I'm really lucky, Chibnall just won't actually reveal if the Timeless Child has this ability or not. 

So, there we go: How to watch all the Doctor's regenerations properly. To even insinuate that there is a true way to enjoy them is completely ludicrous, of course. Which is why I've made this a COMPLETE AND UTTER SILLINESS essay. I know how ridiculous all of this looks. 

Still, if you've got a complete collection of all existing episodes - give it a try. It's actually a lot of fun.