POINT OF DEBATE: DID WE FIRST SEE THE MASTER IN 60s WHO?

So I actually had the idea for this essay quite a while back. It was going to center more around the Monk - as I thought he was the most likely candidate to fit the bill. But there has been a recent development that has created quite a bit of debate among fans who are well-versed in Classic Who. So, once more, I'm skirting around the REVIEW OVERVIEW I'm meant to be finishing (I may never get it done!) in order tackle this issue while it's still somewhat relevant. 

FIRST THINGS FIRST: 

Okay, let's get this out of the way: a bit of background music being used in the re-imagining of an old 60s story does not confirm an age-old fan theory regarding the true identity of the the War Chief from The War Games. Just because we hear the same soundtrack for the John Simm Master playing during scenes involving the War Chief does not prove that this character is an earlier incarnation of the Master. The people that made this new version of the story are just having a bit of fun with fan speculation. That's it. The War Chief being the Master still remains unproven. 

"All right then, Rob." those-of-you-who-want-this-to-be-true might be saying, "What would you constitute as being valid proof that the War Chief is the Master?"

"Something actually happening within the context of the proper show that clearly claims that the War Chief is the Master." I reply with simple precision. 

Not sure what I mean? Here's an example: 

Let's say we get a new story next season called Spyrise. It's a two-parter. At the end of Part One, the Doctor sneaks onto a boat and discovers that someone he thought was a friend is actually the latest incarnation of the Master. During Part Two, the Doctor and the Master meet on the Leaning Tower of Pisa during the Vietnam War. They're reminiscing about old times. The Master says something to the nature of: "I'm still mad at you for ruining my plans to conquer the Galaxy with the War Lords. You could have, at least, leant me your TARDIS when my SIDRATS were starting to run down! Is it just me, by the way, or does the Security Chief remind you a bit of the Keeper of the Matrix?! God, I hated that guy! I was soooo glad when I shot him..." 

Dialogue like that is definitely making a direct reference to The War Games and is obviously identifying the Master as being the War Chief. If we get something of this nature then I will admit that the fan theory has been validly confirmed. But the Master could even be a bit less specific and it will make things grey. If he just said: "I'm still mad at you for ruining my plans to conquer the Galaxy with the War Lords." then I would say the theory has not yet been proven. Quite simply, the Master could have had a plan of his own with the War Lords that happened prior to the events of War Games. That experience may have even made the War Lords more open to the idea of working with the War Chief when he does come along at a later time. 

Which means, of course, that the "evidence" we're getting in the re-edit of The War Games is subjective, at best. Especially since many fans consider only the original ten-part version of the story to be true canon. And the narrative of that ten episode epic does nothing to truly indicate that the Master was once the War Chief. 

FUN WITH SPECULATION 

Having said all that, this doesn't mean we can't play about with some theories. Even before the recent re-imagining of War Games, there are aspects of the story that hinted towards the idea that the War Chief and the Master are one and the same. Quite naturally, it's never directly stated that we're seeing an earlier version of the Master in this adventure. But certain elements of the plot could be construed as implications. 

Making these sort of leaps, of course, is what a good POINT OF DEBATE essay is all about. But if we're going to do that with the War Chief, then we should also acknowledge a few other characters that emerged during 60s Who that could also, potentially, be an earlier incarnation of the Master. There are, at least, two other individuals during this period that are suitable candidates. 

Which means that, back in the 60s, we could have seen as many as three different incarnations that existed prior to the Roger Delgado Master. On the other end of the spectrum, we could claim that none of these "potential previous Masters" are actually the notorious Renegade Time Lord. Between these two polarizations, of course, lies the concept that one or two of these characters from this period could be him. 

In the end, it all depends on what you want to believe. All three of these people have traits that can support the various fan theories. 

THAT ALL-IMPORTANT SCENE IN TERROR OF THE AUTONS

Before we take too big of a dive into the subject matter, there is something that occurs in 70s Who that needs to be brought into the argument. 

During the first few minutes of Terror of the Autons, the Doctor receives a visit from a Time Lord to warn him that the Master is on Earth so he needs to be careful. The Doctor gives a rather derisive snort as he receives the information. It's a fun little scene. But it also establishes two important things regarding his relationship with his rival: 

1) The Doctor and the Master have met before 

We might be encountering the Master for the first time in this story but the two Time Lords seem to be well-known to each other. And we're not talking about how they both studied at the Academy together. By the way the Doctor speaks of his foe, he appears to have clashed with him since leaving Gallifrey. . 

This, of course, lends massive credence to the idea that we have seen the Master during 60s Who. It's firmly established in this scene that these two Renegades battled each other in the past. So we can reasonably assume that we may have actually witnessed that fight in a previous televised adventure.   

2) The Master wasn't as competent as he is now. 

Admittedly, this can be a subjective concept. The Doctor hates the Master. He's going to talk some crap about him to this Time Lord that's come to warn him. So he claims that this enemy is no one special and that he can run rings around him. It's the sort of thing the Doctor might do when discussing a foe. Even if they are actually a legitimate threat. 

The visiting Time Lord, however, does affirm the Doctor's critique of his rival. But then he adds: "The Master has gotten better at doing evil stuff since the last time you met him." (or words to that effect). Which means that the Doctor wasn't, necessarily, exaggerating when he calls his enemy a "jackanapes" and an "unimaginative plodder".  

Like the first point, alluding to the idea that the Master was much more inept at one time helps to re-enforce the concept that he may have been a character we first saw when Doctor Who was still in black-and-white. All three potential previous incarnations do seem considerably less competent than the Roger Delgado version.  

SPECIAL NOTE: 

My memory appears to have cheated me regarding this scene. I was convinced that, during his stream of insults, the Doctor had referred to the Master as some sort of "bumbler" (more than likely, a ham-fisted one). During a recent re-watch, I realized the term was never used. 

THE MOST OBVIOUS ELIMINATION

One of our three candidates will be fairly easy to disqualify. In fact, he's barely worth mentioning. Nonetheless, he's the only one of the trio that was actually referred to as "The Master" during a story from 60s Who. So we should, at least, give him some attention. 

Fandom, in all its wisdom, chose to re-christen him: "The Master of the Land of Fiction" just to clarify things a bit during discussions regarding The Mind Robber. But none of the actual dialogue in the story  gives him that title. He really is just called "The Master". 

The nature of his identity does get expanded upon when the Doctor and his companions actually meet him. We discover that he is merely a human from 1926. That he was writing a popular adventure story for Ensign Magazine when he was abducted by the Master Brain and forced to be in charge of the Land of Fiction. 

While he never actually gives his real name, he also doesn't claim to be a Renegade Time Lord who, like the Doctor, has chosen to leave Gallifrey and explore Time and Space. So we have to assume he is who he says he is: A simple human from Earth who writes fiction. 

If we really wanted to stretch credulity, we could claim the Master was employing some sort of elaborate disguise during the adventure. Which is why he's claiming to be a British author rather than a Renegade Time Lord. He might have even been using a Chameleon Arch to transform into this individual from early Twentieth Century Earth. 

It would be silly, however, to go to such lengths but still call himself "the Master"! Why pretend to be someone else but still use your real name (or, more appropriately, title)? But then, the Master did also once pose as Kalid in Time Flight during scenes when there was no real need for him to conceal his true identity. So we can't totally rule out such irrational behavior!

Still, if we're being frank, it's highly unlikely that this is an earlier version of the Master. 

A MORE LIKELY CANDIDATE

Up until I realized my memory had cheated me, I felt the Monk (aka the Meddling Monk) has the strongest chance of being a previous incarnation of the Master. This was because I was sure that the Doctor had referred to the Master as being a "bumbler" during the scene he has with the other Time Lord during Terror of the Autons. 

There is, perhaps, no one in the entire Doctor Who Universe that bumbles more than the Monk. In both stories that he's featured in, he bumbles up a storm. He bumbles to the left. He bumbles to the right. He bumbles all the day and he bumbles all the night. 

But then, I did a re-watch of that crucial scene and discovered the term was never actually used to describe him. Which creates a massive shift in my perception. I mean, yeah, "jackanapes" and "unimaginative plodder" could still be used when discussing him. But they're terms that are fairly applicable to other Potential Past Incarnations. Whereas, if the Doctor had actually referred to him as a "bumbler", then the Monk fits the description waaaayyyyy better than anyone else. 

I do still think the Monk is probably a bit more of an unimaginative plodder than the other candidates. Particularly during The Time Meddler. His plans for altering history are so massively over-contrived that they move at a snail's pace. Which, pretty much, exemplifies 'plodderishness" at its best. So that does give the Monk just a little bit of an edge in this competition.

He also exhibits quite a bit of behavior that could be described as the sort of thing a "jackanapes" might do. While I was pretty sure I knew what the term meant, I still bothered to look it up. Its main definition is: "someone impertinent". Trying to change human history while playing a bunch of pranks in the process definitely fits that description. 

POSSIBLE MONK DETRACTORS  

There is some nice evidence that supports the idea that the Monk is the Master. But there are also some factors that work against him. 

While it's not explicitly stated, the whole discussion between the Doctor and the visiting Time Lord does seem to ever-so-slightly imply that he's only ever had one fight with the Master prior to Terror of Autons. It is feasible, though, to read into that dialogue differently and say that it could just as easily hint at multiple encounters. Or one could even claim that the whole history between the two rivals is fairly nebulous. It might be only one prior meeting between the two of them. Or it could be several. There's no way to be truly sure of it. 

But it is still possible to infer from the conversation between the two Time Lords that the foes have only clashed once before Terror. Which means that, if this is the case, the Monk would be completely disqualified. We have seen him fight the Doctor twice during 60s Who. 

Some might also argue that there is just too great of a personality difference between the Monk and the Master. But the second point I make about the meeting between the Doctor and the Time Lord is the declaration that the Master was a lot more incompetent in his earlier days. This description certainly suits the Monk! 

We should also bring up the fact that it is possible to see drastic differences in personality after a Time Lord regenerates. Compare the Second Doctor to the Third. Or Five to Six. It's almost difficult to believe that they are meant to be the same character. 

The Master could have gone through a similar process. Essentially, a lot can change when regeneration occurs. So it is more-than-feasible that the Monk and the Master are one and the same. The variance in their demeanor holds no real validity in an argument against this notion. 

In the end, we definitely can't rule out the Monk as being an earlier version of the Master. There is a substantial amount of evidence that supports the idea. And the things that negate the concept are not particularly substantial. But I will admit: Because I remembered that scene in Terror of the Autons incorrectly, my argument for him is substantially weaker than I'd originally believed it to be. 

"BUT LISTEN TO THE MUSIC, ROB!" 

And then, finally, we get to the one everyone's talking about. That guy with the background music.  Apparently, his soundtrack convinces a ton of people that he will someday transform into Roger Delgado.  

Okay, so even if we considered this new version of The War Games "legitimate canon", a bit of incidental music still can't really be construed as absolute proof that the War Chief is the Doctor. 

"But it's the Master's Theme Song!" the Believers point out, "Why would they use it if they weren't trying to say that the War Chief is the Master?!" 

If we really want to follow that sort of logic to its ultimate conclusion, then we can still dismiss this "crucial evidence" with relative ease. They use the Master's theme because he's an evil Renegade Time Lord. And so is the War Chief. So the theme suits him. 

"But it's still the Master's Theme, Rob!" the Believers persist. 

To which I respond: "Sometimes, just sometimes, the show has been known to use a specific musical theme for one thing and then designate it to something else. It's not unheard of." 

"Prove it to us, Rob!" 

"Sure." I reply:

One of the few things that irritates me about Web of Fear (aside from that jerk that worked at the TV station where it was found stealing Part Three) is the way they used the theme music that had been reserved for the Cybermen during a battle between UNIT and the Yeti. I had loved the way that music played as we would watch the Cybermen come lumbering along on the surface of the Moon or in the Tombs of Telos. And now, suddenly, that same tune was ringing out as the Yeti stomped through the streets of London and ruthlessly killed UNIT soldiers. 

Does this mean that the Yeti were actually fur-covered Cybermen trying to conceal their identity? Of course not! Both the Yeti and the Cybermen are tall, deadly giants that have no reservations about causing harm to unfortunate humans. So the the theme music works for both of them. I'm still ever-so-slightly bothered that the Yeti stole the Cybermen's music. But it does suit the scene.  

Which means, of course, that if the Master's Theme Song is playing while we see the War Chief - that doesn't mean they're the same individual. Just as the Yeti can steal the Cybermen's music but still be the Yeti. It's a simple case of using a soundtrack for two things that are vaguely similar to each other. 

OTHER THINGS THAT NEGATE THE WAR CHIEF THEORY

Point #1 

Some fans will speak of a second sound cue in The War Games - Remixed that they feel proves the War Chief is the Master. But, once again, the evidence is far from being strong enough. 

In the original ten-part epic, the War Chief is executed and his corpse is hauled off by extras. To all intents and purposes, this looks like one of those occasions where a Time Lord's body was too badly damaged and he wasn't able to regenerate. But, in this new version, we hear a regeneration sound effect as the guards drag his body away. 

"He's turning into Roger Delgado!" the Believers proclaim. 

And I suppose he could be. But he could, just as easily, be turning into anyone. It's entirely possible that we're watching a Time Lord who isn't the Master regenerating. 

I will also re-emphasize: I don't count this re-imagining of War Games as being any kind of real continuity. But, even if it was, I'd need more than a regeneration sound effect to convince me the War Chief was the Master. I'd need to see a proper visual effect of the War Chief turning into Roger Delgado. Otherwise, this is could just be any old Time Lord regenerating. 

So there is nothing in this scene that genuinely proves this character is the Master. 

Point #2: 

The conversation on the radio telescope between Doctor Three and the Time Lord works just a little bit against the War Chief. I wouldn't really consider the War Chief to be much of a jackanapes. At least, he doesn't really behave that way in front of the Doctor. He's a bit impertinent when dealing with the Security Chief, but the Doctor doesn't really see much of their interaction. 

Nor would I call him an unimaginative plodder. His plans for conquering the Galaxy seem to be moving at a fairly brisk pace. His sense of strategy actually shows a pretty good breadth of vision, too. "Unimaginative" is hardly an adjective that I think applies to him. 

Still, this is just the Doctor talkin' crap. He wanted to make some disparaging remarks. They didn't need to be entirely accurate. They just needed to be insulting. 

POINTS THAT SUPPORT THE WAR CHIEF THEORY

Okay, I've taken a lot of time and effort to point out ideas that work against the War Chief being the Master. I did this, of course, because there's a pretty strong opinion running through Fandom, at the moment, that believes the opposite. I felt I needed to fight that idea a bit harder than normal in order to truly get my points across. 

But now I'll be a little nicer. There are a few things that do support the idea that the War Chief could be the Master.  

Point #1:

The War Chief is using an "M.O." that we've frequently seen the Master employ. 

During The War Games, the War Chief allies himself with someone in order to exploit their resources. At the first available opportunity, he will betray those allies and try to wipe them out. 

We've seen the Master do this any number of times, too. Like the War Chief, these alliances are frequently made with an entire race rather than just an individual. He's done this sort of thing with Sea Devils, Daleks, Kasaavins and so on. He's even formed an alliance with all of humanity. He concealed their identity for a bit by referring to them as:"Toclofane". 

Since both of these characters are using similar tactics, it's entirely possible that this is the same Time Lord in different incarnations. Mind you, it's not like there aren't other baddies in the Whoniverse that work to that pattern too. The Sontarans, for instance, quite ruthlessly exploited the Vardans in an attempt to invade Gallifrey. Should we start assuming that, because Sontarans employ a similar strategy, they are the result of some weird cloning experiment that the Master performed on himself? Or should we just accept that forming alliances that will, eventually, lead to betrayal is just an effective way for a villain to get what they want? Which means, of course, that a lot of them will do it. Even ones that aren't the Master.     

Point #2: 

It's almost irrelevant, but it is still quite hard to refute. 

Basically, the War Chief looks a lot like the Master. 

Choosing a similar aesthetic throughout multiple incarnations is not an uncommon thing for the Master to do. Just about any incarnation capable of growing facial hair ends up experimenting with it, at least, a little bit. Even the John Simm Master was sporting a goatee for a while. 

The War Chief isn't wearing a traditional goatee, of course. But it is "goateeish". He's also swept his hair back and is maintaining a general "classical melodrama villain vibe". This is a look we've seen Roger Delgado, Anthony Ainley and even Gordon Tipple use during their portrayals (it's difficult to see Tipple in the actual story but there's some publicity stills that show him off quite nicely).

Amusingly enough, this is probably the strongest piece of evidence that supports the concept that the War Chief is the Master. He really does look like he could be an incarnation of the evil Renegade. 

Does this mean, for sure, that he's the Master? Of course not! Professor Stahlman from the story Inferno had quite the magnificent goatee going on (the one from our reality, at least). Should we assume he is another version of the Master? Or should we just agree that goatees look really awesome so really cool guys like to wear them? 

SPECIAL NOTE: If you're suspecting that I'm giving goatees such high praise because I, occasionally, sculpt my own incredible beard into one - then you've guessed correctly!  

FINAL ANALYSIS 

Once more, I've done what I always try to do with any POINT OF DEBATE essay. I've examined a "grey area" in the Lore and considered it from every possible angle. I've looked at everything that supports or negates a certain Popular Fan Theory and strived to remain neutral on the matter so that you can form your own opinion. 

I will, however, finish this entry off a bit differently from most. If we really look over the evidence, the Monk does seem more likely to be a previous incarnation of the Master than anyone else. Even with the mistake I made regarding how he was described in Terror of the Autons, there are just more things that point to him being an earlier version of the Master than there are for anyone else. It even helps a bit that we do see the Master trying to meddle with history in stories like The King's Demons or Mark of the Rani. It's almost like he enjoys getting up to his old tricks every once in a while.     

Since I'm already ending this post in an unusual way, I'll also venture my own opinion on the issue. Even with all the evidence that supports the idea that the Monk is the Master, it is still only circumstantial. There is no positive proof that any of our three candidates from 60s Who were earlier incarnations. I'm a big enough jerk to even claim that if The New War Games had dropped in an effect showing the War Chief turning into Roger Delgado, I just wouldn't consider it canon. Only what we witness in the original version of the story counts. 

As far as I'm concerned, we never saw a previous incarnation of the Master during 60s Who. That is my final verdict. 

Of course, an observant reader might say something to the nature of: "Okay then, Rob. If you don't think any of these guys were the Master, then how does that scene in Terror of the Autons actually work?! The Doctor had to have met his arch-nemesis sometime before this particular story. When did it occur?! Huh?! When, Rob?! When?!" 

The answer is simple: Like most fans, I subscribe to the idea of a Season 6b. Sometime between visiting the Brigadier at the UNIT reunion and bawling out Dastari for his unstable time travel experiments, the Second Doctor had a run-in or two with the Master. I would even hazard a guess that it was the Roger Delgado version since the Third Doctor has no trouble recognizing him. Nor does he make any comments, in general, about him regenerating. Which is something Time Lords often do when they encounter each other and one of them is in a new incarnation. 

So, there you have it. In my complex World View, none of the guys that we looked at in this essay were the Master. Instead, he popped up at some point during the many unseen adventures of Season 6b. 

All that Point of Debating for nothing! What a fool I am to indulge in such a flight of fancy but then claim that none of it amounts to anything. Just the sort of thing that I would do!

If you'd like me to expand a bit on this whole "meeting the Master during Season 6b" nonsense, I do it here:    

https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2016/10/chronologies-and-timelines-master-part-1.html

 

ANALYTICAL: SECRET INCARNATIONS - PARTS OF THE DOCTOR'S LIFE HE DOESN'T TALK ABOUT: EPISODE TWO

Oh look! I'm actually continuing a series I started rather than getting distracted like a magpie!   

Just in case you missed it, here's Episode One: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2024/12/analytical-hidden-incarnations-parts-of.html

After a great debate over the nature of the mysterious faces in the mind-bending battle during Brain of Morbius, we can finally move on to the other Hidden Doctors that have come to light in New Who. Ultimately, we will even solve the mystery of who those eight incarnations in Morbius were....

THAT CRAZY WAR DOCTOR 

While I suppose we could make a brief pitstop to discuss the nature of the Valeyard, (I've actually already done that it in great detail here: https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/preview/4155651475182736486/7408633233701201961), it would be better to just jump over to the War Doctor. The Valeyard seems to be more of a special being created from the Doctor rather than a "proper" incarnation of him. Whereas the War Doctor definitely qualifies as a Secret Incarnation. 

From a behind-the-scenes perspective, the War Doctor was created purely out of pragmatism. For the Fiftieth Anniversary Special, Steven Moffat had wanted to bring back Christopher Eccleston and have him be the Doctor who fought in the Time Wars. Eccleston, however, declined the invitation. So Moff came up with the idea of a specific incarnation that battled the Daleks and the Nightmare Child and all those other weird evil beings that were trying to take over all of Time and Space. 

And thus, the War Doctor was born. 

According to the narrative Moff created, the Doctor was so ashamed of all the atrocities he committed during that time that he chose to hide this particular version of himself as well as he could. He never spoke to anyone about him once combat was over. Which meant that only other participants in the Time Wars knew of this version of him. They were all sealed inside a Time Lock. So it wouldn't be hard to keep him concealed. 

This, essentially, is how the War Doctor became a Secret Incarnation. He remains buried in the Doctor's past until he is, at last, unveiled during Name of the Doctor.

I have written extensively on how, from a narrative standpoint, the War Doctor makes a lot of sense. How it was much smarter to bring him into existence rather than actually use Eccleston in Day of the Doctor. I mean, Nine still could have been participating in the adventure. But I don't think he should have been the Doctor that fought in the Time Wars.  

Because I've dealt with all this in another entry, I won't go over it again too much in this one. If you want to read more about it, go here: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2017/01/unadulterated-boorish-opinion-why-we.html ("Two links in one section?! Makes you a rather self-referential middle-aged male, doesn't it?!")

One of the biggest reasons why we needed a War Doctor was that I think it works better that our hero compartmentalizes what he did in the Time Wars. It was an event he used a specific incarnation to participate in. Eight "dies" just before he starts fighting and Nine emerges just after the battle truly finishes. That has a better symmetry to it. 

My second major reason for why we needed a War Doctor is super-nitpicky. During Rose, Nine sees himself in the mirror for the first time. This alludes to the idea that he's freshly-regenerated. The Time Wars seem to have just recently ended. So him being a different incarnation up until their conclusion fits well with what we see in the first episode of the New Series. From what we will gather later, those wars lasted for quite some time. It would be difficult to believe that Nine never once checked himself in a  mirror throughout that entire period. So either Eight fought in the wars (which, as Moff points out, seems very out-of-character), or a very specific incarnation existed during that era of his life. 

HITTING THE BEATS

Just before wrapping up the previous entry, I mentioned the two important "beats" that every good Hidden Incarnation Reveal needs. The War Doctor does a substantially-good job of accomplishing these two tasks. 

The shock value of this Reveal is quite excellent. Especially with all the excitement of seeing previous incarnations running around all over the place. That already had us highly-agitated. Dropping that huge bomb at the very end of the episode was quite spectacular. And it was done in an intensely dramatic way. Because of how it was all orchestrated, it could just be the most shocking Reveal of them all. 

Teasing things out didn't, necessarily, go on as long as the Brain of Morbius faces (but then, has anything?!). We started getting answers to our questions about the identity of this enigmatic incarnation in the very next episode. In fact, there was even a mini-sode that came out prior to Day of the Doctor that solved most of the mystery 

Admittedly, there were still a few long, painful months to wait before we got Night or Day of the Doctor. So the tease was still there. And it was suitably tormenting. But this is still definitely a weaker beat. I get that we couldn't be kept waiting long. Who the War Doctor was needed to be answered within the fiftieth anniversary year. But there may have been a way to construct that tease just a little bit better...

THAT EVEN CRAZIER TIMELESS CHILD 

And so, at last, the Riddle of the Eight Faces in Brain of Morbius is solved. According to Chris Chibnall, they're incarnations of the Timeless Child. Just to make sure we've definitely clued into this, he has a few images of the mind-bending battle from Morbius thrown into a flashback sequence during The Timeless Children. Which was actually helpful. It had been several decades since the story was first broadcast!     

What's even more interesting about the Timeless Child, however, is how many other continuity issues she helps to resolve. Things like: Why does the Doctor only have one heart during his first two incarnations? Or: What are these strange links the Doctor seems to have to Ancient Gallifrey that Season Twenty-Five and Twenty-Six allude to? Or even: Is the Doctor actually half-human?! Using this new Lore that Chibnall has given us can actually get a lot of these conundrums to make a sort of sense. I take the trouble to do all that in this particular entry: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2020/05/unadulterated-boorish-opinion-silliness.html

Of course, the Timeless Child is controversial. There are fans who seem to utterly despise her (or, perhaps, are just bothered by certain politics that were going on during this period and are looking for any little thing to bitch about). For me, however, there is no controversy. I love the Timeless Child. I think she's an absolutely brilliant idea that takes the whole show in some interesting new directions. And I especially like her because she does fix a up a bunch of inconsistencies the show has created within itself. Doctor Who, literally, makes more sense if you accept the Timeless Child!  

OTHER VERSIONS BEYOND THE FUGITIVE

When it comes to the Timeless Child, she is chiefly represented as the Fugitive Doctor played by Jo Martin. She first appears in Fugitive of Judoon (and that Reveal Scene will have its Beats discussed shortly), but makes three more cameos in The Timeless Children, Once, Upon Time and Power of the Doctor. A cameo is not an unusual thing for a Hidden Incarnation to get. But the Fugitive Doctor seems to be enjoying a Lion's Share. 

But she is not the only manifestation of the Timeless Child. As the Master unveils the Doctor's past to her within the Matrix, we see several young-looking versions of the character. There's the incarnation Tecteun first meets underneath the dimensional rift (what we assume to be her original form). Then there's the second incarnation that comes along after she falls from the cliff. Then we get something that has just a bit of a Brain of Morbius mind-bending vibe to it: Another rapid succession of images showing off various incarnations in a matter of seconds. This time we only see five more of them. But one almost expects to hear the Master ask: "How far back do you go, Doctor?!" as the sequence plays out. 

This is the only Reveal that doesn't really play by the standard rules. We were in the middle of a sizeable info-dump as it was all playing out. There really wasn't the time to toy with shock value or teasing things out. Just a quick allusion to the idea that there is a whole host of other bodies that the Doctor has had that we weren't the slightest bit aware of till that moment. It still has a very interesting effect on us as we watch it. It's just not the usual way of handling this sort of thing. 

And then there's the Secret Incarnation that kinda sits in a grey area. Brendan is a "proper" human. He seems to be some sort of special transitional state that was used to change the Timeless Child into a regular Time Lord. Admittedly, it does almost feel like we can't call him an incarnation. It would be like taking the occasions where the Doctor used the Chameleon Arch to transform into Ruth or John Smith and claim they constitute as incarnations too. 

And yet, he does get handled in a similar fashion to a Secret Incarnation. There is a mystery to his character that gets ever-so-slightly teased out. He's introduced in Ascension of the Cybermen but it's not explained at all why we're even watching the edited highlights of his life. Only in the next episode do we learn the reason why he's been included in the story. And the way in which we find out who Brendan really is definitely has some shock value to it. 

So it does feel as though we can call Brendan another Hidden Incarnation. Even if he is just a mere human and not some super-sophisticated alien being. 

BEATS OF THE FUGITIVE 

And now, let's go back to the "main" incarnation of the Timeless Child: the Fugitive Doctor. She's the one who really gets the ball rolling with this whole story arc. Up until her first appearance, the only other mention we'd gotten of her was from a group highly-telepathic carnivorous sentient rags. 

In the last section, we see that even Brendan manages to hit those two crucial beats a bit. But how well does the Fugitive Doctor accomplish this feat? 

Quite well, I'd say. 

The shock factor of her Reveal is brutal. Quite possibly, the best one of them all. Thirteen realizing she's dug up her own TARDIS and then looking up to see the Fugitive Doctor introducing herself could not have been more brilliantly-executed. Fugitive of the Judoon was already a very enjoyable little episode before this bomb dropped. After the Reveal, the whole story kicks into overdrive. What remains of the tale is absolutely marvelous. I have no clue what's truly going on with this strange new version of the Doctor that I've never seen before - but I love it! 

Teasing things out is done a bit more effectively than what was created for the War Doctor. Yes, ultimately, we get most of our answers before the years is over. Just like we did with 'Ole Warry. But arranging the Reveal in the middle of the season and then going back to regular episodes for a while certainly makes the waiting more painful. 

Of all the Reveals, I'm pretty sure this one is my favorite.     

MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES:

As we wrap up the entry, there's just a few stray ideas regarding this subject matter that we should probably try to tackle:

 

1) Some might like to argue that the Curator qualifies as another Secret Incarnation. There's certainly an air of mystery to him as we don't know where he comes from or how exactly he fits into the Doctor's whole timeline. He alludes to the idea that he hails from Eleven's future. That he's wearing a previous face because he likes to "re-visit old favorites" every once in a while. 

That's the most we get out of him on the matter. This certainly feels like things might be getting teased out a bit before we get a proper answer about him (if we ever will). There's also a certain bit of shock value to the way his whole cameo was set up.    

Of course, now that we've had the Sixtieth anniversary we can do a bit of extrapolation and work out where the Curator might hail from. He's, more than likely, the next incarnation of the "Tennant half" of the bi-generation that happened at the end of The Giggle. The very fact that the Doctor re-dons his tenth form for the anniversary year shows him already re-visiting one "old favorite". So it's pretty safe to assume that he'll continue a bit with this trend of wearing previous bodies. Sometime in his future, he'll regenerate again and turn into Old Tom Baker. Still in the mood to enjoy a quiet life, he'll jump into Earth's past a bit and take up a job as the Curator of the Under-Gallery of Britain. Whereupon, of course, he'll run into his eleventh incarnation and offer him a bit of advice. 

But does this make him a Secret Incarnation? 

Hidden Incarnations, for me, feel like they should come from somewhere in the Doctor's past rather than the future. As a rule, a secret stems from something that's happened rather than something that will someday occur. So I'm inclined to feel as though the Curator is not a Hidden Incarnation. Not sure exactly what his label might be - but he's not that!

2) This Hidden Incarnation stuff has started becoming very popular in New Who. It seems like every Head Writer now wants to create one. RTD didn't do it on his first time round. But, after seeing all the fun Moff and Chibbers had with it, decided to jump on the bandwagon when he came back. 

His Reveal is another one that bears the vaguest of resemblances to the mind-bending battle in Brain of Morbius. This sequence does seem to have become the point of reference the writers use most when creating this sort of thing. We don't, necessarily, have a lot of Secret Incarnation Reveals throughout the history of the show. But, when we do, they do like to imitate this scene. 

Like in Brain of Morbius, the incarnation is revealed as a sort of ghostly still image created through technology. In this instance, it's one of several faces viewed in a series of holograms that appear after the Doctor gets Rogue to do a full scan of him. We see the usual suspects of the Doctor's past selves. William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, etc.... We even get the latest updates with Jodie Whitaker and Jo Martin being included in the gallery (a Rogue's Gallery, if you will. God, I'm so punny!). But then we get something that was totally thrown in to get a rise out of us. In among the many familiar faces is one that only, sort of, belongs there. From out of nowhere, Richard E. Grant suddenly appears! 

It doesn't help that the faces of the past incarnations are shown out of order. Which means, of course, that we can have no way of truly knowing where Grant fits within the timeline. But the impact of such a small gesture was huge. Fans postulated like crazy about how he has suddenly become part of the Doctor's lineage. Even I did: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2024/06/point-of-debate-where-does-richard-e.html

THAT COVERS EVERYTHING (I THINK)

Well, that seems to be about it.  My attempt at the most thorough of discussions regarding what has become a fairly prolific topic seems to be complete. I'm pretty sure I've covered everyone that fits the description of a Hidden Incarnation. And I've managed to disqualify the few that resemble the concept but don't quite make the cut. 

Clearly, introducing us to Secret Incarnations has been a way of building up the whole mystery of the Doctor. It's meant to show that there are all sorts elements to his past that we're not fully aware of. That there are still plenty of things to discover about him.

It seems to be a common misconception among fans that this sort of trend didn't really start until New Who. Which is part of what compelled me to cover the subject. It was first done during the early days of Tom Baker. A second attempt was starting to be made near the end of the original run. It was never completed because the show went off the air before the arc could reach its full trajectory. But, had there been a few more seasons, we would have seen the Doctor also being represented as the Other. Who would have come with a few incarnations of his own. 

Ultimately, of course, Chibnall just re-jigged the concept of the Other slightly and gave us the Timeless Child. I'm not sure which "hidden life" storyline I like better. It's difficult to judge since we only saw the slightest hints of the Other. But I do think that discovering that the Doctor had a whole existence prior to his current identity was inevitable. Not just to get the mind-binding battle in Morbius to finally make sense. But it's just a great way to re-emphasize the "Who" in the show's title. 

Of course, these other Hidden Incarnations we've gotten have been great fun, too. Even though I highly doubt we'll ever get a proper explanation of Richard E. Grant!    

Maybe, just maybe, I'll finally wrap up my REVIEW OVERVIEW in my next entry. We'll see.... 

 

 

 

ANALYTICAL: HIDDEN INCARNATIONS - PARTS OF THE DOCTOR'S LIFE HE DOESN'T TALK ABOUT: FIRST EPISODE

MY INNER CONSCIENCE: "Hey Rob. Do you remember when you'd start a series in your Blog and finish it within a timely manner with little or no interruption?!"     

THE REST OF ME: "Not really...." 

I felt the inclination to write about something else rather than finish up my  REVIEW OVERVIEW series. So, here it is:     

Who can forget those last few minutes of Name of the Doctor? After several long episodes of wondering how it's been possible for Clara to die and return to the Doctor's life over and over, we're finally getting our answer. On top of that, all these previous incarnations of the Doctor are making quick little cameos. Sometimes with CGI and sometimes with body doubles. But it's all quite awesome. 

But then, suddenly, something even wilder happens. Eleven comes along to rescue Clara from the weird dreamscape she's trapped in and an unfamiliar figure appears with his back to us. His voice does not sound familiar. Clearly, this isn't a previous version of the Doctor. At least, not one we've ever seen before. He turns around, at last, and it's that guy from Alien (and Spaceballs) who had the baby alien rip out of his chest. A credit appears on the screen saying that he's the Doctor! 

"What the Hell?!" we all say to ourselves as the episode ends. Or, perhaps, we use a stronger word than "Hell". But I prefer to keep this Blog PG-13. 

This, to all intents and purposes, is the first time we bear witness to a Hidden Incarnation of the Doctor. There would be more in the future, of course. Many more, in fact. But the concept begins being explored here.  

Or does it?

THE HISTORY OF SECRET INCARNATIONS

If we're being super-duper-ultra-technical, secret incarnations were first displayed many years before Name of the Doctor.  It's not even strictly a New Series thing. The first Hidden Doctors appeared way back in the Classic Days. When 'ole Tommy Boy was at the Helm. 

I'm speaking, of course, of the notorious mind-bending battle that takes place between two rival Time Lords during the final part of Brain of Morbius. Just for a bit of fun, various technical personnel working on the story dress eccentrically and have pictures taken of them. Those images then appear in a flashback sequence as Morbius is willing the Doctor out of existence by regressing him through his prior incarnations. 

Once more, we're in a state of shock. Surely William Hartnell was the very first Doctor? Who are these other eight blokes who have been thrown into the mix?! 

We don't tend to remember this incident as well as John Hurt's surprise end-of-story cameo. Partly because it doesn't get the same kind of build-up that the War Doctor gets in Name of the Doctor.  But, more significantly, the whole thing was left with a very ambiguous cloud hanging over it. There are some signs that point towards an idea that these aren't incarnations of the Doctor that existed before William Hartnell. Equally so, there are any number of visual cues that indicate that we are seeing a whole plethora of Doctors that we never knew existed until we watched that scene. 

THE DETRACTORS

The quickest and easiest way to dismiss those eight faces that coalesce into existence after we see William Hartnell is to claim that they are not the Doctor at all. That they are, in fact, previous incarnations of Morbius. Which does have a sort of logic to it. We do see the Doctor pushing his enemy back through two iterations before doing some regression of his own. It's possible that the battle swings back in the Doctor's favor and we pick up where things left off with Morbius. We start sweeping through a whole host of the renegade Time Lord's past lives. We can even believe that, like the Doctor, Morbius had a penchant for wearing period clothing from Earth. It's all reasonably feasible. 

Some like to cite Morbius' last words before the mind-bending equipment shorts out as being final evidence that we're looking at the Doctor's previous faces. "How far back do you go, Time Lord?!" (or words to that effect - as usual, I'm terrible with quotes!). But the dialogue is still highly subjective. Perhaps this is more a cry of desperation. Those really were Morbius' incarnations and the Doctor has brought him all the way back to his beginning. Morbius really just wants to know how much of the Doctor's past he still needs to go through since he's so close to losing.  "Come on, Doctor!" he's actually saying, just in more flowery tones, "How much more do I need to regress you?! Cause I'm really close to being beaten, here!"

It helps that future stories will come along and dismiss the whole concept of incarnations existing prior to Hartnell. In a few years' time, we'll start getting tales like Mawdryn Undead and The Five Doctors. They will make very specific claims about just how many versions of our hero there are. From this period onwards, "the First Doctor" or "the fifth incarnation" (or titles of that nature) are no longer just terms used by fandom. They're ways in which various Doctors will identify themselves' in actual dialogue. Thus making it officially canon. So those other faces we saw in Brain of Morbius can't be the Doctor. His incarnations have very definitely been numbered. 

There is another interesting theory that some fans have put forward about the mind-bending battle. They believe that the Doctor is throwing up "phantom images" to hide Morbius' imminent victory from him. That these are just faces he's making up in his imagination and claiming are real past incarnations. It's an interesting notion. But the idea that we're seeing previous versions of Morbius seems like a more solid possibility to me. In fact, until quite recently, I even subscribed to this concept, myself. I believed that Hinchliffe and his Band of Merry Techies were all meant to be Morbius and not the Doctor. 

But then I had to eat my words...

SUPPORTIVE IDEAS 

On the other end of the spectrum, there's plenty of evidence to support that these eight fellows are the Doctor's past lives. The strongest point is the actual "flow" that the images move to. We see pictures of Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee before we suddenly flip over to Chop Suey the Galactic Conqueror and Bust Statue Face. This seems to indicate that Morbius was winning, at first. But then the Doctor fought back a bit. But then Morbius presses the advantage, again. Which causes us to go back to Tom Baker, then Jon Pertwee, then Patrick Troughton, then William Hartnell, then the Eight Other Guys. 

The fact that we jump back to Tom Baker's face before going down the line again clearly indicates that each time a Time Lord is losing, the image returns to the most recent incarnation and then regresses. So, if Morbius was suddenly being defeated, we should have seen Chop Suey and Bust Face again before seeing his other eight incarnations. We didn't, though. So we must assume that those incarnations belonged to the Doctor and not Morbius. The flow of images, at least, indicates this. 

Morbius proclaiming: "How far back do you go?!" helps to support this, of course. Yes, it could be a cry of desperation as I stated in the last section. But it sounds more like: "Holy crap! Do you ever have a lot of previous incarnations!" 

We see another strong piece of proof that the Doctor had lives before William Hartnell at the beginning of the next season. During the first few minutes of The Masque of Mandragora, the Doctor and Sarah Jane find that nice wood-paneled console room. While there, some interesting points get made. 

The Doctor discovers a costume hanging off a wrack that we've never seen him in before. This seems to indicate that it was worn by an incarnation yet to be featured on the show. 

He also makes the startling claim that "this was the original console room". By An Unearthly Child, he's in the white-rondel-covered console room. So, sometime before Doctor Who started, he was in here. Perhaps, again, it was these hitherto-unseen incarnations that dwelt in this place. 

SO WHICH IS IT? 

Based on the evidence seen in Seasons Thirteen and Fourteen, it's fairly indisputable that those eight extra faces are meant to belong to the Doctor. Theories about them actually belonging to Morbius or the Doctor throwing up fake images are all well and good. But the signs point far more strongly to the idea that the Doctor's past goes much deeper than we realized.  

The production team, of course, had every right to make these sort of allusions. Up until this point, no one had ever definitively claimed that Hartnell played the very first incarnation of the Doctor. So, if someone wanted to put forward the idea that he had predecessors, there was nothing in the established continuity of the show to stop them. 

But, as I have already stated, content would later come along that would flatly contradict the notions in Brain of Morbius. We would, eventually, get stories that deal with the specific numbering of the Doctor's various incarnations. Which means, quite simply, that what we saw during the mind-bending battle between the two Time Lords no longer makes any kind of real sense. The two concepts do not gel. A compromise had to be made that would, somehow, allow the clashing issues to co-exist peacefully.

The most simple solution would be to claim that the Doctor had a whole other identity before the current one that he either no longer recalls or just doesn't talk about. During that particular existence, he had the eight faces that we see in Brain of Morbius. Then, somehow, he became this completely new person that we've been watching since Unearthly Child. If he has actually forgotten this whole other series of lives, we don't know why. 

The first attempt to reconcile these differences would have taken place during the last two seasons of the Original Series. The production team began to work away at the Cartmel Masterplan: An ongoing storyline that would have eventually revealed that the Doctor had been this being known as the Other before he actually became the Doctor. Unfortunately, the show went off the air before the arc could be completed. 

While I am loathe to get into Expanded Universe material, the New and Missing Adventures novels published by Virgin did finish the whole saga. Cold Fusion - a Missing Adventure book that unites the Fifth and Seventh Doctors - does make reference to the mind-bending sequence in Brain of Morbius and implies that these were various incarnations of the Other. 

None of the stuff in these novels counts as official canon, of course. But it does, at least, show that attempts were being made to fix this fairly massive discrepancy. . 

THE MYSTERY DIES AWHILE 

As Doctor Who returns to our screens in 2005, solving the mystery of those eight extra faces in Brain of Morbius has, once more, been abandoned. Believe it or not, it's the sexual proclivity of Time Lords that causes this. 

One of the most integral aspects of the whole Cartmel Masterplan was the revelation that Time Lords don't naturally reproduce. They require Genetic Looms to continue their species. Which causes all Gallifreyans that are related to each other to be cousins and nothing else. No Moms or Dads or aunts or uncles. Just cousins. This concept never actually got mentioned on the show, itself. Again, it is something that only comes along in the Virgin novels. 

Quite early on in New Who, the Doctor speaks of being both a father and a grandfather. Which, pretty much, kicks out the concepts Cartmel was trying to bring in during those last two seasons of the Classic Series. Basically, the Lore that was starting to get built during that time has been effectively nullified. 

Given RTD's strong desire to make the show as accessible as possible to new fans, it made perfect sense for him to stay away from Looms and Cousins and make the reproduction practices of Gallifreyans as simple as possible. Since no proper mention was ever made about these facets of Time Lord society in those last few seasons of Old Who, he did not contradict any kind of established continuity when he did this. 

But to say that the issue has been completely muted forever would be difficult. This is Doctor Who. It's not afraid to make references to things that took place decades ago. They brought back the Macra in Series Three, for God's sake! 

Once the show had been effectively re-established to a new audience, it started going back and taking care of all kinds of inconsistencies that were caused in its distant past. And, so long as doing this doesn't get in the way of effective story-telling, I'm perfectly fine with the whole process. 

Which is exactly what we would eventually get with those mystery faces in Brain of Morbius. But not before the show introduces a whole different type of Hidden Doctor.... 

TWO IMPORTANT BEATS 

While we have just-about fully discussed the topic of the Hidden Doctors in Brain of Morbius, there is still one more thing that needs to be covered. This particular sequence sets up a number of important precedents regarding how Reveals of this nature will be handled. There are two main ones that should definitely be highlighted before moving on: 

1) Shock Factor 

Naturally enough, suddenly discovering that the protagonist of your favorite show has had secret lives that you've never known about is going to be a bit jolting. But how the Reveal of such a concept is handled can enhance that unsettled feeling immeasurably. 

Had they set their mind to it, the production team behind Brain of Morbius could have made things even more shocking. A discussion between the Doctor and Sarah Jane sometime after the mind-bending battle about who the faces were meant to be could have really juiced up the whole impact of the moment. Particularly when the Doctor reveals that he has no idea who those other incarnations were! 

As it stands, however, suddenly showing us eight versions of the Doctor we've never seen before smack-dab in the middle of the story's climax was still quite effective.  We're still picking our jaws up off the floor as the plot continues along at a bracing speed. 

Which is the main point of revealing Secret Incarnations. It needs to be carefully-engineered so that the whole thing gives us a nasty startle. The less we see it coming, the better. So that when it does, suddenly, come popping out at us - we're left a bit breathless. 

2) Teasing it Out

A Reveal of such magnitude is going to cause us to ask a lot of questions: Where does this Hidden Incarnation come from? Why have we never heard of him/her before? Will we, eventually, see Philip Hinchcliffe, Robert Holmes and Graeme Harper playing the Doctor in special anniversary episodes?! 

It's of utter importance that the production team takes their time answering these various dilemmas. The tension and suspense that can be drawn out from such a mystery makes it all-the-more enjoyable if the fans can speculate over these things. So the answers to our many questions should not come too quickly. 

In some cases, the teasing out of such an enigma can be taken to the ultimate extreme. Who exactly those eight faces in the mind-bending battle belonged to during Brain of Morbius, for instance, took over forty years to explain! 

There are, naturally enough, other recurring patterns that will happen during the Reveals of Hidden Incarnations. Quite often, for example, we're not given a fully-detailed explanation of why the previous life was a secret to begin with. There is still, at least, a slight air of mystery to it all. The whole experience should also leave a sort of open door to explore other adventures involving these newly-discovered vestiges of the Doctor. We will even get multiple appearances of these secret characters from time-to-time. They return in later episodes (usually only in cameos). But all of these elements - and others - are somewhat less relevant. What's most important is to have a strong Shock Factor and to Tease Things Out for as long as possible. 

Something that the surprise appearance of the eight faces in Brain of Morbius does very effectively.  

Well, I have to admit: I've spent way more time discussing Brain of Morbius than I expected! I'll end this entry for now and continue looking at the Hidden Doctors that start popping up in New Who in a second installment of this little study....

  . 

BOOK OF LISTS: MY SIXTY-FIRST ANNIVERSARY PLAYLIST

We interrupt our ongoing series of REVIEW OVERVIEW posts to do something a little special to commemorate Doctor Who's latest anniversary....

ELEVENTH MONTH JOYS 

November is a pretty special month for me. For two reasons, at least. November Third is my birthday. And November Twenty-Third is, of course, Doctor Who's anniversary. 

I'm always looking for new fun ways to celebrate both occasions. Although, if I'm being truthful, I actually think the anniversary means a little more to me! This, my friends, is what true hardcore fandom is about. The birthday of the show you love has greater sentimental value to you than the date of your own birth! 

One of the interesting things I will do during the quieter moments of my birthday is to put on a Doctor Who story or two that I really enjoy. Quite often, it's either The Five Doctors or Day of the Doctor. Or both. I just like to watch an anniversary special on my special day. In a goofy sort of way, it makes me feel like Doctor Who and I are celebrating our birthdays together. 

This year, I got a silly sort of idea. Between my birthday and Who's anniversary are twenty days. Over that period, why not watch one story from each Doctor's era that I really like? That could be a fun way to commemorate both occasions at once. I'm giving myself a birthday gift of watching some of my all-time faves. And, at the same time, paying tribute to the greatest TV show the world has ever made. It's a nice compromise. 

So this entry will list the stories I watched. And, of course, each story will receive a bit of an explanation as to why it made it on to the list. 

So, here we go: 

FUGITIVE DOCTOR: FUGITIVE OF THE JUDOON

No doubt, there are those of you who will think I shouldn't be including her in this. Some will even be upset that I positioned her where she is. In your eyes, Hartnell is still the first and she's a "Season 6b Doctor". But, regardless of how you feel, I adore her. I genuinely pray we see her again someday. Which means, of course, I'm going to watch her in a story during my anniversary run. 

She is the first of our "Slim Pickins' Doctors". Not really a whole lot to choose from, here. One proper episode that features her and then a bunch of cameos (it could be argued that you're still watching her for quite a bit in Once, Upon Time since Jodie is impersonating her. But, really, it's just a cameo!). So I'm left with no choice but to put on Fugitive of the Judoon. 

Which is fine. It's a damned solid story. The gigantic "digging up the TARDIS plot twist" is still great to watch every time. Even though we've been given a lot of the answers to the great mystery it poses. Jo Martin also does an awesome job as the Doctor once she breaks the glass. I'm a bit offended that some fans say she's better than Jodie. I don't think that's the case. But she's certainly still very good. 

The actual stuff involving the Judoon is a great time, too. Captain Jack is back. I really enjoyed that. John Barrowman always delivers. Just don't look at any text messages he sends you!

FIRST DOCTOR: THE AZTECS

In many ways, there can be no other story. To me, The Aztecs really stands out from the rest of the First Doctor Era. 

It's not that this period of the show is full of bad stories. But many of them do get very "clunky", in places. The whole narrative just starts feeling a bit awkward here and there. Like it's not particularly sure where it's going. Which is to be expected in these Early Days. And the fact that television, itself, is still in an infant stage means there will be even more of this than, say, when the show was revived in 2005 and was trying to find its feet again. 

But that's the beauty of The Aztecs. It has a gorgeous poetic flow with lots of fun plot twists and a largely "unclunky" vibe to it. Some of the fight sequences look viciously under-rehearsed and things can feel just a little bit slow here and there. But, otherwise, this story is absolutely gorgeous. I treasure it. 

It was also nice to see the Doctor having an ever-so-brief love life during the Classic Series! 

SECOND DOCTOR: THE WEB OF FEAR 

A less obvious choice. TV is still quite primitive during this period. But Doctor Who has, by this point, found its feet. It's making a lot more really outstanding stories that suit this list. Tales like Tomb of the Cybermen or The Mind Robber. Even The War Games - as long-winded as it is - makes for a pretty damned good watch. 

But Web of Fear has an atmosphere that other Second Doctor Classics don't quite match. Not only is it a great adventure, but it's dark and gloomy and very claustrophobic. And there's an absolutely gorgeous sense of despair to it. For a while, it really does look like there's no way to defeat the Great Intelligence. Only in the last two episodes do we start getting a sense that the Doctor may have found a solution to it all.  

Web of Fear also has a great ending. The Doctor was about to win but then Jamie accidentally snatches the victory away from him. It's not how a plot is usually concluded on the show. Which makes for a welcome change. 

The revelation of who the Intelligence's secret ally has been all along is also magnificently done. Some great red herrings all over the place! 

THIRD DOCTOR: INFERNO 

This would be another really obvious choice for me. I'm not a big fan of most of the Jon Pertwee Era. Season Seven, for the most part, is absolutely brilliant. After that, we get some fairly formula-driven stuff for the next four years. Something that really stands out in a show that, most of the time, is trying to re-invent itself on a regular basis. 

There's a lot of stories from this period that don't particularly thrill me. And there's a few that I consider genuinely bad. Even though Fan Nostalgia feels differently about my sentiments on these tales. It baffles me, for instance, that anyone could like The Green Death all-that-much. Aside from a very touching ending, there's really not much to it. 

Inferno, for me, towers above so much else from this time. The only content that comes close to matching its quality would be the other three stories in Season Seven! 

Everything about this yarn is just so damned gripping. Which is especially impressive since it goes on for quite a few episodes. I will admit: there's the slightest sag to Part Six. But, otherwise, this really is a magnificent story. It's one of the few occasions that the show messes around in a proper parallel universe. It does so amazingly well. 

And, of course, there's the "Free will is not an illusion, after all." moment. It's a beautiful message full of hope that I didn't see coming. It still gives me a smile every time I watch it! 

FOURTH DOCTOR: THE INVASION OF TIME 

I'll be the first to admit it: This is a very odd choice. I ended up making a few of these throughout the course of this list. 

There are plenty of stories from the Tom Baker Era that are much better than Invasion of Time. There are even some fans that will tell you that this is a completely awful adventure. Clearly, I'm not one of them. 

The Invasion of Time is just a lot of fun. Something I was in the mood for the day I decided to put on some Fourth Doctor stuff. To me, it rides the cusp of Tom Baker Taking the Comedy Too Far - but never truly crosses the line. Baker ends up oozing with charm because of this. The scene of him speaking Latin to an imaginary Borusa is a prime example of this. Thanks to Tom's personality, what could have been an extraordinarily mundane sequence becomes quite magical. 

It's also one of those stories that adds a lot to the Lore of the show. It expands upon a bunch of ideas put forward in Deadly Assassin and gives us a better idea of what the Doctor's people are like. It's also just damned exciting to see the Doctor back on Gallifrey. 

This also has one of the most kick-ass cliffhangers in the whole history of the show. I absolutely love how this becomes a Sontaran story from Episode Five, onwards. 

I would not even call Invasion of Time a Classic. But, for me, it's a damned enjoyable watch that totally suits my mood every once in a while when I want to see Tom Baker being amusing but not totally taking the piss out of the show he's starring in. 

FIFTH DOCTOR: ENLIGHTENMENT 

Another tricky choice. There are some really outstanding stories featuring the Fifth Doctor. Kinda and Earthshock are the two most obvious ones. There's a lot of love for Caves of Androzani too, of course (although I don't enjoy it as much as most fans do). I, however, decided to favor an underdog. 

Enlightenment is a viciously under-rated story. The idea of sailboats floating through space is brilliant. The Eternals are an awesome concept. The whole conclusion to the Guardians Trilogy was absolutely wonderful. "Enlightenment wasn't the gem. Enlightenment was the choice" is such a stupendously great line. 

There is just so much to love, here. But this story does tend to get overshadowed by some other jewels in Peter Davison's crown. It also takes place in a season fans aren't particularly happy with. Which I think causes it to be noticed less. 

Whatever the case, Enlightenment belongs in the same category as the other Classics during this period. Like the Fourth Doctor story I just spoke about, it also contains an excellent cliffhanger. The image of those sailboats soaring through the void at the end of Part One was gorgeous. Even if it did look a little low-budget!    

SIXTH DOCTOR: MINDWARP

Admittedly, another odd choice. The thing about Colin Baker, though, is that I adore his Doctor to death. Any story he's in is a treat. I'd even be okay with watching Twin Dilemma or Timelash! 

What makes Mindwarp so delightful is its absolute weirdness. If it fits into any kind of genre, it would probably be "medical drama". Which is not something you'd ever expect to find in Doctor Who. And yet, there it is. Full of all sorts medical jargon and heavy tension in operating rooms. It's all quite bizarre and wonderful at the same time! 

Both Crozier and King Ycranos are great fun to watch. They chew up the scenery around them wonderfully but never actually ham it up too much. Which is especially impressive on Brian Blessed's behalf. His character was already written to be OTT before he even performs the part. 

Mindwarp also seems to use the trial framework better than any of the other stories this season. What happens in the adventure on the Matrix really does affect the course of the courtroom debate. In general, a lot of great drama unfolds between Doctor, Valeyard and Inquisitor. All three of them are very well-served in this script as they banter back and forth. 

SEVENTH DOCTOR: THE CURSE OF FENRIC 

Easily, one of the most difficult periods to choose from. Seasons Twenty-Five and Twenty-Six are chocked full of absolute Classics. There's even some stuff in the much-maligned Season Twenty-Four that I rather like. I'm a big fan of Paradise Towers, for instance. I don't even consider it a Guilty Pleasure. It's genuinely good!

The big temptation, of course, was to just do Remembrance of the Daleks. It is one of the greatest Doctor Who Stories Ever. But I like picking stories that do a really good job of showcasing the incarnation of the Doctor that I'm specifically viewing. Seven is really at his strongest during his final season. And there is no better version of him than the one we get in Curse of Fenric. 

His Cosmic Chess Player personae is at its absolute peak, here. The amount of manipulation and genuine deceit that he uses to take down Fenric is the greatest act of machiavellianism the Doctor has ever displayed. I love that he's been aware of his foe's machinations since Dragonfire and has just been waiting for the proper moment to flush him out and defeat him. And it's absolutely brutal to watch him destroy the faith Ace had in him in order to save the world.  

Speaking of Ace, her character receives the best treatment a companion has ever gotten in a single story. Yes, some great stuff was done with Rose during Series One. But none of that would have happened if we hadn't gotten Ace, first. She showed us all that the companion can be just as interesting as the Doctor. If she's given good scripts. And no script serves Ace better than this one. I just wish something as simple as taking a swim could get me to heal from resenting my parents! 

EIGHTH DOCTOR: NIGHT OF THE DOCTOR 

McGann begins a solid streak of "slim-pickins' Doctors". There's really not much to choose from, here. In fact, some would say I only have one choice: Doctor Who: The Movie. Which is a decent enough story. 

But I can "cheat" just a little bit - so I will! Night of the Doctor, for all its brevity, is so beautifully intense. It finally gives us what we've wanted for ages: We get to see Eight "die". But it accomplishes a bunch of other really great things in the process. And it does it all in just under eight minutes. It's an absolute masterpiece. 

WAR DOCTOR: DAY OF THE DOCTOR 

There is so much else going on in Day of the Doctor that it's difficult to focus on the War Doctor. But this really is the only story that gives him any genuine attention. Which makes John Hurt's death all-the-more tragic. It would be so great to enjoy more of his incarnation. Imagine, for instance, how awesome it would have been to see him as one more Guardian of the Edge during Power of the Doctor. 

Hurt has been given the same challenge as McGann. He's got one feature-length adventure to establish himself as his own unique incarnation of the Doctor. Like McGann, there are other Doctors involved that are stealing the spotlight for a bit. Hurt's got it worse, of course. He's dealing with two! 

What I really like about the War Doctor in this story, though, is the arc he's been given. He's a man at the end of his tether about to make the most terrible of choices. He's so disappointed with himself that he cannot even call himself the Doctor, anymore. And yet, by the end of the tale, he's found a path to absolution. It was a great way to make him a bigger piece of the story. He's more than just one more incarnation bantering away with the other two. He's a character who's gone through some substantial growth. It makes perfect sense for him to surrender to regeneration in his final scene. 

John Hurt has the acting chops to pull all of this off convincingly in so short a time. Which means that, although he only ever got one adventure, it's a very satisfying one. 

NINTH DOCTOR: BAD WOLF/PARTING OF THE WAYS

Our third "Slim Pickins' Doctor" in a row. But, in this case, we're getting a whole season to work with.. 

And what a season it is! Series One still stands up beautifully after all these years. Quite possibly, the best season in all of New Who. All the episodes are very strong. Even the stuff with the Slitheen! It's the outstanding quality of these stories that solidified the future of the show and brought Doctor Who back to our screens in a pretty permanent way. 

I decided that the season finale would be the best watch. It is an amazing (resisting the urge to use "fantastic" as an adjective) two-parter. Not all the season-long arcs finish very well in New Who. But this really does bring everything that was going on during this set of episodes to a gorgeous (still resisting) climax. 

And I'm not just talking about all the major plot threads involving Daleks and the Fourth Great Bountiful Empire. There's the smaller stuff, too. Rose and Mickey find a sort of peace in their break-up. Jackie accepts that what the Doctor is doing in her daughter's life is actually a good thing. And, of course, the Doctor resolves his survivor's guilt. It's all woven together with magnificent deftness. 

Okay, I'll say it. Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways is fantastic.

TENTH DOCTOR: MIDNIGHT

Midnight is one of those stories that makes you proud to be a Doctor Who fan. I can't think of any other show that would take an idea like: "Let's do a tribute to Franz Kafka on a futuristic train" and run with it. 

I will admit: There was a temptation to view Blink instead of this episode. It is probably the best story from this era. But a "Doctor Lite" tale seemed a tad inappropriate. Even if I'm not all that particularly fond of this incarnation. I thought about Human Nature/Family of Blood, too. As I am also deeply fond of this adventure. 

In the end, though, I went for this little masterpiece. Like Enlightenment, it doesn't tend to get the credit it deserves. It's a well-constructed psychological thriller. Watching the Doctor, for once, not be capable of commanding the people around him to fight the monster of the week is an almost surreal experience. 

But it's probably the sheer boldness of Midnight that I love best. Doctor Who actually gives us more of a stage-play than of a regular episode. An extremely brave choice. 

RTD took a major chance and it totally paid off. 

ELEVENTH DOCTOR: THE DOCTOR'S WIFE 

It's hard not to go for this one on a list like this. There are some great stories during this era, but there's something extra special about this episode. Just this once, the Doctor and the TARDIS get to speak to each other directly. There could've been no actual plot beyond this premise and I think most fans would have been okay with that. The fact that we do get more than that is a great treat. In fact, the Time Lord and his vessel being able to communicate is merely a side-effect from what's really going on in the plot. Which is really how a script of this nature should be constructed. 

And what a script it is! Neil frickin' Gaiman! Who knew he was such a hardcore fan?! Even the title of the episode shows off his knowledge of an obscure inside joke from 80s Who. 

It's entirely possible that he is, perhaps, too much of a fan. I do remember a friend of mine who wasn't into Who as much as I was complaining that it panders a bit too much to people like me. But then, if I'm being honest, this friend tended to bitch about everything! Personally, I think the whole thing is a very well-told story. Regardless of the fan-servicing.  

It's difficult for me to be objective, of course. Maybe my grumpy friend is actually right. I just know that I love watching this one. Idris' final ghostly appearance where she says "Hello" to the Doctor is impossible to watch with a dry eye...

TWELFTH DOCTOR: OXYGEN 

There are a few super-obvious choices, here. The best one being World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls. But I have been known to occasionally "overwatch" a story. And that's what's been going on with these two episodes, of late. I needed a break from them. Then, of course, there's Heaven Sent. But it's part of a three-parter and the other two eps are okay but not as incredible. 

There's a couple of single episode stories that I greatly adore. Flatline and Oxygen being the two that stand out the most. Both deal with very interesting premises and make some great social commentaries. They are also excellently-paced. They move at a pretty breakneck speed that barely gives us a chance to breathe (pun intended for the latter!). Both also have a fun little plot twist near the end that does a great job of resolving the whole conflict. 

Ultimately, Oxygen won by a sort of mental coin toss. As I really do have great love for both these stories. Though I am not the raging anti-capitalist that this author is, they still drive home a great point about the ruthlessness that can happen in the quest to make a profit. I do love how the Doctor's able to use the Company's own greed against them. 

Oh yeah, one more similarity between Oxygen and Flatline (besides only having one-word titles!). They're both really fun zombie stories!  

THIRTEENTH DOCTOR: POWER OF THE DOCTOR

The super-obvious choice. I can't get enough of this story!    

For me, Thirteen is a bit like Sixie. I can watch, pretty much, any episode and be quite fine with it (Legend of the Sea Devils is the only one that really lets me down). But Power of the Doctor is such a magnificent conclusion to her era. I couldn't resist putting it on when it came time to choose something from her period. 

As many are now saying, it's the real Sixtieth Anniversary Special. It's got everything in it that these sort of adventures are meant to have. It's a loving tribute to all that is great about the show. 

Classic recurring villains and multi-incarnation encounters aside, there's also a decently-strong plot going on. Nothing too complicated, But still great fun! It's a particularly great arc for the Master's character. Becoming the Doctor does represent a sort of ultimate victory for him. 

This is also a great swansong story. All the Big Stuff going on in this adventure makes this incarnation's passing feel all-the-more grandiose. But there are some equally-touching moments. The serenity  of Thirteen and Yaz eating ice cream together as they sit on the TARDIS is an excellent counterpoint to all the action and suspense in the tale. 

Essentially, Power of the Doctor has so many beautiful layers to it. No incarnation of the Doctor has gone out on so big a bang! 

FOURTEENTH DOCTOR: THE GIGGLE 

And.... we're back to slim pickins'! The Fourteenth Doctor has only three stories to choose from. Starbeast is passable. Wild Blue Yonder is a pretty big yawnfest. But The Giggle comes very close to what we truly wanted from an Anniversary Special. 

I would even say that, if those first two stories had, somehow, been compressed into a two-hour special with The Giggle occupying most of the last hour, then we would have had an excellent Sixtieth Anniversary Celebration. As is, if we ignore those other two episodes and focus solely on Giggle, then this is a great commemoration. .  

Casting for the Toymaker was brilliant. Neil Patrick Harris, pretty much, steals the show. It does feel like everyone else is sprinting along to keep up with him. Which works great since that's also what's happening in the actual plot. 

I quite liked the bi-generation. As usual, there's been division amongst fandom over such a big change in the Lore. But I do enjoy the whole idea that the Doctor's life is now divided. I don't know if they'll ever come back to the original Doctor and let us see what he's been up to. If they do, I hope he's regenerated into Tom Baker. It's not even because I love Tom's Doctor so much. I just want the continuity of the Curator's appearance at the end of the Fiftieth Anniversary Special to make full sense! 

FIFTEENTH DOCTOR: BOOM 

He's only got one season under his belt, so far. However, there's still quite a bit of good stuff to choose from, here. I'm not fond of Church on Ruby Road or Empire of Death. But everything in between is quite enjoyable. 

There are, nonetheless, a couple of stand-outs. 73 Yards is probably my absolute favorite. But, like Blink during the Tenth Doctor era, watching a Doctor-lite episode for Ncuti's period would not really make sense. So we go for the one that's only ever-so-slightly less impressive. 

We put on Boom.

There was this wonderful period of doubt going on during the first twenty minutes of this episode. It was trying to be Heaven Sent, again. The story is working under a very simple principle but still wants to be extremely engaging. Only this time, it felt like the trick might not work. That something so streamlined might not actually stay interesting. 

But then all Hell starts breaking loose. The deceased soldier's daughter shows up, looking for Daddy. And then other Anglican officers arrive. Ruby gets shot. Ambulances start rolling in from everywhere. We realize the whole war is just one great deception so that Villengard can continue to profit. The whole plot just kind of goes crazy and it's massively fascinating to watch. 

Suddenly, what started as a very basic premise becomes something extremely complex and heavily-layered. It's all quite amazing. Particularly the way the Dad AI saves the day. 

Still not quite at Heaven Sent's caliber - but pretty damned close!  

PLAYLIST COMPLETE 

And ... there you go! The seventeen stories I watched on the twenty-day journey I took from my birthday to the Most Important Day of the Year. It was a fun time

Did I always pick the absolute best adventures from each Doctor? No. Sometimes I opted for the most fun. Or the tale that best-featured that particular incarnation. On some occasions, it was just a fairly random choice. But all of it was quite enjoyable. 

So, here's my own little challenge back to you: Pick the stories you would watch from each Doctor during the anniversary and let me know in the Comments. Start watching them now. Or, wait until next year. Start on November Third and work your way to this day. It will feel like we're celebrating my birthday to the anniversary together! 

Now that we've completed this little Exercise in Self-Indulgence, we'll get back to my series of REVIEW OVERVIEW essays. 

Which is, of course, another exercise in self-indulgence! 

REVIEW OVERVIEW: BAD FIRST IMPRESSIONS - RATING THE FIRST APPEARANCES OF RECURRING FOES: TENTH, ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH DOCTOR ERAS

We're nearly done. What an adventure this has been! 

Or, at the very least, what a long series of entries. 

"The Rules": 

https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2024/08/review-overview-bad-first-impressions.html

A MULTIPLE-DOCTOR SITUATION 

New Recurring Foes, at this point in the show's history, are becoming few and far between. Which, when you think about it, didn't need to be the case. New Who was only one season in. It could, easily, introduce a whole slew of never-seen-before returning baddies while still slowly-but-surely bringing back those old enemies from the Classic Days. That's exactly what had happened in Eccleston's season. There was no reason to not continue doing this as Tennant took over. 

In some ways, we did get a bit of this. Certain alien species that we'd never seen up until the Revived Series were showing their faces at regular intervals. The Ood, for instance, started popping up all over the place. But there were other more incidental creatures making appearances, too. Baby Adiposes got a whole story to themselves in Partners in Crime. But then we also got a cute little cameo from them towards the end of Part Two of The End of Time (though an infant in a drinking establishment doesn't really make sense. Beyond the fact, of course, that it looked really cute seeing him stumble off the edge of the bar!).

While these new aliens are being seen everywhere, not many of them are all that particularly malevolent. The Doctor encounters them, but doesn't actually need to fight them. Even the afore-mentioned Ood are pretty nice in most of the stories they're featured in. And when they are legitimately dangerous in a plot, it's because they're being possessed by Satan. Which means they really can't be called villains in that particular tale. 

Because there are so few genuine Recurring Foes making their first appearances over the next few seasons, we will be able to cover the eras of three different Doctors in this entry. But even with such a long timespan, I'm still going to stretch the rules just a little bit. 

SMITH AND JONES

Recurring Foe: The Judoon

This is the one where I'm going to blur the lines. Technically, the Judoon are meant to be good guys. But they don't tend to do a very good job of it. They do behave themselves fairly well when the Shadow Proclamation is keeping a close eye on them. But when they're out on the field, they cause a lot of problems. In both stories where they've been heavily featured, the Doctor is fighting against them quite a bit. On top of that, of course, there's also the fact that they actually captured the Doctor at one point and imprisoned her for an extensive period of time. If that doesn't say: "Enemy", I don't know what does!    

I think we can fairly view the Judoon as a Recurring Foe. They may be rent-a-cops, but they're awful enough at the job to cause the Doctor to oppose them on a regular basis.   

Writing:          ........................................         8

The Judoon are certainly a worthy addition to the various races we would start seeing on a semi-regular basis in New Who. Although, it does a feel a bit weird that they pop up all over the place these days but neither hide nor hair was seen of them in Classic Who. The Fourth Doctor, for instance, should have run into an Ood or two. Or Sixie should have dealt with a platoon of Judoon now and again. We can claim there were unseen adventures, of course. But it still feels just a bit "off" that these currently commonly-witnessed aliens were totally unseen for the first twenty-six seasons.  

The other somewhat minor problem I have with Judoon is that they ever-so-slightly resemble the Sontarans. Moreso in a physical sense. Their space armor looks a bit like the sort of suits the potato heads wear. Which, I suppose, has little to do with the writing. Except the particular writer of this script would also be approving their image. 

Aside from this, there's actually quite a bit to like about these guys. Their whole social structure seems quite interesting and different from a lot of other aliens we've seen on the show (not entirely unique, though. Lytton, for instance, also seems to hail from a race of intergalactic mercenaries). Because I have only minor objections to them, they deserve the slightly-above-average rating that they receive. 

Performance:  ........................................           8

Creature designers and movement artists are finally starting to make lemons out of lemonade. If the costume is big and clunky - then make the actual alien big and clunky! Everyone does a pretty good job of capturing the distilled essence of anthropomorphic rhinoceroses. The one Judoon that takes the helmet off does seem really limited in its expression. We especially notice this when Fugitive of the Judoon shows us a much more advanced prosthetic design several years later. But this is more the fault of technology than the performances of those inhabiting the costumes. 

The Actual Story:  ...............................             7

A decent little start to the season. Nothing intensely spectacular, but still solid. It was smart to begin the season with this particular adventure. It gave the quality of later stories somewhere to go. Things build to a much better to a climax if you have a strong foundation but you still bank your more high-quality scripts for later on. 

How the Doctor Interacts with Them: ...         6

He doesn't really interact with them much, actually. He mainly just runs and hides from them. It might have been nice if he had been given a scene berating the Judoon for their ham-fisted tactics.

Long-Term Impact:  .............................             8

The Judoon are frequently taking a back seat in the stories that feature them. In Smith and Jones, they play Second Fiddle to the Plasmavore. Fugitive of the Judoon deals far more with introducing the mystery of Ruth than it is about the rhino aliens that are in the title. But they still have a good presence in both of these adventures. Even if they aren't the main focus. All the other little cameos they've had over the years are also always quite fun.  I particularly love how they pop up at the end of Series Twelve and provide us with a great cliffhanger. 

FINAL SCORE: 37

Again, claiming they're Recurring Foes is just a little bit of a stretch. But I do think they're worthy of the title. I hope they keep showing up in future episodes. Both in small appearances or with a stronger presence. In either situation, I enjoy watching them. 

BLINK 

Recurring Foe: The Weeping Angels 

The only monster from the New Series that has rivaled the potency of such Great Classic Who Villains as the Daleks and the Cybermen. So much of their success hinges on the effectiveness of their very first appearance. 

Writing:          .................................................         10

The Weeping Angels are brilliantly-written in Blink. Some huge info-dumps are given about them but they are interspersed with moments of sheer terror. It's a perfect balance, really. The Doctor. explains them for a bit, and then we get some super-creepy scene where angel statues suddenly appear when they weren't there a moment earlier. It's absolute nightmare-fare. 

Performance:  ................................................         10 

"And the award for Best Performance Given Under Completely Static Conditions goes to ..... (tears open envelope) ..... the actresses that played the Weeping Angels! (massive applause of agreement)" The women playing the Weeping Angels absolutely nail it. Never has anyone been so menacing whilst standing absolutely still and doing nothing! They totally capture the essence of how terrifying these beings are. 

The Actual Story: ...........................................       11

Another cheat! While Blink doesn't make it into my Top Ten Favorite Doctor Who Stories Ever, it does make it into my Top Five Favorite Single Episodes (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2018/12/book-of-lists-top-six-doctor-who_14.html). Which, to me, earns it the bonus point. It is an absolutely excellent non-linear plot that terrifies you to the core. 

How the Doctor Interacts With Them:  ........        8

Well, he doesn't, actually. But the video message he leaves for Sally Sparrow does almost, sort of, feel like he's telling the Angels off a bit from a screen. So I'll still give it a good score even though we don't truly get a proper confrontation scene.     

Long-Term Impact:    ......................................        8

If I'm being completely honest, I did feel the Weeping Angels really only merited one appearance. They were terrifying, yes. But they worked as well as they did because the whole non-linear plot of Blink is quite brilliant. Take away those trappings, and you've just got scary angel statues that send people into the past. But to try to create something else super-timey-whimey like Blink would just feel like needless repetition. 

Fortunately, the second story involving Weeping Angels is really good too. Particularly since their powers are expanded upon. Thus making them even more interesting. After that, however, we get Angels Take Manhattan. A story that tries to convince you that the Statue of Liberty can walk through New York and not get noticed! There are some enjoyable elements to the story, too. But Angels Take Manhattan does drag down this score a bit. 

Finally, however, we get Village of the Angels. An episode I enjoyed as much as Blink. Possibly more! This adventure, along with a few nice cameos here and there in stuff like The God Complex or Time of the Doctor, brings the score back up. It's a bit of a roller coaster ride with these Weeping Angels. But, overall, they have been worthy of their return appearances.  

FINAL SCORE: 47 

Thanks again, Mister Moffat for bringing us a top-ranking monster like the Weeping Angels. So long as the stories remain clever and inventive (and don't involve the Statue of Liberty!), I'm happy to see more of them.     

THE IMPOSSIBLE ASTRONAUT/DAY OF THE MOON

Recurring Foe: The Silence (Kavorian Schism) 

After years of being the enemy of entire races, they switch things up a bit for the Doctor. This time, he's going up against a religious group. 

Writing:            ..........................................            8

Okay. Let's just address the Elephant on the Table: The Confession Priests work in a very similar way to the Weeping Angels. It feels ever-so-slightly like a rip-off but not too much. So, for the most part, we're willing to let it go. However, this should just penalize them a bit. There are enough differences between the two species that it doesn't just feel like a re-tread. Some new and interesting things are done with them. 

Performance:   ...........................................             10 

Another Perfect Ten to the movement artists that inhabit these costumes. They look particularly cool as they "load up" on the electricity around them and use it as a weapon. That scene with Amy in the bathroom is completely chilling. 

The Actual Story:  ......................................            10 

I will admit: Impossible Astronaut/Day of Moon almost makes it into my Top Ten Fave Who Stories Ever. It's a masterfully-crafted plot that gives us one of the best examples of the Doctor using his enemy's own energy against him. Getting Richard Nixon to show up all over the place to get the Doctor out of jams was utterly hilarious. And then, of course, there's those first few minutes where we watch the Doctor die in front of us. What a way to begin a season!    

How the Doctor Interacts With Them:   .....          10 

I was very tempted to cheat again and make this an Eleven. The Doctor telling off the Silence at the end of the story and then using their own post hypnotic suggestion powers against them was utterly brilliant. How Matt Smith plays that scene really shows off just how great his incarnation of the Doctor is. He just waltzes into the confrontation with a seemingly over-caffeinated disposition and takes down the Silence with complete style. It's an awesome thing to watch. 

I also love it when Amy asks if his flirting with River Song is really all that important!    

Long-Term Impact:  ...................................             9

I do like how our knowledge of the Kovarian Schism of the Silence slowly-but-surely expands over the course of Series Six. At first, we do think they are just one species. Yes, we do see just the slightest hint of Madame Kovarian, herself, in this first appearance. But we have no idea what she's about! 

As the season moves on, we learn that there are a lot of human soldiers also making up the organization. And, of course, there's the Headless Monks. Who I guess are, sort of, human. Getting us to know them better and better over the course of multiple episodes was a pretty good way to handle it. For the most part, it all works quite well. 

FINAL SCORE: 47 

While the Kovarian Schism of the Silence gets vaguely alluded to in Series Five, it's in the next season that we truly see them swinging into action. Throughout the course of the year, they really do make for an exciting Recurring Foe. I enjoyed them a lot and almost wish we'd seen more of them (Time of the Doctor doesn't count. That's just the regular Order of the Silence in that story). 

THE HUSBANDS OF RIVER SONG

Recurring Foe: The Shoal of Winter Harmony (or just Harmony Shoal)

Another interesting twist on a Recurring Foe. This one just appears for the first time near the end of one Christmas Special and then gets properly expanded upon in the next. It's a pretty fun approach. 

Writing:            ........................................              8

This is a very tricky first appearance. The Shoal of Winter Harmony seem fairly peripheral in their introductory story. At the same time, though, we find them intensely interesting. So when they do return in the next episode, we're very happy to see them back. 

But we also can't ignore the fact that they really don't have much of a presence in their first adventure. So we have to penalize them a bit. But not too much. Because I still quite like the way they're introduced!    

Performance:   .......................................              8

The actors playing all the members of the Shoal do a fairly solid job of creating an "uncanny valley effect" with their characters. We get that there's something "off" about them. That they are, essentially, bodies being driven around by someone else's brain. The one that River is dealing with gives the best performance, of course. But they're all pretty fun. 

The Story, Itself: ....................................              6

I'm not particularly fond of Husbands of River Song. As is often the case with a Christmas Special, it's more about spectacle than story. Particularly Husbands. It really does feel like Moff crapped this one out. That he was far too busy with other projects and probably should have handed script-writing duties to someone else. Had it not resolved some major threads for the Doctor and River Song in a very touching manner, it would probably score even lower. Probably somewhere around a Four. 

How the Doctor Interacts With Them: ....            7

There is a fairly fun scene with the Doctor meeting the buyer of the Halassi Androvar and then trying to auction off King Hydrofax's head to the entire room full of Winter Shoalians. By no means is it one of those great stand-offish confrontations that I usually enjoy when the Doctor deals with an enemy. But it's still quite passable. 

Long-Term Impact:   ...................................          8

There is a gorgeous tease at the end of Return of Doctor Mysterio that hints at the idea that we've not seen the last of these nasty body snatchers. But, alas, we've not heard from them since. Which is sad. I think a third appearance would have fared well. I don't think we could have kept them going beyond that. But they are an interesting enough alien species to merit a trilogy. 

FINAL SCORE: 37

Hardly the Weeping Angels, of course. Not even the most wildly inventive of aliens. We've seen all sorts of body snatchers throughout the history of the show. And in science fiction, itself. But the Shoal of Winter Harmony are pretty damned fun. I'd like to see them back for, at least, one more outing. 

And that covers a whole big chunk of New Who. Oddly enough, the Doctor that gave us a whole season of no Recurring Foes introduces a whole bucketful of returning baddies. She'll get her own special entry all to herself.