BOOK OF LISTS: TOP 5 TWO-TIMERS - NUMBER THREE

The Two-Timer Countdown continues. Again, we're going to 60s Who...



Doctor Who in the 60s did an excellent job with the crafting of its two-timers. We don't actually see a whole lot of them. But when they do come along, they're an absolute delight! It's almost obvious by the end of their first appearance that we need to see them again.

This particular two-timer even concludes his first story on a very open-ended note. He shakes his fist towards the heavens and vows revenge on the Doctor. And, as we watch him do this, we can't wait to see that next clash.


A TRULY UNIQUE VILLAIN

It's strange that fans don't rant and rave more about The Time Meddler. The story makes a huge contribution to established continuity. It reveals, for the first time, that the Doctor is not the only owner of a TARDIS. That he seems to come from a whole race of beings that can time travel. That, alone, should have fans foaming at the mouth as they watch this four-parter. But no one actually seems all that thrilled about the tale. Most fans complain that things move too slowly. Yes, it can feel a bit cumbersome in places. But what Willian Hartnell story doesn't suffer from that problem?!

But the Monk, himself, also breaks new ground in the show. Which is part of what makes his character so interesting. Up until him, villains all tended to be dark and ruthless and almost mad with a lust for power. Someone like Yartek from Keys of Marinus was a great example of the sort of villainy we'd been seeing in the first two seasons of Who. Yes, we did have Nero in The Romans who was definitely playing things up for laughs. But Nero wasn't truly a villain in the story - more an antagonist.

Whereas the Monk is truly up to no good and must be stopped. He is definitely the villain of the story rather than someone who is just creating a bit of conflict. But he is crafted very differently from the Yarteks we've been seeing so far. He's not cold and calculating and viciously efficient. He's more a bumbler. Aside from his very first scene where he spots the TARDIS on the shore, something always seems to be going ever-so-slightly wrong for the Monk. The Doctor is dropping pebbles on his head or the wind is blowing his snuff away before he can snort it. Or various Saxons and/or Vikings are showing up at the monastery at inopportune moments. All of it creates some great comedy of errors that Peter Butterworth is a master at playing up. He really is great fun to watch as he dithers about trying to get his plans to work but running into an endless array of distressing obstacles. We really haven't seen a baddie like this, yet. Normally, it's a much more serious portrayal going on. The Monk comes in like a breath of fresh air and gives us something very different from what we've been getting so far. 

His uniqueness doesn't end there, however. When other baddies reveal their ultimate plan, it's usually some mad scheme of conquest that will result in the endless suffering of innocents. The Monk just wants to see King Harold enjoy a longer reign. We know he can't do this. That he will change history. But, beyond that, we really don't think his goals are all that horrible. His villainy, for the most part, really isn't all that loathsome. In fact, he's quite likeable. He even shows compassion at one point. While in the middle of a sneaky maneuver, Wulnoth begs him to tend to Edlred's wounds (I guess you might say Eldred must live!). The Monk wants to ignore the plea but caves in and helps the injured villager. Other nasties like Tegana from Marco Polo or Forester from Planet of Giants would have told the Saxon where to go. But the Monk stops and does the right thing. Even if it does throw a monkey wrench into his all-important plans. Up until this moment, a bad guy never showed such a softer side. It's a very nice change of tone. 

JUST PLAIN FUN

Naturally enough, a character as nuanced as this needs to be cast well. Peter Butterworth seems the perfect choice. He always knows where to land with the character. He makes him comedic but doesn't go too far with it. He gives him this very gentle overtone - but we still know he's dangerous when he needs to be.

And he's so damned clever. Purposely describing the Doctor when Vicki and Steven have not told him what he looks like is a very well-executed double-bluff. Sending the Vikings to a non-existent hiding place to buy him the extra time to flee the angry Saxons is another simple-yet-effective move. Yes, the Monk is goofy and clumsy - but he's not stupid.

The taunts he gives the Doctor as they discuss the quality of their TARDISes is another really fun moment in his first story. Other Renegade Time Lords in future stories will do the same thing. But, once more, we're seeing it for the first time, here. And it's great fun. Everything in The Time Meddler screams: "This is a very entertaining and unique villain. He must return!"

Thankfully, he does.


ONLY THREE EPISODES...

Desperate to pad out The Dalek Masterplan, Dennis Spooner decides to bring the Monk back. This creates a nice revenge subplot while the principal business of the Daleks reclaiming their taranium core continues to try to span 12 episodes.

The Monk's re-appearance is only three short parts. But they are three very entertaining, fun-filled episodes. One of the other things that made the Monk so enjoyable in his initial story was all the mischievous skulking about that he did as he tried to execute his plans. We love watching him almost prance about the monastery with glee as he tries to re-write history. Spooner capitalizes on this ten-fold when he brings him back. The Monk wanders all over the place in Masterplan, causing all sorts of problems.

He vaguely resembles the Master in Ultimate Foe. He is not  the central threat of the story - he's just causing all sorts of interesting side-action. He switches alliances and tells endless lies whenever it suits him. He's also sabotaging things and creating all sorts of traps. But, whereas the Master is much deadlier in Foe, the Monk is more about harmless pranks. He definitely wants to do something to the Doctor's TARDIS that will strand him. But, beyond that, he's not really up to much of anything. He just happens to accidentally get embroiled in the affairs of the Daleks and Mavic Chen. But he only wants to extricate himself from their business as quickly as possible. Any other evil Renegade Time Lord out there would have tried to steal away the Daleks' power and make it their own. But that's not what the Monk is about. He's a trouble-maker, no doubt. But, by no means, is he a sinister mustache twirler hell-bent on taking over the cosmos. That's just not his style.  Again, it's a very different nuance to anything we've seen before.

In this second appearance, Spooner also remembers to give us more of that banter between the Doctor and the Monk that we love so much. Again, they seem to be comparing TARDISes like they might be penis sizes.

Part of what puts Craig Owens on this list is the way Matt Smith and James Corden interact. Hartnell and Butterworth spark off of each other just as brilliantly. The chemistry these two create as they take the piss out of each other is another huge contribution to what makes the Monk the wondrous two-timer that he is.


SADLY, THAT"S IT

Once more, the Monk is left in the same plight as we saw him in Time Meddler. The Doctor has done considerable damage to his TARDIS. Rendering it near-useless.

One would think this means another battle against the Monk was soon to come. But it never happened. And this is truly sad. The Monk should have returned countless more times. Imagine him meeting Troughton's Doctor. The two would have spent the entire story bumbling around each other. It would have been a veritable Bumble Fest. Other incarnations of the Doctor would have been quite fun, too. Perhaps the Monk would've also eventually regenerated and we could have enjoyed new and different incarnations from him. This is a two-timer that should have kept plaguing the Doctor for decades.

Sure, we got the Master, instead. And he/she has been great fun in his/her own way. But there was a special quality to the way the Monk was written. Butterworth's portrayal enhanced things considerably. Thus making him an utter delight to watch that was worthy of many more appearances. In fact, how great would it have been to see a story like Mark of the Rani where the Doctor had to deal with the Monk and the Master at the same time (Mark of the Monk?)? Or, even better: the Master, the Monk and the Rani all at once!

A gigantic missed opportunity. But, at least, we got a fantastic two-timer out of the deal! 




See you again soon as we reveal Number Two.  

The other two installments:  

Fifth Place: 
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2019/06/book-of-lists-top-5-two-timers-number.html

Fourth Place:
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2019/06/book-of-lists-top-5-two-timers-number_25.html