DOCTOR WHO: SEASON-BY-SEASON - SEASON TWENTY

TWENTY YEARS!! 

We've made it  to another anniversary season! Sadly, this would be the last one we would get for a while where the show would actually be on the air (I know they tried to make the 25th year special, too - but it was just too soon to be celebrating again!). Thirty and Forty both felt very "empty" when they went by with no New Who on our screens to celebrate it with. Don't even try to say Dimensions in Time commemorated the Thirtieth Anniversary! That thing is like the Doctor in Distress song. It's better to  pretend it never happened!   

Season Twenty, in many ways, reminds me of Series Seven. The people making the show at the time recognized that producing a season during an anniversary year should be a bit nostalgic. Yes, there would be  a specific Anniversary Special, but the episodes preceding it should also be celebratory in nature, too. 

Season Twenty probably pursued this idea more diligently than Series Seven. It became a sort of mandate for the production team active during 1983 to make something from the show's past a vital part of every episode. Most of the time it was something that went really far back. Like the return of Omega, the Master and the Brigadier. Each of these characters made their first appearance, at least, a decade ago. But I do like that the show balanced things out with more recent guests too. We initially met the Guardians just a few years previously. And, of course, the Mara only came along last season.  

Oddly enough, bringing back the evil psychic serpent was one of the most successful ventures of the year. 

THE SNAKE IS BACK

A quick return  of the Mara less than a season later was something I was more-than-happy to see. Not only was he a great monster, but the writer who had created him was absolutely brilliant. If we were going to get another mind-blowingly incredible script like Kinda, then bring that damn Mara back!    

And we did, of course. Snakedance was also quite awesome. I am still madly in love with that shot of Dojjen sitting out in the desert. It's great how they return to it over and over until, at last, the Doctor joins him in the snakedance. It seems to convey that he knew all along what his purpose was in defeating the Mara and was just waiting for the rest of the plot to catch up with him. His last scene with him rising up and offering one final smile before he walks off is absolutely gorgeous. The sequence was as great as the "You created us, man of evil. But we are free!" moment in last season's Castrovalva. This is one of the things I love about the Davison era. While I may have been a fairly young impressionable lad when I first watched this period, it does have some really poignant scenes that would have still had a strong impact on me at any age.  The production team at the time just excelled at doing this sort of stuff.  Their use of Dojjen in Snakedance is one of the better examples of this. 

Snakedance also creates some excellent world-building through some very clever devices. Oftentimes, we learn about Manussan culture by simply watching it in action. The Punch and Judy puppet show alludes to the idea that this world has been heavily-influenced by humanity. But having a snake puppet emerge at the end of the performance to devour Punch displays how the Sous-Maran Empire distorted the tradition. The great parade and commemorative ritual in Part Four also reveals much about the people of Manussa. Yes, there's still some expository dialogue from various characters to help explain certain aspects of the civilisation. But just letting us observe these various customs is a very rich and creative way to illustrate things. It shows rather than tells. 

It was great to take a deeper dive into how the Mara came about. It was also excellent to see, once more, how diabolically clever this wretched creature is. While so many other Doctor Who villains and/or monsters try to create armies or build superweapons to conquer us, the Mara uses our own psychological disadvantages against us. He preys upon our greed and insecurity. He enslaves us by driving us mad. Again, such a unique and interesting being totally merited this return appearance. Which is another great trait of the JNT era. He knew when to bring back a character. Whether it be a fun villain like Sil or the Rani. Or someone a bit more amoral like Lytton or Glitz. It was always great when these special characters return.

Oddly enough, however, Snakedance sits with me in much the same way as Castrovalva does in regards to Logopolis. To all intents and purposes, it is as great a story as Kinda. And yet, I regard the first Mara tale to be a Classic. But I don't ascribe the same title to its sequel. I still absolutely love it. But I wouldn't can't give it that most lofty of titles. 

Still, it's an absolutely gorgeous story. 

THE BRIG IS BACK

I suppose if I were a "true" Doctor Who fan I'd be more excited about Nicholas Courtney being written back into the show than I would be a giant paper-mache snake! But, truth be told, there were some slight problems with this character's return. The Brigadier suddenly becoming a math teacher does seem a little odd and slightly unlikely. This happens, of course, because the script was originally supposed to be about Ian Chesterton coming back. But, for whatever reason, William Russel was not available. The re-write and Courtney's performance does a fairly competent job of glossing this over. But it's still a tad difficult to swallow that a retired military officer could suddenly get tenure at what looks to be a fairly posh boys' school. 

There is also the added problem that bringing the Brigadier back in to Mawdryn Undead also created what I like to call: "The Great UNIT Dating Nightmare"!  A topic I am still too scared to tackle in my FIXING CONTINUITY GLITCHES series!     

Other than that, though, Nicholas Courtney is wickedly amazing as he reprises his most famous of roles. It's particularly impressive that he must play the Brigadier from two different points in his life. There are certain subtleties that he puts into the portrayal that really do make it feel like we are witnessing Young Brigadier and Old Brigadier moving through their separate timelines. Showing us all that, even years later, Courtney was perfect for the part. 

Of course, Two Brigadiers from different time zones brings us to a very important point: Mawdryn Undead represents the show's first true attempt at doing something "timey whimey". There had been "stabs" at this sort of thing in stories like Day of the Daleks and The Space Museum. But this is the first story that really goes for it. That puts time travel and its various causes and effects at the forefront of the plot. It does so brilliantly. The Brigadiers finally having contact at the precise moment that they do (the Doctor even emphasises how they got it right down to the very nanosecond) is, perhaps, a tad difficult to swallow - but it's still a great non-linear tale. I particularly love how the writer even sweats the small stuff. Like the way Young Brigadier takes the TARDIS homing beacon so that Old Brigadier can give it to the Doctor later. 

While the flashback sequence in this story isn't quite as exciting as the one they used last season in Earthshock, Mawdryin Undead is still a great little adventure that brings back a beloved character. It was great to get an update on him. But, of course, he's not the only figure from the past that makes a return in this tale. 

THE GUARDIANS ARE BACK

Apparently, the return of the Brigadier wasn't enough for Mawdryn Undead, We needed more.So they rolled out that big 'ole nasty Black Guardian too. This is a villain I'd love to see more of, really. His antithesis too, of course. I get why they only brought them around so much during the 70s and 80s. We were a much more Christian-based culture back then and the Guardians of Time did, sort of, represent God and the Devil. I'm amazed they didn't cause more offense than they did. There is also another curious potential objection to them. I went out with a woman of color for most of the 90s. Date me for nearly a decade and, clearly, you're going to watch some Doctor Who! When she saw some stories featuring the Guardians, she couldn't help but remark: "Why does the evil one have to be Black and the good one White?!" Admittedly, she has a bit of a point. 

But, regardless of the religious or racial implications, I do still really love the Guardians.  I particularly love the 80s version of them. For some weird reason, I find the weird bird headdresses delightful. Their costumes, in general, look very cool. As opposed to the let's just have them look whatever way we feel like motif that they used in Key to Time. I enjoyed having them be more consistent in their appearance. 

I'm also glad that they brought back Valentine Dyall and Cyril Luckham to reprise their roles. Both do a great job. I particularly love Dyall's deep sinister voice and how unafraid he is to just look genuinely evil.  It's funny how, even though he does an excellent job of voicing Deep Thought in some versions of Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy, I'm still thinking: "It's the Black Guardian!" every time I hear him! 

The Black Guardian's presence throughout Mawdryn Undead and Terminus is really well-handled. He pops up just often enough to remind us of the important sub-plot running through the whole trilogy. That Turlough is meant to be killing the Doctor and isn't getting the job done. He's especially chilling when he confronts the young Trion man in a dream. It's wickedly cool when he shows Turlough he is still sleeping in bed. I love it as Dream Turlough starts screaming and we see Sleeping Turlough stirring uneasily!  

As we move on to Terminus, I find it to be a bit of a curious story. I have given it a bit of a review in a previous entry where I was analysing different Trilogies in the JNT era (https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2021/05/review-overview-trilogies-of-doctor-who.html). I really like the tale. When we get a darker and grittier adventure during the Davison era, there also tends to be a lot of violence. Stories like Earthshock, Warriors of the Deep and Resurrection of the Daleks seek to disturb us by having a very high death-count in them. Terminus gets similar results but with less action sequences. It relies more on just being very bleak and despairing. It also likes to show us the harmful effects of allowing corporate greed to flow unchecked. On top all these well-explored themes, I find it to be a nicely-constructed plot, too. 

After I wrote the Review of Terminus in that last entry, however, some corners of Fandom came forward and told me I didn't know my butt from a hole in the ground. Terminus, according to some, is the story that comes up short during Season Twenty. That it even sits somewhere in Time Flight Territory! I beg to differ, however. It is still the weakest link in the Guardian Trilogy. But that's only because the other tales are ridiculously strong. 

Which leads us quite neatly to Enlightenment. This, to me, is a Classic. An incredibly imaginative excursion with one of the coolest cliffhangers in the history of the show.. The padding with Turlough in the airlock during Part Three is a bit hard to watch but, otherwise, it's an absolutely perfect story. 

And, of course, the White Guardian finally appears. Admittedly, his headdress does look a bit sillier - but I still love it! There is an absolutely gorgeous epic quality that Dyall and Luckham create as they banter a bit in the final few minutes of Episode Four. Turlough's final decision that banishes the Black Guardian is also quite powerful. And it's impossible not to love the Doctor's line: "Enlightenment wasn't the diamond. Enlightenment was the choice." It's another one of those really stand-out moments from the Fifth Doctor era. There's so many, really!   

OMEGA IS BACK 

Thus far, I've mainly had nothing but good things to say about Season Twenty. But now the road is going to get a bit bumpy. 

I've put a  lot of thought into what it is about Arc of Infinity that doesn't work for me. I do, mostly, like the tale. But I do feel that it is just a bit below-standard. Particularly since so much else in this season does work so well. 

After some consideration, I realised it was an over-reliance on technobabble that was irritating me so much. There is just too much made-up science littering the plot. Making it just a little too abstract to really connect to it much. It feels genuinely silly watching characters exclaims things like: "A pulse-loop, yes! What a great idea!" Or realise that Omega went to Amsterdam because his do-hickey works best below sea level. I know I've been picking on the franchise too much lately, but it's this sort  of stuff that makes me dislike Star Trek so much. 

Omega, himself, is actually quite great in this story. Everyone seems to go on endlessly about Stephen Thorne's performance and doesn't seem to bring up Ian Collier much. But he really brings some great pathos to the character. We feel sorry for him, here. Which is a great direction for the character to go in. He was loud and bombastic in The Three Doctors. But now he's just tired and wants to go home.    

When Davsion takes over the role for a bit during Part Four, he's positively incredible. It genuinely feels like we are seeing someone else as he strolls around Amsterdam trying to become accustomed to his new form. Cutting away to see him still playing the Doctor shows us just how good Davison's range is. Again, this totally feels like two different people. The scene where Omega watches the organ grinder is quite moving. Another moment that gets us to feel for Omega rather than just regard him as the usual Doctor Who Megalomaniac.  

All in all, though, Arc if Infinity is passable. But it certainly starts the season off weakly. Fortunately, several excellent stories are hot on its heels. 

AND, FINALLY, THE MASTER IS BACK 

Season Twenty starts weak and finishes the same way!  

Like Arc of Infinity, The King's Demons is - by no means - horrible. It's just nothing all that great, either. It's a decent little two-parter that is mainly there to remind us that the Mater is still kickin' around (although, once more, no explanation is given for how he escaped his last fate). The gesture is hardly necessary, however, since the Master is going to pop up again in just a few minutes!   

And then there's Kamelion. It's totally weird to introduce us to a new mechanical companion who will immediately disappear for nearly an entire season! It would have been nice if the scene they had given him in The Awakening had been kept in. It is still available to watch as a bonus feature on the DVD. But I wish there was an option that enabled you to insert it into the story, properly. 

EVERYONE (INCLUDING THE KITCHEN SINK) IS BACK! 

Technically, The Five Doctors is meant to just be a stand-alone feature presentation and not a part of Season Twenty. But, rather than give it a review all its own, I'll include it here. 

The Five Doctors is, essentially, everything that Season Twenty has been building up to. All the little dips into nostalgia that we've been getting have been leading here. Giving us the Brigadier and the Guardians and Omega were all just "teases" for this Grand Adventure.  

Which means, of course, that The Five Doctors had gigantic expectations to live up to. Impressively enough, the pay-off was totally worth it. 

By no stretch of the imagination can we consider this story a "True Classic". We can't discuss it in the same breath as such amazing stories as Kinda or Robots of Death. But, in many ways, I'd still actually call it a Classic. It might not contain a brilliantly-contrived plot like most Classics do .The demand made on the writer made such a feat, pretty much, impossible. Poor 'ole Terrance Dicks had to create something  that would suit five leads and a whole plethora of returning companions and baddies. You can't frame much of a story around that. Which makes Five Doctors more of just a showcase with a bit of Time Lord Political Intrigue attached to it. 

As insubstantial as Five Doctors might be, it's still absolutely wonderful. Terrance does a great job of giving everyone some good representation. In fact, I think it worked out better that Tom Baker chose not to be involved. By my understanding, it would have been him rather than Five that would have interacted with Borusa and the High Council. Which probably would have made Davison have to choose between Above, Between and Below and poor Hurndall would have just sat in the TARDIS with Susan and Turlough worrying about the bombs those Cybermen were planting. Just having four incarnations being active was a far more equitable arrangement. 

The Five Doctors is an absolute delight. Still one of the best Anniversary Specials ever made. In fact, you can read more praise for it here: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2020/11/review-overview-what-constitutes-good.html

DID BRINGING ALL THIS BACK ACTUALLY WORK? 

And so, with another ten years under its belt, the show moves on. But we have to ask ourselves: what was the smarter choice? Did Season Ten work better by just having a Special and then a normal set of stories after that? Or was building a whole season towards a Special the best way to do things?    

Steven Moffat seemed to feel that the latter option was the better one. When he was given the fiftieth anniversary to handle, he went for a similar structure that JNT had used for this anniversary. Series Seven wasn't quite the same nostalgia trip as Season Twenty was, but we still got Daleks, Ice Warriors, Cybermen and The Great Intelligence. More recent recurring characters also came aboard like River Song and the Paternoster Gang. There was a very specific arc running through the season that Day of the Doctor had a strong role to play in. This helped enhance the importance of the occasion too. 

And yet, many do feel that Series Seven only worked so well. In order to be successful in its execution, it needed to be absolutely amazing. And, though I did feel it was quite strong, there were times when Series Seven fell a bit short. Had it just been considered a regular season, there would have been less pressure on it to be that great. But because it made itself The Fiftieth Anniversary Season we felt more disappointed with it when it did flounder. 

Season Twenty suffers a similar fate. Maybe not as badly as Series Seven does, but it does feel a tad underwhelming here and there. This wouldn't have stood out as much if it wasn't heralding itself as being something special to commemorate the twentieth anniversary. Season Ten may have had the right idea. Get the celebrating done in one story and let the rest of the year be whatever it wants to be. 

I'm still quite happy with the general quality of Season Twenty. The production team of this period continues to deliver a lot of really great stuff. When they do misfire, it's considerably less of a mess. If a gun were put to my head and I was told I had to sit through either Hand of Fear, Horns of Nimon or Time Flight or they would pull the trigger - I'd happily watch Peter Davison climb aboard that Concorde every time!  

I would still say, however, that we've had another slight dip in quality, this year. Season Eighteen was, of course, absolutely amazing. Nineteen was slightly less good. Twenty, unfortunately, is not quite as strong as Nineteen. But we're hardly in any kind of real trouble, here. I still find everything we've been getting since JNT arrived to be above-average.  

Season Twenty might not have been all that it could be, but it was still quite excellent. Even in the re-watch, you get the sense that this came from a year when it was a great time to be a fan.