11 replies to this topic

[Eegah]

The show once again experiments with a season-long story arc, somewhat cleverly using a typical clip show setup to deliver what is in fact entirely new material. The Sixth Doctor is put on trial by The Valeyard (or if you prefer, Brickyard, Graveyard, or any other yard) with his life including all future regenerations at stake if he's found guilty of irresponsible time meddling.

Also notable for its very first shot, an epic pan around a very impressive model that was the most expensive thing the show had ever done up to that time.

[HauntedBathroom]

I heart Trial. Even though the stories go from stupid and messy (Mindwarp), to competant but flat (The Mysterious Planet, Terror of the Vervoids), to glorious (The Ultimate Foe), I love every moment of it. Even Six's terrible gags about the Valeyard's name. In fact, I love this season so much, I was probably the only person to open the DVD box set and go straight to the deleted scenes. "Ooh, more trial room bickering!!! More points of order!!"

And for what it's worth, I think episode 13 is the single best episode of Who ever, Old School or Nu.

[WAnglais1]

I think it's quite good, too. The silly names Six called the Valeyard didn't bother me. I just thought they were kind of pointless. I watched it in a couple of days, never having seen it before.

[HauntedBathroom]

For me, the main problem with this season is Mindwarp. It looks good, but the actual story is mush. Colin Baker didn't know if he was meant to be playing the Doctor as gone evil due to brain alteration, pretending to be evil to con the Mentors, or looking as though he's evil because the Matrix footage has been tampered with. If the lead actor can't work that out with the script in front of him, what chance does the viewer have?

Having said that, I think the last 10 minutes of episode 8 are chilling. First we see Peri selected to die for purely random reasons (I find that last shot of her tied to an operating table, gagged and yet still screaming as her hair is being cut off quite terrifying), and then the trial team talk the Doctor through why they have to kill everyone in that room. The Valeyard wastes no time in pointing out that the Doctor is quite legimately to blame for this fiasco - he ignored Peri saying she didn't want to be there at the start of the the story - and then we see Kiv waking up in Peri's body, which is then gunned down by another hero.

Cue a fade to white, and the Doctor's horrified realisation that "You've killed Peri..." Rubbish story, excellent death. Shame that JNT didn't have the balls to let the character stay dead.

[Carlos1969]

I have never seen Mindwarp, so I can't comment on that one, but it sounds awful. I don't recall much about The Mysterious Planet except for the opening scene that was mentioned in an earlier post.

I love Terror of the Vervoids. Colin is great in this one. I also liked Mel, a companion who rarely complained during her time traveling with the Doctor. Even though most fans don't seem care for her, I felt that Mel was very proactive in this story. I can't imagine how companions like Tegan or Peri would have fared if they had been in this one.

The Ultimate Foe was a decent story at first, but then it became somewhat contrived in the final episode.

[Eegah]

I'm now watching Terror of the Vervoids, and while it's mostly pretty good, I can't help but wonder why the Doctor never brings up that they're watching events from his future, so obviously he won't be executed and the trial is pointless. Granted, the Valeyard would probably just retort with some variation of "wibbly wobbly timey wimey," but it would be nice to at least have the issue be acknowledged.

[HauntedBathroom]

The real reason is that the production team conceived of this season as being A Christmas Carol, so we had stories from past, present and future. But in-story, it does seem a bit of a failing for no one to say "So, if he's still travelling, it means he's got off, right?"

Having said that, if we're meant to believe we're seeing a possible future for the Doctor, a Matrix projection of what the Doctor will do if he's acquited, then it wouldn't need to be explained because the jury is all made of Time Lords - they understand all of this timey-wimey stuff automatically!! Oh, that's good, I've been annoyed by that since 1986, and now there's an answer!!!

[Eegah]

Oh, and one more thing about that story: it's where you really start feeling how much that opening shot of the space station cut into the show's budget for the year. I especially love both the Doctor and Mel wrecking havoc with the bluescreen with their giant '80s hair.

[Carlos1969]

I just watched Mindwarp about a week ago for the first time. It actually isn't that bad. I think that the problem with the whole season is that there isn't a true classic among the four stories. Most of the stories, despite the intrusive trial scenes and occasional bad acting, are just average.

[HauntedBathroom]

I would call The Ultimate Foe a rock solid classic, but then, I heart the Valeyard. Anything that gets him to run around on location with disguises and deadly quill pens is gold to me.

[ketose]

I think it depends on how you look at the Doctor. I see Six as boastful, clever and willing to make himself known. It fits with the impossible to ignore coat. Calling the Valeyard the Stackyard, the Junkyard or the Graveyard seems to fit with the general contempt he has for the entire show trial.

I thought Terror of the Vervoids was an entertaining story. The Doctor had a chance to be charming and infuriating. He managed to figure things out without sticking a sonic screwdriver in the air. I liked the translator thing that I barely caught. I'm glad they caught the fact that the Doctor essentially committed genocide, even though the judge seemed to ignore that since the Doctor just saved a bunch of Time Lords.

[darkestboy]

I'm mixed on this whole season. Like many, I don't believe it was wise for the show to have done a trial when it tecnically was on trial itself with the BBC/Grade etc and a lot of the trial scenes are pretty tedious to sit through. Plus, I kind of wish we had gotten four of the actual stories intended for Season 23 instead, even if they would have to be shorter as a consequence.

However I do mostly like the stories within the trial and both Peri and Mel aren't the worst companions at all. I liked Peri thinking more about going home, her banter with Ycranos and I was pretty horrified to see her taken over by Lord Kiv (even if it never actually happened).

Also, I bloody think Mel is awesome. I know there was a shit load of criticism with Bonnie Langford's casting but I think both her and Colin Baker worked so well with each other and Six/Mel was a nice contrast to Six/Peri, though I do find both dynamics interesting enough.

Pretty meh on the Valeyard overall as a villain (new series did it better with Dream Lord) but in some ways, it actually was a defining season for the Sixth Doctor, who is one of my favourites.

Ranking the stories though I'd say - Mindwarp, The Ultimate Foe, Terror Of The Vervoids and The Mysterious Planet.