Doctor Who:
The Trial of a Time Lord
The Ultimate Foe
By Robert Holmes Episode
13
Pip and Jane Baker Episode
14
“In all my travellings
throughout the universe I have battled against evil, against power-mad
conspirators. I should have stayed here. The oldest civilisation, decadent,
degenerate and rotten to the core. Ha! Power-mad conspirators, Daleks,
Sontarans, Cybermen, they're still in the nursery compared to us. Ten million
years of absolute power, that's what it takes to be really corrupt.”
After the turn of events from
Terror of the Vervoids The Doctor is now
on trial for genocide to go along with the charges of meddling. The Inquisitor tells The Doctor that he can
call witnesses to help his cause but how can he get them as they are all scattered
throughout space and time. When
suddenly Mel and Glitz appear at the trial and this turn of events catches The
Valeyard by surprise.
Then a more shocking turn
of events as The Master appears on the Matrix screen offering to help The
Doctor. The Master shows proof that The
Doctor is correct that the Matrix can be entered by anyone and events can be
altered as he shows the key of the Matrix he has that has dumbfounded the
Keeper of the Matrix. The Master beckons
the Time Lords to let Sabalom Glitz give his testimony. Glitz explains that on Ravalox he was there
to steal the secrets of the Matrix that the Sleepers had stolen. It appears that the tide might be turning for
The Doctor.
The big bombshell is about
to be revealed as The Master reveals that The Valeyard is in fact The
Doctor. It appears The Valeyard is an amalgamation
of The Doctor between his 12th and final regeneration. The Master proclaims there is evil in
everyone including The Doctor and The VAleyard is it and the kicker is the High
Council promised The Valeyard The Doctors remaining regenerations. With this revelation The Valeyard flees into
The Matrix setting up the final showdown with The Doctor.
Before The Name of The
Doctor and the surprising reveal of another Doctor there was The Trial of a
Time Lord and the shocking reveal that The Valeyard was in fact another
Doctor. Could you imagine the shock way
back in 1986 when that was revealed?
What a big risk the production crew took with that reveal. I thought that was pretty awesome as you had
a person that had all The Doctor’s memories and all of his dark and evil
feelings in him. What a way to have that
revealed to you as having your greatest enemy telling you that The Valeyard is
really you. Colin Baker plays that scene
really well and delivers on of the best speeches ever in Doctor Who.
The Ultimate Foe is one of
those really dark and twisted stories that is also freaky and I really enjoy
when Doctor Who does that. I just liked
everything in the Matrix from the Fantasy Factory to the sequences on the beach
and the two Mr Popplewicks. It was weird
and I really enjoyed seeing that part of The Matrix as it just fits the darker
side of The Doctor.
The Ultimate Foe is the
last story that Robert Holmes would write as he died while writing this
story. He completed part 13 but his
passing left a void in which John Nathan – Turner had to scramble to find
another writer and he chooses Pip and Jane Baker and I’m sure they went of an
outline from Robert Holmes. Even though
there were two different styles of writing the conclusion of The Trial of a
Time Lord was pretty entertaining and satisfying as The Valeyard ends up
escaping and is free to wreak havoc.
The Ultimate Foe is
unfortunately the last story for Colin Baker.
It wasn’t intended to be as I’m sure his last words would not be carrot
juice. The powers to be at the BBC
thought it would be a good idea to fire him and lay all the balme of low
ratings on him when that is not fair as blame should be on the production crew
and writers for putting a mediocre product on TV. Colin Baker was treated unfairly but at least
he left on a high note giving one of his best performance of his era.
Grade A
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