Doctor Who - The Trial of a Time Lord: Mindwarp Review

Celebrating 30 years of Colin Baker's season 23 story The Trial of a Time Lord

Doctor Who:
The Trial of a Time Lord
Mindwarp
By Philip Martin

“I should now like to present the Doctor's next frightening adventure. In fact, the one in which he was engaged when removed from time and brought to this court.”

The next piece of evidence that The Valeyard brings up against The Doctor is the recent events that happened on the planet Thoros Beta events that ended up to be pretty and very damaging to The Doctor. In which the High Council of the Time Lords decided to take matter into their own hands and removed The Doctor from the time stream and then they used an agent to take action into their own hands.

On the Matrix screen we see The Doctor and Peri arriving on Thoros Beta to investigate why there are high grade weapons being distributed from the ruling party.  While investigating in the caves The Doctor and Peri see a familiar foe in the repulsive form of Sil.   While watching Sil further to see what is going on The Doctor notices the scientist Crozier.  Crozier is an expert in transferring the brain from one body to another and Sil wants him to help to do that to Sil’s leader Kiv who is dying.

Doctor Who - The Trial of a Time Lord: The Mysterious Planet Review

Celebrating 30 years of Colin Baker's season 23 story The Trial of a Time Lord

Doctor Who:
The Trial of a Time Lord
The Mysterious Planet
By Robert Holmes

VALEYARD: By order of the High Council, this is an impartial inquiry into the behavior of the accused person, known as the Doctor, who is charged that he, on diverse occasions has been guilty of conduct unbecoming a Time Lord.

DOCTOR: Not guilty!

VALEYARD: He is also charged with, on diverse occasions, transgressing the First Law. It is my unpleasant task, Madam Inquisitor, to prove to the enquiry that the Doctor is an incorrigible meddler in the affairs of other peoples and planets.

The Doctor arrives on a Time Lord space station where he is confronted by the Valeyard.  The Valeyard explains to The Doctor that he will be put on trial for endless interfering and meddling while putting his companion in constant danger.  The Doctor refuses a lawyer and will defend himself against the charges brought up by The Valeyard but the kicker is if The Doctor is found guilty he must surrender his remain regenerations and be sentenced to death.

Doctor Who - Lynda Bellingham RIP

Lynda Bellingham who played the Inquisitor during Colin Bakers last season has passed away from cancer.  She was a co - star during season 23 which was The Trial of a Time Lord season.  She was in all 14 episodes and had a lot of good dialog with Colin Baker.  She also stared in another of my favorite shows All Creatures Great and Small as Helen Herriot.  Unfortunately she never made it to Christmas as that was her wish was to celebrate one more Christmas.

http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/oct/20/lynda-bellingham-dies-cancer-actor-presenter

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29685903

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: The Trial of a Time Lord 13 - 14 The Ultimate Foe

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 12^th 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.