Doctor Who - The Ultimate Foe 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 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.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: The Top Five Colin Baker Stories

Unfortunately Colin Baker’s tenure as The Doctor wasn’t that long to warrant a top 10 list.  Being unceremoniously fired after The Trial of a Time Lord Colin’s Doctor wasn’t able to build a big back catalog of stories to pick from and he only had 11 stories so in fairness I picked the top 5 from his era which is often overlooked and has some really good stories in it.

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.

Geoffrey Hughes Doctor Who's Mr Popplewick Has Passed Away

Geoffrey Hughes who played Mr Popplewick, who was The Valeyard in disguise, has passed away last night.  He lost his battle against cancer and he was 68 years old.  I always loved watching him in Keeping Up Appearances as Hyacinth's  brother in law Onslow.  His small part was an integral part of Ultimate Foe the last story in Trial of a Timelord.