The Two Doctors

Notes

For conversion into full article:

• Frazer Hines hasn't aged at all.
• Even after all this time, the Troughton/Hines double-act relationship is still strong.
• Jacqueline Pearce brilliant as an evil female villain.
• Effects somewhat cringeworthy, even by Classic Who standards. Sontaran battle cruisers particularly bad, especially as they look like the one-man (one Sontaran?) ships we have seen previously in The Time Warrior and The Sontaran Experiment.
• Peri is still fairly whiney and annoying - better with Davison.
• 'What's the use of a good quotation if you can't change it?'
• Seems a bit odd not to show a full body shot of the Sontarans in the space station when we have already been told that they are the enemy.
• 'Your purity could become insufferable' - sounds like a Servalan line.
• Usual overreacting of the Sixth Doctor.
• 'Circular logic will only make you dizzy Doctor' - one of Peri's better lines.
• Sixth Doctor still unlikeable - no sympathy for Peri over feeling sick.
• Hard to be too harsh on this as it's the last instance of Troughton and Hines, though the latter appears in Big Finish.
• Probably the weakest Doctor and single companion combination, at least before Big Finish elevated Colin Baker.
• Unlikeable grouchy Doctor and whiney companion - on a par with the Fourth Doctor and Adric in The Keeper of Traken and Logopolis.
• Is there a reason for the location, or did JNT just fancy a holiday on BBC expenses?
• Difficult to rate as last appearance of Troughton - 'my' Doctor.
• Bit odd hearing a Sontaran worried about having made a tactical error, the loneliness of command etc. Could have been some interesting character building but it's not taken any further.
• Poor actors in Sontaran outfits must be melting in the heat.
• What exactly is the point of Oscar and Anita?
• Oscar's death is gratuitous and unnecessarily violent, even by this era of Doctor Who.
• Ending of part one is appalling - Peri seems to be trying to hide under a rug.
• Why doesn't the Doctor know what 'to frame' means? He teaches Elgin(?) this word/phrase in The Deadly Assassin.
• Does anyone else think Destari reminds them of Tryst from Nightmare of Eden? Thought it was the same actor until I looked it up.
• What is the point of Shock-Eye? He doesn't add much to the plot.
• Doctor is a bit harsh asking Peri to cause a distraction - sending her right into the lion's den.
• Why is Destari working for the Sontarans? Seems to be doing it out of choice rather than coercion, but it's not clear that he needs their help.
• Jamie waiting for a kiss from Anita is amusing.
• Sontarans not an effective enemy - stop, shout and threaten but rarely provide any menace.

Elsewhere

The following podcast episodes have concentrated wholly or primarily on The Two Doctors.

• Krynoid Podcast: Episode 110 - features feedback from Paul.