Classic Doctor Who, Season 19 Review

[fh14]

So after a self-imposed break from Classic Who, lest I burn through the rest too quickly, I decided by late August that I'd had enough and would officially start the Fifth Doctor era... and then through a variety of circumstances, I only ended up finishing the season halfway through October. It's not that I disliked the season by any means - my months-long hiatus in the middle of season 8 was definitely a worse viewing pattern - but Halloween viewing plans along with other housekeeping occupied my time, not to mention Animal Crossing and other general life responsibilities. That's not to say I didn't have any issues at all, they were just very similar to the ones I had with the previous season, which are probably either the result of John Nathan-Turner's "house style" or the reverberations of the first true transitional period the show has had in a very long time.

I will say I do appreciate John Nathan-Turner's attention to more explicit character and story arcs, though it does make instances like the TARDIS team bouncing back relatively quickly from - spoilers - Adric's death all the more jarring. The parts where he failed I think were when the story ended up being too complicated or too abstract - a problem that later showrunners also have in spades. It's also the rare example of a season that I think started out rough but got progressively better as it went on, rather than hitting a rough patch somewhere in the middle or towards the end as is usually the case. And honestly, I feel like that bodes well for this era, as it means they've worked out the bugs and finished this season knowing what elements work and the kinds of character writing they can pull off with this new cast.

Like the previous eighteen seasons, the serials are available to watch via streaming on Britbox. This season had seven stories, and honestly didn't feel all that difficult to rank, at least the ones that landed towards the top and bottom.

The Characters
Peter Davison as The Fifth Doctor - Davison had the unenviable task of following up on perhaps the most popular Doctor of the franchise, and to his credit he managed to emanate that "Doctor" quality very quickly. He also managed to form a character that felt like a logical transition from Baker's version while imbuing him with his own personality and quirks. That said, he may have the weakest introduction of any Doctor I've seen, since he spends most of it unconscious and out of character. (Capaldi also had a similar issue, but his introduction was able to highlight his Doctor's combativeness). As a result, it felt like it took him longer to settle into the part, and it didn't help that it all felt weirdly disconnected from Logopolis. On a positive note, I do think he managed to form very distinct relationships with all three of his companions that all felt unique, which is something the writing for previous Doctors has often struggled with. (There's no swapping companions in a conversation written for the Fifth Doctor and Tegan, that's for sure.) With the Fifth Doctor having the longest run of the 80's Doctors, I'm excited to see what the next two seasons bring.

Matthew Waterhouse as Adric - In the review for season 18, I mentioned that I didn't understand the hate for this character. After watching this season I kind of do, because in half his appearances they had him take a bunch of stupid pills in order to start fights with his allies and give aid to the villains. While that "simple" aspect of his character existed before, most notably in State of Decay, it's almost become a point of parody by the time they comment on it at the beginning of The Visitation. That said, I do understand why it happened in terms of his arc. It's a very inelegant way of executing it, but it allowed them to reach the place where all the conversations, arguments, and events of Earthshock could happen. Going into Classic Who, I knew Adric would die - and in that story - but I was still impressed by how well it completed his arc and even brought elements like the E-Space trilogy back for a... Full Circle... feeling. I will probably look back on some of those petty squabbles he has with the Doctor and Tegan and roll my eyes, but I can still appreciate where they were able to take this character.

Sarah Sutton as Nyssa - If I didn't already know that they were toying with writing Nyssa off the show early in the season, I honestly could've guessed. I tend to agree with the conventional wisdom that Doctor Who doesn't work all that well with three companions in the TARDIS, because at least one always ends up falling by the wayside - and for a good chunk of this season, that was Nyssa. I can certainly see why Davision fought to keep the character around though. She's very competent, and clicks with the Doctor in a way neither of the other companions do, so I guess it makes sense that they would try to nerf the character at every given opportunity. When they finally moved away from doing that, however, the show was better for it, and I believe is a key reason why the latter stories this season worked better for me than the opening ones. In a way, it's funny that she ended up being the last companion standing as the credits rolled at the end of Time-Flight.

Janet Fielding as Tegan Jovanka - The reluctant companion is not something the show has had since arguably Victoria, but more concretely Ben and Polly. Suffice to say seeing this play out in a more "modern" version of Who has been interesting. Aside from Adric, she had the most clearly defined arc this season (and stretching back to her introduction in Logopolis). She spends the whole season pleading with the Doctor to take her back to Heathrow, and upon finally returning to it in the final episode, ultimately decides she'd rather stay with him, only to be left behind. I know this isn't her actual departure, but I don't mind since it's such a perfect progression for her character. My only question is where her character will go from here, as they've reached the point they'd been building to for so long.

Anthony Ainley as The Master - The shiny newness of Ainley's performance worn off a bit, he settles comfortably into the role this season in two stories where he feels weirdly peripheral, especially compared to his appearances last season where he was such a major focus. He very much fits the functional mold of what Delgado's Master was like during the Third Doctor era, only they're clearly trying to be more restrained with his usage. (Which is probably a good thing, if I'm being completely honest.) I suspect next season, and with the anniversary special, I'll have much more to say, but I'm pretty sure this is the last serial to feature both him and Nyssa, and it feels like they could've gotten a lot more mileage out of that dynamic - which makes the fact that I don't think they shared any scenes at all in Time-Flight all the more of a wasted opportunity.

The Serials
I've ranked the serials based off my own personal preference which is only tangentially related to how good they are on a critical level.

7) Serial 1, Episodes 1-4 - Castrovalva

Castrovalva might have some of the worst pacing of the entire show. The first two episodes mostly involve the characters standing around or going on long walks, with the actual story starting halfway through episode three. Davison also feels weirdly underutilized in his debut. (x)

One of the biggest, pleasant surprises of Classic Who is that I actually enjoyed the debut serials for each Doctor, as, aside from Nine's introduction in Rose, I haven't particularly liked any of the initial stories for the New Who Doctors. Unfortunately, I have to mark this as where the chain was broken. Having this function as the conclusion to a three-story arc works well in theory, but it feels weirdly disconnected from The Keeper of Traken and Logopolis to really serve that function well. What really kills the momentum for me though is that there is none. The first two episodes involve Tegan and Nyssa, two new characters we barely know, carrying the Doctor around in a box while he's still trying to settle on a personality. The one real anchor character, Adric, is kidnapped by The Master at the very beginning of the story and is largely absent until the very end. The end result is a story with large sequences of characters walking around quietly in confusion, with nothing of substance really happening until the final episode. And while I thought that final episode was fine, it was nowhere near enough to make up for what a slog the rest of the story was. I've complained about pacing issues in previous stories before, but this may in fact have the worst - an incredible feat considering it's only four parts. What really cements this bottom rank for me is that, as the opener for not just for this Doctor but for this season, it took a baseball bat to the enthusiasm I had when I started it. It's no doubt a creative swing, I just don't think it connected anywhere near the way they intended.

6) Serial 2, Episodes 5-8 - Four to Doomsday

Four to Doomsday is a story that has a really interesting setup and unique villains. Questionable effects aside, it also has a great visual style. The Doctor and Nyssa have a strong presence, but Adric is given stupid pills in order to create conflict and Tegan ends up sidelined. (x)

I'll be honest, the only reason this ranks above Castrovalva is that it actually has good pacing. Aside from that, this episode was extremely weird to watch. It's easily the worst offender of the "Adric takes stupid pills and helps the enemy" trend, and after setting up some interesting conflict with Tegan they strand her inside the TARDIS for most of the serial doing a bit where she tries to figure out how to take off. Nyssa ends up being the standout companion simply by not doing something weirdly stupid or out of character in order to move the plot along... until that hilariously shoehorned bit where she collapses at the very end from exhaustion. The Doctor gets more to do than in the previous story, but it still feels like Davison is finding his footing, which is fine but this story isn't really strong enough to obscure it. Weirdly, the highlight for me is the costuming and performance sequences that are scattered throughout. It's rare in Classic Who that aspects of Earth Culture that aren't European are showcased, and this serial does fall prey to some of the racist tropes that plagued previous depictions, but it's still a welcome change of pace. The villain's goal of gaining control of the TARDIS was also a nice change of pace here, as it's only the first time it happens in a season where it happens repeatedly.

5) Serial 3, Episodes 9-12 - Kinda

Kinda is a "Base Under Siege" and "Colonization of an Alien World" story that's a refreshing take on both formulas. Visually interesting and inventive, and it gives Tegan a lot more to do than previous stories. That said, the depiction of colonization and the Kinda feels dated. (x)

This is the part of the list where I liked the story, I just liked other stories more. I did debate putting this story higher, as it took big creative swings that I thought really worked - in particular the depiction of the Mara and how it manifested when it possessed Tegan. It's the kind of arthouse sensibility that Doctor Who doesn't trend into often at this point in its run, but its very effectively creepy and visually fun. It was also nice to see Fielding finally get a substantial amount of material to work with, and she nails it. This is also the story where it really felt like Davison begins to really nail what his Doctor is like, and he has good chemistry with Todd. It helps that this story is a spin on the series formulas of the "Base Under Seige" story and the "Colonization of an Alien World" story, with the familiar tropes allowing an easier blueprint to compare the portrayal of the Doctor. That said, the way this story remixes those formulas is very refreshing, and it never feels like it loses momentum or more tricks to pull out.

However, what sinks the story a bit for me is the Kinda themselves, and particularly the way the survey team talks about them feels extremely dated in a way that feels... very uncomfortable, to put it charitably. This is also the other major example of Adric being written inconsistently. Thankfully this time his betrayal is an intentional ruse to help the Doctor, but he acts weirdly antagonistic towards Tegan in a scene that I don't think ever really pays off.

4) Serial 4, Episodes 13-16 - The Visitation

The Visitation is a pseudo-historical that leans more heavily on the sci-fi elements than those types of stories normally do. All four members of the TARDIS team are given roles in the plot, as well as moments focusing on their character arcs and interpersonal relationships. (x)

If Kinda was the story that proved to me this cast could deliver on an ambitious premise, this one proved that it can actually write for the Doctor and all three companions at once, which is something the show has struggled to do successfully since Logopolis. I think this story was also destined to work for me on some level as a pseudo-historical, though it leans more towards the pseudo than these typically do, and reminds me somewhat of the balance struck in The Stones of Blood. That said, the part that stuck out to me the most was actually the subplot about a plague, which reminded me weirdly of current events, and the Alien's ultimate death at a historical event I know nothing about. The frequent pairing changes of the cast also helped give this story a more rounded feel, adding more depth to some of the material that was set up in the earlier serials, such as Adric struggles in acclimating with this new TARDIS team. This is also the first story where I really got a good sense of Nyssa as a character and what she's capable of as a companion, with her destruction of the robot a particular highlight. I'd also be remiss not to point out how well the Richard Mace character worked in this story as a one-off character.

3) Serial 5, Episodes 17-18 - Black Orchid

Black Orchid is a welcome return to the pure historical format, and has great costuming and set design. Despite being short it has a lot of great interplay between the main cast. That said, its depiction of Native Americans and Disability is dated at best, offensive at worst. (x)

This is a story that is riddled with a lot of problems, most glaringly the depiction of race and disability, and the way it treats minority characters is, uh, not great. It's a problem Classic Who has had previously, but I can't recall another instance of so many of those elements compounding themselves into one story. However, the parts that worked for me worked well enough to rank it this highly, and it probably helped that the story was so short and the negative elements didn't continue to compound themselves. It's nice to have a pure historical again for a change, and I hope this isn't the last one there will be. Because the plot was relatively short in order to fit into two episodes, it consisted primarily of lavish set pieces with great location shooting and costuming, and a lot of character interaction. As Sarah Sutton was double cast, Nyssa ends up with the most to do once more and all the party scenes end up being more fun to watch than they really should be. There's also just something weirdly amusing in watching the Doctor have to explain and show the TARDIS to a bunch of skeptical English policemen and aristocrats.

2) Serial 7, Episodes 23-26 - Time-Flight

Time-Flight isn't a story with that much action, or with all that much story. However, it has some really fun characters and an interesting and unique concept that more than held my attention, even before the big reveal halfway through. Also, Tegan finally got to be a stewardess! (x)

I think it was inevitable I would enjoy this story due to its strong similarities to one of my favorite New Who stories, Planet of the Dead. Both involve passenger vehicles disappearing and ending up on an alien world, with the Doctor having to work with a large cast of characters in order to figure out a way back. Professor Hayter, with his mental fortitude and skepticism for everything the Doctor was saying, was a great foil and I genuinely felt emotional when he sacrificed himself to save Nyssa. I also quite enjoyed Captain Stapley and his crew, and it was kind of wholesome how well they acclimated to Doctor and the zaniness of the situation. This is important, since a lot of this story involves characters walking around and having conversations with each other. I understand why the cast and crew felt unsatisfied with this story, since the special effects work doesn't look all that great, especially compared other stories from this season and the previous one. However, it's a great story for all three leads. The Doctor gets to be personable and clever, and Nyssa gets to be the proactive one when she and Tegan are separated from the Doctor. The Master's return is somewhat muted but acceptable since his scheme is relatively straightforward - and, as I said before, feels very much in the tradition of how the character was used in the Delgado era.

All that said, the highlight of this story is the culmination of several arcs, such as the previously mentioned return of the Master, the follow-up to Adric's death in the previous story, and the progression in Tegan's character arc from her first appearance on the show. While they ended up bouncing back more than would be expected, Tegan is justifiably upset and angry that despite the ability to travel through space and time they can't go back and save Adric. This, combined with the TARDIS finally landing at Heathrow, creates all the conditions Tegan would need to exit the show. Indeed, after a story where she ends up actually working as a stewardess to round up the stranded passengers, she's inside the airport staring wistfully at the gate. Only instead of staying, she decides she wants to stay with the Doctor, only to find he's left without her. Temporary or not, it's a great note to end the season on, and having her stand side-by-side with a group of characters I'd also grown to like certainly is a nice touch.

1) Serial 6, Episodes 19-22 - Earthshock

Earthshock lives up to its reputation as a standout story, primarily for its character writing and tense direction. The culmination of Adric's story arc rightly puts the focus on him, and delivers a satisfying (if sad) ending. That said, the Cybermen seemed very out of character. (x)

I briefly considered ranking Time-Flight higher, since as a whole I think it's a more solid story, and there is a major element of this story that I don't think works all that well. However, this story is essentially the climax of the season and it absolutely delivers. From the very beginning, it functions as a culmination not just for Adric's arc this season, but his entire tenure on the show. I really appreciated the callbacks to E-Space and Romana, recalling Adric's origins in the E-Space trilogy and directly tying it to the events of this story. It's subtle, but I also appreciate the nod that, in many ways, Adric fit in better as a companion of the Fourth Doctor the previous season than he has with the Fifth Doctor this season, and the tension there is directly addressed throughout the story. His arguments with the Doctor and Tegan this season suddenly feel like they have a purpose in propelling the story forward, as does Nyssa taking over his mantle of the scientifically-minded young companion. The story is about Adric proving his capabilities not just to his companions but also to himself, and it ends on an uncertain note as Adric dies, not knowing if the solution he came up with would have saved him.

This also feels like the story with the most stakes. While Kinda certainly had some momentum, the other stories this season largely consisting of the characters faffing about, which is fine as I enjoy character-based scenes quite a lot. But this story has a lot of action and confrontations with the Cybermen, returning for the first time since season 12, and feels consequential in a very unique way, since a Companion dying is such a rare occurrence. I will say, though, while they certainly had been heading in this direction in their previous story, Earthshock cements the flanderization of the Cybermen, and it's my only real mark against this story. The strength of the script and the characters is what sells the tension, since any terror at the conceit of the Cybermen doesn't feel present here as they function as an interchangeable Doctor Who villain.

Final Thoughts
While it felt like this new era has a rough start, it settled into something that made me understand why the Fifth Doctor is looked back on so fondly by so many fans. The writing for the companions in particular feels a lot more purposeful than it has in a long time, with Adric having the best companion exit since Sarah Jane Smith, and Tegan having deftly handled growth over the course of the season. Looking onward, I'm very excited for what the following season and the anniversary special will bring, from new companions to a lot of returning characters and villains from the show's long history. I also know that I'll soon be diving into a lot of lore that's been foreshadowed for a very long time, and is often referenced in both spinoff material and the show's revival. I'm hopeful they'll show it as much consideration as they have the character writing this past season.

I'll be taking a short break from Doctor Who until after Halloween, both so I can focus my attention on spooky programming, and also because it feels appropriate to watch the anniversary season during November. (I also suspect that November is going to be an absolute waking nightmare to live through, so having a bunch of Doctor Who to focus on will be a welcome distraction). I didn't end up doing Blake's 7 and Sapphire & Steel as I proclaimed in my last season review (mostly due to accessibility issues with some of the material), but I decided it would be best to wade into the waters of that material once I've actually finished making my way through this show.