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Classic Doctor Who, Season 26 Review
So I finally did it! I completed all of the original run of Classic Doctor Who... a little over a week ago. (I've been busy). I still have a few more things to cover, but it feels really cool finishing something I started way back in 2017, when the then-upcoming Twice Upon a Time motivated me to watch all of the First Doctor's run. Now with the Thirteenth Doctor's Timeless Child arc seemingly coming to a head with this new season, it feels fitting that I now have all the (aired) pieces of the Cartmel Masterplan from the Seventh Doctor era under my belt.
Also, I'm really happy that the show went out on such a high note. While I've enjoyed the latter years of Classic Who, all the seasons past The Five Doctors have felt decidedly mixed in a way that felt weird as a norm (though thankfully each season still had at least one story that felt like a standout). Season 26, while perhaps a bit over-plotted, feels well realized, and I appreciated the attention given to the characters of the Doctor and Ace along the way. Like, I love a good bit of lore, but I personally believe Doctor Who is at its best when its truly invested in its characters. I'm really looking forward to cracking open my Bluray set for this one and exploring some of the special features.
Like the previous twenty-five seasons, the serials are available to watch via streaming on Britbox. This season was a bit tricky to rank since I think all these stories have very similar strengths and weaknesses.
Characters
Sylvester McCoy as The Seventh Doctor - It took a minute to get here, but it's nice seeing a Doctor so fully realized but with some layers that still have to be revealed. I know they were slated to be in the following season, but honestly I think this works well as a note to go out on. The Doctor trying to chase down a cat in order to complete a game of three dimensional chess is peak vibes. The only thing I didn't love is that his character can be so dodgy it'd be relatively easy for any writer to retcon his motivations to suit another purpose. I think this works fine in regards to the Timeless Child (if they wanted to go there) but the Doctor having known about Fenric's machinations and his involvement with Ace for a full season felt like a bit too much. I also appreciated his more reserved and deliberate chemistry with the Master compared to his three predecessors. I'm excited to explore a bit more with this Doctor, both at the beginning of the TV movie and in other bits and pieces, and I can see why he's so beloved by so many.
Sophie Aldred as Ace - Honestly, I did not expect Ace to get the character focus and exploration she did this season. Even the more well-rounded companions from Classic Who like Jo, Sarah Jane, and Tegan didn't get much in the way of character backstory that had any tangible impact on their arc. What I assumed was throwaway introductory dialogue from Dragonfire ended up coming back in three of the four stories, exploring why Ace is the way she is and how she ended up where she did. I wasn't a huge fan of the Fenric scheming (nor the near identical twists that would happen with Clara in New Who), but I did like how much that twist allowed her family history to come to the forefront of the story. The final story taking place in Ace's hometown really made it feel like a proper finale, bringing some sense of resolution to her character even though she didn't part with the Doctor. I know Russell T Davies is keen to start making television spinoffs of Doctor Who again, and I can't think of a Classic companion more suited to headline one right now than Ace.
Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart - The choice to make the Brigadier a teacher in Mawdryn Undead makes sense from a scripting perspective and for production logistics, but story-wise it always felt a little odd. So I'm glad that, in his final appearance in the series proper, we got to see him back in action with UNIT. I also appreciated that we got a peak into what his latter life would be like (which will presumably be expanded on in one of the direct-to-video spinoffs, and sort of is in The Sarah Jane Adventures.) I liked that this story was originally scripted to end with his final demise, and I'm equally glad that they changed their mind, because it gives this story a nice air of finality without veering into a depressing swan song for the character. Instead we get a celebration of him, of UNIT, and an iconic era of the show as it draws to a close.
Anthony Ainley as The Master - I'm glad we got to see the Master one last time - and in the finale no less! - but I still stand by my assertion that the show didn't really know what to do with him following Planet of Fire. His presence here feels more like a plot fix than anything, but if it allows him to have a big, epic face off with the Doctor and Ace I'll allow it. (Also, is it just me or was his dynamic with Midge kind of sexually charged? Mildly surprised there's no fic of those two.) The comfort here is that Ainley is clearly secure in the role, and performs it with as much relish as when he first started.
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.
4) Serial 3, Episodes 8-11 - The Curse of Fenric
Fenric is... fine. I think on paper he's a very interesting villain, and the scenes he has with the Doctor are certainly captivating, but it all seems to exist just to set up that twist with Ace. Once that bit is executed he quickly dies, which is a shame because I think the show could've done so much more with what they'd set up (especially since they were apparently building to a climax next season.) I'd also be remiss not to mention how good the Doctor is in this too, especially the moments where he creates problems by not confiding in Ace what his plans are. It definitely helps sell the emotion of the "Wolves of Fenric" twist. Though I'm not sure what any of this has to do with Ace's fear of water.
3) Serial 2, Episodes 5-7 - Ghost Light
I'm not sure how much more I can say about this story since, even now, my understanding of it is still relatively limited. I liked the ultimate villain's motivations, and how characters that seemed benign ended up playing a key part in the ultimate end game. I do think part of the confusion, however, is that this story falls victim to "old white guy" syndrome - i.e. a couple of characters were similar-looking old white guys whom I had a lot of difficult telling apart.
2) Serial 1, Episodes 1-4 - Battlefield
Also, I never expected Doctor Who to tackle Arthurian legend since it'd already gone so long without doing so. The BBC Merlin fan in me got a lot of mileage out of this even though each show's take was drastically different, and I thought Jean Marsh was great in every scene she was in. The Doctor being Merlin was a fun twist that just made my mind wander, and him just going with it was a fun bit. It also helped that the location and sets for this just made it feel all the more England-y, and that atmosphere helped smooth over whatever cracks in the setup there were. This story was just fun, and had a kind of lighthearted feel to it even when the stakes were heightened and felt appropriately dire.
The obvious standout here was, of course, The Brigadier in what's essentially his "swan song", as it's the last time he appears in the show proper despite having a presence going forward. Like I said before, the original plan for this to end in his death ended up paying off, since it just ended up feeling like a victory lap for both the character and the actor. I definitely see myself watching this again a few times in the years to come.
1) Serial 4, Episodes 12-14 - Survival
The tones of this story - initially a lower stakes outing that turns into a cheesy one - allows the Seventh Doctor to show a more fun side than he's really been able to this season. All his self serious energy diverted into crawling around a suburban town trying to catch a very specific cat. The return of the Master also ensures he gets something meatier to chew on at the same time, and their ultimate confrontation ends up being a really fitting culmination of all they've been through over the course of the show, fighting on a planet that gets destroyed the more people fight on it. It's a metaphor that's very on the nose, but it makes the Master's presence in this story worth all the weirdness. As far as the Cheetah people themselves go, I can't really begin to guess what the exact message they were going for there, but it was entertaining to watch and kept the story focused on Ace even after the Master showed up. (The Master's dynamic with Midge was also... I'm honestly shocked there isn't some really kinky fanfic about that somewhere).
The story ends with the Doctor and Ace walking off into the distance while Sylvester McCoy recites a final message that they had the good foresight to add in. Despite the implication that Perivale was Ace's final destination, her adventures with the Doctor continue on. The show is over, but what other note could it end on?
Final Thoughts
I did it! I made it all the way to the end. I still have a bit to get through, though I'm still undecided which things in particular I'll cover and how. I'm still making my way through the Turlough and Harry Sullivan novels, and after that I have a bunch of Wilderness Years material not to mention books, audios, and a New Who rewatch that I really want to do. Part of me also wants to do another lost stories season for what would've been season 27, though I'm not sure if I want to do that right away. My biggest question mark is how to cover the BBV material. I do my best to support the official releases when I can, since I have the means, but considering the recent controversy I was able to pirate most of it, but I also don't want to act as an advertisement for their product even though I'm just a simple man writing Dreamwidth posts. I probably won't get to it until 2022 though (once New Who is on hiatus again) so I guess I have plenty of time to figure that out. Also, I originally planned to group "Search Out Space" with this review, but I had difficulty tracking it down (along with a couple of other Wilderness Years materials) so I guess right now my brief is to get all my ducks in order for the next phase.
Part of me thinks I should say something else here about my journey with Doctor Who, but especially after all the planning stuff I mulled over in the previous paragraph, I'm mostly still excited for all the stuff I have yet to get to. My journey isn't over, and I'm so excited to see what else this franchise has to offer.
Also, I'm really happy that the show went out on such a high note. While I've enjoyed the latter years of Classic Who, all the seasons past The Five Doctors have felt decidedly mixed in a way that felt weird as a norm (though thankfully each season still had at least one story that felt like a standout). Season 26, while perhaps a bit over-plotted, feels well realized, and I appreciated the attention given to the characters of the Doctor and Ace along the way. Like, I love a good bit of lore, but I personally believe Doctor Who is at its best when its truly invested in its characters. I'm really looking forward to cracking open my Bluray set for this one and exploring some of the special features.
Like the previous twenty-five seasons, the serials are available to watch via streaming on Britbox. This season was a bit tricky to rank since I think all these stories have very similar strengths and weaknesses.
Characters
Sylvester McCoy as The Seventh Doctor - It took a minute to get here, but it's nice seeing a Doctor so fully realized but with some layers that still have to be revealed. I know they were slated to be in the following season, but honestly I think this works well as a note to go out on. The Doctor trying to chase down a cat in order to complete a game of three dimensional chess is peak vibes. The only thing I didn't love is that his character can be so dodgy it'd be relatively easy for any writer to retcon his motivations to suit another purpose. I think this works fine in regards to the Timeless Child (if they wanted to go there) but the Doctor having known about Fenric's machinations and his involvement with Ace for a full season felt like a bit too much. I also appreciated his more reserved and deliberate chemistry with the Master compared to his three predecessors. I'm excited to explore a bit more with this Doctor, both at the beginning of the TV movie and in other bits and pieces, and I can see why he's so beloved by so many.
Sophie Aldred as Ace - Honestly, I did not expect Ace to get the character focus and exploration she did this season. Even the more well-rounded companions from Classic Who like Jo, Sarah Jane, and Tegan didn't get much in the way of character backstory that had any tangible impact on their arc. What I assumed was throwaway introductory dialogue from Dragonfire ended up coming back in three of the four stories, exploring why Ace is the way she is and how she ended up where she did. I wasn't a huge fan of the Fenric scheming (nor the near identical twists that would happen with Clara in New Who), but I did like how much that twist allowed her family history to come to the forefront of the story. The final story taking place in Ace's hometown really made it feel like a proper finale, bringing some sense of resolution to her character even though she didn't part with the Doctor. I know Russell T Davies is keen to start making television spinoffs of Doctor Who again, and I can't think of a Classic companion more suited to headline one right now than Ace.
Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart - The choice to make the Brigadier a teacher in Mawdryn Undead makes sense from a scripting perspective and for production logistics, but story-wise it always felt a little odd. So I'm glad that, in his final appearance in the series proper, we got to see him back in action with UNIT. I also appreciated that we got a peak into what his latter life would be like (which will presumably be expanded on in one of the direct-to-video spinoffs, and sort of is in The Sarah Jane Adventures.) I liked that this story was originally scripted to end with his final demise, and I'm equally glad that they changed their mind, because it gives this story a nice air of finality without veering into a depressing swan song for the character. Instead we get a celebration of him, of UNIT, and an iconic era of the show as it draws to a close.
Anthony Ainley as The Master - I'm glad we got to see the Master one last time - and in the finale no less! - but I still stand by my assertion that the show didn't really know what to do with him following Planet of Fire. His presence here feels more like a plot fix than anything, but if it allows him to have a big, epic face off with the Doctor and Ace I'll allow it. (Also, is it just me or was his dynamic with Midge kind of sexually charged? Mildly surprised there's no fic of those two.) The comfort here is that Ainley is clearly secure in the role, and performs it with as much relish as when he first started.
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.
4) Serial 3, Episodes 8-11 - The Curse of Fenric
The Curse of Fenric is a decent story that leans slightly too much on obscure details of previous stories. However, it was nice to see a continued focus on Ace, and the twists at the end worked better than they probably should have. The location used for filming has a great vibe. (x)
I liked this story a lot, but it suffers a lot from overly complicated plotting, and leaning on plot details from previous stories that would've been difficult for the casual viewer to pick up on. Hell, it was still relatively difficult for me, and I watched Dragonfire and Silver Nemesis relatively recently. Like I said above, I'm not a huge fan of the twist with Ace at the end of this story, but I'm happy it was basically confined to the end and not something that permeated the rest of the story. Instead, we get to see Ace bond with this woman with an infant daughter that had the same name as her estranged mom, and grapple with the complicated feelings this stirred up. I could see the twist from that coming from a mile away - that the baby was, in fact, her mother - but that one worked for me because it served as a satisfying beat in Ace's arc this season, and it was ultimately stronger than her other storylines where she bonded with that solider and was later revealed to be a pawn intentionally brought to the Ice World by Fenric to meet the Doctor.Fenric is... fine. I think on paper he's a very interesting villain, and the scenes he has with the Doctor are certainly captivating, but it all seems to exist just to set up that twist with Ace. Once that bit is executed he quickly dies, which is a shame because I think the show could've done so much more with what they'd set up (especially since they were apparently building to a climax next season.) I'd also be remiss not to mention how good the Doctor is in this too, especially the moments where he creates problems by not confiding in Ace what his plans are. It definitely helps sell the emotion of the "Wolves of Fenric" twist. Though I'm not sure what any of this has to do with Ace's fear of water.
3) Serial 2, Episodes 5-7 - Ghost Light
Ghost Light is weirdly compelling for a story with so many moving parts and a plot that's so elaborate that it's basically incomprehensible. The bits focusing on Ace are great, and it's nice to see the show take an active interest in a companion's backstory. Vibes are incredible. (x)
I'm normally not a fan of stories where I have to read the Wikipedia synopsis in order to really understand what's going on, but I think this one might be the exception. I sheer intensity of the vibes here... exquisite. The fact that no one questions how a neanderthal could be walking around in Victorian England and working as a butler feels like a precursor to what New Who - particularly the Moffat era - would serve up on the regular. I know that this was originally slated to be a lore episode about the Doctor, and I'm really glad they scrapped that because what they have here is much stronger. This also allows Ace's part in the story to take precedence, and it acts as a nice setup for her backstory to be explored in more depth in the next two stories.I'm not sure how much more I can say about this story since, even now, my understanding of it is still relatively limited. I liked the ultimate villain's motivations, and how characters that seemed benign ended up playing a key part in the ultimate end game. I do think part of the confusion, however, is that this story falls victim to "old white guy" syndrome - i.e. a couple of characters were similar-looking old white guys whom I had a lot of difficult telling apart.
2) Serial 1, Episodes 1-4 - Battlefield
Battlefield is an excellent story that was only let down by some bizarre editing choices and a questionable character beat. It's an excellent send off for the Brigadier and UNIT in the Classic series, and is a creative use of Arthurian legend. A fun romp in the countryside. (x)
It was basically a coin toss for which story I was gonna rank first, and it ultimately came down to some of the editing choices (which are apparently fixed in the special edition versions of this story) and the very strange character beat where Ace referred to her new friend with a racist slur when under Morgaine's influence. It's something that feels very out of place both within the story (and it's never addressed outside that moment despite being rather pointed) and within Ace's larger character arc, which shows her having very strong anti-racist sentiment and motivations in at least two. It's possible it meant to serve a purpose on top of that but because the show never actually does anything with it, it just comes off as strange at best? It's a shame because otherwise I thought Ace's dynamic with Shou Yuing was super fun. All the dynamics in this story are super compelling actually, and it manages to juggle a very large cast and make each one of them feel memorable and distinct. The new Brigadier could've been a throwaway character, but all her scenes and her relationship with Ancelyn ended up being a highlight of the story for me.Also, I never expected Doctor Who to tackle Arthurian legend since it'd already gone so long without doing so. The BBC Merlin fan in me got a lot of mileage out of this even though each show's take was drastically different, and I thought Jean Marsh was great in every scene she was in. The Doctor being Merlin was a fun twist that just made my mind wander, and him just going with it was a fun bit. It also helped that the location and sets for this just made it feel all the more England-y, and that atmosphere helped smooth over whatever cracks in the setup there were. This story was just fun, and had a kind of lighthearted feel to it even when the stakes were heightened and felt appropriately dire.
The obvious standout here was, of course, The Brigadier in what's essentially his "swan song", as it's the last time he appears in the show proper despite having a presence going forward. Like I said before, the original plan for this to end in his death ended up paying off, since it just ended up feeling like a victory lap for both the character and the actor. I definitely see myself watching this again a few times in the years to come.
1) Serial 4, Episodes 12-14 - Survival
Survival does a really good job at further rounding out Ace's background, while also working as a decent thematic ending to the series. The Doctor and The Master's scenes are particular highlights, though it's all let down somewhat by the cheesy-looking Cheetah costumes. (x)
I went into this story only really knowing two things: that this was about the Master and Cheetah people who looked kind of cheesy, and that the show was cancelled and this wasn't planned as a finale. That said, it works very well as a finale for the season, and inadvertently ends up being a pretty great note for the show to end on. At it's core, the story is about Ace coming back to her hometown and facing her past, while dealing with the realization that life has continued on without her, and that both she and the people she'd known are threatened by the same kind of alien forces that are now a normal part of her life. It's the stated end goal of her journey with the Doctor, and even though by the end of the first episode everyone's transported to a planet where Cheetahs ride horses, the weight of it is still very effective, and I see now why Moffat said that this dovetails really well into the new series with Rose - because it does. The outlandish amongst the grounded is not something the Classic show has really dabbled with the way the New show has, and in a weird way this story feels like the passing of the torch. Granted, the existence of the movie and other materials doesn't make this a clean transition, but when has Doctor Who ever been seemless?The tones of this story - initially a lower stakes outing that turns into a cheesy one - allows the Seventh Doctor to show a more fun side than he's really been able to this season. All his self serious energy diverted into crawling around a suburban town trying to catch a very specific cat. The return of the Master also ensures he gets something meatier to chew on at the same time, and their ultimate confrontation ends up being a really fitting culmination of all they've been through over the course of the show, fighting on a planet that gets destroyed the more people fight on it. It's a metaphor that's very on the nose, but it makes the Master's presence in this story worth all the weirdness. As far as the Cheetah people themselves go, I can't really begin to guess what the exact message they were going for there, but it was entertaining to watch and kept the story focused on Ace even after the Master showed up. (The Master's dynamic with Midge was also... I'm honestly shocked there isn't some really kinky fanfic about that somewhere).
The story ends with the Doctor and Ace walking off into the distance while Sylvester McCoy recites a final message that they had the good foresight to add in. Despite the implication that Perivale was Ace's final destination, her adventures with the Doctor continue on. The show is over, but what other note could it end on?
Final Thoughts
I did it! I made it all the way to the end. I still have a bit to get through, though I'm still undecided which things in particular I'll cover and how. I'm still making my way through the Turlough and Harry Sullivan novels, and after that I have a bunch of Wilderness Years material not to mention books, audios, and a New Who rewatch that I really want to do. Part of me also wants to do another lost stories season for what would've been season 27, though I'm not sure if I want to do that right away. My biggest question mark is how to cover the BBV material. I do my best to support the official releases when I can, since I have the means, but considering the recent controversy I was able to pirate most of it, but I also don't want to act as an advertisement for their product even though I'm just a simple man writing Dreamwidth posts. I probably won't get to it until 2022 though (once New Who is on hiatus again) so I guess I have plenty of time to figure that out. Also, I originally planned to group "Search Out Space" with this review, but I had difficulty tracking it down (along with a couple of other Wilderness Years materials) so I guess right now my brief is to get all my ducks in order for the next phase.
Part of me thinks I should say something else here about my journey with Doctor Who, but especially after all the planning stuff I mulled over in the previous paragraph, I'm mostly still excited for all the stuff I have yet to get to. My journey isn't over, and I'm so excited to see what else this franchise has to offer.
no subject
I'm really glad that you did enjoy S26 when you got there. XD It's still my favourite bit of DW, but it's not always to everone's tastes!
(btw, Ace doesn't have a fear of the water in Curse - the Doctor tells her not to swim at Maiden's Point because there's danger (the Haemovores), so she doesn't, while her two new friends do & get turned. The bit at the end is in reaction to her feelings about her mother and dealing with them, not overcoming a fear of water; the Doctor just reassures her that the dangerous undercurrents have now gone & she can.)