Winter is Coming
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Doctor Who Twitch Watch: recommendations of the day 06/20

By James Aggas

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(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

Today, the Doctor faces old foes, past mistakes, and his final moments, as the Twitch Doctor Who marathon says goodbye to the Third Doctor.

And so, here we are. Today is the final day of the Third Doctor’s era on Twitch. While I’m sure many of you are excited to begin with Tom Baker’s Doctor, (and there is admittedly a lot to look forward to,) it’s still sad to reach the end of another era. Especially when it’s the end of such a great Doctor.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at his final three stories.

Death to the Daleks

When Death to the Daleks begins, it opens with a few key storytelling strands. The TARDIS has landed somewhere, but with all power drained from it. On the planet lies a mysterious city with violent inhabitants. And a few people from Earth are in a very desperate situation.

And that’s before the title characters show up…

The last Dalek story of the Pertwee era, Death to the Daleks has quite a few interesting ideas. Particularly when it comes to the Daleks themselves.

Terry Nation uses a rather neat idea that puts the Daleks in a very unusual position. One that could make them more sympathetic than usual, but thankfully, Terry Nation avoids that.

Instead, he makes it clear that the Daleks in this story are as evil and ruthless as they’ve always been. Where a more vulnerable position for them just makes them even more dangerous.

Which is precisely how they should be handled. Stories like Dalek and The Power of the Daleks really highlight this.

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Dalek flaws

However, there are a few key things that make Death to the Daleks significantly less strong than the two mentioned stories.

For example, the makeup for the Exxilons is far from convincing. You know how fantastic the makeup for the Draconians was from just the previous season? Picture if you will the exact opposite of that.

It also has one of the worst cliffhangers ever. No, I’m not talking about the Daleks showing up at the end of part one as a “surprise”, despite the fact that their role in the story was heavily advertised from its very title.

(It really isn’t surprising that the story originally had the working title of The Exxilons. Seriously, their appearance at the end of part one was clearly meant to be a big surprise.)

Instead, the worst cliffhanger of this story, and possibly ever, involves a floor. You’ll know it when you see it.

Despite its flaws however, Death to the Daleks is an interesting exploration of morality. Of what you’d be prepared to do for the greater good.

Aggedor attacks in The Monster of Peladon.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

The Monster of Peladon

A direct sequel to The Curse of Peladon, The Monster of Peladon focuses on many similar ideas. Once again, the people of Peladon are terrorized by their god Aggedor. Once again, the Doctor and his companion continually find themselves in trouble, particularly with the ruler’s closest aide.

And once again, the story features…actually, if you don’t already know, it’s best not to mention the last one. Again, it’s one of those things that’s best left as a surprise, if at all possible.

There is some new material with this sequel, though. With a focus on miners, it’s clearly heavily influenced by the miner’s strike that was occurring when the story was made. And there’s even a feminist angle too, as Sarah Jane gives some advice to the young Queen Thalira.

But at six episodes instead of four, The Monster of Peladon feels close to feeling like a longer version of the original brilliant story. I will be honest, I have a soft spot for this one, as it was the first one I watched on video. I’m also a big fan of the Peladon setting. But this return to the planet isn’t quite as strong as it could have been.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

Planet of the Spiders

And so, we reach the final story of Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor. Is it a huge epic worthy of this Doctor? Or is it a disappointing ending?

I will admit, there’s a lot I do enjoy about Planet of the Spiders. Particularly how it brings back Mike Yates. After his shocking betrayal in Invasion of the Dinosaurs, the character is trying hard to be a good man once more.

He’s found new meaning in Buddhism, something that has a very strong influence on this particular story. But he also discovers a dark side to it, as a great evil is summoned to Earth…

Planet of the Spiders is a story with a very clear Buddhist influence. It isn’t just Mike Yates’s role in the story. It’s also how it explores other themes.

Regeneration and Buddhism

Regeneration is particularly influenced by Buddhism in Planet of the Spiders. This is the story where the concept of it is is not only named, but fleshed out to be the key idea that we all know.

While we had seen the Doctor change before, some details weren’t originally made entirely clear. For example, the “renewal” in The Tenth Planet could have implied that the Doctor had simply become younger.

The change in The War Games could also have just been a punishment by the Time Lords, and nothing more.

Planet of the Spiders was the first story to really flesh it out and make it clear that it’s something all Time Lords can do. Not just as something to make someone younger, or something that’s enforced by Time Lords. It’s a natural ability that causes them to change into someone else entirely.

It’s not surprising that it’s fleshed out a lot more here. After all, the physical embodiment of reincarnation perfectly fits a story with such strong Buddhist influences.

However, Planet of the Spiders is admittedly far from the best regeneration story. Like many six-part stories, it suffers from too much padding. Particularly in the middle, where the story really feels dragged out. The biggest example of this is with a chase that feels more excessively long than exciting.

Having said all that, it does have one of the most beautiful and emotional final scenes for any Doctor. Perhaps even more so than the Tenth’s final scene. The Third Doctor’s final words are heartbreaking, and will be sure to leave tears in your eyes.

Overall recommendation of the day: Planet of the Spiders

I debated long and hard with this one. Planet of the Spiders is one of the weaker regeneration stories. Especially when compared to The Tenth Planet and The War Games. And it really is dragged out considerably.

So why have I picked it? Death to the Daleks is arguably superior in some ways out of today’s choices, but it’s still not without its flaws. The Monster of Peladon, while having some fun moments, is also repetitive, at times.

But what helped me to recommend Planet of the Spiders today is how it resolves the Third Doctor’s era. With both Mike Yates’s redemption and the Doctor’s return to Metabelis Three, the story really feels like a long goodbye to the Third Doctor’s era. Especially during the emotional final scene.

And the Third Doctor has earned it. Across five seasons, Pertwee’s Doctor has faced many enemies and had many adventures. And Pertwee himself was always brilliant in the role. Almost five decades later, the man is still an iconic Doctor. And his brilliant exit scene is a brilliant Doctor Who moment.

But as one iconic Doctor leaves, an even more iconic Doctor is about to enter…

Next: Why the Master was so important to the Third Doctor’s era

Have you enjoyed the Third Doctor’s era on Twitch? What’s your favorite story of his? What are your favorite moments featuring the character? Let us know in the comments below.

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