#The Five Doctors celebrated the 20th anniversary of the episode... though in some places it was slightly late

[doctorwho2022]

Doctor Who episodes that aired on the 23rd of November…

In 1963, An Unearthly Child (the 1st episode of Doctor Who!)

In 1968, The Invasion Episode Four

In 1983, The Five Doctors

In 1987, Dragonfire Part One

In 1988, Silver Nemesis Part One

In 2013, The Day of the Doctor

[fancoloredglasses]

The Five Doctors (well, three and a half plus one, but who's counting?) Part 1

[All images are owned by the BBC. Please don’t sue or EXTERMINATE! me]

(Thanks to Doctor Who)

I’d previously reviewed what the BBC did to celebrate Doctor Who’s 10th anniversary. Naturally, they decided to have a similar event for the show’s 20th. There were just two teensy-weensy problems…

-William Hartnell (who originally left the show due to health concerns and whose health hadn’t improved by The Three Doctors (which is why he had a limited role in the story) passed away eight years earlier.

This required recasting the first Doctor (though some surviving Hartnell footage was also used). Enter Richard Hurndall (unfortunately, Hurndall would also pass away a year later, so if the show had still been on the air for the 30th anniversary, he would have had to be recast again)

-Tom Baker was two years removed from his tenure as the Doctor and decided it was too soon for him to return for a “reunion” show (a decision he has since said he regretted) The producers got around this by using footage from Shada, an unfinished story from his era.

Fortunately, he had a cameo for the 50th anniversary story (though obviously not as the Doctor)

Now, on to the background on the story…

The Doctor is on his fifth incarnation (Peter Davidson, who was at the time the youngest actor to play the Doctor and would later become father-in-law to the tenth (and fourteenth!) Doctor, David Tennant) This version of the Doctor was more empathic (“human”) than his previous selves. The Doctor has two companions at this time…

Tegan Jovanka was a holdover from the end of the Doctor’s fourth incarnation. She’s very outspoken and not afraid to make her opinion known.

Vislor Turlough was originally contracted to kill the Doctor, but could never bring himself to do it (eventually cutting ties with his patron) He is skilled at deception (as evidenced that the Doctor kept him around) and is quick to avoid dangerous situations, even if it means leaving the Doctor and Tegan.

Now, on with the show! If you would like to watch, the episodes are available on BritBox or Tubi.

We open to the control room of the TARDIS to find the Doctor finishing a bit of maintenance (like that ever goes right), then stepping out to have a chat with Turlough and Tegan. A bit of exposition says they are on a planet known as the Eye of Orion, known as the most tranquil place in the universe. The Doctor suggests they take a much-needed break on the planet (like that ever ends well)

Meanwhile, we switch to a mysterious control room were on the monitor is…

The first incarnation of the Doctor. Suddenly, a glowing pyramid appears in the sky and engulfs him!

This has an immediate effect on the current Doctor, who feels as if something was ripped from him.

Meanwhile at UNIT HQ, Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart (retired) is having a reunion with a few of his former staff, though one couldn’t be reached.

Fortunately, he made an appearance (though not the one the Brigadier thought would be there!) It turns out the Doctor read about the speech the Brigadier would be making that evening in tomorrow’s paper.

(Thanks to Classic DW)

 Meanwhile, at a townhouse in South Croydon…

Sarah Jane Smith (companion to the third and fourth incarnations of the Doctor) is warned of danger by her companion, K9 (Mk III). Unfortunately, she ignores the warning and leaves to catch the bus.

Elsewhere…

The fourth incarnation of the Doctor and the second incarnation of fellow Time Lord Romanadvoratrelundar (Romana for short) are enjoying a quiet gondola ride when the twirling triangle swoops in and takes them as well.

Unfortunately, there’s a malfunction in whatever is taking the Doctor’s past selves and he’s stuck in whatever has taken him! (something always goes wrong when the fourth Doctor mucks about in time)

This is enough to make the present Doctor collapse. Fortunately, Tegan and Turlough had managed to get him to the TARDIS and he sent it…somewhere/when.

And what of Sarah Jane?

Let that be a lesson: ALWAYS listen to your dog!

Inside the TARDIS…

…the Doctor begins to fade from existence! Fortunately, he snaps back into existence just as the TARDIS lands, but the instruments can't say where/when they are

Now, let’s go to the Doctor’s home planet of Gallifrey (for some reason), the ruling council has decided, against President Barusa’s wishes, to enlist (for some reason)…

…the Master. I’m not sure what’s going on, but they MUST be desperate! They offer the Master a full pardon and a new set of regenerations (in Doctor Who lore, a Time Lord only has 11 regenerations. The Master has used his up and though deus ex wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey bullshit had stolen another’s body to gain his current one) in exchange for a simple mission: rescue the Doctor! (So the Time Lords are aware of whatever is going on with the Doctor)

And what of the Doctor?

[NOTE: Now that we’ve established which Doctor is which, I’m likely going to not refer to him by his various incarnations unless he’s sharing a scene with himself]

Well, he appears to be wandering around some sort of maze of mirrors until he encounters…

…his granddaughter, though she wasn’t sucked up by whatever grabbed him, so how did she get here? (Since Susan left the show before the Doctor’s other original companions Ian and Barbara, shouldn’t they be here as well…unless Susan was grabbed in much the same way Sarah was?)

However, their happy reunion is short-lived as…

…I know that silhouette! They had better run before they’re exterminated!

Back at the Panoptican (Gallifrey’s Capitol building), President Barusa explains to the Master his mission. The Doctor is trapped in a region known as the Death Zone.

The Council wants to send the Master into the Death Zone to free the four incarnations they believe are trapped there so that his fourth may be un-trapped from whatever has him and Romana trapped (so the Council thinks even the latest model is in there as well, eh?) The Master appreciates the irony of rescuing his hated enemy and agrees.

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor continues fading in and out. He realizes one of his incarnations is trapped in a time vortex (so that’s what they’re calling where he and Romana are) and that he has one hope to avoid being drawn in as well: sending a signal (To who? The Time Lords? They already know!)

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Susan are fleeing the Dalek who is more interested in exterminating them that trying to figure out how it got there (Daleks aren’t the most imaginative beings out there) Unfortunately, they come to a dead end (possibly a poor choice of words), but the Doctor has a plan as he and Susan hide. As the Dalek passes, they push it into the dead end. The Dalek fires, and you can imagine what happens when you fire an energy weapon in an area with mirrors in three directions.

The Doctor then finds the way out and realizes they’re in the Death Zone.

Meanwhile the Doctor and the Brigadier are wandering around in yet another quarry another section of the Death Zone. The Brigadier isn’t quite as fondly remembering his time with the Doctor any more, that’s for sure! They then spot…

First the Master, then the Daleks, and now the Cybermen. This episode is the who’s who of evil!

And what of the Doctor? He’s pretty much driving around aimlessly in Bessie when he encounters Sarah Jane Smith, who loses her footing and tumbles down the hill!

And with that, Part One ends (not much of a cliffhanger, but it does establish where everyone is) On to Part Two!

The Doctor tosses Sarah a rope and helps her up to the road, then Sarah realizes who helped her.

Sarah is confused as to how an earlier version of the Doctor could be there (why? He’s a time traveler!) As it turns out, the Doctor is aware of his future self (makes sense; again, time traveler) The Doctor offers Sarah a ride to…wherever he’s going.

Meanwhile…

(Thanks to Gallifreyguy10)

At the Panoptican, the Council prepares to send the Master. They give him a signaling device the transmat beam can lock in on, as well as the Council’s seal to hopefully convince the Doctor that he’s on their side. With that, the Master is sent to the Death Zone.

Inside the Death Zone, the Doctor explains to the audience Brigadier what the Death Zone is.

The Doctor explains more as they travel to the Dark Tower at the center of the Death Zone…

(Thanks to magisterrex)

No, not that one! The one that’s the final resting place of Rassilon, the greatest of the Time Lords.

Elsewhere, the Master has entered the Zone…

…and is immediately fired upon by something (not surprising, since the Master isn’t exactly liked)

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor does what he always does when meeting himself…

…bickers. The current Doctor wants to move on the Dark Tower immediately, while the First wants to wait for the rest of him.

Outside, the Doctor explains to Sarah about the Death Zone. As it turns out, the ancient Time Lords used a device called a Time Scoop to drag beings within to fight for their amusement…at least until Rassilon put a stop to it. But now someone has decided to start the barbaric practice again, starting with the Doctor! The Doctor then sees the Dark Tower and steers Bessie toward it. Suddenly…

Unfortunately, this version of the Doctor has never met this version of the Master, and Sarah has never encountered the Master, so they have no clue who he is. However, some sort of “future memory” (or the fact that the Master kept his appearance as close to his earlier regeneration as possible) allowed the Doctor to recognize him after a moment. Naturally, the Doctor believes the Master’s behind this.

Then whatever attacked the Master earlier attacks again, and the Doctor drives off leaving the Master behind. Unfortunately they hit Bessie, so the Doctor and Sarah walk from here.

Elsewhere, the Doctor shares a chilling thought with the Brigadier…

It seems that Rassilon is rumored among the Time Lords to have almost god-like powers. Not someone to piss off then. Best to keep the Doctor on a tight leash, since at least two of his incarnations are known to win mostly by pissing off his foes until they slip up.

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor prepares to leave with Susan and Tegan, while the Doctor remains with Turlough remain behind and wait for the Doctor’s signal, then bring the TARDIS to the Tower.

Outside, the Doctor and Sarah continue their trek to the Tower when they spy…

Needless to say, they make themselves scarce before the Cybermen spot them.

Meanwhile, the Doctor and the Brigadier have reached the Tower and are preparing to enter.

And what of the Doctor, Tegan, and Susan?

(Thanks again to Classic DW)

Unfortunately, Susan twists her ankle rushing back to the TARDIS. Fortunately, they still get away.

The Doctor materializes in the conference room and realizes that Master may be telling the truth after all.

And what of the Master, abandoned to the Cybermen?

Oh, I’m sure with his silver tongue he’ll be fine.

Inside the TARDIS, Tegan tells the Doctor what happened. Without the Doctor to set a beacon (or whatever he intended to do to allow the TARDIS entry), the Doctor has little choice.

At the Panoptican, the Doctor gets the full story, and realizes he owes the Master an apology.

The Doctor the accuses one of the Council of bringing all of him to the Death Zone, as only they would have access to the technology to do so (plus bringing Cybermen (and Daleks, but the Doctor doesn’t know about that yet) to the Death Zone, which was prohibited), as well as a homing beacon implanted in the Master’s recall device.

The President says the Castillan gave the device to the Master and accuses him of treason, so has him arrested.

Inside the Death Zone, the Master proposes an alliance with the Cybermen to storm the Tower and defeat the Time Lords. The Cybermen agree, however…

Yeah, that tracks.

Inside the TARDIS, Turlough and Susan hear a lout thumping outside. They turn on the monitor to discover the Cybermen…doing something to the TARDIS. On that note, episode 2 ends.

WILL the Doctor escape the Death Zone and free himself from the Time Vortex?

IS the Castellan responsible for kidnapping the Doctor and the others?

WILL the Doctor apologize to the Master for doubting him?

These questions and more will be answered in the conclusion of my review of The Five Doctors!