Episode #248 : The Night of the Doctor

"Four minutes?! That's ages! What if I get bored, need some books, a television? Anyone for chess? Bring me knitting."

Episode #248:      The Night of the Doctor.
Companions:        The 8th Doctor.
Air Date:              14th November 2013.

Still trying to skirt around the edges of the Last Great Time War, the Eighth Doctor is forced to fully join the conflict by the mysterious Sisterhood of Karn. Killed while trying to save a woman who hates him simply for being a Time Lord, the Doctor gets to choose what his next incarnation will be like. He arranges for a warrior... but makes the darkest sacrifice of his life in order to be reborn.

So this is a short, the first of two, to serve as a prequel to the 50th anniversary special and it brings with a special treat for us fans, we finally get to the see the 8th Doctor regenerate. Sort of. For some time now the fan base had been discussing what had happened to the 8th Doctor after his one appearance and then countless audio dramas (and whether they were canonical or not). At last we learn what happened.

We also get a reappearance of the Sisterhood of Karn, not seen since the 4th Doctor story The Brain of Morbius. While that may mean nothing to the casual modern view to us old school fans of the show, it's an exciting element. I do think we need more references to the days of the original show. I've said quite a few times on this blog and I don't expect to not keep saying that. The Sisterhood hasn't changed much from what we see and they are ready to intervene in the Time War. They do this by saving the Doctors life and giving him the opportunity to choose his next incarnation. So perhaps the fault is not with the War Doctor but with the 8th incarnation. He chooses to be a warrior and regenerates into a younger version of the War Doctor, meaning that he has been fighting the Daleks for some time.

The Night of the Doctor is only a short film running seven and a half minutes but it is really well done and helps cement where we last saw the Doctor prior to his 9th self appearing in Rose.

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Episode #84 : The Brain of Morbius

"You can't really go on calling yourself Morbius. There's very little of Morbius left! Why don't you think of another name? Potpourri would be appropriate!"

Episode 84:   The Brain of Morbius.
Companions: 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 3rd to 24th January 1976.

The planet Karn is home both to a mystic Sisterhood, whose sacred flame produces an elixir of life, and to Mehendri Solon, a fanatical scientist who is using the remnants of spaceship crash victims to put together a new body for the still-living brain of the executed Time Lord criminal Morbius. When the Doctor and Sarah arrive on the planet, Solon decides that the Doctor's head is just what he needs to complete his work.

The Brain of Morbius is a fantastic retelling of the Frankenstein story complete with mad scientist, an assembled from body parts monster, a an Igor-like henchman and at the end a group of flaming torch wielding sisters to defeat the creature. The writer has taken all the classic elements of the original story and given them a Whovian spin.

This is another story that gets a big thumbs up from me. The plot and pacing are spot on and it so adds to the atmosphere of the story. The characters and the acting also fit very well. For most of the story Sarah Jane is blinded and she pulls off that condition brilliantly and realistically. As for the Doctor, after the last couple where the character seems to have been a grumpy mood, here he is back to his lovable eccentric self.

The setting for this story is the planet Karn, which may be in the same system as Gallifrey or a neighbouring one. It is home to a mystical order known as the Sisterhood of Karn who keep the sacred flame capable of producing an elixir of life highly valued by the Time Lords. This is not the last time we see them as they have a part to play much further into the Doctor's life time.

In this story there is a mental struggle between the Doctor and Morbius (in his new body). In this struggle they pit the power of their minds against one another. On a screen appear images of past incarnations, including the first three Doctors. But there are four or five other faces that appear. It has caused discussions among fans ever since as it initially implies that the Doctor has had more incarnations that we know of. Of course, where we are at the moment with modern Who, we know that this isn't the case. However, it has always been my thought that these other faces are simply images of Morbius in his prior incarnations. It seems strange to me that that has not been mentioned before (though some corner of the Internet must have raised it) and it explains that mystery.

The Brain of Morbius is another big thumbs up from me. It isn't one of the best but it certainly is worth a watch. Enjoy.