Episode #144 : Mindwarp

"Today, prudence shall be our watchword. Tomorrow, I shall soak the land in blood!"

Episode 144:    Mindwarp.
Companions:    6th Doctor and Peri.
Air Date:          4th to 25th October 1986.

The Valeyard's prosecution continues as he presents damning evidence of the Doctor's interference on the planet Thoros Beta. Dangerous experiments are being carried out there that could affect the future of all life, and they must be stopped. But why is the Doctor so determined to help his former enemy - the greedy, opportunistic Sil? And why has he turned against his companion, Peri? One thing is certain: someone will die.

The Trial of a Time Lord story line continues with another case presented by the Valeyard to prove the Doctor's guilt. In this one the Doctor and Peri arrive on a strange almost psychedelic planet home to the Mentor's - Sil's people. Here they find a plot to transplant the mind of Sil's boss into another body, and the evil bio-experiments that led to this development. They team up with King Tyrcanos, played by Brian Blessed of all people, leader of a barbarian people to overthrow them. It seems that Peri is captured and used to as the vessel for the new Mentor's mind. Before the Doctor can rescue her, he is snatched from time by the Time Lords to take his trial.

Mindwarp is a pretty bad, not to mention dull story that doesn't really go anywhere. It is set up to end Peri's time on the show and bring the Doctor into the court. Sil isn't even presented as well as he was in his prior appearance. Likewise, the Doctor is presented as a rather evil individual though we later learn that this adventure has been tampered with to make him appear just so.

Whilst investigating Crozier's lab, the Doctor picks up and inspects a specimen jar that appears to contain a preserved Xenomorph embryo specimen (specifically a chestburster) from the Alien films.

Mindwarp is a poorly done story that spoils the whole Trial arc.

Episode #138 : Vengeance on Varos

"Oh, I thought you were my mirror image — Until I realised I wasn't the one holding a gun."

Episode 138:     Vengeance on Varos.
Companions:     6th Doctor and Peri.
Air Date:           19th to 26th January 1985.

Seeking the rare mineral Zeiton-7 to repair his TARDIS, the Doctor arrives on Varos, a world where political prisoners and their guards are all subjected to sadistic tortures and executions which the colony's inhabitants view and vote on through interactive television. Accused of being alien infiltrators helping the colony's rebel factions, the Doctor and Peri find themselves the latest unwilling subjects in this most extreme form of reality TV.

Vengeance on Varos is an exceedingly dull story that appears at first glance to be a satire on politics, reality TV and the TV generation as the 1980's saw them. We are presented with a culture where politics is decided by a live or die approach that ensures that while the population are given political control they are also keep poor, hungry and addicted to some disturbing television. By itself now a bad back story but then we find a second plot that deals with mining concerns and corporate manipulations. There is too much and not enough time to do an adequate job with it.

This story tends to get some fan grief because of the Doctor's somewhat violent and uncaring approach. Guards are vaporised without knowing the situation and two others are dissolved by acid with just a sarcastic joke from the Doctor. Personally I find this all rather good as Colin Baker is playing a very different persona to what has gone before. A darker Doctor has been long in coming. This time he really is the anti-hero.

Sil, as the overall villain, is quite a nice addition to the foes that the Doctor has overcome. Played by excellently by Nabil Shaban, Sil is a slimy, uncaring and quite repulsive character. The evil gurgling laugh he gives the character is just inspired. Sil doesn't do much in the story but he is remembered where as Vengeance on Varos is best forgotten.