| THE ULTIMATE FOE by Robert Holmes and Pip & Jane Baker |
| Story 146 Synopsis: The Doctor finds he cannot defend himself against the charge of genocide. But to all surprise, Glitz and Mel turn up, brought by the Master, who appears on the Matrix screen. He reveals that the court proceedings have been twisted, led by the Valeyard, who is the evil side of the Doctor. The Valeyard flees into the Matrix, where the Doctor follows, with Glitz. The High Council of the Time Lords are deposed, in an insurrection. They escape attempts to kill them, and the Master tries to use the Doctor to kill the Valeyard. He later allows the Valeyard the chance to kill the Doctor, in return for the elusive Matrix secrets - but the Master finds himself trapped with Glitz in a limbo atrophier. The Doctor finds the Valeyard's secret weapon - a particle disseminator, with which he will cause the deaths of all those in the trial room. The Doctor jiggers the machine, and escapes the Matrix. He is pardoned, in view of having saved everyone's life. The Valeyard seems to have become the new Keeper of the Matrix. |
| Review:- So, did they save the best for last? Well, with an awful lot of ground to make up, the production team go hell for leather, pulling out all the stops, and trying their damnedest to make it all be worthwhile. And though they make a few slip-ups, they pretty much make it. It is interesting to realise how little hints were dropped in the preceding stories, but here the truth that ties them together is deeper than would have been predicted. It means the first part here is more explanation than plot, as first Glitz and Mel, then the Master unravel the machinations of the Valeyard. Whether it is a sensible idea or not for this villain to be the dark side of the Doctor is a whole other matter, but it does allow Michael Jayston to have some credible stance for his actions, at last. Glitz being unable to be bleeped as he was before, is able to bring up the infiltration of the Matrix, which at least gives credence to the Doctor's otherwise hopeless stance that its having been tampered with is his defence. Mel's wholehearted involvement comes across rather clumsily at first, given some quite poor dialogue to both establish her nature, and chivvy the plot along. Fortunately, Mel is a woman of action as well as virtue, possibly the Doctor's best asset when fighting someone so evil. The Matrix scenes, with the amusing yet dangerously officious Mr Popplewell, ever concerned for the missing Mr J.J. Chambers, make the most of some rather random sets. Quite why the Valeyard is such a Dickensian buff is perhaps best left noted but ignored. The Master's all-action scheme saving the Doctor and Glitz on the beach, before using his old enemy to lure the Valeyard give him some of his best work as a character ever. Glitz makes a useful asset to him, giving him some much-needed depth. His greed being his undoing is a plain contrast to the Doctor and Mel, who find their way to the heart of the Fantasy Factory, and the megabyte modem. And the particle disseminator. Arguably a bigger and better prize than the grotty old Matrix secrets, but that's ambition - perhaps years of defeats have stunted the Master, whilst the Valeyard still dreams of having it all. Anyway, the rather hapless conclusion - the Doctor knackers the machine, trapping the Valeyard and leaving the Matrix in a mess - may be about as good as it could get. Given the well-documented chaos behind this production, and having seen the proposed original finish, I think this has a lot going for it. Peri and Yrcanos are given a happy ending, although with the resurrected Valeyard turning up for the tag finish, perhaps Gallifrey has worse to come..? Mel joining the Doctor in the TARDIS when his last trip was from Thoros Beta is a little thorny, but perhaps loose ends were inevitable. The glib forgiveness of the Doctor's genocide is more serious, gratitude or not. The Time Lords may be a dodgy lot, but it's hardly sensible to make a crime punishable by death and then forgive someone for it because of mitigating circumstances. Still, it's their planet. On the whole, a fair conclusion to an overall season which is better than seems to be the case. |
| Disclaimer: I've seen the video, and read the book. |