(623) The Twin Dilemma - Part 1

So the final story of the 21^st season is the first story for Colin Baker as the Doctor. It will also be the final time before the 23^rd season that the episodes are just twenty five minutes in length. With the previous story being everything that is right about Doctor Who and shows what can be achieved. Colin Baker’s debut story is the exact opposite. Romulus and Remus are two boys that appear at the beginning of the episode and shows the first problem with this serial. Unfortunately Gavin Conrad (Romulus) and Andrew Conrad (Remus) are not very good in the roles. They are instantly upstaged by Dennis Chinnery (playing their father Sylvest) and Maurice Denham (Edgeworth).

It’s weird that the new Doctor and Peri don’t appear first. First thing that stands out about the new Doctor is that this isn’t going to be a soft and cuddly Doctor. I like how the Doctor really dislikes being called sweet by Peri. The scene in the costume room is rather good because it shows how unbalanced the Doctor has become. The Fifth Doctor’s costume does suit Colin Baker’s Doctor. The costume that he chooses for himself is ugly. There is no polite way of putting it other than by saying its ugly.

The relationship between the Doctor and Peri is very different to anything that has come before this. There is very little in the way of niceness in this episode. This is highlighted by the fact that the Doctor strangles Peri. Moments later the Doctor decides that he and Peri are hermits. Colin Baker is superb in this episode. He goes for it from the very moment. The only downside come with the cliffhanger because Hugo Lang (Kevin McNally) is pointing a gun at him and Baker’s reaction isn’t the greatest. However for this first episode, I am willing to look to one side on this. Nicola Bryant does very well in this episode keeping up with the manic pace of Baker. Peri hasn’t really had the best of starts since she joined the TARDIS but Peri must be made of stronger stuff.

The business between the Doctor and Peri is easily the best stuff in the episode and actually in the story. I found the scenes between Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant  to be entertaining and maintained my enjoyment. When they aren’t on screen however I find myself being totally bored with what was going on. Things got worse when Mestor appears but there will be more about that later on. As opening episode go, this has some good stuff and some bad stuff. Thankfully the good stuff is so good it makes me feel slightly better about the bad stuff. Sadly this wont be the case but at least I can be comforted with the idea that the madness that is going to continue in the remainder of the episodes.