 Irresistible |
| Review Date: January 19, 2008 |
| Reviewer: The Cougar, Australia |
I could probably write a novel about my tribute to "The Two Doctors" but I'll do my best to keep it short. My favourite two doctors from the classic series (and indeed, overall) are Patrick Troughton and Colin Baker. So it doesn't take a genius to work out that this story is my favourite all-time. Why? Simply of the fun that the story seems to have. It's as though everyone decided to take a holiday and make this story while they were doing so.
The result? A dark comedy would be best how I would describe "The Two Doctors." Robert Holmes's new creations, the Androgums, are best realised through him, as we hear about blood ties similar to Scottish clans like "Franzine Grig" or "Quarnzine Grig." Shockeye in particular, craving a human, and every time he manages to capture either Doc, Jamie or Peri, someone always interrupts him. You can't help but laugh out loud, reminds you of those stupid telemarketers who ring you just when you're about to have dinner.
The script is littered with one-liners, ones that just make you do a double take and laugh in surprise, from all sorts of characters, Oscar delivering some of the best, such as "My father slept in a steel helmet during the war," What, just the steel helmet? "Competent people, trained in the time of bandages," and when Doc 6, Jamie and Peri come out of the TARDIS and Oscar mistakes him for a policeman, "I can tell by your raiment that you belong to the plain-clothes branch" and the Doctor looks down at his outrageous clothing, along with Jamie and Peri, who aren't exactly in "plain clothes." Not to mention Doc 2 and Shockeye when Doc 2's been turned into an androgum and they discuss "shepherd's pie" which apparently is a cannibal dish!
Not to mention the TARDIS scenes, where Doc 2 and 6 abuse the machine in exactly the same way, The Doctor going through business cards "Christopher Columbus..." looks over at Peri, "He had a lot to answer for!"
The difference between this and the other two multi-doctor stories is whereas "The Three Doctors" and "The Five Doctors" merely rode on an anniversary celebration (and thus barely have a storyto hold it together), "The Two Doctors" actually does have a story to it, and actually balances out both that, and the two doctors turn up by coincidence. People have complained about that being a weak explanation for them showing up at the same time. Uh, hello? It may be weak, but it's far more realistic than Borusa taking all five doctors from their timeline and then giving him enemies to fight, to weaken their chances of them getting what he wants (but that's another review) As Doctor 6 says, "When you travel around time as much as I do, you're bound to run into yourself at some point"
And finally, the scene that everyone whinges and complains about (with such little reason to) Poor old Colin sounds so weary about it in the commentary, wonder what the count is on how many people have complained to him about it. I am of course talking about the Shockeye killing scene. I have no problem about it whatsoever. Come on, people, the Doctor was desparate. Shockeye chasing him with the strength "to snap you in half with one hand" What's the Doctor supposed to do. Just smile at him and say "That's okay, kill me anyway"? And considering the Second Doctor used a machine to kill a Cyberman in "The Invasion," The Fourth Doctor aged Sutekh to death, The Seventh Doctor manipulated Davros to wipe out an entire planet, the Tenth Doctor killed a Sycorax and on and on. I get the feeling people criticise Colin Baker's doctor simply for being Colin Baker's doctor. I would rather travel with the Sixth Doctor than the Ninth Doctor who let all the people down who were fighting to keep the Daleks at bay and then simply refused to use the Delta Wave because it "made him a killer"
Overall, I wish I could give it six or seven stars, but five will have to do. Watch it as a dark, snarky comedy and maybe you'll get new appreciation for it. |
nouveau cuisine.
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| Review Date: July 22, 1999 |
| Reviewer: amento@nothinbut.net, USA |
| Like many 6th Doctor stories, there's an undercurrent of meanness here, which briefly afflicts even the supernaturally good-hearted Patrick Troughton as Doctor Two. Get past this plaint. "The Two Doctors" boasts a relentlessly inventive script, serving Sontarans, cannibals, genetic engineers, fishing expeditions and captured moths together in a semiotic feast. And the Androgums -- feral, passionate, haughty -- are one of writer Robert Holmes's most stirring inventions. If you're curious about the Colin Baker era, the Troughton in this might make Baker's abrasiveness go down a little easier. I think it's worth it in any case. (Sorry about the eating jokes.) |
"Would you care to repeat that?"
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| Review Date: August 9, 2005 |
| Reviewer: landru141, Planet Houston |
Colin Baker, in full Cleese-like viscious wit assault, was for a short time THE Doctor. This is him at his absolute best, ranting, demented, and above all funny. Add to that the wonder that was Patrick Troughton and you have the best of all the multi-Doctor stories. Finally, the story is long enough to suit two stars (the Five and Three Doctors are OK, but seem more like stunts to get ratings.)
Robert Holmes' dark edge comes back from the classic mid-seventies gothic era. The wonderful Holmsian-Double-Acts, The Sontarans, and an odd twist on the theme of what is the difference between being a Carnivor and a Cannible.
For the casual viewer ... well, you might want to do some research. If special effects are more important than acting and writing, then you should just buy something else. Like a choice between a bowl of candy or a good well-rounded meal: one is obviously more appealing than the other, but ultimately less satisfying.
For the fan, this is as good as it gets. One of the many peaks this show, this classic, this instititution ... now dominating British TV once again nearly 42 years after its start! Started before Star Trek and standing long after Star Trek. Dominant. The Best.
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One of my very favorite episodes
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| Review Date: July 13, 2007 |
| Reviewer: Tigana, Canada |
I have always loved Tom Baker's Doctor Who, but strangely enough when I decided to purchase Doctor Who on DVD it was this episode with Colin Baker & Patrick Troughton that I chose first. Given time, a new outfit, and support by the BBC, I think Colin Baker could have been a terrific Doctor. We will never know how good he could have been thanks to the BBC power struggles and stupidity surrounding the series in this time period.
Colin's doctor had a dry sharp wit which was a welcome relief after the blandness of Doctor Who #5. I also think that he and Troughton are excellent together in this episode and getting to watch Troughton, Baker & Hines all in the same episode was a dream come true for me. Though at the end it made me wish that Jamie could have stayed as #6's companion instead of Peri.
This is in some ways quite a gruesome episode of the series due to the cannibalistic subject matter. However, I found the Androgum chef Shockeye to be one of the most interesting/original characters to appear (far more interesting than Daleks IMHO). A very interesting episode with a good blend of humour and horror. |
Doesn't get any better than this.
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| Review Date: May 27, 2000 |
| Reviewer: Rick Lundeen, Western Springs, Il USA |
| Colin Baker and Patrick Troughton in a grand adventure! It has everything one could want with characters, old friends, numerous companions, Doctors, enemies aliens, you name it, it's one of my favorites, smack dab in the middle of one of the finest seasons in the history of the show. In addition to this, I recommend, Vengeance on Varos and Mark of the Rani as well. Also, when it comes out as part of the Dalek two pack, Revelation of the Daleks. Edited to add: again, I always look at other reviews but if one doesn't "vote" on someone elses, it's automatically assumed by the Amazon police that one hasn't READ the reviews. Never "assume", Amazon. |
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