My Whovian Adventure Part 7

Holy crap, I'm nearing the end! Somewhere along the way into this leg or my journey into the land of Doctor Who, it became horribly apparent that if I was going to finish all the episodes, I would have to do it so fast that I wouldn't be able to enjoy it. And I really want to enjoy it. So that's why I decided to focus on completing the classic episodes (pre-2006/Ninth Doctor), and it has substantially reduced my stress about finishing this list item. 

I feel kind of bad for Colin Baker, who plays the Sixth Doctor. He is definitely my least favourite Doctor, but it isn't really his fault. The writing is horrible, his companions were weird and his costume is absolutely ridiculous. None of these things had anything to do with Colin Baker or his performance as The Doctor. But, sadly, he is widely hated in the Whovian community. I found this article online and it kind of sums things up.

6 Ways the Sixth Doctor Got Screwed 

This was a rough time for the show. Viewership was down, due in part to the direction the producer had taken, starting part way through the Fourth Doctor years. He is the one who decided to put the moronic question mark all over the Doctor's clothing. Weirdo. Anyway, after the Sixth Doctor's first season, things in production were really bad, and they took an 18 month break. That first season was horrible. I had a really hard time getting through it. When they came back 18 months later, The Doctor was on trial for genocide. The final season of his run revolved around this trial and it was much better than the previous season.





After the Fifth Doctor succumbed to spectrox toxemia (after touching a toxic substance caused by bats), he regenerated into the Sixth Doctor, who immediately went crazy and tried to strangle his companion Peri. Combine that with his HORRIBLE outfit and grumpy, know-it-all attitude and it was a really rough start for the new Doctor. 


 
I only had one favourite episode, "The Two Doctors", and it was my favourite because the Second Doctor came back again, and this time he brought Jamie!! I was so excited that I was able to ignore the fact that Jamie had quite obviously aged. But he was still my Jamie, my favourite companion of all of the companions I've seen. The episode "Timeline" in the 'Trial or a Time Lord' season was also not too bad. The Sixth Doctor only had two companions, so the next section will be short.

Peri started out with the Fifth Doctor, and gets much less annoying as she goes. She is written out in a horrible, ungratifying death scene, after being used as a new body for an alien. We later find out that she wasn't actually killed, but is instead living like a queen with the warrior king who was also in the story arc. Fortunately, she also starts wearing real clothes in the second season, instead of bathing suits and workout clothes.

Ugg. Mel. In the story following Peri's departure, Mel just randomly shows up in the TARDIS with The Doctor, as if she's always been there. They give no explanation for who she is or where she came from. And she is soooo annoying. She has this whiny, high-pitched voice and runs around in brightly coloured, overly patterned one-piece outfits. And she sticks around for the Seventh Doctor too. Yay.



Here are the 5 things I noticed most about the Sixth Doctor;


1. Creatures; They suck again. At first, anyway. They get a bit better, but check out this gem from the first episode.


This is a gastropod. It never leaves this chair. Because it can't.

This tinfoil meets barnacle meets Jason Voorhees monstrosity is a Cryon. Their mouths didn't move when they talked. But I'm pretty sure they're supposed to.







2. The Doctor's Clothes; Ok, I know I've commented on this before with other Doctors, but seriously, look at this guy. Mismatched, garish and just plain weird. Apparently, according to Wikipedia Colin Baker wanted to wear all black, but the producer chose this beautiful ensemble instead. Boo.








3. Sil; This guy appears in two episodes, and he's quite a character. He keeps talking about how ugly Peri is, and he's this weird caterpillar thing that sits there and lumpily shouts at people.

4. Mel; Who is she? Where did she come from? Why does she dress so horribly? Why is she so annoying?










5. Vervoids; Ok, am I the only one who thinks these things look wildly inappropriate? The look like penises sitting inside vulvas. They creeped me out the whole episode long. 








So that was the Sixth Doctor. Not a big fan in the beginning, but in the end I didn't hate him. On to the Seventh!