Doctor Who: The Twin Dilemma
A race of giant Gastropods has taken over the planet Jaconda. Their leader, Mestor, now intends to cause an enormous explosion in order to spread his people's eggs throughout the galaxy, and he kidnaps juvenile twin geniuses from Earth to work out the necessary mathematical equations. Space fighters led by Lieutenant Hugo Lang are dispatched to get the twins back, but they come under attack and Lang is the sole survivor when his ship crashes on the asteroid Titan III. A newly regenerated Doctor and Peri become involved and help Jaconda's elderly former ruler Professor Edgeworth, who is really a Time Lord named Azmael, to defeat Mestor and free the planet's bird-like indigenous people from the gastropods' reign of terror. Azmael, however, sacrifices his life in the process.
Insights
Plot Summary
The Sixth Doctor, newly regenerated and struggling with his new personality, lands on the planet Messoria with his companion Peri. He finds himself manipulated by the twin Gastropod creatures, Skrall and Mekk, who are involved in a power struggle with their own kind. The Doctor's increasingly erratic behavior and moral compromises put Peri in grave danger as he grapples with his own darker impulses.
Critical Reception
The Twin Dilemma is widely considered one of the most controversial and divisive stories in Doctor Who history. While some appreciate its attempt to explore the darker, more volatile side of the Sixth Doctor's regeneration, many critics and fans were disturbed by his aggressive actions, particularly his near-strangulation of Peri. The story's bleak tone and the Doctor's morally ambiguous decisions were a significant departure from previous eras.
What Reviewers Say
- Praised for its ambitious portrayal of a darker Doctor.
- Heavily criticized for the Doctor's violent and disturbing treatment of his companion.
- Seen as a pivotal, albeit controversial, moment in the show's history.
Google audience: Audience reception is mixed, with some viewers appreciating the character exploration of the Sixth Doctor's troubled regeneration, while many express shock and disapproval at his aggressive actions towards Peri.
Fun Fact
Colin Baker's portrayal of the Sixth Doctor in this story was deliberately written to be more abrasive and confrontational, a stark contrast to his predecessor, Peter Davison's, more gentle Doctor. This was a conscious decision by the production team to steer the show in a new direction.
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