First broadcast in February and March 1985, The Two Doctors is the 140th adventure in Doctor Who, marking the long-awaited return of Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor alongside his companion Jamie McCrimmon, played by Frazer Hines. Written by Robert Holmes and directed by Peter Moffatt, this ambitious three-part serial mixes nostalgia with a dark and violent tone, bringing together the Sixth Doctor, Sontarans, and a new alien race, the Androgums. However, while the premise is enticing, the execution leaves much to be desired, making The Two Doctors a divisive entry in the classic series.
The story begins with the Second Doctor and Jamie on a mission for the Time Lords to investigate experimental time travel technology aboard a space station in the far future. However, the mission goes awry when they are captured by Chessene, an augmented Androgum with grand ambitions, and her mercenary allies, including the Sontarans. Meanwhile, the Sixth Doctor and Peri arrive in present-day Spain, drawn into the mystery when the Doctor begins experiencing painful telepathic visions of his former self in distress. As the adventure unfolds, past and present collide in a convoluted tale of genetic manipulation, feasting, and moral dilemmas.
Colin Baker’s Sixth Doctor continues to refine his character here, maintaining his arrogance but also displaying more wit and warmth than in his earlier stories. His dynamic with Peri is slightly less antagonistic, though their relationship remains tense at times. Patrick Troughton’s return as the Second Doctor is a nostalgic treat, with his mischievous charm and quick thinking providing a welcome contrast to the bluster of his successor. However, the story underuses him, and his role as a plot device—rather than an equal participant—feels like a wasted opportunity. Frazer Hines’ Jamie is similarly underserved, though his interactions with the Sixth Doctor offer some amusing moments.
Nicola Bryant’s Peri is largely sidelined, spending much of the serial reacting to the chaos rather than actively influencing it. Her growing frustration with the Doctor is understandable, but she is given little meaningful development. Meanwhile, Jacqueline Pearce’s Chessene steals the show as a genetically enhanced Androgum, blending intelligence with an insatiable appetite for power (and food). Pearce’s performance is delightfully theatrical, making Chessene a unique and memorable villain. Her tragic flaw—her inability to escape her base Androgum instincts—adds a layer of complexity to the character.
The Sontarans, however, are far less effective. Despite their imposing presence in previous stories, they feel like secondary players here, overshadowed by Chessene’s schemes. Their plan to gain access to advanced time travel technology is barely explored, and their defeat feels almost incidental to the larger narrative. Unlike their earlier appearances, where they were presented as disciplined warriors, here they are more easily outmaneuvered, diminishing their menace.
Visually, The Two Doctors benefits from its location filming in Seville, Spain, which provides a refreshing and distinctive backdrop. The warm Mediterranean setting adds an unusual but appealing contrast to the usual dark corridors and metallic interiors of Doctor Who. The Spanish villa setting adds atmosphere, even if it occasionally feels out of place in a story about time travel experiments and Sontaran invasions.
Thematically, The Two Doctors explores the nature of evolution, identity, and morality. The idea of Chessene trying to transcend her Androgum nature raises questions about whether individuals can truly escape their inherent instincts. The Doctor’s horror at the Androgum experiments, particularly the grotesque transformation of the Second Doctor into an Androgum himself, adds a disturbing element to the narrative. However, these themes are often overshadowed by the uneven pacing and tonal inconsistencies. Moments of comedy clash with intense scenes of violence, making it difficult to fully invest in the story’s message.
Rewatching The Two Doctors in 2025, it remains a curious but flawed experiment. The combination of classic and modern elements has its moments of brilliance, particularly in the performances of Troughton, Hines, and Pearce. However, the story suffers from excessive violence, a bloated runtime, and an overcomplicated plot that never fully delivers on its potential. The Doctor’s moral musings about vegetarianism and the nature of predation, while interesting, feel somewhat forced within the narrative.
The climax, which sees Chessene’s ambitions crumble and the Sontarans dispatched with surprising ease, feels anticlimactic given the buildup. The Sixth Doctor’s final reflections on the nature of change and progress offer a fitting conclusion, but the serial as a whole lacks the cohesion needed to make it a truly great multi-Doctor story.
The Two Doctors is an ambitious but uneven entry in the series. While it delivers enjoyable performances and a unique setting, it falls short of its potential due to its inconsistent tone and underutilization of its legacy characters. Still, for fans of Patrick Troughton and Jamie, it offers a chance to see them in action one last time—a nostalgic, if imperfect, farewell to the Second Doctor’s era.
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