Brief Summary
Season 21 of Doctor Who is notable for its stark contrasts in quality, straddling two Doctors and featuring a complete cast change. It includes both one of the best and one of the worst stories in the show's history. The season explores dark themes, violence, and moral dilemmas, with companions facing difficult decisions.
- The season includes the return of classic monsters like the Silurians and Sea Devils.
- Companions make impactful exits, influenced by the violence and darkness of the stories.
- The season is bookended by stories of extreme quality differences, highlighting the show's creative range.
Warriors of the Deep
Set in 2084 during a cold war, the story involves the return of the Silurians and Sea Devils who aim to trigger a nuclear war and reclaim Earth. The Doctor and his companions land on Sea Base 4, where they must prevent the Silurians and Sea Devils from launching missiles. Despite a promising concept, the story is let down by poor execution, including unconvincing costumes and set designs, and a ridiculous-looking super weapon called the Myrka.
The Awakening
The Doctor takes Tegan to visit her grandfather in Little Hodcombe, where they encounter the Malus, an alien entity that feeds on negative emotions. Historical reenactments of the English Civil War awaken the Malus, causing projections of past battles to appear. Tegan is captured, and Turlough is imprisoned with her grandfather as they try to stop the Malus.
Frontios
Humanity's last survivors struggle on Frontios, a desolate planet under constant meteor bombardment. The TARDIS is destroyed, and the Doctor and his companions discover the Tractators, insectoids responsible for the near-genocide of Turlough's people. The Tractators, led by the sentient Gravis, plan to turn Frontios into a spaceship to conquer other worlds.
Resurrection of the Daleks
The Daleks create a time corridor to rescue Davros from a prison ship, aiming to cure a virus inflicted by the Movellans. They clone people and plan to assassinate the Time Lord High Council using a Doctor replica. Davros manipulates the Daleks to be loyal only to him. The story is marked by intense violence and a high death toll, leading to Tegan's departure due to the overwhelming violence she has witnessed.
Planet of Fire
The Doctor, Turlough, and new companion Peri land on Lanzarote and the planet Sarn. The Master, reduced to doll size by his Tissue Compression Eliminator, seeks to restore himself using Sarn's healing flames. Turlough decides to leave, and the Doctor kills Kamelion, who was being controlled by the Master.
The Caves of Androzani
Considered one of the best Doctor Who stories, it features the Fifth Doctor and Peri caught in a conflict between a corporation and a villain on Androzani Minor. Both the Doctor and Peri are poisoned with spectrox toxemia, and the Doctor must find an antidote. He manages to save Peri but sacrifices himself, leading to his regeneration.
The Twin Dilemma
The story involves twins with mathematical abilities kidnapped by a Time Lord for an evil space slug's plan to explode Jaconda and conquer the galaxy. The Sixth Doctor's debut is marked by instability and violence, including strangling Peri. The story is widely regarded as one of the worst in the show's history.
