Oh Lord, we're still here....

Wow, what a mourning...

Season 20! The Anniversary!

Arc of Infinity

The return of Omega! (didn't he contact matter 10 years ago? 10 years ago today, even!) Anyway, the Doctor's body is to be the template for Omega's return to this universe. Councillor Hedin turns out to be the one in league with Omega, explaining why he tried so hard to keep the Doctor alive, despite the high council's decision. Unfortunately, for Tegan and her cousin, yes, she's back (bare, too ;-) ), Omega intends to convert the water source near Amsterdam and guess who to his power supply. However, you know Who stops you know what from happening, and sends Omega back to the universe of anti-matter.

Louis: the most redundant episode of the entire era is number 4... come on... you can't tell me that this wasn't 3 episodes long.

Joe: why can the Doctor defeat him here on his own, while JP needed PT and WH to help?

On the whole, this is actually quite entertaining.

Snakedance

Tegan's having bad dreams. (JLOTB!) The Doctor makes a device that inhibits dreaming. Unfortunately, this leaves Tegan in a walking-sleeping state. Of course, she gets into trouble (as is usual with any companion), and this big-asp snake tries to take over her and the prince... the big-asp snake's name? The Mara (remember it?). The Doctor enlists the help of Dojjen to help him fight the Mara. As is usual, he succeeds. Tegan is returned to her big-mouth state.

Louis: everything in this is just reasonable - plot, cliffhangers, characters, etc. Solid, but nothing near as good as what everyone thinks.

Joe: *YAWN*... a bit better than his earlier attempt at this story, but not worth my time.

Mawdryn Undead

Hello, Brigadier! :-)

You know Who materializes aboard a space ship in a warp ellipse. (The odds against this happening are, of course, 7G:1 (G don't mean grand here... try Giga)). You know Who goes you know where to find a way out of it. He travels in an overgrown eggbeater, where he runs into Mr. Dunderhead. (See above) Here, he also meets a guy working for some dude with a chicken on his head. (You'd better know who we're talking about here... in both cases.) Dunderhead can't remember him because of something that happened, er will happen, er happened, er... well, you get the picture. You know Who can't get the you know WHAT to go you know where. Tegan and Nyssa meet Mr. Dunderhead, when he should be in UNIT, but is actually working in a boys' school, where he can actually remember the Doctor. Of course, $#!T happens, and you know Who has to give up guess how many of guess what to allow the $#!T that happened to die. Of course, there's a reason why Dunderhead couldn't, er won't be able to, er can't, er... oh heck with it, remember you know Who. Ever wonder what it's like to meet yourself? (we avoid this because of the damage it might cause to the immediate area) Well, that saves you know Who and Dunderhead.

In fact, in spite of everything we've written, this is, actually, dramatically, the best story of the season.

Terminus

Again, the guy with the chicken on his head appears, and tries to get the guy working for him to kill you know Who. Unfortunately, the guy working for him gets a pang of conscience (what's that?). Meanwhile, Nyssa contracts space leprosy (Lazar's disease, for those who want to get technical) and has to be cured in an intergalactic leper colony which happens to be a ship in the exact center of the universe (see it brewing already?) and it will cause a second big bang (not that kind) if its jettison program continues to run. Guess what! You know Who saves the universe, and the guy with the chicken on his head is miffed. Nyssa (undressed, *PANT* *PANT* ;-) ) decides to become a spacey Florence Nightingale and remain on Terminus to help the lepers.

Flat acting, rushed production, but a good overall story.

Enlightenment

An intergalactic America's cup, and the prize is Enlightenment. Anyway, the guy with the chicken on his head is still at it and is after you know Who, through the guy working for him, who has, at this point, picked up a moral or 3. This, however, does not prevent him from trying to stab everyone else in the back. (He should've tried stabbing Captain Wrack somewhere else with something else ;-) ). However, you know Who guides the winning ship into port and wins the cup (no law suit!). The guy working for the guy with the chicken on his head is told by you know Who to decide about you know what. Guess what he does... The guy with the bun on his head (not me... can't be me either... all I've got is fuzz) that you know what was in fact you know what, and the decision was, in fact, you know what (think we can get any vaguer?).

Another rush production (love those CSO's...). *YAWN*, but for some reason, it still holds you attention. Maybe it's just the cliffhangers, especially that of episode 1.

The King's Demons

King John has somehow picked up singing. (recognize the tune?) Well, at least the guy with the chicken on his head disappeared at the end of the last one (temporarily, of course), but you know who is back, and is trying to get you know Who. He's using a brand new plot device: K-9 mk IV, aka the robot with the funny voice who never seems to be around. This king is, in fact, a fake. (how did you know?) However, you know Who gets knighted while you know who tries to ferment rebellion. You know Who beats you know who with a classic battle of you know what. The robot with the funny voice is taken into you know WHAT.

Too much of a barebones story. It needs flesh - should borrow some from Peri. ;-)

The Five Doctors

You know Whos are all brought together in the Death Zone - an ancient place of our geriatrics. Here, they are to find the way to the castle in the center... well, 4 out of 5 of them are... the other is trapped in a vortex where things aren't quite complete (read: contract problems). Anyway, one of them gets out and back to the Capitol. The others have quite a good time arguing with himselves and their compatriot troublemakers. Meanwhile, back at the ranch (read: Capitol), you know Who is talking to you know Who's president and falls under his control. Meanwhile, you know Who is arguing with you know Who and ultimately argues with you know Who. You know who tries to kill off you know Whos, but fails (of course) because Dunderhead (you remember him) punched him. You know who is not immune to bullets, you remember. Well, the prez and you know Who arrive, but the other you know Whos rescue you know Who with the pleasant open face from the prez. Big daddy offers the prez guess what. One of the you know Whos manages to figure out that Big daddy's offer ain't what it's cracked up to be. The prez is petrified about his discovery. The whole lot of them say their goodbyes, leaving only pleasant, open-faced you know Who to deal with Chancellor Flavia. You know Who is now prez, but wants to take the scenic route back to the Capitol, mentioning that the old prez never was.

This one was lots of fun. A lot of good memories in the show, including appearances by Liz Shaw and Mike Yates - companions you wouldn't really expect to see in an anniversary show, the salt-and-pepper-shaker exterminators, the metal-heads, and the balled wonders. Overall, a very good story, despite the 90 minute bull$#!T Lionheart is trying to pull by sending the US viewers a movie format that is missing some parts. If you want to see the full version seen in the UK, watch for it in an episode format - unfortunately, it is not meant for episode format.

Season overall

JN-T's best. EASILY! This season was full of fun, humor, drama, and all sorts of other good stuff. Nobody would expect the black guardian to have something on his head which looks like a chicken, nor the white guardian to have a bun on his head. The Master was almost real in this season. Unfortunately for Whovians all around, this is the only really good season JN-T ever did.

Seasonal trivia

                           --Us

PS You get a break for now... we have to get some sleep... Parts 4-7 due out on Saturday and Sunday...

First posted to rec.arts.drwho on 1 Oct 88

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