Doctor Who- The Twin Dilemma

                    Considering that the 1980's was considered an unhappy time for Doctor Who,you might be wondering why I am reviewing a Colin Baker episode so early in the game of doing this. For one,a lot of ones like or dislike of this will depend on how they view the 1980's in general.  This is of course a regeneration story,the only regeneration based serial done before the official end of a season,in this case 1984,so audiences could acclimate to the sixth doctor. And that was important. Colin Baker's doctor embodied a lot of the characters darker qualities. The arrogance,instability and ruthless characteristics not seen to such a degree since William Hartnell's first doctor were on full display in his incarnation. As well as a rainbow patchwork coat which...I personally adore.


                  This is the story of two genius alien twins Romulus and Remus (whose study chamber is a colorful representation of an early 80's video game basically)  who are betrayed by a former family friend into working for a group of extraterrestrial slugs  to move certain planets in their system into alignment. In the end it's basically just their leader's plot to use a series of unhatched gastropods versions of his race to conquer the universe. In the end the doctor does triumph over the plot through his usual clever deduction. Though he is forced to make some hard hitting shows of force to emphasize his positions along 
the way.


                Now I enjoy this story. I find the plot was set up quite well. What might cause this episode such controversy is,during his regeneration crisis at the start of the story,how much the writers put emphasis on the sixth doctor's aggressive characteristics. In one scene he even has a breakdown where he nearly strangles companion Peri (played by Nicola Bryant). This culminates in him believing this regeneration to have failed. By winning out over the villainous gastropods in the end,this ends up being this incarnation of the doctors "heroes journey" as it were. If he'd strangled Peri and exiled himself after,that might have in fact been the end of Doctor Who as the character would've become instantly morally bankrupt. The fact the episodes plot offered a source of redemption is what makes this story for me.