Mawdryn Undead has an explosive and memorable beginning, starting a minor story arc revolving around new companion Turlough attempting to kill the Doctor by orders of the Black Guardian. The first part builds up an interesting mystery, with the TARDIS crew arriving on a deserted spaceship and Turlough being something else than just a human. The second episode is where things truly get interesting, since the Doctor gets separated from Nyssa and Tegan in time but not in space, and these two plot strands run in tandem with each other. I'm positively surprised how well the script handles the jumps between different points in time. And oh that classic cliffhanger to Part Four!
The Brigadier is back for the first time since the early Tom Baker era, and while Nicholas Courtney has aged noticeably and fashionably, he's still the same familiar character we know and love him as. Mark Strickosn debuts as new companion Turlough, and he's immediately put to the test as he's haunted by the Black Guardian. Strickson does a fine job with his material. It is also great to see Valentine Dyall reprise his role from The Armageddon Factor (1979). David Collings previously appeared as Poul in The Robots of Death (1977), but he's easily more memorable as the mysterious Mawdryn.
It's lovely to see a childishly eager Doctor work together with the Brigadier, evade Tulrough's assassination attempts by luck and constantly worry for the safety of his companions. That's the Fifth Doctor for you.
Turlough gets a very memorable introduction, probably the most fleshed-out of all the companion introductions in the classic series. This means that Nyssa and Teghan are sadly sidelined throughout most of the story. But seeing them work together with the Brigadier is lovely, and seeing them turn into zombies is creepy.
Mawdryn is a sadly forgotten villain in the franchise. He looks cool and creepy at the same time and immediately gains Nyssa and Tegan's trust to make his plans come true. I also like how he just wants to be able to live and die normally, which is why he wants to steal the Doctor's remaining lives.
I love the fine use of music, both to bring an atmosphere to the story and to emphasize some parts. The music is the quirkiest the show has ever done. This story also has some nice sets.
The first couple of episodes are interesting and tense, so the mystery keeps them going. The last two feel more repetitive, even if the final episode has some tense parts. It's a pretty pacey adventure overall.
The excitement level is high on this story from the very beginning and things turn tense and mysterious as several interesting plot strands are running at the same time. This is one of the best mystery stories in the show's history since it keeps tensions high all the time.
As part of Doctor Who's celebratory 20th season, Mawdryn Undead both introduced a new story arc and brought back an old favourite from the Golden Era. It's as nostalgic as it is exciting.
This is one of my favourite Fifth Doctor stories, so I will be watching this one many times over.
RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:
The Black Guardian re-appears here, having appeared last time in the closing moments of The Armageddon Factor (1979), the final story of the Key to Time season.
It's great to hear what happened to Benton, Harry and Jo after the Doctor left UNIT. It's a nice piece of nostalgia.
The Brigadier meeting himself from another point in time is a pretty memorable moment, and it has been prepared for throughout the story. I guess you could call this one a multi-Brigadier story!
So, the TARDIS crew is back up to four members, right when the producers had cut it down again.
Review by Theo KallströmVIP 6BlockedParentSpoilers2020-07-08T05:33:08Z
Mawdryn Undead has an explosive and memorable beginning, starting a minor story arc revolving around new companion Turlough attempting to kill the Doctor by orders of the Black Guardian. The first part builds up an interesting mystery, with the TARDIS crew arriving on a deserted spaceship and Turlough being something else than just a human. The second episode is where things truly get interesting, since the Doctor gets separated from Nyssa and Tegan in time but not in space, and these two plot strands run in tandem with each other. I'm positively surprised how well the script handles the jumps between different points in time. And oh that classic cliffhanger to Part Four!
The Brigadier is back for the first time since the early Tom Baker era, and while Nicholas Courtney has aged noticeably and fashionably, he's still the same familiar character we know and love him as. Mark Strickosn debuts as new companion Turlough, and he's immediately put to the test as he's haunted by the Black Guardian. Strickson does a fine job with his material. It is also great to see Valentine Dyall reprise his role from The Armageddon Factor (1979). David Collings previously appeared as Poul in The Robots of Death (1977), but he's easily more memorable as the mysterious Mawdryn.
It's lovely to see a childishly eager Doctor work together with the Brigadier, evade Tulrough's assassination attempts by luck and constantly worry for the safety of his companions. That's the Fifth Doctor for you.
Turlough gets a very memorable introduction, probably the most fleshed-out of all the companion introductions in the classic series. This means that Nyssa and Teghan are sadly sidelined throughout most of the story. But seeing them work together with the Brigadier is lovely, and seeing them turn into zombies is creepy.
Mawdryn is a sadly forgotten villain in the franchise. He looks cool and creepy at the same time and immediately gains Nyssa and Tegan's trust to make his plans come true. I also like how he just wants to be able to live and die normally, which is why he wants to steal the Doctor's remaining lives.
I love the fine use of music, both to bring an atmosphere to the story and to emphasize some parts. The music is the quirkiest the show has ever done. This story also has some nice sets.
The first couple of episodes are interesting and tense, so the mystery keeps them going. The last two feel more repetitive, even if the final episode has some tense parts. It's a pretty pacey adventure overall.
The excitement level is high on this story from the very beginning and things turn tense and mysterious as several interesting plot strands are running at the same time. This is one of the best mystery stories in the show's history since it keeps tensions high all the time.
As part of Doctor Who's celebratory 20th season, Mawdryn Undead both introduced a new story arc and brought back an old favourite from the Golden Era. It's as nostalgic as it is exciting.
This is one of my favourite Fifth Doctor stories, so I will be watching this one many times over.
RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:
The Black Guardian re-appears here, having appeared last time in the closing moments of The Armageddon Factor (1979), the final story of the Key to Time season.
It's great to hear what happened to Benton, Harry and Jo after the Doctor left UNIT. It's a nice piece of nostalgia.
The Brigadier meeting himself from another point in time is a pretty memorable moment, and it has been prepared for throughout the story. I guess you could call this one a multi-Brigadier story!
So, the TARDIS crew is back up to four members, right when the producers had cut it down again.
Score: 88/120