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“LOGOPOLIS: THE FOURTH DOCTOR'S MELANCHOLIC FAREWELL”

After seven seasons of adventures, monsters, and iconic moments, Logopolis marks the end of Tom Baker’s legendary tenure as the Doctor. The story, directly following The Keeper of Traken, serves as the middle chapter of a loose trilogy and sets the stage for an era-defining change. Beyond Baker’s departure, Logopolis is also significant for introducing Anthony Ainley’s Master in full force—an incarnation who would go on to become a staple of the show until its 1989 cancellation. Additionally, it brings Tegan Jovanka into the fold, the second new companion in as many stories, making for an already packed script.

AN UNUSUAL, EERIE BEGINNING

The opening is surprisingly light, considering this is the start of the Doctor’s final adventure. Rather than an immediate high-stakes crisis, we get an amusing moment where a police officer tries to use the TARDIS’s telephone—only to discover it doesn’t work, as is rarely acknowledged in the show. The twist that it’s actually the Master’s TARDIS only adds to the intrigue. Meanwhile, the Doctor, in a rather casual turn of events, decides to take Adric to Logopolis to fix the chameleon circuit. This setup is wonderfully odd—block transfer computation, real-world police box measurements, and a seemingly endless TARDIS recursion loop provide a playful, almost nonsensical charm.

While little seems to happen plot-wise in the opening episode, the eerie atmosphere keeps things engaging. The first cliffhanger, with the disturbing miniaturisation of Tegan’s Aunty Vanessa and a policeman, is particularly unsettling. The second, featuring the Doctor trapped in a shrinking TARDIS, is equally effective.

COMPANIONS AND CHARACTER MOMENTS

Tegan’s introduction is refreshingly modern, offering a glimpse of her ordinary life before she stumbles into the Doctor’s world. She’s resourceful, determined, and pragmatic—refusing to call for help when her car breaks down, attempting to fix it herself, and, upon discovering the TARDIS, quickly taking charge, pressing buttons and levers in an effort to get assistance. Her strong personality is immediately apparent, and her fiery demand that the Doctor take her back to Heathrow leaves him momentarily speechless. Her forced entry into the Doctor’s world mirrors Nyssa’s—both losing loved ones to the Master’s cruelty.

Adric is a mixed bag here. He spends much of the first half serving as an exposition vehicle, asking the Doctor all the right questions so the audience can be filled in. However, in the second half, he becomes more active, working with Nyssa and the Logopolitans to rescue the Doctor. Nyssa, meanwhile, is reintroduced with almost no explanation for her presence—seemingly appearing from nowhere and slotting into the story as if she were always part of the group. Despite this, she once again proves her intelligence and adaptability. Her heartbreak upon realising the Master has not only killed her father but also destroyed Traken is one of the story’s most emotionally charged moments.

THE MASTER IN THE SHADOWS

Ainley’s Master is introduced gradually, his presence felt through laughter, ominous TARDIS sightings, and the mounting body count before he finally emerges at the end of Part 3. His portrayal immediately sets itself apart—while still recognisably the Master, he is both softer in delivery and more theatrical than Delgado, bringing a pantomime villainy that will define his tenure. The way he manipulates Nyssa, exploiting the fact that he now wears Tremas’ face, is particularly cruel. It’s a cold, calculated move, reinforcing his heartlessness while adding a deeply personal layer to Nyssa’s tragedy.

LOGOPOLIS—A CITY OF NUMBERS AND DECAY

The second half of the story shifts focus to the titular Logopolis, an alien city carved into rock, populated by cape-clad mathematicians who control reality itself through their computations. Much of the story here consists of scientific jargon that makes little sense, yet the setting, atmosphere, and slow realisation that something is terribly wrong keep it compelling. The city’s gradual decay, symbolised by crumbling rock and dust-filled air, is surprisingly well realised, heightening the sense of impending doom.

As the stakes escalate, the Doctor is forced into an uneasy alliance with the Master—one that mirrors their collaborations in the UNIT era. The dynamic is effective, with the Doctor reluctantly working alongside his greatest foe to prevent a catastrophe.

A HEROIC BUT UNDERWHELMING END

Despite the weight of the story, Part 4 ultimately feels like a bit of a runaround, stalling until the climactic moment. The Doctor, ever the hero, risks everything to stop the Master, but his demise is rather mundane—falling from a great height after being betrayed. While the moment itself is thematically fitting, showcasing the Doctor’s self-sacrifice, the execution feels slightly janky, and the idea that this larger-than-life incarnation meets his end by simply falling is a little underwhelming.

That said, the Watcher’s presence throughout the story adds a haunting inevitability to events. The Doctor understands from the beginning that his time is up, trying to leave his companions behind to face his fate alone. The final moments, where the Watcher merges with the dying Doctor to trigger his regeneration, bring an eerie, melancholic close to Baker’s tenure.

📝VERDICT: 8/10

Logopolis is a strange but compelling swansong for the Fourth Doctor. Its pacing is odd, the science is nonsensical, and the resolution is slightly underwhelming, yet the atmosphere, character moments, and the sense of impending doom make it an engaging watch. Ainley’s Master makes a strong first impression, Tegan’s introduction is refreshingly modern, and the eerie presence of the Watcher gives Baker’s exit an appropriately mythic feel. While not the strongest regeneration story, it remains a fascinating and unique chapter in Doctor Who history.