📝3/10

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"Time and the Rani: A Rocky Regeneration"

Time and the Rani struggles under the weight of being both a new Doctor’s introduction and a fresh start for the series. Unfortunately, it fails to deliver on either count, often stumbling into the awkward and absurd.

The story begins with what might be the weakest regeneration sequence in Doctor Who history. Sylvester McCoy, visibly wearing a wig to resemble Colin Baker, lies under a cheap blur effect to mask Baker’s absence. It’s not a great start, and the first episode doesn’t help matters. The Doctor spends much of it confused and erratic, while Mel screams her way through a quarry, pursued by clunky aliens and a painfully grating soundtrack.

The narrative itself is overly simplistic and repetitive. Instead of developing the plot or adding layers to the story, it goes in circles, making the whole experience feel lifeless. The subplot is equally uninspired, leaving the story dragging and dull.

Sylvester McCoy’s debut as the Doctor feels awkward. Whether due to the lingering shadow of Colin Baker’s Doctor or McCoy’s struggle to find his footing, his portrayal feels half-hearted, more like an eccentric caricature than a convincing Time Lord. He improves slightly by the end, but his early performance is more clownish than compelling.

Bonnie Langford, as Mel, fares no better. Reduced to a screaming, stereotypical companion for most of the story, she’s given little to work with until a brief moment of competence when she flips the Doctor over her shoulder. However, that’s hardly enough to salvage her role here.

Kate O’Mara returns as the Rani, but the material lets her down. Her impersonation of Mel is amusing, but the character herself is underdeveloped and far less menacing than in The Mark of the Rani. The Tetraps, her bat-like alien henchmen, are clunky, uninspired, and utterly ineffective.

The supporting cast, including the talented Donald Pickering and Wanda Ventham, are wasted in thinly written roles, leaving little impact. The sets are uninspired, and the music—reminiscent of a bad 80s game show—is a jarring misstep, undermining any attempt at tension or atmosphere.

One bright spot is the CGI, which, while primitive, was ambitious for the time and a bold step forward. The opening sequence and titles showcase early computer graphics, even if they don’t hold up to modern standards.

Despite these flashes of innovation, Time and the Rani is a disappointment. It introduces the final Doctor of the classic era but lacks the heart, humour, or drama to make the transition memorable. It’s a story with little tension, no real scares, and a missed opportunity for meaningful character development.

Ultimately, Time and the Rani is a painfully awkward start for the Seventh Doctor and a disappointing episode that highlights the struggles of the show during this era. It’s arguably the weakest post-regeneration story in the programme’s history—and one you likely won’t rush to revisit.

Random Observations:

• The double pulse Mel accepts as proof of the Doctor’s identity makes little sense—all Time Lords have two hearts!
• The Doctor tries on costumes from his previous incarnations, a fun nod to past regenerations.
• The character Sarn shares a name with Turlough’s home planet from Planet of Fire.