Arc of Infinity

This is part of a series of reviews of Doctor Who in chronological timeline order.

Previous Story: Dalek Soul

Tegan is back, hooray! 5 and Nyssa, as much as I enjoy them, can get really dull when alone so it's great to have someone who brings a lot of energy to the TARDIS return. Tegan isn't the only returning character of this story, Omega is also back. Omega is an interesting villain because he has so much potential and yet he feels like he's been underutilised in both of his stories. The Three Doctors just slightly beats this story in terms of how well Omega is used but both aren't particularly great.

The last part was a slog to get through. While I appreciate the location footage, that chase sequence was so ridiculously unnecessary. It really feels like they just wanted to show off as much of Amsterdam as possible. In general though, I'm beginning to see the faults of the 80s and the general writing quality does feel like it's taken a decline, even if I sitll enjoy the stories. That's mainly due to the cast though.

Still, this wasn't a bad story especially since it had Colin Baker in it. He really stole every scene he was in, he's the perfect choice for the 6th Doctor.

Next Story: The Waters of Amsterdam

seeing omega return and tegan having a cousin (onscreen) is pretty wild. i think peter davison plays omega really really well, but the last episode is just soo much running around amsterdamn a lot of that could have been cut. obviously they weren't going to bring leela back but it is absoutely wild that the doctor is being executed on her planet and she doesn't care to show up and help even slightly. there were talks of casting peter cushing as borusa which would have been awesome to see but oh well. colin baker is wonderful as maxil, he does steal every scene and is just a really memorable character, I can see why they brought him on as six!

This wasn't as bad as Time-Flight, but it wasn't much better either. A terrible waste of a trip to Amsterdam - a setting that was absolutely wasted here and just looked drab.

I enjoyed how long this story proceeds with two seemingly unrelated storylines, one set in modern day Amsterdam, the other on Gallifrey. It builds up the mystery of the slowly revealing plot - until the plot runs out that is. Omega does not make a huge impact in part one, but it’s exciting seeing the Time Lords (including Colin Baker!) become the threat for The Doctor, who will take him down in order to foil Omega’s plot.

The Netherlands storyline is more interesting than that of Gallifrey, which is to be expected as it’s more relatable. I like how they threaded Tegan back into the story. Side note - it’s great to see her in such a fun outfit after being stuck in the hostess uniform all last season! The scallop detail on the top is very cute. I wish her part, which is initially quite interesting, didn’t result in her just being held hostage for final half of the story.

I do wish the Time Lords came across as a little more reasonable, they don’t seem to have a strong enough motivation for wanting to kill The Doctor. Outside of The Deadly Assassin Gallifrey has never come across as that worth seeing. It would be such an incredible asset to the show if it was a more intriguing place to be. But its so stiff and formal and lifeless.

There’s always the issue with elaborate alien costumes that cover the face when there is no way for an actor to emote other than pointing or waving their arms about. The scene when Omega is talking to a Time Lord hidden in the shadow (bar from their gesticulating hands) has zero dramatic value. This is director Ron Jones' failure as much as it is the actor's.

The whole story culminates in a bland run-around with unexciting revelations and exposition overloads. Meh. I'm not enjoying this era as much as most of what came before it unfortunately.