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“THE KEEPER OF TRAKEN: A FAIRYTALE TRAGEDY WITH A MASTERFUL TWIST”

As Doctor Who’s eighteenth season nears its climax, The Keeper of Traken kicks off the Master Trilogy and sets the stage for Tom Baker’s departure while introducing key elements for the future—most notably Nyssa and the return of the Master. It’s a story that feels like a mix of Shakespearean court intrigue, high fantasy, and science fiction, with an atmosphere that sets it apart from much of Season 18’s more clinical tone.

A MYSTERIOUS INVITATION TO TRAKEN

The adventure kicks off with the frail and aged Keeper of Traken appearing inside the TARDIS to ask for the Doctor’s help, setting up a rather unusual opening scene. It’s half-mission briefing, half-lore dump, as the Keeper explains the nature of Traken’s peaceful society, its ruling system, and the arrival of an ominous evil. While it’s not the most dynamic way to start, it efficiently introduces us to Tremas, his wife Kassia, and his daughter Nyssa, as well as the lurking threat of Melkur.

MURDER, MISTRUST, AND MELKUR

The first episode leans heavily on worldbuilding, with the Doctor and Adric learning about Traken’s history while the plot is kickstarted by an unexplained murder. It’s a familiar Doctor Who trope—the Doctor and his companion arriving just in time to be suspected of foul play—but it at least gets them involved quickly. Meanwhile, the eerie, unmoving statue of Melkur standing ominously in the grove, coupled with Kassia’s unwavering belief in its influence, builds a creeping sense of unease.

THE MASTER HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT

Melkur is a striking presence—both visually as a menacing stone figure and vocally, thanks to Geoffrey Beevers’ chilling performance. The reveal that Melkur is actually the Master’s TARDIS, and that the decayed Master himself has been orchestrating events from behind the scenes, is satisfying even if the hints are fairly obvious. What’s more interesting is how long it takes the Doctor to catch on—he only realises the truth deep into Part 4, long after the audience has likely figured it out.

A HEARTBREAKING TWIST

The most effective twist of the story isn’t the Master’s return, but his method of survival. By the end, he manages to steal Tremas’s body, leaving Nyssa orphaned and unaware of her father’s fate. It’s a cruel and tragic moment, one that lingers long after the credits roll, especially with the final shot of Nyssa wandering through the halls, unknowingly searching for a father who no longer exists.

SHAKESPEAREAN GRANDEUR

Traken’s society, with its elaborate costumes, formal courtly mannerisms, and lush sets, feels more like a Renaissance kingdom than a futuristic civilisation. The throne room and the grove provide a grand backdrop, while the musical score reinforces the ethereal and regal tone. The entire setting feels like something out of a fantasy epic rather than traditional science fiction, which helps the story stand out.

A STRONG SUPPORTING CAST

The Court of Consuls is filled with memorable characters, with Tremas standing out as a highlight. He’s intelligent, noble, and quickly establishes a strong rapport with the Doctor, making his ultimate fate all the more tragic. Kassia, meanwhile, is a compelling villain in her own right—manipulated by Melkur, yet increasingly power-hungry, her descent mirrors that of Thea Ransome in Image of the Fendahl. Sheila Ruskin delivers a strong performance, making Kassia’s tragic arc genuinely engaging.

Elsewhere, the ever-pompous Seron, played by John Woodnutt (last seen in Terror of the Zygons), adds another layer of courtly politics to the mix. His voice alone carries an air of authority, making him a believable high-ranking figure within Traken’s society.

TOM BAKER’S FINAL SPARK

Despite being in his final stretch as the Doctor, Tom Baker is still in fine form here, delivering a performance that feels more energetic and engaged than in some earlier Season 18 stories. He’s commanding, witty, and still very much the hero, even if this is all ultimately a prelude to his final showdown with the Master in the next serial.

NYSSA’S PROMISING DEBUT

Nyssa is one of the best things about the story. Unlike Adric, she’s intelligent without being irritating, resourceful, and quietly independent. The serial wisely pairs her with Adric for much of the runtime, allowing her to establish herself as a capable character before she officially becomes a companion. By the final episodes, she feels more integral to the plot than Adric does, making her eventual return in Logopolis feel like a natural continuation rather than a random decision.

A SLOW-BURNING FINAL CONFRONTATION

The latter half of Part 3 builds up tension effectively, with Kassia taking control and Melkur tightening his grip on Traken’s leadership. The storm erupting in the final moments of the episode adds an extra layer of chaos. Part 4, however, is more of a slow battle of wills between the Doctor and the Master, with events gradually leading to the climactic body-snatching twist. The pacing might feel drawn-out, but it’s clear that this is all setting up the bigger confrontation in Logopolis.

📝VERDICT: 7/10

The Keeper of Traken is an elegant, atmospheric tale that blends sci-fi with Shakespearean court drama. While its pacing is occasionally slow and its opening is more exposition-heavy than thrilling, it builds steadily into a gripping narrative filled with intrigue, betrayal, and tragedy. The Master’s return is well-handled, and the final twist with Tremas is one of the most haunting moments of the era. Strong performances, particularly from Anthony Ainley in his original role as Tremas, Geoffrey Beevers as the Master, and Sarah Sutton as Nyssa, make this a memorable entry in Season 18.

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:

• As of writing this review, this is the final televised DOctor Who story not to feature any human characters.
• This is also the final story in Classic Who not to have at least one companion from temporary Earth travelling with the Doctor.

This is one of those stories I enjoy, then immediately forget. The high point was the costuming: seeing the quick evolution of Trekan fashion in the beginning, the obvious differences in fabrics and cuts between higher and lower ranks and even older and younger people, was something that I personally really appreciate.

The story itself was fine. I got lost at some point in the second episode and spent a lot of time mildly confused. I did, however, manage to predict the Master twist, despite not knowing he was in this episode. It's nice to have him back.

I love Adric in this. He gets to be a little sassy and a lot more proactive than usual, and his budding friendship with Nyssa is a joy to watch.

Most of all, I'm glad to see the Fourth Doctor era come to an end. I'm excited to finally meet the Fifth Doctor and get a change of pace.

A really exciting Tom Baker story. The Melkur poses an intimidating threat over proceedings, and the reveal that it's the Master's TARDIS makes sense of a lot of the events that transpire.

I love the concept of the Keeper, as the one who inhabits the planet's source and maintains the planet's peaceful atmosphere. It's a bold and clever concept, that gives this fantastical feel to Traken society.

Nyssa's debut is overall a stronger companion introduction than Adric's. She moves the plot forward more than Adric does in his first story, and the only downside is that we don't get to see her reaction to the Master merging with Tremas. I think it would be nice had Nyssa arrived just as the Master and Tremas had merged, rather than after the process had already completed.

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

Previous Story: Warriors' Gate

And thus, we've arrived at Tom Baker's penultimate story as the Fourth Doctor.

It starts off really slow, the first part was exceedingly dull. Nothing actually happens but it does serve to establish some of the characters. I will say the setting is very vibrant and Traken is a well-realised place with some solid world-building.

After that though, the story picks up and I absolutely love the cliffhangers in this one. Geoffrey Beevers is also in this in his only TV appearance as the Master. I think he's absolutely brilliant, his voice is especially good but it is weird to have listened to so many audio stories with him before he's even appeared on the show.

My only gripe is that the actual reveal of the Master to the audience was very anticlimactic. I don't really see what a lot of people mean when they say Tom Baker looks like he's given up or that he's phoning it in as he seems on top form in this and the last few stories.

Anthony Ainley shines in this story as Tremas, he's a very good side character in my opinion and I'm looking forward to seeing where his Master goes.

Next Story: Logopolis

The Keeper of Traken is a memorable enough episode that certainly resonates with continuity heavily. The introduction of Traken, the Tremas Master, and Nyssa obviously would have major consequences on the continuity of the show, and as such these are often referenced and referred to episodes. They are a little boring and stiff though. The planet of Traken is realized well but the story and characters felt a little bland to me.

It should be more fun having the Doctor and Adric on an adventure but the latter feels a bit wasted, while I got the sense from the former's performance that this definitely was the era of the show that drove Baker away from the role at the time. I can't blame him either - while Keeper of Traken retroactively has this weight to it given how important a story it is for what was to come, the episodes themselves are comparatively quite weak on the whole.

As sometimes is the case in Bidmead's era the show, this feels overly formal and uptight. It’s a pretty weird mode of a programme which has always felt so carefree. It somehow manages to be camp without being all that fun in it’s presentation. There is perhaps the worst performance from any Master ever in this iteration of the charred master.

There is however plenty of interest and intrigue with the plot (which is unfortunately spoiled for anyone not watching this at the time). The Master! I like the clues they lay “you will obey me”. I imagine for the audience though, this legendary return will have come left of field. I also like the forced perspective shots with that statue, they are pretty clever.

Considering how exciting the plot points are and how epic what happens at the end is, with the new master. it’s amazing that it’s so limp. It’s the same epic big moments that ultimately pull it through.