Fifth Doctor Revisited: "The Five Doctors"

Working through Doctor Who had to include spotlighting every multi-Doctor story. Especially anniversary episodes. As I said regarding "The Three Doctors", the laws of time may have said you couldn't cross your own timeline, but apparently the Doctor is repeatedly an exception to that. While reports say this story would have been very different if Tom Baker had joined the fun, this was still an amazing crossover. Perhaps not cinematic like "The Day of the Doctor" but still epic. So here are some of my thoughts and ramblings about "The Five Doctors".

Let's start with the First Doctor and Susan. Recasted due to the passing of William Hartnell, the original Doctor appeared in this story, portrayed by Richard Hurndall. He was dragged into the Death Zone first and his capture was the most mundane. He was never companionless throughout his tenure, but his companions were nowhere to be seen. Speaking of companions, his granddaughter Susan was pulled from her time (presumably out of the 22nd Century where he'd left her) to be his companion in the Death Zone. My biggest question about him is why, despite his original assertion to return for Susan, he apparently left her behind again after this story. Also kind of bugged me how little the other Doctors acknowledged their granddaughter Susan.

Next up: The Second Doctor and the Brigadier. At this point, the Second Doctor has already been apprehended in "The War Games". The theory is that the Second Doctor was sent on various missions prior to forced regeneration. That would explain how he knew the fates of Jamie and Zoe. At this point in his timeline, like the Tenth Doctor, he was doing a farewell tour. While visiting the Brigadier of the Fifth Doctor's time, the two were captured and brought into the Death Zone.

The Third Doctor obviously came from the time period he spent with Sarah Jane. However, she came from the time after the Fourth Doctor had left her behind (and left her a K9 as a gift). Why she didn't get after him for leaving her at the opposite end of the United Kingdom? Especially since she treated the Tenth Doctor like she hadn't seen him since Aberdeen. Also take note that the Third Doctor took Seal of the High Council, which would later appear in "The Time of the Doctor". 

Since Tom Baker opted to skip this anniversary story, the Fourth Doctor was addressed as being stuck in a time eddy. This happened to the First Doctor, in "The Three Doctors", but the Fourth Doctor was unable to assist the others. The actual scenes of the Doctor and Romana came from the previously unfinished story "Shada". A clever way to include for the Fourth Doctor in the story.

Despite being the oldest Doctor, Peterson Davison was the youngest actor to play the Doctor for decades (finally relinquishing that title to Matt Smith). It was interesting to see the oldest of the Doctors mentored at times and helped by his younger selves. Perhaps there's a metaphor there about learning from your past. I might be more mature than I was as a college freshman, but there are still things to learn from that 18-year-old. Also, as a side note, I loved seeing Tegan adventuring across the Death Zone with the First Doctor.

Even though many claim that Doctor Who has been cancelled (it's on hiatus), epic stories like this remind me of the potential of the series. This story taught lessons about fear, immortality, and progression (and being careful what you wish for). It's definitely one of those stories I love to rewatch (even bought it on DVD back in the day). Even if the show is cancelled, the show is always keen to regenerate. There's always more to come.

More Content You Might Like:

• "Fifth Doctor Revisited: 'The Mawdryn Undead'" by Spencer
• "Fifth Doctor Revisited: 'Castrovalva'" by Spencer
• "Third Doctor Revisited: 'The Three Doctors'" by Spencer

LDS Geeks Podcast #70: Fourth Doctor Adventures (2)

We were fresh out of jelly babies for this recording, but it had to be done. We're working our way to the Fifth Doctor but we still have a couple pit stops to make along the way. So buckle up (I don't think the TARDIS has seat belts) for another round of Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor stories.

--Spencer

Listen to Episode 70 on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

Check out Spencer's recent content: click here

Check out TJ's recent content: click here

Show notes:

00:12 - Introductions
01:18 - TJ's Recommendation: Uno Flip
02:29 - Spencer's Recommendation: Puffs
        Available for streaming on Broadway HD
        "Heroes of Hufflepuff" by Spencer
        "Puffs: Third or Nothing" by Spencer
05:56 - Fourth Doctor Adventures
07:50 - "The Pirate Planet"
11:26 - "The Stones of Blood"
13:57 - "The Armageddon Factor"
18:32 - "Nightmare of Eden"
21:25 - "City of Death"
24:31 - "Full Circle"
28:13 - "The Keeper of Traken"

Fourth Doctor Podcast Series:

• LDS Geeks Podcast #49: Fourth Doctor Companions (1)
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here
  
  
• LDS Geeks Podcast #58: Fourth Doctor Adventures (1)
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here
  
  
• LDS Geeks Podcast #60: Fourth Doctor Villains
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here
  
  
• LDS Geeks Podcast #68: First Doctor Companions (2)
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here

Fifth Doctor Revisited: "The Mawdryn Undead"

Speeding our way through the Fifth Doctor era, TJ and I had to slow down until we finish our Fourth Doctor podcast episodes. That being said, I have thought (ramblings random musings) about the Peter Davison stories I’ve watched so far.

I’ll start out my ramblings with the return of the Brigadier. He starts out with the mysterious lack of memories concerning the Doctor. When he finally remembers, naturally he gets caught up in some timey-wimey shenanigans that simultaneously save the Doctor and cause the amnesia. Wibbly-wobbly.

The idea of the Doctor giving up his regenerations isn’t a foreign concept to modern Doctor Who fans. After all, he used regeneration energy to heal River Song. The interesting part is that, if we assume the Doctor is the Timeless Child, the Doctor has had unlimited regeneration energy available to him. If the Brigadier hadn’t interfered, perhaps the infinite regenerations would have been catastrophic.

This episode also marks the return of the Black Guardian. He tricks Turlough into a deal with the devil to destroy the Doctor. Despite the all-powerful-seeming nature of the Black Guardian to manipulate events, he doesn’t seem to be any more successful in destroying the Doctor than Doofenschmirtz is at defeating Perry the Platypus. After a whole season manipulating the Doctor and Romana into assembling the Key to Time, you would think he’d be better at this game.

It's interesting to me that Mawdryn and his people attempted to regenerate. It's an interesting idea. Kind of reminded me of the Sisterhood of Karn. In fact with how they're dressed I thought Mawdryn might've been part of that clan. Their attempted regenerations gave me some insights about the spiritual implications of immortality. Perpetual living (or perpetual regeneration in Mawdryn's case) isn't worth living. Stories like Tuck Everlasting and The Good Place have addressed this idea and its pitfalls. From a gospel perspective, we believe in immortality. But we also believe that we can progress and develop to become like our Heavenly Father. In the grand scheme of things, we know very little about what that entails. But that purpose gives meaning to living forever. 

More Content You Might Like:

• "Friday Creature Feature - Mara" by Spencer
• "Fifth Doctor Revisited: "Castrovalva"" by Spencer
• "Who is the Brigadier?" by Spencer

LDS Geeks Podcast #68: Fourth Doctor Companions (2)

This might be the shortest podcast episode that TJ and I have ever done. Most of the Fourth Doctor's companions in the second half of his tenure weren't in the TARDIS very long before his regeneration. It made for an easy podcast episode at least.

--Spencer

Friday Creature Feature - Mara

Why is it that snakes often appear as villainous creatures? As Christians, we could take it back to the Garden of Eden. Maybe that's why ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) is among the most common phobias (right behind spiders). So it was no coincidence that the Fifth Doctor faced off against the Mara twice.

Though the physical appearance of the Mara was campy by today's standards, the evil snake was a chilling villain of Peter Davison's tenure. In modern Doctor Who, Sutekh's harbinger cited the Mara as the God of Beasts in the Pantheon of Discord. In addition, Captain Jack called fairies part Mara during the events of Torchwood.

After Tegan Jovanka fell asleep on Kinda, the Mara entered her mind and began possessing her. Though it shortly changed its host to Aris and defeated by a circle of mirrors, Tegan was affected for a long time by the demonic snake. Eventually, the Mara influenced Tegan to guide its return to a physical form. However, an old mystic taught the Doctor who to defeat the Mara by finding the "still point" and he defeated the serpent at the moment of its resurrection. 

Poor Tegan was still tormented by dreams of the Mara. The Doctor said it was her way of processing the trauma (though pseudo-canon featured more appearances of the snake afterwards). It was during the events of "Snakedance" that the nature of the villain really struck me. And what the real villain was: fear.

Behind the scenes sources on the TARDIS Wiki call the Mara a manifestation of temptation. I think you could also call it a manifestation of evil or anxiety. It was the concept of the "still point" that convinced me it could be anxiety or fear. Both on-screen appearances of the Mara play into this idea. During the events of "Kinda", the circle of mirrors turned the snake against itself. Maybe you could apply this to turning fear on its head. Logic doesn't necessarily always help with anxiety, but I have to admit that when I can turn the anxiety (or temptation) around and realize how ridiculous it is. At times, it's so ridiculous that I have to laugh. "Really, Satan, that's how you're going to present this?"

Later, during the events of "Snakedance", the Doctor learned that the only way to get the upper hand on the Mara was to find the still point. Applying that to fear, anxiety, or temptation in real life is a bit trickier for me. It comes down to mindfulness, meditation, and other forms of calming the body and soul. Mindfulness is a hard concept for me when my mind and heart are reeling. It's too abstract for me when I'm in the middle of everything. Life doesn't exactly quiet down amidst a busy schedule and hyperactive children. That being said, the Holy Ghost has taught me a little bit about slowing down. Call it self-care or something else, but I've said many times that you can take care of yourself or God can make you take care of yourself (I told my office manager that after she was out sick for a week after working about a million hours per week).

"Beside Still Waters" by Simon Dewey

"Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10) isn't just a religious platitude. It's an invitation (or maybe even commandment) for me to slow down and trust that Heavenly Father will take care of me and my family. It's hardly ever in the way I expect, but things have always worked out for my family, often even better than I planned. Modern scripture uses that phrase similarly "Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God." (D&C 101:16) I could work to "let" my hear be comforted--Not a shock to anyone who knows me. But Heavenly Father is in control. I take comfort in the phrase from Preach My Gospel: "All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ." And it will. Sooner or later. 

Take time to be still. Work to trust God. Practice self-care. That's what I need to work on at least. I trust it'll help keep the Mara at bay, even if it can't ever be destroyed.

"This is, here and now. The dance goes on. It is all the dance, everywhere and always. So, find the still point. Only then can the Mara be defeated.... the still point is within yourself, nowhere else. To destroy the Mara you must find the still point." --Dojjen ("Snakedance")

More Content You Might Like:

• "Fifth Doctor Revisited: 'Castrovalva'" by Spencer
• "Friday Creature Feature - Sutekh" by Spencer
• "5 Things to Know About the Celestial Toymaker" by Spencer

LDS Geeks Podcast #66: Doctor Who Throwback

I recently came across a podcast episode that TJ and I recorded back in 2014. Back when I was only a guest geek and when the blog was still Mormon Geeks. The episode is a bit outdated but I thought it would be fun to reuse it for the current podcast.

Listen to Episode 66 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

Check out Spencer's recent content: click here

Check out TJ's recent content: click here

Show notes:

00:12 - Preamble
00:47 - Introductions
01:59 - Favorite Supporting Characters:
        Wilfred Mott
        River Song
        Sarah Jane Smith
        Captain Jack Harkness
        Madame Vastra
        Strax
12:55 - Favorite Special Episodes
        The Runaway Bride
        The Time of the Doctor
        The Snowmen
        The Day of the Doctor
24:30 - Favorite Scenes
        Partners in Crime--The Doctor and Donna reunite
        School Reunion--Sarah Jane says goodbye
        The Doctor Dances--Everybody lives
        The Time of the Doctor--Eleventh Doctor regenerates
        The Snowmen--Memory worm
        The Snowmen--One word test
        The Girl in the Fireplace--Demons and angels
        The Day of the Doctor--All thirteen Doctors
        The Day of the Doctor--The Doctor and the Curator

More Content You Might Like:

• "Geek Tech 101: Sonic Screwdriver" by Spencer
• "10 Times the Doctor Visited America" by Spencer
• LDS Geeks Podcast #40: Twenty Years of Modern Who
  Show Notes: click here
  Spotify: click here
  Apple Podcasts: click here

Geek Tech 101: Sonic Screwdriver

Nearly every incarnation of the Doctor has utilized a version of this iconic gadget. With few exceptions, a Doctor Who cosplay is incomplete without a sonic screwdriver—my broken screwdriver is one reason I won’t do my Eleventh Doctor cosplay right now. The sonic has a long and somewhat contradictory history. 

The first appearance of the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver was during the Second Doctor’s era. And it was possibly the only time the sonic was used to drive screws. In that version, it didn’t do much beyond screws. 

The sonic screwdriver was a consistent feature of Doctor Who for the lives of the Third and Fourth Doctor and into the Fifth Doctor era, until the Tereliptils destroyed it. He was “hands free” until the Seventh Doctor returned for the TV movie. Since that time, each Doctor had a version of the sonic screwdriver (even if it was in the form of the sonic sunglasses designed by the Twelfth Doctor). 

Designed to never maim or injure, the sonic had plenty of other uses. The Third Doctor could detonate bombs with his. The War Doctor was able to complete complex computations in the background over thousands of years. The Ninth Doctor used it as a medical scanner. And pretty much all the Doctors used it for opening doors, locks, hatches, and anything else openable (unless it was wooden). 

With its versatile nature, the sonic screwdriver can be a deus ex machina. That was one of the reasons it was removed play under the Fifth Doctor. But at the same time it’s iconic for a reason. While not a magic wand, it can be whatever the Doctor needs it to be. Point and think. Essentially it’s a plot device; whatever the story, the sonic can push things along. Plus they’re just cool… which reminds me… I need to figure out where to buy a new sonic screwdriver for my Eleventh Doctor cosplay. 

More Content You Might Like:

• "Who is the Rani?" by Spencer
• "Friday Creature Feature - Sontarans" by Spencer
• "5 Time Lords We'd Want Back" by Spencer

Fifth Doctor Revisited: "Castrovalva"

I'm finally moving my way into Fifth Doctor era. Though I love Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor, a new Doctor was a breath of fresh air. I want to say that Peter Davison is among my favorite Doctors, but I'll leave that discussion for when TJ and I discuss his era on the podcast. In the meantime, I'll just share some of my musings/ramblings from watching the Fifth Doctor's first story: Castrovalva.

It's rare to get a Doctor Who story that's a direct sequel to the story prior. The closest I can think of is the Fourth Doctor's season with Sarah Jane and Harry. But I couldn't think of another regeneration episode that's a direct follow up/sequel to the previous Doctor's finale. This story leads right off the heels from Logopolis, still dealing with the effects of the Master and his plot. Sure, the Fifth Doctor was incapacitated most of the time, but the plot went almost seamlessly from one episode to the next.

Goodbye, iconic scarf

Speaking of the Doctor being incapacitated, the Third Doctor could have really used the Zero Room. Instead he was in UNIT's sick bay. It's too bad the Fifth Doctor jettisoned the Zero Room. A few future Doctors could have really used it... Specifically the Seventh, Eighth, Tenth and Twelfth Doctors didn’t have it. Could have helped. That's all.

I'm sad to say that I was tricked by Castrovalva; I thought the Master was the good guy. And I definitely didn't see the flaws in the fake paradise. And that's with having watched it before (granted, it's been like ten years). You'd think I'd see it coming even just with all my experience with the different Masters over the years. Well played, Master. Well played.

Do the costumes on Castrovalva remind anyone else of Monty Python?

Though many people complain about Adric (and occasionally I'm one of them) I loved how the TARDIS team worked together in this story. Each had a purpose in the Doctor's plans, even when the Master had Adric trapped. This is why I like a good well-rounded TARDIS team. The last time we had a true TARDIS team was Sarah Jane and Harry. After this team, we wouldn't get another until Rose and Captain Jack (unless you count Turlough... but he was a double agent part of the time).

I'm excited to see where we go from here. A fresh face. A new Doctor. And a decorative vegetable. Even having watched all these stories before, there are so many that it feels like a new experience each time.

LDS Geeks Podcast #60: Fourth Doctor Villains

Over the course of the Fourth Doctor era, we saw some incredible villains. Some were more notable than others (I'm rather fond of the captain in "The Pirate Planet"). TJ and I had a great discussion of about five of our favorites.

--Spencer

LDS Geeks Podcast #58: Fourth Doctor Adventures (1)

It's taken way too long, but thanks to some wonderfully exhausting insomnia I'm nearly done the Fourth Doctor's era. As such, I realized it's high time that I schedule time with TJ to record about the Doctor and his jelly babies, since we're planning on four more podcast episodes after this one. So grab your jelly babies and join us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

--Spencer

Fourth Doctor Revisited: "City of Death"

Welcome to 2026! How did we get here already? Wibbly wobbly timey wimey, of course. 

Thanks to some unfortunate insomnia, I've had some time to finally work my way through more Classic Doctor Who. Though I'd rather sleep, maybe it's Heavenly Father's way to forcing me to take some self-care time (I'd rather self-care with sleep, but He knows better than me). Recently I watched "City of Death" and had some more random thoughts about it (even more random than usual).

The "time slip" was an interesting mechanic. I kind of wish it had been used more throughout this story. Or maybe a story centered around it, a la Groundhog Day. With how the humans didn't seem affected by it, maybe this is the explanation of human Deja vu?

A plot to steal (and replace) artwork. Talk about a long con! One of the tools used in the heist made me chuckle. They used a "sonic knife" and all I could think about was Captain Jack Harkness, commenting on the Ninth Doctor's screwdriver: "This [knife] could be a little more sonic." Would've loved for the Doctor to commandeer it. Just because.

As if it weren't convoluted enough that Da Vinci painted about half a dozen copies of the Mona Lisa, modern viewers of Sarah Jane Adventures will remember when she came for revenge. Connecting the two stories, I have to wonder if all seven portraits used oils from sentient meteorite or if it was just the one that Sarah Jane's crew would encounter. Seven vengeful portraits is significantly more intense than the single.

Just like Clara Oswald in the modern series, Scaroth was splintered across time and space. Unlike Clara, the consciousness of his splinters were still telepathically connected and conscious of each other. Makes a long con like this easier over the centuries. Since the Doctor would eventually stop him, I can't complain too much about his meddling, since he apparently gave us some of our technological advances. 

I enjoyed Duggan tagging along with the Doctor and Romana. I kind of wish he'd become a companion to the Doctor. I don't know that we've had a detective on the TARDIS team before. Plus can you imagine the Doctor scolding Duggan across time and space for his impulsive fists. Though maybe after Duggan threw the most important punch in history, maybe the Doctor would've allowed it--kind of like how he would allow Ace's explosives (even though he'd say she couldn't have them).

There's still one question I need answered though: Why was it called "City of Death"? Of course there was death--it is Doctor Who after all--but it wasn't like all of Paris was dying. Was there a different plan for how the episode was supposed to go and the name never changed? Not important. Just curious, as I move towards the end of the Fourth Doctor.

This episode is also the origin of this iconic Fourth Doctor meme template.

The Fifteenth Doctor

His time as the Doctor was short-lived. Honestly I could have done with more Ncuti Gatwa, but for one reason or another there were only two seasons featuring the Fifteenth Doctor. While rewatching his stories on Disney Plus, waiting for news of whatever comes next, I figured it was as good a time as any to highlight this fantastic Doctor.

Series 14

Top Story: Dot and Bubble
Going into this episode, it appeared at a first glance to be about reliance on technology. First the absolutely pathetic inability of Lindy to walk five feet without assistance. The monster of this story was literally born out of AI learning to hate its users (this is why I try to include "please" and "thank you" when using ChatGPT). The cherry on top is the impact of racism in this story. Upon rewatch, you can see hints of prejudice... but to deny yourself saving because of prejudice... it blows me away.

Flop Story: The Devil’s Chord
On the heels of the Toymaker returning, RTD expanded his Pantheon to include a "god" of music. Maestro could have been a really good villain... but the episode just can across as cheesy and annoying to me. Especially with unnecessary "twist at the end".

Honorable Mention: The Legend of Ruby Sunday/Empire of Death
The resolution of this story was basically the definition of Deus Ex Machina. Even as I rewatched, I'm not sure I completely understand the pseudo-science of how the Doctor defeated Sutekh by pulling him through the time stream. But regardless of how, the fact is that this story brought back a relatively minor villain (only appeared in one story of the Fourth Doctor era) and made him ferociously scary (modern CGI definitely helped with that).

Series 15

Top Story: Lucky Day
Irony that again my favorite story is one that barely features the Doctor. A good Doctor-lite story hits just right. Also I love seeing what happened to companions after leaving the TARDIS (like Martha in "The Sontaran Stratagem" or Sarah Jane in "School Reunion"). And what a villain! Conrad is the worst kind of creature: a prideful human. I wanted to like him, having seen Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric and in "A Dog's Way Home". But this episode shows what incredible range the actor has, portraying such a detestable villain.

Flop Story: The Well
I wanted so badly to love this episode. And I didn't hate it. But for a return of the Midnight entity, I wanted more. Also I didn't feel like the creature (whatever it was) behaved the same as during "Midnight" (granted it had been thousands of years). I don't know. When I heard the Midnight villain was back, I expected more.

Honorable: Wish World/The Reality War
As if the reveal and bigeneration of the Rani weren't enough, this story brought back two detestable villains: Omega and Conrad. The detestable man and the prideful Time Lord. However, like the season finale before... deus ex machina. And the claim that Time Lords can't have kids... that feels more controversial than the Timeless Child. Add to that forcing regeneration to save Belinda's fictious child... I don't know. Maybe RTD will make it feel right with the next Doctor?.

COMPANIONS:

Ruby The Church on Ruby Road - Empire of Death
Belinda     The Robot Revolution - The Reality War

Favorite Companion: I think my favorite thing about Ruby is how well she did on her own. "73 Yards" showed her determination and resilience (even if I don't completely understand what happened). Despite being traumatized in "Lucky Day", she bravely stood up against Conrad. And in "Wish World"/"The Reality War" she played an important part in getting the world back to reality. 

Least Favorite Companion: There was nothing wrong with Belinda until the very end. Her fixation with Poppy and the Doctor's forced regeneration to bring the little girl back kind of bugged me. As a parent, I can appreciate the grief. But Poppy wasn't real before reality was tampered with... so Belinda needed to grieve. That's important and human too. Until that point, Belinda was a nice change of pace, being a companion stuck with the Doctor instead of being infatuated with his adventures.

We don't know what's happening next with Doctor Who (except that there'll be next year's Christmas special and more to follow--Can't wait to see what Billie Piper is up to) but I'll happily rewatch whatever is available. Currently trying to catch up with TJ for our podcasting adventures. And we have The War Between the Land and the Sea to explore. Allons-y!