Doctor Who/Recap/S21/E07 The Twin Dilemma



"I am the Doctor, whether you like it or not."

- The Doctor

The Doctor isn't recovering well from his regeneration, suffering mood swings, arrogance, bad temper, and terrible dress sense. He suddenly decides Peri is evil and tries to kill her, then one mood swing later is full of remorse and declares his intention to find a deserted asteroid and become a hermit. Peri is not much impressed, particularly since he seems to have decided she has to go and be a hermit too.

As luck would have it, however, the deserted asteroid is also a stopping-off point for a group of kidnappers who have just abducted a pair of identical twin geniuses to assist with a sinister plot. It isn't long before the Doctor's rediscovering his enthusiasm for saving the universe from evil telepathic giant slugs.

His dress sense seems to be... different permanently, though.

The story is generally regarded as the worst - the slow pacing, ugly gastropods and strange new Doctor are the contributing factors to this. If that doesn't annoy you in a story, you can watch it here.

Tropes:
"(The Doctor is checking his new appearance in a mirror)
 * Broken Pedestal: Edgeworth, due to being controlled by Mestor's Telepathy powers.
 * Contrived Coincidence: This deserted asteroid suddenly has an awful lot of people on it, doesn't it?
 * Dirty Coward: The Doctor, of all people. He does a Security Cling to Peri on facing his first Cliff Hanger. He gets better though.
 * Double Meaning Title: Anyone who has watched it will think of Romulus and Remus when hearing the title, but anyone who knows it as "the first Sixth Doctor episode" will think of regeneration and his moodswings.
 * Establishing Character Moment: Good Gods, is it any wonder the Sixth Doctor is the most controversial version of the character after he tried to strangle Peri?! In his defence, however, he's quite clearly going through a bout of regeneration-based psychosis at the time, so it's not an entirely fair point to start making judgements about his entire subsequent character.
 * Executive Meddling: The Doctor's new personality (and dress sense) were imposed by the producer, who didn't give Colin Baker much say in either.
 * Grand Theft Me: One of Mestor's powers.
 * Heroic Sacrifice:
 * I Hate Past Me:

Doctor: Ah. A noble brow. Clear gaze. At least it will be, given a few hours sleep. A firm mouth. A face beaming with a vast intelligence. My dear child, what on Earth are you complaining about? It's the most extraordinary improvement.

Peri: On what?

Doctor: My last incarnation. I was never happy with that one.

Peri: Why ever not?

Doctor: It had a sort of feckless charm, which simply wasn't me."

"Peri: You were almost young! I really liked you! And you were sweet, and--
 * It's worth noting that while he didn't like it, Ten certainly did.
 * Insufferable Genius: Imagine if there were two Wesley Crushers, and you've pretty much got Romulus and Remus.
 * It Is Pronounced Tro-PAY: A Running Gag in this episode is the different ways in which "Lieutenant" is pronounced, with Peri saying "Loo-ten-ant" (the American pronunciation) and the Doctor and Lang saying "Leff-ten-ant" (the British pronunciation).
 * Kick the Dog: Newer, Darker and Edgier Doctor? All right up to a point. Actually trying to kill his sidekick? Somewhat beyond that point.
 * Large Ham: One of the reasons why this story is hated is the overacting.
 * Mood Swinger: The Doctor's moods are completely out of control in this story, as a result of his regeneration.
 * My God What Have I Done: The Doctor regains his senses just in time to stop his attempt to kill Peri.
 * Our Graphics Will Suck in The Future: The other reason the story is hated is because of the ugliness.
 * Petting Zoo People: The Jacondans look distinctly avian, with a helping of Big Ol Eyebrows and mustaches.
 * Retroactive Recognition: The policeman pursuing the kidnappers is Mr Gibbs.
 * Single Minded Twins: Romulus and Remus
 * Space Clothes
 * Teleporters and Transporters
 * Theme Twin Naming: Romulus and Remus.
 * Ten Minute Retirement: The Doctor's short-lived career as a hermit.
 * We Used to Be Friends: Peri's dismay at what the Doctor has become sums it up:

Doctor: Sweet? Effete! Sweet? Sweet? Sweet? Huh, that says it all!"


 * What the Hell Hero: Peri does not take the Doctor's attempt at strangling her well, not to mention all his mood swings and unpredictable behavior.