Ranking the Colin Baker serials

[burrunjor]

God Tier

Revelation of the Daleks
Vengeance on Varos

Enjoyable

Attack of the Cybermen
Two Doctors
Mark of the Rani
The Ultimate Foe

Average
Terror of the Vervoids
First Trial story.

Abyss

Twin Dilemma
Mindwarp
Timelash

[rushy]

GOD TIER:
Vengeance on Varos
The Ultimate Foe

ENJOYABLE:
Terror of the Vervoids
Mindwarp
Timelash
Attack of the Cybermen
The Mysterious Planet

AVERAGE:
Revelation of the Daleks
The Two Doctors

ABYSS:
Mark of the Rani
The Twin Dilemma

[Deleted]

The Ultimate Foe frustrates me so much because without the trial stuff it's a really surreal and well made story. I love Holmes' idea of having the Matrix look like the Victorian streets you'd find Jack the Ripper lurking, which, in my opinion, is superior to the jungle setting in the Deadly Assassin (which is a far better story, I must say). Trial is a mess, but there are some real flashes of creativity in those last few episodes. All a bit too late.

[Deleted]

Individually the Trial stories are fine, with Mindwarp being a possible standout (mostly because of Sil, that guy makes my skin crawl), but yeah you're right that the whole thing had so much more potential. Convoluted and nonsensical as it turns out to be, the Matrix scenes are always an uneasy watch and I wish the "trial" was the Doctor trapped in the Matrix being put through grief by the Valeyard and slowly unravelling some sort of mystery.

[Spark Doll King]

Six out of Six Tier:

Revelation of the Dalek
Vengeance on Varos
Attack of the Cybermen

Great Tier:

The Two Doctors
The Ultimate Foe
Terror of the Vervoids

Good Tier:

Mark of the Rani
Timelash

Average Tier:

The Mysterious Planet
The Twin Dilemma

Mindwarp Tier:

Mindwarp


My opinion on the ultimate foe has improved since my last watch. Honestly I think I was just in a bad mood and just not enjoying it as much as I would have. I really don't get people's issue with Timelash, I've always enjoyed it. Mindwarp is just such a hard one to judge because it's a total disaster, yet I really do enjoy it for all the wrong reasons. It's a true case of so bad it's good.

[RobFilth]

Stone Cold Classics:

Attack Of the Cybermen
Vengeance On Varos
The Two Doctors
Revelation of the Daleks

Enjoyable Enough:

Mark of the Rani
Timelash
Ultimate Foe

Not Great, but some moments of Redemption:

The Twin Dilemma
Terror of the Vervoids

Unwatchable Trash:

Mysterious Planet
Mindwarp

[Deleted]

Why is everyone hating on Mindwarp lol? Yeah it's largely plotless and the "mindwarp" itself is rather cackhanded, but it's by far the standout of season 23, especially compared with the nothingness of Mysterious Planet and the filler nonsense that is Terror of the Vervoids.

[iank]

Because it's awful. On every level. Away from the trial guff Vervoids is at least inoffensive, watchable low-budget Who.
Mindwarp is unwatchable garbage.

[Spark Doll King]

I like Mindwarp, but it is a huge mess. I just embrace that aspect and it becomes a wonderful, dark comedy of errors.

[Deleted]

Dec 31, 2023 23:02:15 GMT iank said:

Because it's awful. On every level. Away from the trial guff Vervoids is at least inoffensive, watchable low-budget Who.
Mindwarp is unwatchable garbage.

But why?

[rushy]

Mindwarp is easily in the top 5 Colin stories. It's so much fun.

[Deleted]

Mindwarp is a really dark experience. I'm not sure what it is, but it just makes me feel empty. At least The Mysterious Planet is a funny script let down by a dreadful production.

[rushy]

Crozier drinking tea during surgery is so funny

[Deleted]

That is funny. Brian Blessed and Colin Baker playing a game of "who can be the most hammy" throughout the story is not.

[iank]

The awful script, the garishness of the production, the awful acting (esp from Colin), the fact that it manages to be both embarrassing AND boring as f*ck... do you really want me to carry on?