11 Great Doctor Who Moments The Writers Chickened Out Of
9. The 2nd Doctor Forgets His Companions
The concluding moments of Patrick Troughton's reign as The Doctor were a real game changer for the show, with the revelation that he was a Time Lord being a big moment. This shock revelation was offset by the tragic punishment dished out to the man from Gallifrey. While his exile to planet Earth was a fair enough punishment for deserting Gallifrey, the decision by the Time Lords to wipe his memory of his current companions proved an effective tug of the heart strings for us viewers.
Troughton's return in special episodes 'The Three Doctors' and 'The Five Doctors' in 1973 and 1983 respectively, paid tribute to the second incarnation without undoing this powerful finale. Though the same cannot be said for 1985's extremely mediocre 'The Two Doctors,' which not only wastes Troughton's return, but undoes his sad but genuine end of his original tenure.
The fact that Troughton was clearly much older could have possibly been written into the script, but the return of Frazer Hines as long term companion Jamie just doesn't work. Worst of all, the second Doctor's return is cringeworthy, with Troughton forced to play the role of a brainwashed idiot for the majority of the episode. It's a poor decision and a shocking final episode for such an integral actor of the show.