Here he is again! The Fourth Doctor was seemingly caught red handed in this classic 1976 Season 14 escapade but was he really responsible for the President of Gallifrey's assassination? The mystery certainly kept the nation on tenterhooks, so much so that the audience peaked at 13 million viewers for Episode 3, in which the titular Time Lord entered the virtual world of the Matrix in an attempt to track down his arch nemesis, the Master. This was also the first adventure to feature the Doctor without a companion as it bridged the gap between Sarah Jane's departure at the end of the previous serial, The Hand of Fear, and Leela's introduction in the next story, The Face of Evil. It was revolutionary in that sense, however it wasn't completely well received. Some viewers complained that the Time Lords had suddenly become too violent while others hailed their grittier representation. In short, and as with most episodes, it was both loved and loathed in equal measure. Some things never change!
Dan Butler is the Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture.com. When he isn't writing his own articles or editing other people's, he can be found trawling the internet for gifs of Steven Moffat laughing. Contact him via dan.butler@whatculture.co.uk.
