Classic Doctor Who: The 10 Timey-Wimiest Episodes

The twenty-fifth anniversary story of Doctor Who is not widely considered a classic, but it does feature one of the series’ more convoluted time travel plots.

The Seventh Doctor is reminded by an alarm that a deadly weapon he once launched into space is due to return. He must retrieve it as part of a centuries-long scheme to destroy a fleet of Cyberman warships.

Meanwhile, a power-made woman named Lady Peinforte from the 16th century has calculated where and when it is due to land, and uses something like black magic to travel through time to retrieve it. Along the way, she is driven mad when she encounters her own grave in the future.

The idea of the Doctor as a cosmic chess-like manipulator came up a few times in this era of the show, with his understanding of cause and effect allowing him to have a myriad of plans in motion to deal with his enemies. These elements are apparent in other stories, but it’s here that they are seen the most clearly.