Doctor Who: 10 Times The Doctor Was The Bad Guy

4. Joking While Men Dissolve

Doctor Who acid bath Vengeance On Varos
BBC Studios

The Sixth Doctor's era received criticism for the levels of violence that were on display. Scenes of Cybermen crushing peoples' hands were one thing but showing two unfortunate soldiers being dissolved in an acid bath was something else altogether. Coupled with this, a myth persists that the Doctor pushed them in.

The acid vat in question was used to get rid of bodies and the Doctor himself was queued up for a dip. However, he rose quickly from the slab, startling the two men. One falls in straight away while the other attempts to fight the Time Lord. After a brief struggle, what's left of the first guard grabs the second. While this may have been an attempt to pull himself up and out of the acid, it only succeeds in pulling the second man to his death.

The Doctor then casually collects his jacket and quips 'You won't mind if I don't join you' before walking out of the room. While he may not have been entirely responsible for their deaths, was it really necessary to make such a joke about it? Cold, Doctor. Cold.

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"