Doctor Who: 10 Times The Doctor Went Too Far

Sylvester McCoy’s Seventh Doctor started his run as a bit of a class clown, but as time went on he was perhaps the darkest incarnation we’ve had. Seven was something of a Machiavellian manipulator, toying with friends and foes alike, and no story showcases this better than The Curse of Fenric.

This story reveals that Seven has been manipulating his closest friend, Ace, pushing her to the psychological brink. He withholds information from her, leaving her confused and frightened, and tests her emotionally throughout. Later, in a plot to end Fenric, he tells Ace that he only took her in because she had Fenric’s evil inside her, and that he would never travel with an emotionally-crippled social misfit. He callously instructs the Ancient One to kill her, as she has served her purpose.

By the end, the Doctor’s cold pragmatism saves the day, and breaking Ace’s trust in him was vital in allowing him to enact his master plan. It might have been a necessary evil, but for Ace, it leaves scars – this is the episode that starts to break Seven and Ace apart, leading to her eventual departure.

You can’t help but feel there was a solution here that didn’t involve Seven absolutely shattering his best friend’s already fragile self-worth.