Every Doctor Who Debut Story Ranked From Worst To Best
11. The Twin Dilemma
We can excuse a poor story within a story, if the introduction of the new Doctor is handled well, after all that’s what a debut adventure is really all about. But like Time and the Rani, The Twin Dilemma’s dire framing story fails to be elevated by an effective treatment of the Doctor’s post regeneration journey.
The infamous scene where the Sixth Doctor attempts to strangle Peri would have been excusable if it was purely due to the regeneration instability he complained about. Instead in a shocking twist the impression is given that unpredictability, brashness and dare I say it, abusive behaviour is a part of the new Doctor’s persona.
In the final scene he corrects Peri who has been delightfully rising above his belittling behaviour by repeatedly calling him out for having another one of his fits. The Doctor tells her in no uncertain terms that he has recovered and that his disagreeable personality is all part of his alien nature.
The Doctor’s final line in the episode is hardly a convincing call for Peri and the audience to continue travelling with him. “Whatever else happens, I am the Doctor, whether you like it or not.” With the Sixth Doctor’s debut story breaking convention by coming at the end of a season, the audience were left deeply unsatisfied for several months.
When the Doctor finally returned in Attack of the Cybermen, with the same egotistical manner, insisting to Peri that this is ‘the real me’, many decided that they didn’t like it one bit.