Episode
The Trial of a Time Lord fatigue sets in and it's only episode 2
- Published
- May 11, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1521
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://audioboom.com/posts/8901890
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Summary
We dive headlong into the second installment of The Mysterious Planet this week, only to find a struggle with the overarching structure of The Trial of a Time Lord . From the pitfalls of 1980s "stunt casting" to the surprisingly accurate technological predictions of the mid-80s, we explore why this era of Doctor Who often feels like a struggle between a standalone story and a courtroom drama. Our key talking points The "Bland" Factor: Why The Mysterious Planet lacks a certain "humanity" compared to other "mid-tier" stories like Black Orchid or Paradise Towers . Stunt Casting vs. Character: We look at the appearances of Joan Sims and Brian Blessed , and whether their larger-than-life personas pull the audience out of the story. A Win for the Prop Department: We marvel at a service robot that looks suspiciously like a modern-day automated vacuum cleaner —is this 1980s Doctor Who's most accurate prediction of future tech? Scale and Sci-Fi Talk: Why "wanted in the six galaxies" feels like a hollow threat compared to the more grounded stakes of Star Wars or earlier eras of the show. Peri’s Perspective: A rare moment where Peri isn't being objectified or "claimed" as a future wife (at least until Mindwarp ). But here's the thing: at the midway point of this 4-parter season opener, it oddly feels more taxing than any commentary we've done before -- especially comparing this with how the show's format and pace was completely different a couple of years later. We're presenting our commentaries to you on Patreon in a complete story-by-story package, in both video and audio. To remind you, Season 23 comprised the following individual stories: The Mysterious Planet by Robert Holmes Mindwarp by Philip Martin Terror of the Vervoids by Pip and Jane Baker The Ultimate Foe by Robert Ho…