Review: Doctor Who Classic: The Deadly Assassin

1976. Season 14 was preceeded by a warning by Elizibeth Sladen, to the producers, that she would only play popular companion Sarah-Jane Smith for a certain number of episodes. Thus, at the end of The Hand Of Fear, The Doctor was whisked away to his home planet of Galiffrey, where humans couldn't visit.
     Not feeling the need to find another companion in a hurry, this serial stands as the only episode of the classic series (and really, of the entire show) to not have even an unofficial companion. And while it might play that as a gimmick, the story is revered as a classic, with brilliant writing, inspired set design and the return of one of The Doctor's greatest enemies, The Master.
   The plot is based off of the popular film/book The Manchurian Candidate, which is a fast political thriller. Indeed, the previously mystical Time Lord society is explored deeply for the first time, and to the upset of many a contemporary fan, portrayed as a group of babbling politicians. I personally prefer this more realistic portrayl of the Time Lords as a failing society. There are also many things said here that later become set-in-stone rules, such as Time Lords only having 13 lives.
    So the Doctor lands on Galifrey and gets premonition that he will shoot the President of the Time Lords. In the Capital, he sneaks round trying to not get caught (as, a fan would remember, he is a Time Lord renegade). The President is about to name his successor, and Chancellor Goth and Cardinal Borusa are rivals. When the time comes, The Doctor finds the gun, and then notices the assalient in the crowd. The gun misses, but the President is already dead and they head to arrest The Doctor.
     They arrest The Doctor and begin to sentence him to death (permanently). He claims a right which means that he can run for President himself, and as long as he wins he can stay free. He takes the time before the election to investigate with the head Police Chief. They discover the gun was bent sideways, and so he couldn't have hit the President if he had tried. Looking at the cameras, they find the cameraman killed in a manner which would suggest that The Master had killed him. They then discover that someone is working in The Matrix (Doctor Who invented the concept 23 years before Hollywood), a virtual reality that covers and scans over all time. To fight this person, who they suspect is a servant of The Master, The Doctor taps himself into the Matrix.
     In the Matrix, he fights nightmares, and one Hunter that seems to control this world. They spend the entire third episode in The Matrix, fighting and running. Eventually, the Hunter reveals himself as Chancellor Goth. They have a final fight, but Goth's body gives up and both leave the Matrix. They track Goth down to The Master's hideout, where it is revealed that The Master has apparently killed himself and Goth with him. They go away and consider the events, with The Doctor amazed at how The Master accepted death. However, his remains disappear and he is chased to The Eye of Harmony, source of all power in Galiffrey. Eventually he falls into the eye, killing him.
    It's very good story, and its status shows that. To this day the episode has profound influences on Doctor Who. The 2entertain DVD commentary? Well, it's a little bumbling because of the age of the actors, but Baker's charm is inescapable.

Thanks.