Doctor Who- The Twin Dilemma and The Keys Of Marinus DVD Reviews
“The Twin Dilemma” and “The Keys Of Marinus” are deeply flawed, but entertaining stories from the first and sixth Doctor eras.
GRADES:
Content: B-
Picture: B
Audio: B
Extras: B+
The Episodes:
The story: After a troublesome regeneration, the Doctor (and his companion Peri) decide to hide out on an asteroid named Titan 3 in order to recuperate. While there, the Doctor naturally doesn’t get any time to rest when he becomes involved in a plot to find two kidnapped twin boys that are being used for villainous purposes by a giant Gastropod named Mestor.
When it comes to fan votes on episodes, “The Twin Dilemma” often unfairly ranks as the worst “Doctor Who” episode. Apparently fans haven’t seen the likes of “Four To Doomsday” and “Time-Flight,” because ‘Twin’ is far from one of the worst episodes in my opinion. While it’s true that costumes are (mostly) hideous and the sluggish and plot-hole filled story could have used some editing, the episode is made watchable thanks to Colin Baker as the sixth Doctor. As I’ve mentioned in past reviews, C. Baker is one of my favorite Doctors. I like the fact that he is emotional, full of himself, cocky, sarcastic, theatrical, and so on. He wasn’t like the other Doctors at all which is what appealed me. He was, as he says in the last line of this episode, “the Doctor…whether you like it or not.”
His debut in ‘Twin’ is even more interesting than his other performances in the series because the Doctor is suffering from regeneration issues. I liked that the Doctor was both a danger to himself and the universe and that his companion Peri had to keep in check. The most intriguing moments, however, is the infamous scene in which the sixth Doctor is overcome of madness and Peri. Talk about a risqué move for a kids show.
The first Doctor episode “The Keys Of Marinus” is a creative story that sees the Doctor, Ian, Susan, and Barbara arriving on a glass island (with acid water) called Marinus only to find themselves being forced into a journey across the planet to uncover four keys/pieces to a machine called the Conscience that will help save the planet from the creatures known as the Voord. Throughout their quest, they encounter dangerous beings, a jungle, traps, a snowy land, a shady place named Morphoton, and even a court room.
Whenever the Doctor is on an alien world it’s a real treat for fans as he tends to be Earthbound most of the time. While the cheap looking low/no budget sets and costumes may ruin the effect of an “alien” world, the production crew still deserves credit for their work. Simply put, ‘Keys’ is an ambitious story for the time period as nearly each part is set in a different location. In some ways, it reminds me of the Key To Time series that took place in the fourth Doctor’s era, only ‘Keys’ is a single episode. While the episode itself is sluggish, overlong and contains some dumb plot moments (such as Susan wandering off and the characters foolishly getting stuck in traps), ‘Keys’ encompasses everything fans love about “Doctor Who”- the adventure, excitement, creativity and sense of wonder.
As for the characters, it was nice to see both Ian and Barbara getting their chance to shine. They both practically have parts to themselves which was a real rarity for companions in the classic series. Regarding the Doctor (played by William Hartnell), his role is somewhat limited in this episode but he shines whenever he’s on screen (especially in the final part).
Summary: For Whovians, picking up “The Twin Dilemma” and “The Keys To Marinus” are must buys. For casual fans, I would recommend giving them a rent to see how you feel about the first and sixth doctors and the classic era of episodes.
Picture And Sound:
“The Twin Dielmma” and “The Keys Of Marinus” are presented in 4:3 fullscreen. I have to say that both episodes have been cleaned up rather nicely. I was especially surprised by the quality of the remastered transfer of ‘Marinus.’ Another job well done BBC.
The Dolby Digital Mono audio tracks for both episodes are a little on the flat side, but they are as good as they can possibly be for a Mono track.
The Twin Dilemma Extras:
* “Doctor Who” series 4 ad, photo gallery, Easter egg, Radio Times Listings, continuity announcements, and info text.
* An appearance by Colin Baker on “Blue Peter.”
* “The Star Man”- An interview with the opening title designer Sid Sutton.
* Interviews with Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant on the “Breakfast Time” program.
* “Stripped For Action- The Sixth Doctor”- A featurette on the sixth Doctor comics. As always, the comic featurettes are a delight to watch since I’m a comic aficionado myself.
* “Look 100 Years Younger”- Colin Baker and Amy Lame chat about the Doctor’s costumes over the years.
* A fun commentary by Colin Baker, Kevin McNally and Nicola Bryant. There are a lot of interesting comments from Baker about his time as the Doctor.
The Keys Of Marinus Extras:
* Photo gallery, “Doctor Who” series 4 ad, a trailer for “The Dalek War Box,” and info text.
* PDF Materials- Radio Times Listings, Cadet Sweets “Doctor Who And The Daleks” and Sweet Cigarette Cards.
* An interesting 8 minute featurette “The Sets Of Marinus”
* A rather dry commentary by Raymond Cusick, John Gorrie, Carole Ann Ford, and William Russell. There is some interesting recollections about their time on set and the production itself.
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