Carrotgate Is Not How We End This - The Trial of a Time Lord - "The Ultimate Foe"

John and Jim conclude Colin Baker's tumultuous era with a two-part finale born from tragedy, scrambled rewrites, and production chaos - resulting in wildly divergent reactions from the hosts and fandom's most controversial regeneration-that-never-was.

The Production Nightmare: John details Robert Holmes passing while writing Part 1, Eric Saward writing Part 2 from Holmes' notes but refusing to release it when JNT rejected his cliffhanger ending (the Doctor and Valeyard falling into an abyss), Pip and Jane Baker getting 10 days to write an entirely new Part 2 using only existing sets from Part 1, and the longest Classic Who episode clocking in at 30 minutes when the Bakers' 38-minute script had to be pared down.

The Valeyard Revelation: Extensive discussion of the bombshell that the Valeyard is "an amalgamation of the Doctor's darker impulses from between his twelfth and final incarnations." The hosts debate why this huge concept has never been revisited on screen despite New Who passing that point in the timeline, compare it to Star Trek's "The Enemy Within" and Jekyll/Hyde dynamics, question how the Valeyard established himself on Gallifrey as a respected prosecutor, and marvel that this mythology-altering revelation planted seeds that never grew.

The Master's Motivations: Jim questions why the Master appears at all beyond Robert Holmes liking the character. Discussion covers the Master entering the Matrix with a duplicate key, his refusal to let the Valeyard deny him the pleasure of destroying the Doctor personally, and the irony of him being frozen in the Matrix alongside Glitz by story's end.

Peri's Resurrection: The hosts examine the shoehorned reveal that Peri survived to become Yrcanos' warrior queen - a retcon driven by negative audience reaction to her original death. Discussion includes Nicola Bryant's mixed feelings (initially disappointed, now embracing it in recent appearances), comparisons to Leela, and whether either ending serves the character well.

Continuity Catastrophes: The Inquisitor doesn't recognize the Master then suddenly knows he's a renegade Time Lord within the same episode. The Seventh Door to the Matrix is inexplicably on the space station. The High Council gets deposed by insurrectionists in unexplained chaos. Jim gets "completely lost" by events on Gallifrey that are told but never shown.

Bonnie Langford's Redemption: Both hosts praise Bonnie's performance in Part 2 when freed from Robert Holmes and Eric Saward's diminishment of Mel. Discussion covers her not being reduced to singer/dancer stereotypes, total recall ability introduced in "Terror of the Vervoids," recognizing Time Lord modems, and Jim's appreciation that she's treated as the Doctor's equal rather than damsel.

The Detective Doctor: Jim dubs Colin "The Detective Doctor" for his Sherlock Holmes/Batman deductive reasoning throughout the trial, calling himself "Old 60" and piecing together clues about Matrix manipulation, fake Mel's knowledge gaps, and the list of judges in his own handwriting.

The Ending That Never Was: Colin Baker's final words as the Doctor - "Carrot juice, carrot juice, carrot juice" - haunt him to this day. Discussion of newspapers announcing his firing the day Part 2 aired, his refusal to return for a regeneration story (offering one more season instead), becoming the only Doctor without an onscreen regeneration until Big Finish remedied it, and the raw deal of only 11 stories total.

Production Chaos Recap: No script editor credited for Part 2. JNT forced to act as story editor while fighting to keep Doctor Who alive. The Bakers writing without access to Holmes' notes or Saward's script. Sets already built constraining Part 2's possibilities. Colin knowing this was his swan song but giving his finest courtroom performance. The 30-minute runtime requiring BBC schedule adjustments.

The Final Twist: The Keeper revealed as the Valeyard in disguise, laughing menacingly as the ultimate cliffhanger - planted seeds for a new showrunner who would start from scratch with Sylvester McCoy. The hosts question why this twist exists when they already knew Colin was gone and had no next doctor or story editor lined up.

Mel's Future: Discussion of older-looking Mel with Beverly Crusher-style hair arriving with Glitz, speculation about when they were plucked from (possibly her eventual departure with Glitz's carrot juice company and TV show), and total recall proving essential to exposing the fake Matrix trial.

Coming Up Next:

Patreon Exclusive (Monday): Comics "Changes" and "Salad Daze," Memory TARDIS spin, more music, and a Season 23 retrospective examining the good, bad, and ugly while preparing for Sylvester McCoy's arrival.

Patreon Exclusive (Friday): "Colin Baker: One Last Look" - a retrospective on the man and his 11-story tenure.

Main Feed (Following Saturday - Hiatus Content): Peter Davison retrospective from Patreon archives.

Season 24 Premiere: "Time and the Rani" - Sylvester McCoy's debut AND Kate O'Mara's return heralding the new Doctor's arrival.

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