The Twin Dilemma is the seventh and final serial of the 21st season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 22 to 30 March 1984. It was directed by Peter Moffatt and written by Anthony Stevens. The serial stars Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant as the Sixth Doctor and Peri Brown, respectively. The Twin Dilemma was the first to star Baker.
The serial follows the Doctor immediately after regenerating as he works to prevent the alien gastropod Mestor (Edwin Richfield) from plotting to explode the sun of the planet Jaconda to scatter his eggs throughout the universe to conquer it.
The Twin Dilemma was critically panned with both the writing and direction being heavily criticized, though Baker's performance did receive some praise. It received a novelisation written by Eric Saward which was later adapted into an audiobook. The serial averaged million viewers per episode, down slightly from the previous story.
Plot
As a result of his recent regeneration, the Sixth Doctor suffers from mood swings and violent delusions, culminating in his attempt to strangle his companion, Peri Brown. Realising the threat he could pose to the universe in this state, the Doctor decides to exile himself and Peri to a remote asteroid Titan 3. Meanwhile, the mysterious Professor Edgeworth abducts two teenaged mathematical geniuses, Romulus and Remus Sylvest, at the behest of Mestor, the leader of the slug-like Gastropods who have usurped Edgeworth as ruler of the planet Jaconda. Mestor orders Edgeworth to hide on Titan 3, and destroys a pursuing squad of fighters.
The only survivor of the fighter squadron is Lieutenant Hugo Lang, who crash-lands near the TARDIS. The Doctor saves Hugo at Peri's behest, and he and Peri investigate the asteroid, leading to them being captured by Edgeworth. The Doctor recognises that "Edgeworth" is actually Azmael, a fellow Time Lord and his former tutor. Azmael tries to strand the Doctor and Peri on Titan 3, but unbeknownst to Azmael, his assistant Noma arms a bomb intended to kill them both, and they narrowly escape with their lives.
The Doctor, Peri, and Hugo follow Azmael to the now-desolate Jaconda, where Azmael makes it clear he never intended for them to be harmed, and reveals that Mestor is forcing him to have Romulus and Remus create calculations which will xenoform two nearby planets that the Gastropods can settle on. The Doctor, however, realizes that Mestor has lied to Azmael about the nature of his plan, and the calculations will actually cause Jaconda's sun to go supernova, allowing Gastropod eggs to infest the galaxy.
After the Doctor tries and fails to kill him, Mestor announces that he will take over the Doctor's body. The Doctor tries to goad Mestor into doing this, but he instead takes over Azmael. The more experienced Azmael manages to briefly retake control of his body and initiates a regeneration, but since he has used up his entire regeneration cycle, this has the effect of killing both himself and Mestor, though Azmael and the Doctor make amends before the former dies. Hugo decides to stay on Jaconda and become its new ruler, while the Doctor agrees to return Romulus and Remus to their parents.
Production
Development and filming
The reason for producer John Nathan-Turner's decision to place The Twin Dilemma at the end of Doctor Who season 21 was out of a desire to introduce the new Doctor as fast as possible. The serial was developed under the working title A Stitch in Time. Nathan-Turner wanted the serial to be "simplistic", while script editor Eric Saward wanted it to be elaborate and complicated.
The serial was directed by Peter Moffatt. The intention was to create a Doctor that was initially unlikeable, but would grow to become beloved by the audience. This was intended to be in contrast with the more likable Fifth Doctor. During the 2003 documentary The Story of Doctor Who Baker revealed that the original plan was "over the many, many years I would be playing the part, the outer layers would gradually peel away, revealing the kind-hearted soul." Despite the overwhelmingly negative reception for the serial, Baker's performance was somewhat praised. David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker review of the story in Doctor Who: The Television Companion describes The Twin Dilemma as "painful to watch", feeling that the Doctor's erratic behaviour was "forced and artificial, and succeed[s] only in alienating the viewer." The review also argues the script "leaves much to be desired" and that the direction is uninteresting, giving the whole story "a rather tacky, B-movie feel to it".
In the 150th issue of SFX magazine Russell T Davies, producer of the 2005 revival, cites the story as "the beginning of the end" of Doctor Who. Tat Wood and Lawrence Miles, reviewing the story for their book, About Time, noted that the divide in quality between The Caves of Androzani and The Twin Dilemma "felt wrong at the time, and still feels wrong now". The pair wrote, "How could anyone have thought that this story, of juvenile space monsters, meaningless plans and never-ending cop-outs, was ever workable?". Writing for Radio Times, Patrick Mulkern heavily criticized the serial along with the new Doctor. Mulkern disliked the episode's villains, finding them dull and boring, and stated that the main problems were the writing and the direction. He did, however, praise Baker's performance. Digital Spy Morgan Jeffery also criticized the direction calling it "unusually flat" for Moffatt.
A 1998 poll by Doctor Who Magazine ranked the serial the second worst of all time only ahead of the Children in Need special Dimensions in Time. In 2009, another Doctor Who Magazine poll of the 200 stories produced up to that point saw the serial finish in last place, along with finishing last in every single age group that voted.
Commercial releases
In print
A novelisation of this serial, written by Saward, was published in hardback by Target Books in September 1985, and in paperback in March 1986. The cover illustration originally featured Colin Baker; however, when Baker's agent enquired about a royalty, the decision was taken to not feature him on the cover and a replacement was commissioned.
In January 2012, an audiobook version of the novelisation was released, with narration by Baker.
Home media
The Twin Dilemma was released on VHS in May 1992. The tape was available exclusively through Woolworths as part of a special promotion. A general release followed in February 1993.
Behind the scenes footage of the serial was released along with various other Sixth Doctor stories the most prominent being the 2008 release of The Trial of a Time Lord.
The serial was released on DVD on 7 September 2009. Despite being the first Sixth Doctor story it was the last to be released on DVD. It was later re-released as part of the Doctor Who DVD Files in Issue 127 on 13 November 2013.