*Some spoilers.*
At a whopping 10 episodes (since “The Trial of a Time Lord” is more accurately four different serials stitched together, “The War Games” clocks in as the series’ longest story,) this Second Doctor’s serial doesn’t strictly need to be as long as it is. But while there’s undeniable fat and the later episodes suffer from the addition of some unfortunate racial stereotyping, I really love this story. Really imaginative story, some enjoyable side characters, and of course, great moments for all our heroes.
All bets are off when the TARDIS materializes on a WWI battlefield. The Second Doctor, Jamie, and Zoe narrowly escape being shelled by German mortars, only to be arrested by the British as spies. But as they careen from danger to danger, something larger becomes apparent: it isn’t WWI after all. Instead, they’re in a strange warscape where the land is divided into periods of Earth history, with a different war being fought in each zone. Team TARDIS works to unravel the mystery and figure out who’s behind it, but the situation is much more involved than any of them realize.
Oh man, I love the entire concept of the “war games” and the different time zones. Yes, it can get repetitive to have the Doctor and co. captured by assorted groups, try to convince them what’s really going on, and be thwarted by a War Lord, but the set-up is so cool. The various details of it are really neat, and I like seeing the story open up as the trio ventures into different time zones and beyond. It just combines history, aliens, and time-travel technology together in such an inventive way, and I also greatly enjoy WWI characters Lt. Carstairs and Lady Jennifer, both of whom are fun in their own right and serve as able allies for our heroes.
The War Lords, too, are interesting to me. Sure, it’s the standard “advanced alien race manipulates/kills humans for their own personal gain,” but again, the specifics of what they’re setting out to do is intriguing. The War Chief also makes for a great villain—the Master is when the show really hits its stride with Time Lord baddies, but its early efforts, the Monk and the War Chief, both have some good stuff going for them.
Everyone gets some great moments here. Zoe’s mad mental skills are put to use in memorizing intel, Jamie manages on his own quite well when he’s separated from Zoe and the Doctor, and the Doctor stirs up all kinds of trouble with the War Lords’ technology. There’s also an improvised bomb, all manner of disguises, and the sonic screwdriver being used on screws! (It always charms me to see that in its early appearances.)
As far as Doctor finales go, I think this is an excellent one. In this story, we say goodbye, not just to Two, but to Jamie and Zoe as well. Their parting is understated but heartfelt, and I love the bittersweetness of the Doctor watching his friends on the screen as they’re placed back in their old lives with their memories of traveling with him erased from their minds. For both the overall story and the Doctor-companion exits, this is one of my favorite Doctor finales of all time.
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