Classic Who "Destiny of the Daleks" Parts 1&2 Reaction

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[@mpg272727]

"Oh look.. Rocks!" is one of the most iconic lines in all of Doctor Who

[@chrispalmer7893]

That reaction told me she's going to enjoy this season...

[@TheElderBlotch]

Mary Tamm was terrific as Romana but I personally find Lalla Ward equally superb if not the best incarnation of the character especially with her stellar work in Big Finish. From what I know, Tamm left of her own accord because she thought Romana had fallen into the traditional assistant role by the end of Season 16 when she'd only accepted the role after being promised someone of equal standing to the Doctor and not a "damsel in distress".

[@magus104]

I didnt find her to be that impressive of an actress in the last arc so was curious if she started sleeping with Tom during that which got her the role going forward.

[@rogershore3128]

I think Mary Tamm was pregnant at the time which is why she left..

[@moreau1755]

@@magus104 No, that wasn't the case. Lalla did end up dating Tom, but not until she'd been on the show for a while; and, of course, she eventually married him, though that happened after they both had left the show.

[@scottboswell6406]

@@rogershore3128 I always heard the same thing, maybe it was a public relations excuse instead of saying the real reason. I'm sure it was written by someone, not just made up.

[@rogershore3128]

@@scottboswell6406 She had her only kid in 1979 so I'd believe it...

[@DoctorWhoBookClub]

The Second Romana can try on a number of different bodies - without burning through incarnations - because she’s still “within the first 15 hours of her regeneration cycle,” similar to how the Doctor was able to regrow his hand in “The Christmas Invasion.” Also, we see Romana able to regenerate clothes, something you also saw at the end of “The Power of the Doctor,” during Jodie’s regeneration. It’s thought that Romana has more control over possible regenerations because she is not regenerating at a time of crisis, when she’s dying, but rather for aesthetic reasons. It could also be that she’s more adept at the regeneration skill, just as some timelords are better telepaths than others. Another theory is that the potential incarnations are “projections,” similar to what we saw with K’anpo/Cho-Je in “Planet of the Spiders.”

[@Melancthon7332]

I like all of these retcons!

[@jb888888888]

Maybe they're all future versions of Romana who come back to have a mostly offscreen multi-Romana story with Romana II. Or they're some of her Academy friends come over for (a Time Lord version of) a kegger. They're just pretending for a laugh to be Romana re-re-regenerating.

[@plantainsame2049]

I personally am going to blame the key to time. Maybe access radiation from it gave her some special power Because the ability to choose your new form and have no consequences of a regeneration. Really just kind of defeats the purpose of regeneration

[@kemmdog4444]

You’ve seen the Movellans briefly once before in Bill’s first story,the Pilot, with the 12th Doctor.

[@tabithaadams9661]

Came here to say the same thing.

[@dwilborn1257]

I hadn't seen this episode when I first saw "The Pilot", but it is a heck of a call back.

[@johna5635]

There aren't many Sci-Fi shows which would have the sheer audacity to base an entire alien race on pop group, Boney M.... but clearly The Master was a fan of theirs too!

[@karlmortoniv2951]

The Movellans were hot. I'm not the first person to say it. 😍

[@DEEJAYWAL]

"You can't wear that body!" Commander Maxil and Caecilius would like to talk to you about that, Doctor.

[@joebowers6554]

Apparently Mary Tamm said numerous times over the years she would have returned to film a regeneration sequence but was never asked to do so by the production team; which is a shame as it would have been nice to have given her a proper exit.

[@Nyssa337]

Love Lalla as Romana. Some very lovely chemistry coming between The Doctor and Romana.

[@KevDaly]

I remember seeing this episode when it was broadcast, when I was in my teens. When the Daleks appeared everybody cheered.

[@CaffeineKing]

It was my first Dr Who episode at the tender age of six. I hide behind the sofa. 😂

[@stephensheridan1279]

Ah, yes! The first COMPANION regeneration! Now THAT’S a twist! 🤩😍

[@Problembeing]

This was my earliest Doctor Who memory. I was 4 when I watched this. Love this Romana, and I love her costume reflecting Tom's :)

[@ryanpollard1166]

K9 having laryngitis, Romania's bizarre regeneration, "Oh, look! Rocks!" - What a weird way to kick off a new season! When Mary Tamm was first offered the part of Romana, she was told that she would be the Doctor's equal but she felt the part quickly reverted to type, as was evidenced with Romana getting kidnapped frequently throughout Season 16. Producer Graham Williams was so positive he could get her to change her mind however, so by the time he finally accepted that he couldn't keep her on, it was kinda too late to write her out properly. That's why she never got a proper regeneration scene, which she later stated: "I don't know why. I think that would've been nice and I would've come back to do one". During the filming of The Armageddon Factor, Tamm half-jokingly suggested her co-star Lalla Ward (who played Astra) to replace her, largely because she and Tom Baker got along so well (they eventually started dating, having a very on-and-off romance before eventually marrying, which was sadly very short-lived). Destiny of the Daleks is a story that never resonated with me, despite having the Fourth Doctor, the Daleks and Davros. It just feels like a lazy retread of ideas done better in other Dalek stories, like Dalek Invasion of Earth, Genesis of the Daleks and even The Chase. Allegedly, script editor Douglas Adams basically did an extensive rewrite after Terry Nation handed an outline that just rehashed other Dalek stories. This pretty much set the tone for the rest of Season 17, which, with a couple of notable and exceptional highlights, was very weak, even by that period's standards.

[@thomashartwell4335]

Yeah it's such a shame that of the stories that end up transmitted only "City of Death" and "Creature from the Pit" end up as any good--and even the latter only manages to be a very good script that's sandbagged by the production.

[@bjgandalf69]

​@thomashartwell4335 Personally not a big fan of CFTP but agree that there were production issues. I don't want to give out any spoilers so will maybe explain why when Jess posts her reaction.

[@ryanpollard1166]

​@@thomashartwell4335For me it's both City of Death and Shada that are easily the best of the season

[@thomashartwell4335]

@@ryanpollard1166 Oh Shada is great--but I was meaning the stories that actually aired.

[@kivimik]

Terrance Dicks had also remarked how Terry Nation would rehash the same Dalek tropes, so it's unsurprising that Douglas Adams had to do some rewrites.

[@GoombahYah]

This story really set the tone for Douglas Adams' wild ride of a season of script supervision. "Ooh, look! Rocks!" You'll definitely be hearing notably snappier dialogue this season. Romana: Mary Tamm was lovely, but Lalla Ward's Romana is one of my favorite companions. The Movellans: An interesting new race I'd love to see return properly in New Who (they were fleetingly in Twelve's "The Pilot").

[@joecrammond6221]

spoilers, not sure she knows about that

[@thomashartwell4335]

@@joecrammond6221Wait, spoilers for what?

[@GoombahYah]

​@@joecrammond6221, did you mean about K9's laryngitis? While already mentioned, I guess its effect may not be immediately noticeable due to K9's relative absence in this episode. The effect will be pretty obvious very soon, but I'll edit that line out in case she hasn't read it… definitely don't want to spoil anything for her viewing.

[@rogershore3128]

A sharp story in terms of showing a serious flaw in the Daleks and I don't mean Tom's pop at them climbing stairs.

[@djashley2002]

The book the Doctor is reading is The Origins of the Universe by Oolon Colluphid a direct reference to the (now legendary) radio series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy which was created by the new series Script Editor Douglas Adams.

[@hornorsilk2901]

Welcome Romana II, the one-time Mrs Tom Baker, thanks to their work together this season. I like both of them, the same and yet different.

[@alexbruce9499]

Gotta love that the Doctor installed a randomiser into the TARDIS, and in all the universe the very first place it takes him is goddamn Skaro!

[@stickytapenrust6869]

That’s assuming there weren’t any untelevised adventures between Armageddon and this.

[@neptune04]

lol quick to Big Finish!@@stickytapenrust6869

[@raybearoz]

Further trivia for this story, the actor playing Tyssan (Tim Barlow)was significantly deaf, and so used physical queues from the other actors when to say his lines

[@alexfletcher5192]

New script-editor Douglas Noel Adams (he was born DNA at Cambridge the same year they found DNA at Cambridge) was a near-contemporary of the Monty Python crew at university, a successful radio comedy writer and author (pretty much simultaneously) and was now trying to juggle the sudden workload with becoming the quirky new wordsmith behind-the-scenes on Britain's favourite Saturday Night institution. So no pressure there then. And, yes, the fingerprints of the bestselling mind behind 'The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy' is all over the opening scene - and many others besides.

[@joshuajoshua2732]

The first appearance of the Daleks in five years you are correct the last we saw of them was "Genesis of the Daleks" my favourite scene is the Dalek climbing up the stairs joke as at that time they were not capable of flight. The reason Mary Tamm left the show as Romana was because she felt the character had reverted to the traditional assistant role and could not be developed further so she was replaced the other rumoured reason was she was pregnant and couldn't continue Mary Tamm was not asked to do the regeneration scene but she later said in an interview had she been asked she would have done it. The reason K-9 wasn't used in this story was because Terry Nation who hated the character insisted not to be used in his Dalek stories which is a great shame as it would had been interesting to see how K-9 would had battled the Daleks. In real life Lalla Ward was married to Tom Baker for 16 months. The movellans you also saw before but brief as a cameo in one of the Peter Capaldi episodes "The Pilot" where he takes his companion Bill Potts to the Dalek battle when puddle girl was chasing them.

[@ProfArmitage218]

When the episode originally aired some fans complained about a serious and responsible Time Lord like Romana wasting a half-dozen regenerations for simple vanity. The official novelization published two months later established that she has better control of her regenerations than the Doctor (and most Time Lords), enabling her to pause and resume a single regeneration multiple times and change more than once.

[@plantainsame2049]

Which I always find ridiculous Because the whole point is that you shouldn't have any control. You get to live past your death but there is a price to pay to

[@chasejohnson5644]

Even in traumatic regenerations where one is dying, the Doctor has some subconscious control. Hence, 12 & 14. Romana chose her regeneration, so she had much more control.

[@UnleashtheFiore]

Mad to think that it was 5 years in between these 2 Dalek stories, in the new show we're used to seeing them every year which really lessens their impact

[@AndyRossism]

Its simple-ish. In this example, regeneration is like the weekly big shop. Romana goes about it thoughtfully with a plan, The Doctor just runs in grabs the first few things and gets out like my own Mam and Dad would do. Mam had a list , Dad would come back with thr wring thing lol that's how i make sense of it anyway. Romana is a bit of a swot, so maybe she studied some special technique which The Doctor hasn't 😆

[@Stuart_Cox1969]

Ah! The future Mrs Baker, for a wee while anyway, R.I.P. Mary Tamm, so sad, even more tragic was that her husband literally died of a broken heart on the same day after her funeral.

[@TimeForTeletubbiesFAN]

Winspit Quarry where they done location filming at, is a place you can visit in Dorset. Very lovely place.

[@mccpcorn2000]

This episode added so much to regeneration lore in just a few short moments lol

[@DonnaLang42rockglobally]

The role of Romana was unfortunately not the only one to be recast for this season of Doctor Who: John Leeson had declined to return for season 17 (the season starting with "Destiny of the Daleks"), so that's why K9 has laryngitis in this episode. This season also saw Douglas Adams becoming the series' script editor.

[@karlmortoniv2951]

Did John Leeson decline? I thought I saw an interview with him where he said they didn't ask him about this season, apparently assuming he was grandfathered in, so he assumed K-9 was done and took some other work. Then they called him like the day before asking him to please report to such and such tomorrow, which kind of irritated him a bit but he had also taken some other work and was not available. Not that it matters, but being high-handed toward a voice actor is the TV business all over.

[@Melancthon7332]

Daleks? Check. Starts in a quarry? Check. Weird awkward casting change? Check! Telegraphed reveal? Double check! (your mock surprise was max adorbs, btw)

[@stacyp2186]

I’ve been waiting for you to get to this episode. I was really curious about your reaction to Romana regenerating. Quite a surprise!

[@scottboswell6406]

When this story first aired, I missed the first 5-6 minutes. When I saw the new Romana, I thought, 'well, there's a new Romana". What really shocked me was the return of Davros!!!! Completely unexpected!! Little did we know . . .! Loved the bit where The 4th Doctor pulls out a real book about the universe to read! There's a lesson, you can be productive stuck under a ton of rubble! LOL!

[@dominicbuckley8309]

The book was a touch of Douglas Adams (who was script editor for this series): it's not a real book but 'Origins of the Universe' by Oolon Colluphid, who also appears in 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'.

[@cameronmonaghan6883]

This was one of the first Doctor Who episodes I collected so I rewatched it a lot. And in spite of budget issues it remains one of my favourites. Lalla Ward is one of my favourite companions and the quarry location gives it an otherworldly look. Fun facts the actor who played Tyson was partially deaf so had to rely on lip reading. He would go on to feature in Hot Fuzz. They couldn't make David Goodson a new mask so they had to use Michael Wisher's. Which was the wrong size. This was the last story written by Terry Nation.

[@nocturne8333]

Welcome to Romana II, she’s my favourite Romana incarnation and is one of my top three classic who companions. I hope you get to love her too.

[@jessetorres8738]

Trivia note: Lalla Ward was married to Tom Baker from 1980 to 1982.

[@adamsmart1075]

On an asthetic level, Lalla Ward wears some of my favourite costumes in all of Doctor Who - my favourites would have to be the pink coat and white scarf in this story, and her main outfits in City of Death and State of Decay!

[@keithalanbaker535]

Sadly Mary Tamm who played the first Romana passed away in 2012 also Lalla Ward (Romana II) and Tom Baker worked so well together they eventually got married (Now divorced)

[@SGlitz]

Remember the beings the daleks fought in Bill's premiere episode. A blink and you miss it cameo, well, here they are in their only full serial.😂

[@AndyRossism]

I like the Movellans, aka Boney M in space. It's cool to have more racial diversity with the casting too. They all look so glam ! Def an outfit for a night out !!

[@keithsolley]

we briefly saw them in the 12th Doctor episode 'The Pilot'

[@mmattson8947]

"I don't really know the story of these people or anything, but their make-up is exquisite."

[@liamkc1998]

Gutted Mary Tamm decided to leave the show. She felt that the character had reverted to the traditional assistant role and could not be developed any further. Loved her as Romana 1!

[@Melancthon7332]

My all-time favorite companion is Romana 1. My second favorite companion is Romana 2!

[@sirjedisentinel]

Wasn't she also pregnant? That's what I heard anyway: she found out she was pregnant during production of her season. And by the time this season went into production, she was too far along to keep doing it

[@SuperWolsey]

Thank God for Big Finish to carry that baton before she passed

[@ooklathemokfan]

Now you see how the mythology of Davros and The Daleks from the new series is built on the foundations laid in stories like this one. 😊

[@Redfern42]

The Movellan gun WAS fired as they retreated from the Daleks. It made a kind of "Twee!" sound, but they did not apply any kind of visual effect. The Dalek blast also got refined...somewhat. "Genesis of the Daleks" was the first time a "beam" was applied, cutting to a shot of the entire frame reversing color as had been the motif since the beginning of the series. Here was the first time the "color reversal" was confined to a "halo" around the victim as opposed to the entire frame. With tweaks and updates, this would become the "standard" right up to the present.

[@peternolan5501]

The main shooting location for this episode has also been in another show you watch too: that whole distinctive quarry location ("Oh look! Rocks!") was in Star Wars: Andor as well as the location of the rebel base.

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

“Oh, look, Rocks!” 😊 an amazing delivery by Tom B’ ( improvised?) or as Douglas Adams was Script Editor this season, his wit. The rock quarry, in Cornwall, UK, was used before to film in 1967 “the underwater menace” (which you, Jess, had not chosen ‘recons’ and viewing recovered/random episodes of Who, then. This quarry also used for filming in SW: Andor.

[@Melancthon7332]

Oh, interesting, I'm guessing the quarry was Narkina 5?

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

@@Melancthon7332 Where L' and S' meet -** -cut out tunnels into rock. Appears the same as in "Destiny" - in a book on DW locations, by Richard Bignall (qualified Who authority) that's the book I learned that "Underwater M' shared the same quarry -may also be in the dvd documentary for either story- ? Like for a good chunk of "Andor", filmed in Scotland. I want to find where the last part of "Ashoka" were filmed. Location, location, -very important!) 😋 ** (Say no more, for Jess to get to those series) 🤫

[@Melancthon7332]

@@jonathanmurphy3141 Gotcha! It makes sense now.

[@alexfletcher5192]

The temptation to shout 'THAT'S THE HONOURABLE SARAH ('LALLA') WARD! SHE'S THE SECOND INCARNATION OF ROMANA!' three weeks ago was, let's face it, pretty intense. And it is the biggest turnaround in fortunes for a guest actor in a Dr Who serial since Peter Purves turned up for work as a fake hillbilly mid-way through 'The Chase' - only to join the show as the new companions a few weeks later. But the great thing about Time Lords is that they don't necessarily have to be the same following regeneration. As it is, she is quite similar, but the outfit is a bit of a giveaway as to what to expect.

[@johntaylor564]

This is the first Dr Who story I have a clear memory of watching as a child. K9 must have caught a computer virus poor thing. Welcome to the Romana II era

[@AAARRRGGGHHHHHH]

Love that you enjoyed how gloriously chic & fabulously camp the Movellans are.

[@BernardJKD]

Mary Tamm fell asleep on location during The Stones of Blood and no one was brave enough to wake her. Luckily she was able to sleepwalk through the rest of season 16. Terry Nation doesn't write for the dog.

[@matthewtwining]

Welcome to the era of one of favorite companions of all Who.

[@lucasdolding6924]

The Big Finish series Gallifrey gets into a bit more on why Romana regenerated here instead of it seeming like she decided to regenerate just because.

[@botz77]

Romana II is one of the best companions. Their chemistry is fantastic.

[@billthewhovian]

Romana's regeneration is very interesting, most people say she wasted her regenerations but I think they were projections instead of actual "bodies" as such so the others don't count until we see the body she settles on and comes out wearing the outfit we see for rest of the story. As for K9, well more later. Also the actor for Davros has changed he is played by David Gooderson here as Michael Wisher was unavailable. David uses Michael's mask, I believe due to budget (Don't quote me on that) so the mask didn't fit well on David.

[@moreau1755]

Yes. I always considered them projections, like we saw K'anpo do back in Planet of the Spiders.

[@Sandman_jazz1983]

The mask didn't fit well and wasn't in the greatest of conditions. Story is that a cleaner chucked the mask out, believing it to be a bit of rubbish.

[@gluuuuue]

Leaving aside the continuity issues of this (I believe) being before they'd settled on giving Time Lords the 12 regen limit, particularly after we got to see River's regeneration process, heard Missy describe her regeneration into a Time Lady as "an upgrade", and the Citadel General mentioning her previous incarnation was the only time she had been a man, I've since come to interpret these as telling us: 1) Time Lords *are* potentially capable of exercising some control over the physical traits they'll exhibit while regenerating (eg. River "focusing on a dress size") 2) Time Ladies seeming to be better at it than the males, or perhaps dedicate more mental effort towards it 3) the Doctor *isn't* that good at it (hence his consternation at wanting to be ginger but always seeming to fail, yet being capable of doing it to some degree on a subconscious level, eg: - Ten develops an accent similar to (but not exactly like) that of the most significant companion of his previous self, Rose - Twelve develops a Scottish accent much more like that of the most significant companion of his previous self, Amy, but with an appearance like Caecilius's - even Thirteen's accent, I think Jodie's native one, sounds noticeably closer to Clara's I think, particularly since New Who, the Doctor does exercise some degree of control or influence over how he/she/they regenerate, but it's more affected by what and who has been emotionally important to him lately.

[@magic713m]

My headcanon is Romana used the hologram system in the TARDIS and all those new forms were projections for the Doctor, while Romana was putting on the Doctor outfit That being said. I do think there is, at least subconsciously, a psychological component involved in the outcome of a regeneration.

[@moreau1755]

I think the case could be made that different Time Lords have different degrees of control over their regenerations, and it's not related to the gender at a given time. Missy describing her regeneration as an upgrade and the female Citadel General's disparaging comments about her previous male form are more down to how for many Time Lords each incarnation looks down on all the others - look at how the various Doctors all tend to insult one another. It's like a human looking back at pictures of themselves as a teenager and being embarrassed about all the poor fashion choices on display. The Doctor has a messy mind - very smart, but massively unfocussed, hence why he lacks control over his regenerations. But his subconscious and outside influences do seem to impact his regenerations, as you say.

[@gluuuuue]

@@magic713m That would be a simpler explanation! And we know Romana's technically competent and capable enough to do it and more.

[@gluuuuue]

@@moreau1755 I do think supposing a correlation with gender is an increasingly outdated idea in this day and age, one I confess I had back more in the earlier part of New Who, yet also one I wouldn't be surprised writers of the past especially probably had themselves, up to and including Moffat (which I think he's been criticized for before at times, and perhaps rightly so). I've long thought the same about dislike by incarnations of the others, particularly past incarnations, seeming to symbolize dissatisfaction with oneself, being a clear manifestation of it even, as well as regeneration as a form of wanting to change and reinvent oneself. Kinda like how protagonists frequently have similar/foil characters as antagonists, because they embody characteristics the hero dislikes in themselves.

[@jimcat6795]

@@moreau1755 Also there's that "first 15 hours" thing that the New Series came up with, where things are in flux, they can grow a limb back etc.

[@Sandman_jazz1983]

Gotta to love the efficiency of the Randomiser. Which planet after has Earth has the Doctor visited the most times on screen? Skaro. First random planet it chooses? Skaro.

[@Alexandrashepiro]

Welcome Romana Mk 2!!!!!! And Mrs. Doctor!!!! I love this Romana! She's more laid back. More hands on! This is a great story. You may recognize one of the costumes Romana wears from Robots of death. Also the Movellans were seen In Doctor Who "The Pilot" from Ep 10. Romana mk 1 may be gone from the series, but she is back in the BF "Gallifrey" audios and some other BF audio ranges.. specifically the 4th Doctor adventures! Lalla Werd as Romana Mk II ine of my fave Classic Companions! Youll see that she and Tom's Doctor have a great Chemistry!

[@Jeflar70]

This was the first Dalek story for almost five years.

[@bigfatcarp93]

The opening scene with Romana is famously one of the most bizarre and nonsensical moments in the show's history lol. It ignores basically every single rule established about regeneration before or since.

[@LordRyan88]

Rule of Funny 😆

[@matthewclarke4127]

Regeneration has no rules. The writers came up with different ideas about regeneration every time.

[@ihateunicorns867]

Such a WTF moment with the regenerations at the start.

[@conscienceaginBlackadder]

This is indeed the first Dalek story for 4 1/2 years, 12 Apr 75 to 1 Sep 79, meaning there were none during James Callaghan's govt. It's still only the second story with regular aliens, since Hinchcliffe started that awful long desert of 17 stories and 3 years without them, between Revenge of the Cybermen and Invasion of Time. As the Sontarans arrived in ep4 of Invasion of Time, incredibly this is actually the first time you know from a story's start that it's a regular aliens one, for the 4 1/2 years and 25 stories! since Revenge. Since just the week after the Daleks were last seen, 19 Apr 75.

[@AndyRossism]

I think it's to very commended that they went so long not bringing stuff back, and being original, far from awful in my view, it's an extremely productive and creative time. Not sure why you think an American will know who James Callaghan was either, most Brits won't even know who he was now ! Though I do remember he died either in or very very near the transmission of 'Rose' in fact it may have been announced on the news after the episode.

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

Tim Barlow, playing the man in brown, helpful to our Time Team, was mostly deaf, at the time, in 1979 - sonic ammunition damage (by Wiki’) when he was in the British Army. Acted,with assist - later tech’ help. He died, fairly recent. The Movellans,…will return, in mention, and in person “in the future” (not as often as Daleks)

[@tenmark7055]

You've actually seen the Movellans before. Remember when 12 took Bill to the deadliest fire in the universe to get away from Heather and there was a battle with the Daleks? The Daleks were fighting these people with the silver braids and white padded suits (how do they keep them clean?)

[@Jaketherobonrd]

Oh boy I’ve been really looking to this one. Destiny of the Daleks may be not the best Dalek story, honestly its abit ropey but I still enjoy watching it especially since the Daleks and Davros are back yes! I really like the cliffhanger for part two with Davros reviving, it’s chilling.

[@benlowe1701]

Fun Fact: Big Finish offers a potential exploration of why she Regenerated here; suggesting that the torture by the Shadow in the previous episode broke apart certain peychic walls that were erected in her mind during her time as a student, to entrap a murderous entity: A former Time Lady Empress who had been erased from time. Go forth and Explore the Gallifrey Audio Series, where she teams up with Leela and their two K9 Units; and explores Time Lord Politics.

[@CrankyGrandma]

In my head I made sense of the regeneration by thinking different time lords had more control over regenerating than others. We saw hints of this with the sisterhood of Kahn who could assist in regeneration. Some time lords (or ladies) have more control, some have less , and perhaps for some it’s fatal. Romana had a lot of control.

[@stevetheduck1425]

The Movellans' appearance were apparently inspired by some paper sculptures, the perfectly clean, silver-dreadlocks look, plus their darker skins all were to suggest something about their origins. Their speech and actions might suggest a higher tech people, but there are surprises yet. Sadly, they were invented as stand-ins for the Cybermen, unavailable when Terry Nation wrote his last Doctor Who script, and they have only appeared in a single later episode, set around the time of the Dalek-Movellan war, when Bill became a companion. There are suggestions in a novel and in fandom that they are developed versions of an earlier 'threat' seen also only once before.

[@therealpbristow]

At some point I really hope you'll do a reaction to the famous outtakes of Tom and Mary from the last season: The Mentalis confrontation (shot during studio rehearsal while Mary still had her curlers in), and the Christmas skit (where K9 sings!). Pair them up with Tom & Lalla's Prime Computer adverts from the following year, and that's a neat little "The secret life of Romana and the Doctor" package to drop into Doctor Who December, I would say. =:o}

[@moviesrocks2]

Oh look! Rocks! is my most favorite line in all of Doctor Who history. Maybe in all TV history. maybe.

[@frankshailes3205]

K-9 is a computer. You've heard of computer viruses... Doctor Who was once again ahead of its time!

[@gluuuuue]

I absolutely love Mary Tamm's first Romana. Of all of the Doctor's companions, I think she's incomparably the most glamorous without trying. But I think Lalla Ward really persuasively sells the Romana's second incarnation as that playful, coquettish 'schoolgirl' look, first coming out with Astra's original clothing, then a copy of Four's coat and scarf, and finally her own pink trench and white absurdly long scarf, yet both sized for her smaller stature. It's the perfect blend of playfully mocking Four's unconventional fashion sense, yet being inspired by it, and putting her own spin on it with its girlish color scheme. And all while retaining the confidence in her own intelligence Mary expressed as Romana I.

[@joeregan3322]

Mary Tamm was in for one season. The "trying on" of different regenerations- welcome to the tongue-in-cheek writing of script-editor Douglas Adams.

[@cruelangel8689]

Nice to see all the love in the comments for Romana 1. I also am in the minority that prefer Mary's incarnation.

[@DocRobAC]

I love Mary Tamm’s version

[@therealpbristow]

I love 'em both.

[@AstralGaming99]

I personally think that the 4th Doctor and Romana 2 are the best duo in the classic series

[@mmattson8947]

I prefer 4th and SJS. Others prefer Leela. That is probably a reason why the Tom Baker era is so strong, there are so many great combinations of Doctor and companion that can be someone's favorite.

[@AstralGaming99]

@@mmattson8947Yeah exactly Tom is great with all his companions, infact I think Adric works better with 4 than 5 even though we see very little of it

[@coopercane500]

K-9 got laryngitis to disguise the fact that his voice actor had changed. For season 17, he is played by David Brierley. John Leeson decided not to return for another season but would return to the role in season 18.

[@MrMattias87]

If you think about it, the different women that come out is sorta similar to tom baker's regeneration in when he popped out of the tardis with different costumes from Robot. And the brigadier said no to all of them.

[@yencoCom]

Nothing against Mary Tamm, but Lalla Ward is my favorite Romana and my favorite companion of the entire series. I love that while Romana is still academically superior to the Doctor in many ways, in her second incarnation she recognizes that she can have some fun and learn from the Doctor's years of experience in the field (really the only thing Romana lacks from being the lead). It is great to see the development of her character going from something of an apprentice to finally going off on her own (I think it strikes the right balance between having an equal (or even superior character) to the Doctor in many ways, while at the same time making for a great companion). I do wish they had extended that out with a spin-off series. While Big Finish have done a fantastic job with the Gallifrey series, I always saw Romana more as taking on the Doctor's role and exploring the universe with a TARDIS and companions of her own. I still hope that one day we might get to see that as it is really the only option with the limitless possibilities of the main show. That said, the introduction of the second Romana could have been handled a LOT better and I remain disappointed the writers didn't come up with something better.

[@gabriellegabbynoblecomics3913]

In my head-cannon there is an unbroadcast story between the end of the last season and this, in which Romana I suffers a fatal poisoning... she and the Doctor know it will kill her in time unless she regenerates... this is why the Doctor isn't surprised at all when she does so. Also as part of the story they take possession of a drug or tech that will allow a Time Lord to guide one of their regenerations... explaining how Romana is able to 'try-on' so many bodies when the Doctor never seems to be able to do this. The tech or drug is all gone after this.

[@neilmcdonald9164]

This was the last time Terry Nation-creater,but not designer,of the Daleks write for Doctor Who 🎩

[@Jamestopboy]

How long has it been since we last saw the Daleks? 4 years, 4 months, 21 days *exactly* as of the end of Genesis and the beginning of Destiny. And, yes, that is, in fact, *quite* a scream that Romana lets out when she falls down the chute.

[@robertkramer2271]

Interesting fact about this story, it was the last story written by dalek creator Terry Nation. Tom Baker and Lalla Ward were dating at the time and would shortly marry. Unfortunately, their marriage only lasted a couple of years.

[@Eltonlaleham]

I do say the Movellans looked awesome villains and they were determined to destroy the Daleks

[@chrispalmer7893]

Season 17! Been waiting for this since you started Classic Who. No spoilers, suffice to say that this season is one of amazing contrasts and includes the two stories I have re-watched more than any others (one because it is perfect, the other because it is very much not perfect...)

[@rogershore3128]

You're being kind about that other story......

[@Allancarlostani]

Season 17 is bizarre to me. One masterpiece, two good stories, and three stories that I honestly find horrible (in my opinion, you have every right to disagree).

[@rogershore3128]

@@Allancarlostani I'm a major Tom Baker fan but there is one story in that season I could never watch. As for the "masterpiece" it really is the only story ever made I would call genius.. It goes to levels I have never seen before or since. Can't say any more until you know who watches it......

[@chrispalmer7893]

@@Allancarlostani You’re not wrong, but one of those three travesties hits so bad it’s awesome (if you’re in the right mood and are sufficiently well-medicated)

[@TenCapQuesada]

You can see a photo of Mary Tamm, taken in 1976, in the Miriam Margolyes compilation of the Graham Norton show. Naked, but tastefully shielded!

[@DocRobAC]

Terry Nation did not want K9 appearing with the Daleks, so stuck him in the TARDIS. The laryngitis thing is an in story explanation for the change in K9’s voice.

[@alistairrae9807]

In expanded media the Daleks have a name for Romana Prisoner Unit 117

[@neptune04]

Lol I was listening to the commentary for this story in Lalla's own Words "I hated the scarf I kept tripping over it."

[@Wannabe_Baby]

I always heard that Romana's first actress (Mary Tamm) was told that she wouldn't just be a damsel in distress. Then she got kidnapped in every single story, sometimes twice (like in "The Androids of Tara"). I seem to be in the minority because I much prefer Mary Tamm's portrayal to Lalla Ward's. I like that Jess does a jig whenever an alarm sounds in Classic Who. And we still haven't seen how the cute little guns work!

[@alexlee2237]

Dalek writer Terry nation thought K9 would upstage his creations, so that's why K9 stays in the Tardis this time. The actor playing Tyson is a deaf actor, but you'd never know. I'm always in awe of his skill when watching this one.

[@SGlitz]

Script Editor Douglas Adams got this job but then Hitchhikers Guide took off at that same time so he had quite few things on his plate becoming an overnight cultural sensation😮

[@EJDW]

There are five years between Genesis of the Daleks and Destiny of the Daleks. It would be almost another 5 years until the Daleks return in Resurrection of the Daleks

[@matthewclarke4127]

Lalla Ward's terrified acting with the Daleks is brilliant. She was not the best actress on the show, but she always too the stories 100% seriously and hsd such a sincerity and earnestness in her performances.

[@zagreus139]

And completely unbelievable for the character

[@matthewclarke4127]

@@zagreus139 If the Daleks are the most evil creatures in the universe, you can forgive Romana for being frightened. Daleks are not going to seem menacing if characters act cocky around them.

[@DEEJAYWAL]

We see that clearly in the New Who episode The Stolen Earth. Sarah Jane Smith and Captain Jack Harkness are both seasoned alien hunters who have bravely faced all manner of cosmic horrors, first with the Doctor and then as the leaders of their own teams. But the minute they hear those familiar grating metallic voices they're reduced to tearfully hugging their loved ones.

[@neptune04]

Agreed especially in a later story (I won't say which) that had some of the most hammy acting in classic who.

[@SuperWolsey]

​@@zagreus139 when one listens to the 2013 4th Doctor audios (the very last time we hear Mary Tamm as Romana I), this statement is kinda true.

[@Allancarlostani]

Mary Tamm was a good Romana, but Lalla Ward is also great in the role. Fun, charismatic and I honestly think she was the actress who had the best chemistry with Tom Baker (yes, even more than Elisabeth Sladen)... so it wasn't a surprise when I discovered that they were married for a few years.

[@ooklathemokfan]

This was the season that John Leeson did NOT come back as K-9. And it's no in-show spoiler to say that Lalla Ward was the Romana that Tom Baker started dating and eventually married during their run on the show.

[@AndyRossism]

Oh and just FYI, the actor playing the main human, is almost entirely deaf.

[@whobp8]

I'm sure other commenters have filled you in on the new Romana, so I won't rehash it. The Movellans appear briefly in the revived series in the Peter Capaldi episode The Pilot, where we again see them fighting the Daleks. New script editor Douglas Adams sneaks in a few jokes in his signature style, pepping up an otherwise rather listless Dalek story.

[@Clayton-S.]

This story is generally a less well regarded Dalek story but yet again,I seem to like the less popular ones lol The Movellans are...interesting...and appear (very briefly) in NuWho. It's great to see the Daleks again. They'd been out of the series since Genesis of the Daleks in 1975 Romana 2 is great and Lalla Ward settles in really well. Plus, in Tom's outfit and then her own femme version, she does look adorable.😆👍

[@neptune04]

And now you know what I meant when I said in the armageddon factor reaction when I said Lalla would be talked about for a while.

[@thomasstevens2746]

Im obsessed with this story

[@firedoc5]

Somehow, I missed Part 1 with Romana regenerating and was confused for a while. The first-time seeing Lalla Ward as Romana I was like, huh, isn't that the princess? Loved Mary Tamm, but Lalla is more my "type". LOL To me Tom Baker is the most iconic Doctor, especially of classic Who. With is quirkiness and somewhat eccentricity, to me that embodies what the Doctor is supposed to be like.

[@chrisbrooker7260]

I think I recall Mary a Tamm was pregnant. It’s her and Lalla were great. Romana is such a good concept as a companion (as was Leela, both are the king of conceptual thinking New Who seems to have ignored). This is an OK story. The Movellans are an interesting concept, surprised they’ve not seen a return at any point (I think)

[@tideoftime]

Mary Tamm wanted to leave (and became pregnant, though that wasn't the initial reason for her leaving) and had offered to come back for the first episode to film a regeneration scene but the producers declined and instead went for a "clean break" with Lalla Ward's scene as-shown. EDIT (while still viewing) Did you appreciate the mild nod to the original scene where the Daleks (with suckers) were closing in on Barbara back from season one, vis-a-vis the closing shot of Ep-1 of this with Romana? (It was intentional, and later used again in reveals such as with Rose in Bad Wolf.)

[@alistairrae9807]

In Doctor Who’s expanded media shows Romana becoming President of the Time Lords

[@Gqspeed13]

Love Romana!!!

[@tokublwhovian]

Quarries - a staple of Doctor Who and Super Sentai/Power Rangers 😂

[@AtariDad]

There's a couple different expanded-universe explanations for why Romana decided to regenerate. I personally prefer the one from Big Finish which states that her first incarnation was slowly dying due to the energies it absorbed from holding the completed Key to Time.