History Recap / DoctorWhoS23E4TheUltimateFoe

Episode 1 was written by Creator/RobertHolmes and script editor Eric Saward together; because Holmes [[DiedDuringProduction had died of a sudden disease before finishing Episode 2]], Saward finished that by himself and preserved the BolivianArmyEnding intended by Holmes. However, his draft was rejected by Producer Creator/JohnNathanTurner, who felt Holmes's ending was an easy excuse for the BBC to cancel the show[[note]]The BBC had already tried it before, but it led into the eighteen-month hiatus that birthed ''The Trial of a Time Lord''.[[/note]]. Having had one too many CreativeDifferences with Nathan-Turner, Saward quit the show, took the script with him, and threatened to sue if anything resembling his script went to screen.

* BelatedHappyEnding: Peri, assumed dead after the events of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS23E2Mindwarp Mindwarp]]," gets one of these.

Episode 1 was written by Creator/RobertHolmes and script editor Eric Saward together; because Holmes [[AuthorExistenceFailure had died of a sudden disease]] without finishing Episode 2, Saward finished that by himself and preserved the BolivianArmyEnding intended by Holmes. However, his draft was rejected by Producer Creator/JohnNathanTurner, who felt Holmes's ending was an easy excuse for the BBC to cancel the show[[note]]The BBC had already tried it before, but it led into the eighteen-month hiatus that birthed ''The Trial of a Time Lord''.[[/note]]. Having had one too many CreativeDifferences with Nathan-Turner, Saward quit the show, took the script with him, and threatened to sue if anything resembling his script went to screen.

->''[[FamousLastWords Carrot juice, carrot juice, carrot juice...]]'' (The last words of the Sixth Doctor on TV, at least)

Though few really notice, the two episodes were written by four different people.\\
Episode 1 was written by Creator/RobertHolmes and script editor Eric Saward together; because Holmes [[AuthorExistenceFailure had died of a sudden disease]] without finishing Episode 2, Saward finished that by himself and preserved the BolivianArmyEnding intended by Holmes. However, his draft was rejected by Producer Creator/JohnNathanTurner, who felt Holmes's ending was an easy excuse for the BBC to cancel the show[[note]]The BBC had already tried it before, but it led into the eighteen-month hiatus that birthed ''The Trial of a Time Lord''.[[/note]]. Having had one too many CreativeDifferences with Nathan-Turner, Saward quit the show, took the script with him, and threatened to sue if anything resembling his script went to screen.\\\
The final draft of Episode 2 was written by Pip and Jane Baker[[note]]no relation to Colin, Tom or prolific [=70s=] ''Who'' writer Bob Baker, all of which are unrelated as well.[[/note]] of ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS22E3TheMarkOfTheRani The Mark of the Rani]]'' and ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS23E3TerrorOfTheVervoids Terror of the Vervoids]]''; because of legal problems with Holmes's estate and Saward, the Bakers were prohibited from even knowing about the original script, resulting in a finale with a massively different tone from its direct predecessor's.

The one where Colin gets fired.

The two episodes were written by four different people, though few really notice. The first episode was written by Creator/RobertHolmes and script editor Eric Saward together, with Holmes slowly dying from disease. He passed away without finishing the final episode, which was finished off by Eric Saward himself-- and then withdrawn when Producer Creator/JohnNathanTurner disagreed with it, specifically taking issue with its preservation of Holmes' intended ending in which the Doctor and the Valeyard become trapped within the Matrix, doomed to fight one another for an indefinitely long period of time. Turner felt that the ending would've given the BBC the perfect excuse to cancel the series for real this time (having already attempted it once before, only for it to lead into the 18-month hiatus that birthed ''The Trial of a Time Lord'' in the first place). A frustrated Saward, who had been on increasingly tense terms with Turner due to irreconcilable CreativeDifferences and had finally reached his breaking point, proceeded to walk out on the show, taking his script with him. The final episode was then entrusted to Pip and Jane Baker (no relation to Colin '''or''' Creator/TomBaker, who themselves are also unrelated, and none of them are related to prolific 70s ''Who'' writer Bob Baker, either), who had written [[Recap/DoctorWhoS22E3TheMarkOfTheRani previously]] for [[Recap/DoctorWhoS23E3TerrorOfTheVervoids the series]]. Because of legal issues with Holmes' estate and with Saward, Pip and Jane prohibited from knowing about the original plan for the story's conclusion, to the point where they weren't even permitted to ''see'' the original script. The end result is a final episode that contrasts quite heavily with the tone of its direct predecessor, for better or for worse.

''[[FamousLastWords Carrot juice, carrot juice, carrot juice...]]'' (The last words of the Sixth Doctor on TV, at least)

Picking right up where the previous story left off, ''The Ultimate Foe'' opens up with the Doctor being accused of genocide. The Doctor objects, and both he and the Valeyard get into a well-written argument that suddenly ends when [[Recap/DoctorWhoS23E1TheMysteriousPlanet Sabalom Glitz]] and future companion Melanie show up almost literally out of nowhere. When the Doctor asks how they got there, the Master shows up to torment the Doctor and everyone else - revealing major plot points like how Ravalox (from the first part) was really the Earth. Furthering his gloating, the Master reveals that [[WhamLine the Valeyard is really the Doctor]].

Well, not exactly. The Valeyard is a piece of the Doctor: specifically, the Doctor's dark side, split off from around the last of his regenerations. Even when being specific, this origin is incredibly abstract.

->''"Carrot juice, carrot juice, carrot juice..."''
-->--The final line of the adventure; sadly, Colin Baker's final line as '''the Doctor'''. (Well, at least on TV...)

----

* TheTroll: The Doctor has pursued the Valeyard into a computerized micro-universe where the only logic is that there is no logic and where the Valeyard is already adept at manipulating his surroundings. Does the Valeyard create an utterly deadly environment where his foe couldn’t possibly survive? . . . . Actually, he delays their confrontation by creating an [[ObstructiveBureaucrat Obstructive Bureaucrat]] who has to fill in an interminable number of forms before he can allow the two enemies to meet, just to annoy the Doctor.

* AllJustADream: The entirety of Season 23 is revealed to have been an inaccurate reconstruction of what really happened. Of particular note, it turns out that Peri's death never really happened and instead she is happily living with King Yrcanos (despite the fact that he seems to be violently insane, though that may just be more Matrix tampering).

Hey, don't be sad ol' Sawbones Hex got drummed out of the series after only eleven episodes. He was rescued by Big Finish! [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho Take some spare time to look at the overwhelming collection of Sixth Doctor audios.]] And if you want to see more of him, start [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho001TheSirensOfTime HERE]]. But sadly (or perhaps mercifully is a better word), you can't witness his coat in action as you listen to his stories; while audio can broadcast the dulcet tones of the Sixth Doctor, it doesn't do so hot where the visual department is concerned, let alone visualizing a coat that is a certified cornucopia of clashing colour hues.

* HamToHamCombat: Creator/ColinBaker vs Michael Jayston!

* Troll: The Doctor has pursued the Valeyard into a computerized micro-universe where the only logic is that there is no logic and where the Valeyard is already adept at manipulating his surroundings. Does the Valeyard create an utterly deadly environment where his foe couldn’t possibly survive? . . . . Actually, he delays their confrontation by creating an [[ObstructiveBureaucrat Obstructive Bureaucrat]] who has to fill in an interminable number of forms before he can allow the two enemies to meet, just to annoy the Doctor.

Either way, the Valeyard flees into the Matrix ''([[Film/TheMatrix no, not that one!]] We've been over this!)'' and the Doctor and Glitz pursue. Inside the Matrix, the Doctor and Glitz are tormented by the Valeyard repeatedly until finally winding up in what can only be described as a world that was co-designed by MC Escher and Charles Dickens on PCP and acid. The Valeyard continues to gloat in his own way, while Mel and the entire judge and jury stare at the viewscreen like it's the Monday Night Football game.

The two episodes were written by four different people, though few really notice. The first episode was written by Creator/RobertHolmes and script editor Eric Saward together, with Holmes slowly dying from disease. He passed away without finishing the final episode, which was finished off by Eric Saward himself — and then withdrawn when Producer Creator/JohnNathanTurner disagreed with it, specifically taking issue with its preservation of Holmes' intended ending in which the Doctor and the Valeyard become trapped within the Matrix, doomed to fight one another for an indefinitely long period of time. Turner felt that the ending would've given the BBC the perfect excuse to cancel the series for real this time (having already attempted it once before, only for it to lead into the 18-month hiatus that birthed ''The Trial of a Time Lord'' in the first place). A frustrated Saward proceeded to walk out on the show, taking his script with him. The final episode was then entrusted to Pip and Jane Baker (no relation to Colin '''or''' Creator/TomBaker, who themselves are also unrelated, and none of them are related to prolific 70s ''Who'' writer Bob Baker, either), who had written [[Recap/DoctorWhoS22E3TheMarkOfTheRani previously]] for [[Recap/DoctorWhoS23E3TerrorOfTheVervoids the series]]. In fact, because of legal issues with Holmes' estate and with Saward, Pip and Jane prohibited from knowing about the original plan for the story's conclusion, to the point where they weren't even permitted to ''see'' the original script.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: After having put up with the KangarooCourt of the previous season and the numerous pompous and self-righteous condemnation of his character from the Time Lords, when he learns that the whole thing was orchestrated as part of a cover-up of a theft of Time Lord secrets that also resulted in the destruction of the Earth the Doctor takes the opportunity to tell the assembled Time Lords exactly what he thinks of them; from here on in, the only time he will ever look at Gallifrey with any sort of fondness is after it's gone.

The two episodes were written by four different people, though few really notice. The first episode was written by Creator/RobertHolmes and script editor Eric Saward together, with Holmes slowly dying from disease. He passed away without finishing the final episode, which was finished off by Eric Saward himself — and then withdrawn when Producer Creator/JohnNathanTurner disagreed with it. The final episode was then entrusted to Pip and Jane Baker ''(no relation to Colin '''or''' Creator/TomBaker, who themselves are also unrelated, and none of them are related to prolific 70s Who writer Bob Baker, either)'', who had written [[Recap/DoctorWhoS22E3TheMarkOfTheRani previously]] for [[Recap/DoctorWhoS23E3TerrorOfTheVervoids the series]]. In fact, Pip and Jane weren't even allowed to ''see'' the original script, not to mention they had no clue how the story was supposed to end.

* ShoutOutToShakespeare: The Valeyard quotes ''{{Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'':

And if you ''really'' want to know what happened to the Sixth Doctor, have no fear! [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoSpecialTheLastAdventure Big Finish released an audio series in August 2015 to deal with his regeneration story.]]

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: After having put up with the KangarooCourt of the previous season and the numerous pompous and self-righteous condemnation of his character from the Time Lords, when he learns that the whole thing was orchestrated as part of a cover-up of a theft of Time Lord secrets that also resulted in the destruction of the Earth the Doctor takes the opportunity to tell the assembled Time Lords exactly what he thinks of them.
** [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation You can also interpret that speech]] as Robert Holmes and Colin Baker himself telling off Creator/TheBBC for their contemptuous treatment of the show and plans to take it off the air.
* {{Retcon}}: Peri's death in "Mindwarp" was meant to be real. However, between the filming of Nicola Bryant's final scenes and the end of production, John Nathan-Turner got cold feet about killing her off and decided to reveal in this story that it was a fabrication, seemingly without checking if it tallied with the rest of the story.

* WhamEpisode: The Valeyard is really a corrupted future incarnation of the Doctor, employed by the Time Lord High Council to destroy the Doctor to prevent him from revealing their role in the attempted genocide of the human race. The Doctor's only ally in this is the Master, who (obviously) cannot be trusted.

* ExactWords: The Master's description of the Valeyard as originating from somewhere between the Doctor's "twelfth" and "final" incarnations was retroactively made into this a long time later (well, either that or the Master was just lying). At the time, it was assumed that the Doctor's thirteenth incarnation would ''be'' his final one, and thus the assumption is clearly that the Valeyard - whatever exactly he is - would be created somehow when the twelfth incarnation of the Doctor regenerated into the thirteenth. [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E13TheNameOfTheDoctor Later]] [[Recap/DoctorWho2013CSTheTimeOfTheDoctor episodes]] made it so that we've now ''already seen'' more than twelve incarnations of the Doctor, with [[Recap/DoctorWho2017CSTwiceUponATime still more to come]], and no clear idea any more of which number of incarnation (if ''any'') we can expect to be the "final" one. If we assume that the Master was correct, then "between twelfth and final" is now retroactively just a fancy way of saying "some point after Creator/MattSmith but before the BBC finally cancels Series/DoctorWho for good".

* {{Retcon}]: Peri's death in "Mindwarp" was meant to be real. However, between the filming of Nicola Bryant's final scenes and the end of production, John Nathan-Turner got cold feet about killing her off and decided to reveal in this story that it was a fabrication, seemingly without checking if it tallied with the rest of the story.

* MeaninglessMeaningfulWords: Perhaps the most famous example from ''Doctor Who'''s half-century run: "'''There's nothing you can do to prevent the catharsis of spurious morality!'''" [[note]]A very roundabout way of saying "If your morals are phony, you'll get your comeuppance." Now was that so hard to say?[[/note]]