The Renaissance Man (#1.02)

  Big Finish, Fourth Doctor Series

This is a classic Fourth Doctor story in the finest sense of the word classic.  The Doctor and Leela go from moment to moment, scene to scene within different “time periods,” and even stay together for the majority of the story and everything just makes sense in a way Doctor Who should.  I love the way things unfold and how the Doctor thinks about the entire battle of the mind as a process that he can defeat, with just a few judicious words in the right ear.  And it works marvelously!  The theme fits into the current arc of teaching Leela about various societies and yet it’s a great story on its own.  And I didn’t even realize that things were building to a conclusion until the Doctor unmasks the evil villain and everything is explained, in pretty simple terms for once as well.  Nicely, nicely done, Justin Richards!


Tom Baker and Louise Jameson

Writer: Justin Richards

Director: Ken Bentley

Release: February 2012

© Laura Vilensky 2019