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Tuesday, 2 September 2003 - Reviewed by Gwyneth Jeffers

This is a review written by someone who has never seen Trial before until this month on my public television station. I was completely blown away by this certain show, and many people on the forum have told me to "brace myself", and I did, and I was still completely shocked.

Colin and Nicola have both grown into their characters by this time, and it's a pity because this is Nicola's last show and close to Colin's end as the Doctor. You can tell the hiatus had taken place; Colin's hair has grown into a beautiful mound of blonde curls, and Nicola, well, she was almost unrecognizable to me. Anyway, this was a great story, both Colin and Nicola acted superbly in this, you can see they have come a looong way since the "Twin Dilemma".

The person I feel sorry for the most, is the guy that had been transformed and he had those fangs...his mouth seemed to be drooped open for most of the show, and that had to be painful for him. 

I wasn't expecting the same character from Vengence on Varos to appear in this show, but there he was. It seems like these characters were up to no good, doing transformations on people as it had been done to Peri in Vengence.

Again it happens to her at the end of the show, and I was so shocked by this. I was never a big Peri fan, but I have grown fond of her since seeing Vengence, and I had this huge sickening feeling that something bad was going to happen to her. She becomes the creature that had been suffering massive aches in the head,and Peri herself is no more. Seeing Peri bald and completely mad, her eyes bulging out of her head as she sees the King Yrcanos come in, was very creepy. Since they air Doctor Who at midnight, I wasn't fully aware of everything that night, so I watched it when I was awake, and I found myself crying at the demise of Peri, and Colin's superb performance when he finds out Peri had been "killed". His eyes seem to water up or at least become glossy with shock and sadness, and not expecting this from the Sixth Doctor, I was left speechless and tears running down my face. When I say "killed", it has never been really proven if she has survived or not. Some people say there is a book that says she has survived, but when I read the books, I seperate them from the tv show. A website has said they believed Peri was truly dead because why should the Master tell the truth now after so many years hating the Doctor, and causing trouble. That's a good theory. 

Mindwarp is a great show in the Trial of a Time Lord series. If you haven't seen it, you're in for a real treat. Outstanding performances by all, even the guest actors. Also if you're a big fan of Peri, and happen to be a big softie like me, don't be surprised if you at least have one tear in your eye. Colin's performance in the very last scene will take your breath away!





FILTER: - Television - Series 23 - Sixth Doctor