The first point everyone brings up in regards to Season eight is the inclusion of a new rival for the Doctor. Yup, it's the entrance of the Master, that bearded baddie who want to ruin the earth, gain power and kill that goodie-goodie who always fouls up his plans for conquest and domination.

The second point everyone brings up is the change in style. Mighty Liz Shaw is swapped for flibbertigibbet Jo Grant. UNIT goes from interesting military organisation to conventional companion figures. And the deeper themes of man being his own worst enemy and harder contemporary settings are switched for a more stylised background and simpler morals.

It's a transition season, with the new style firmly in place by the end.

But is it any good?

Well, it gets off to a rocky start with Terror of the Autons. The story in itself is pretty good, although the editing of the serial gives everything an abrupt, disjointed feel. Jo Grant is summed up by her opening scene - definitely a throwback companion. Katy Manning does an all right job in her debut story. The biggest letdown is UNIT. This is not the same group from Season 7. The Brig yells a lot and seems to have lost a few I.Q. points. The Doctor's transformation to arrogant gasbag is completed here, with little of the charm, or humanity from the previous year. The one saving grace though, is the Master. Big Roger Delgado is the real treat of Terror, especially in managing to make his more "charming" moments have more menace than his "villainous" moments. The only two minor niggles are the Master's decision to help out the Doctor in the finale, and the very first Doctor/Master "I'm going to kill you, but you'll have time to weasel out of it first," scene.

The Mind of Evil is the high point of the season. A complex story, with very interesting human villains and a nasty alien weapon. Three separate plots lines are woven together over six episodes. UNIT gets to be a competent military organization. Jo Grant gets to be competent and resourceful, and moreso, gets treated like an adult. Jon Pertwee gives a strong performance as the Doctor, one that's a bit more nuanced. But this is Big Rog's show. Best Delgado Master Performance Ever. He's acting like a Mafia Don, and it's a joy to behold.

What is really special about The Mind of Evil is the final confrontation between the Doctor and Master. The Doctor is ready to kill off the Master once and for all, with no hesitation. Such a shame that this confrontation didn't end the season, because it's one of the best Doctor/Master face-offs ever. And it's obvious that Big Rog and Pertwee are having a criminal amount of fun in their scenes together.

The Claws of Axos roars with the new style. It's also very silly. Jo reverts to a mere screamer role. The Doctor is annoying and well, even the Master doesn't shine as much in the previous stories. However, the script has loads of ideas, a trademark of Bob Baker and Dave Martin. Nic Courtney gives a strong performance as the Brigadier. And Big Rog has his moment in the sun in episode three where he's checking out the Doctor's TARDIS. Cracks me up every time. Unfortunately, the Bill Filer role is painful, Pertwee fails to convince he's turned heel in the last episode and the ending is a bit of a cop out.

Colony in Space is boring. Sorry. Not to say that Mac Hulke isn't trying. The struggle between the colonists and IMC can cure insomnia. And the whole Doomsday Weapon/Master plot feels tacked on. I mean this is supposed to be the first TARDIS trip in nearly two years, but I almost wish they stayed back on Earth. The performances are lame, and even Big Rog can't save the story. Such a shame.

The last serial in our battle between good and evil is The Dæmons. I'm going to sound like a broken record, but it's still complete bollocks with a stupendously dumb ending, yet watchable and enjoyable on a so bad it's good/Twin Dilemma sort of way. Any sense of the Doctor/Master rivalry being interesting is destroyed by that final moment when Big Rog is driven off and is booed by the folks of Devil's End. The Master becomes another boo-hiss villain.

So, by The Claws of Axos, the transition from interesting and challenging stories to formula runarounds is complete. The Dæmons is the low point of the season, and one of the low points of all of Who. Season Eight is a disappointment, on numerous levels. Even with the introduction of an arch-rival for the Doctor to do battle with.