YMMV / Doctor Who S3 E5 "The Massacre"

• Genius Bonus: Since it's Steven's Day in the Limelight and the Doctor is missing for most of the story, the story foregoes the usual Hollywood History settings to focus on a historical event that was and is fairly obscure to British audiences (the Massacre of Saint Bartholomew's Day). Viewers are presumably supposed to identify with Steven's lack of any idea what's going on and the retelling of the historical events is given much more attention than usual. If you're familiar with the history, you end up identifying with the Doctor instead and the whole sympathy of the plot changes.
• He Really Can Act: Those who best know Peter Purves for presenting Blue Peter will be surprised by stories like this that show he had real acting chops (even if it only survives in audio form).
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: Many people feel the series missed the opportunity to give Steven a powerful and bittersweet ending by having him walk out on the Doctor permanently over the fate of Anne, or at least have a proper blowout argument that developed the relationship between the two. Instead, he returns to the TARDIS because... some cops are approaching. Unfortunately, since the scene is missing it's impossible to know how exactly William Hartnell and Peter Purves played the silent aftermath of Steven's angry departure.

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