Day 437: The Deadly Assassin Part 2

It's worth noting that this is the first and only story in the Classic Series of Doctor Who to not feature a companion. The Doctor is alone on Gallifrey, which makes for a remarkably interesting story. Aside from serving as an audience identification figure, the companion also serves as an ally for the Doctor. This is especially apparent in this story, where the Doctor is almost immediately accused of something and is thrown into a bid to prove his innocence. In this instance, we sort of miss the companion, to act as defendant for the Doctor and hopefully turn the tide in his favour. However, it's also apparent that the absence of a companion makes for a better story. We truly get the sense that the Doctor is fighting for his life and thus we are gripped to discover whether he will survive or not. It makes for a nice piece of storytelling from Robert Holmes, but we're only halfway through The Deadly Assassin.