The scene above comes from Part 2 of this story. It's a simple little scene, where the Doctor reflects on the consequences of actions, and in many ways acts as one of the major starting points for the era of the Seventh Doctor. He's a Doctor who's a little bit more contemplative, a more thoughtful man, which comes in direct contrast to most of his previous incarnations. Here, his reflection reveals his inner turmoil, grappling with what he is about to do and thinking about the powers that he truly has. He contemplates if he could remove the market for sugar on Earth, and how that would have affected history, a simple act of manipulation that would have dire consequences for the rest of the Universe. And that sums up much of what the Seventh Doctor does: a simple bit of manipulation, and watching the consequences play out according to his plan.
Nowhere is this more apparent than when he faces off against Davros towards the climax of the story. He manipulates Davros into firing a Weapon of Mass Destruction, only for it to backfire into his face and explode both the planet Skaro and the Dalek ship, effectively neutering the Daleks for the next little while. This act of manipulation shows the Doctor as something truly darker than his previous incarnations, something which Andrew Cartmel, the script editor, was fairly keen on introducing more darkness and mystery into the character of the Doctor, through making him into this sort of manipulative figure. It's an interesting move, and helps to breathe new life into the programme, through turning some of the attention onto the Doctor and his role in the series. Certainly, it means that I shall watch the rest of the Cartmel era with my interest piqued.
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