N.B. there might (or might not) be spoilers in this article!

When I was first planning this marathon, I did not expect to be able to watch The Enemy of the World. Listen to it? Yes. But actually watch it? No, that didn’t seem at all likely.

“Perhaps we’ve landed in a world of mad men.”

Victoria, The Enemy of the World: Episode 1

But the announcement of its recovery in 2013 came just over a month before my planned start date of Doctor Who‘s 50th anniversary. And so, fifteen months in, here I am, watching The Enemy of the World again.

The opening of episode 1 has to be one of the most joyous in all of Doctor Who, with the Doctor leaping around gleefully and going for a dip at Climping an Australian Beach. After which, the story quickly becomes a cracking action-packed Bond-like tale of intrigue, double-cross and a megalomaniac Mexican.

“It was you. Or someone like you.”

Bruce, The Enemy of the World: Episode 3

Whilst most obviously The Enemy of the World is, like The Massacre for William Hartnell, an opportunity for Patrick Troughton to play both the hero and the villain (and indeed the hero playing the villain), there are great performances all around. Indeed, back when episode 3 was merely one of the so-called orphan episodes, it was always a favourite, due mostly to the wonderful Reg Lye as Griffin the chef, who steals every scene he’s in. Milton Johns as Benik is also worthy of special mention – surely one of the slimiest antagonists we’ve ever encountered in the show.

My joy in 2013 at being able to see the episodes tempted me to elevate The Enemy of The World to all-conquering Second Doctor classic. A second viewing has perhaps given me a little more opportunity to reflect, but that’s not to take anything away from it: The Enemy of the World is still very, very good.

In my head though, I’ll always imagine its title being said the way Jon Pertwee introduces the then sole-surviving third episode on The Troughton Years VHS release all those years ago. “The Enemy. Of the World!”