I admit that I’m not as fond of it as I used to be, though I still consider it to be incredibly underrated. There’s a certain tonal confusion to stories like Nightmare of Eden which drags it down considerably- it’s a potentially very dark story concerning the after-effects of drug smuggling, yet is played in a decidedly parodic fashion which undermines the script when presented to screen. I can also understand the frustration of fans desiring a more serious rendition of Who, as the season does come across as a piss take much of the time, and I don’t know if I’d like it as much if I’d been around to watch it on transmission.
However, with that out of the way, I’d consider it an unfairly maligned season which primarily receives criticism due to the playfully silly tone as opposed to the stories themselves, which are generally acceptable and occasionally superb. Destiny of the Daleks is OK- it’s nowhere near as bad as many say, even if Davros is very poorly realised. City of Death is brilliant, with an imaginative narrative that remains air-tight amidst the time travel elements, coupled with some truly lovely dialogue, performances, location shooting and incidental score (possible Simpson’s best work). Creature from the Pit is largely reviled, though I’m not entirely sure why- the creature itself is certainly a joke, but I’ve always seen that as intentional. I’ve always seen the sillier aspects of the season to have a sense of playful self-awareness about them, without veering into pure anti-intellectualism. It’s got a brilliant jungle set too. It’s not great, but hardly insulting. I’ve already discussed Eden, and it’s the weakest of the season due to the reasons outlined above and exemplifies an occasional problem with the season and era concerning its tonal inconsistencies. Nimon is somewhat similar, and could objectively be assessed as an embarrassing mess, though it’s always cheered me up when required personally. I love Shada myself- it’s very much an amalgamation of the best elements of City of Death with a more epic scope applied to proceedings.
I think it’s a season I would think of differently had I watched it at the time of broadcast, and might have not taken to it at all if I had. Much of it is farcical by design, and is so starkly different to Tom’s earlier years, and could have easily turned away long term fans. Although as it stands right now, and given how much I liked it as a kid when being introduced to the original series, I still really enjoy it, and don’t consider it to be anywhere near as bad as many. It’s highs are also tremendously high, and amongst my all time favourite stories.