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Caves Of Androzani

posted 8 years ago by raventhom
7 replies | jump to latest

Definitely the best 5th Doctor story.
This has a bit of everything to make a story worth watching n rewatching, which I will
Spectrox, is a drug used to extend one's life line, who wouldn't want some?
When our heroes get infected, it's not hard to figure out how it ends, not well.
The androids are used intelligently, and another way to confuse the issues
The writing in this is very good, the Doctor is at his very best in every scene.
One can imagine this Doctor in any of the other stories, I must say, seeing him regenerate was the best but saddest of them all, basically giving up his life for a companion
The swirling heads of former companions and even the Master, DIE DOCTOR, was great!
Peter and Nicola, I wish you had at least another season together, having had to put up with some of my most irritating companions, Getting Peri for such a short time

[–] AaronCapenBanner 8 years ago

Still my favorite story ever, this is absolutely stellar in all departments, with uniformly excellent performances, particularly Christopher Gable, John Normington, and Peter Davison, who was never better. Robert Holmes' script is exemplary, as is Graeme Harper's inspired, crackerjack direction(the cliffhanger to episode 3 is astonishingly effective), and another fine score contribute to this all-time high in the canon, and for me, the end of the series as well. Only negative is not ending with the fade-out on Peter, but instead continuing on with Colin sitting up and speaking.

[–] Kevin_the_Cow 8 years ago

My favorite story in all of Doctor Who, closely followed by City of Death and Talons of Weng-Chiang.

[–] pferreira86 8 years ago

By this point Eric Saward was delivering scripts for production that were basically fatalistic and unnecessarily violent in tone however with Bob Holmes script along with Graeme Harper's direction it actually fits. There's an actual reason for all that. It feels deserved.

[–] MikeF-6 8 years ago

Fifth Doctor Peter Davison and his American companion Perpegillium (Peri) Brown land the TARDIS on Androzani Minor and get taken prisoner almost immediately in this dark and violent story. They remain that way for all four 24-minute episodes, going back and forth between government forces, rebel forces, and mercenary forces fighting an endless stalemate far underground in a labyrinth of caves.

For the first time (out of several), an Evildoer falls in love with Peri. His name is Sharaz Jek and is played by Christopher Gable. Before this serial aired in the U.S. I heard showrunner John Nathan Turner, at a DW convention in Chicago, play up Jek as a new and exciting villain. Unfortunately, Jek is just another ranting megalomaniac with an Evil Laugh. Jek is a typical Bad Guy and Peri is an airhead surfer girl (in her introductory tale she sports a bikini for a short scene just so the guys out there in TV land get the idea) and Nicola Bryant is not a very accomplished actress. But in two scenes between them, the Rape Threat from Jek and Peri’s terror are almost too scary to watch. It is almost palpable. This is surely Bryant’s finest moment as an actress.

The Doctor dies after giving Peri all the antidote to the poison they have been exposed to. “Is this death?” he asks. “It feels different, this time.” This is one of the all-time favorite stories of long-time fans of the Classic Series.

mf

Trust me. I’m The Doctor.

[–] Chris12955 8 years ago

Easily a 10/10 story. And we have Eric Saward in part to thank for it. If he had not continually pressured John Nathan Turner that Robert Holmes should be allowed to write for the show, we never would have gotten this gem.

[–] mindbait 8 years ago

I always thought that there was something appropriate about some of the regenerations: Tom was a larger than life doctor who died saving THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE FROM COLLAPSE, Peter's doctor was much more subdued and personable and winds up sacrificing himself for a single companion... taking that back even further, you get old Bill who just wears himself out, mischievous Pat, who gets royally told off by the time lords, and the slightly zen and dignified Pertwee who gets gently regenerated in his crushed velvet jacket by a monk after returning some jewellery 

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[–] Chris12955 8 years ago

Well, they do write the regeneration stories for the current Doctor, so that shouldn't be much of a surprise. I am miffed when they seem to ignore what kind of Doctor the current one is, and send him out in a way not befitting his Doctor.

Hartnell, losing his bluster as he finally falls prey to the old age that dogged his Doctor. His famed power of persuasion and authority at a loss as events work themselves out without his involvement. That mercurial Doctor leaving as he came in, in a big mystery of what just happened.

Troughton, having to submit to The Man and all his machination are for naught. The Doctor who was so much like a child, and forced to act like an adult for once in one of his most mature stories. All that running, and it all comes down to a point where he can no longer run away.

Pertwee, being done in by the events set in motion by his own reckless rule breaking. Ultimately not being able to flaunt his own authority against his opponents like he always did. The Doctor who worked so hard to circumvent his problems, has to go through it to win, and to win, is to die in this case.

Davison, being at his wits end and more desperate and out of control than we have ever seen from this placid on top of things Doctor. Also, a man who was unable to prevent so much death around him(even losing a companion) relinquishes his own life to prevent one person he hardly knows from dying.

McCoy, who was so hip with the kids, is not able to connect with these out of control youngsters. His complicated end game thinking is useless in his last story, as The Master, nature, and events make him impotent through much of the story.
A surprise considering this wasn't intended to be his swan song.

The two bakers don't have very fitting send offs for them. I blame Christopher Bidmead and his poor handling of characters(see Romana and K9's send off) for Tom's, and Michael Grade's interference for Colin.