Blast from the Past

Montly Column by Steven Ashby, where he looks back at Classic Dr Who episodes.

Caves of Androzani

Well, this is where the journey ends for the fifth doctor Peter Davison, and is considered to be one of the best episodes in the Classic Era.

Plot:

As the story opens, the TARDIS arrives on Androzani Minor where the Doctor and his new companion Peri decide to explore some caves and accidentally fall into a seemingly innocent nest which coats them in a white sticky web like substance. As they exit the nest they run into the forces of General Chellak who mistakes them for gunrunners so they are arrested and taken back to the General’s base. The General consults TrausMorgus who is based on Androzani Major and controls the mining interests of a powerful drug called Spetrox. Morgus, unknown to the General hired the gunrunners and orders the Doctor and Peri executed after not recognizing them. As they are being held for execution, the Doctor and Peri begin to feel itchy and see that the areas where they were touched by the sticky web are becoming red and blistered. Before being taken to execution they are captured by Sharaz Jek and replaced by a pair of perfect android duplicates.

As the Doctor and Peri arrive at Jek’s lair they discover that Jek is a masked man with intentions to use the gunrunners to arm him in order to take revenge on Morgus who left him disfigured. The Doctor and Peri then complain about their rashes to Salateen, one of General Chellak’s men captured by Jek. Salateen points out that they were poisoned by Spetrox Toxemia which is now in its first stage. This is fatal and can only be cured by the milk of a queen bat which is found in the deepest parts of the caves. After escaping by reprogramming Jek’s androids the Doctor is separated from Peri during a struggle with Chellak’s men. The Doctor is captured by the gunrunners led by Stotz and taken to Androzani Major while Peri is captured by Salateen and returned to the General.

As the Doctor is being transported to Androzani Major, Stotz communicates with Morgus who discovers the Doctor was not executed and fearing that since the Doctor has seen Morgus talking with Stotz will blow Morgus’ cover. Morgus executes the President of Androzani Major and decides to go to Androzani Minor to take care of things personally. The Doctor commandeers the shuttle from Stotz and sets course back to Androzani Minor.

Once Salateen makes his way back to the General’s camp with Peri, they begin to plot an assault on Jek by luring his androids to another section of the caves. This results in the deaths of nearly all of the General’s troops and Jek’s androids. Jek rescues a weakened Peri from the General and takes her back to his base. The Doctor arrives and seeing the fragile state of Peri begs Jek for information on the cure. Jek shows the Doctor where the bats milk is located and gives him some breathing aids since there is no air that deep in the cave. The Doctor leaves to retrieve the cure while Morgus arrives on the planet.

Morgus executes all the gunrunners but Stotz and they make their way to Sharaz Jek. Jek when confronted with Morgus kills him and Stotz. Jek is mortally wounded and dies as well. The Doctor arrives too late to save Jek but picks up Peri and carries her back to the TARDIS. While on the way back the Doctor spills some of the bat’s milk but is able to retain enough for Peri. As the two enter the TARDIS, the Doctor gives Peri the bat’s milk and collapses. As Peri revives she sees the Doctor dying beside her. The Doctor explains only enough for her and he is dying. Peri worriedly asks what can she do and he explains to her he might regenerate. As the Doctor dies he states “It feels different this time”, and as the images of his past companions and his greatest enemy The Master flood his brain, he awakens to state to a bewildered Peri that this is “Change my dear, and it seems not a moment too soon”.

Analysis:

Since this is my first review let me state that anytime that I review I will ignore the era it’s in and the production value. We live in 2014 and its television people I can’t disagree more with people who complain about the trivial “wonky” sets. You try putting on a television show with a limited budget. The show was and will always be great for its time.

Now, this episode is one of my favorites so I am biased. The plot is one of the best classic era stories and is written by Robert Holmes who is a veteran Doctor Who writer at this time. The Doctor and Peri are not the stars of this story and integrate well with the other teams involved which does not say that there presence is not valued it’s just that overall they are part of the action and while the plot is “Get the bat’s milk or we die” the action is spread out over all sides that they are parts of the story and not the whole. The General is out to kill Jek which is his duty and function. Morgus is the typical corrupt business man who is made more desperate as the story progresses. Jek is your typical “anti-hero” who was driven mad by a disaster (his betrayal and injury by Morgus) and became deranged but holds on to enough of his humanity that you root for him to kill his oppressors.

The Doctor and Peri are well played by Peter Davison and Nicola Bryant in this episode. Peri is still new to the team and the rapport between Davison and Bryant is not crisp and I think that they were good to not have as center of a role in the story as usual to make this about the story and not their relationship. You can see and feel the devotion the Doctor has for Peri though and his dedication to getting the cure to save their lives is a key that you can see in Davison’s performance.  Bryant is beautiful, there I said what everybody thinks, but she is a great actress too. She is used perfectly here as she is still getting to know the Doctor and the time travelling lifestyle she has chosen. She is very energetic in wanting to explore Androzani Minor and after being put into danger acts like anyone would if they hadn’t been there. Bryant portrays total disgust and fear when initially meeting Jek who comes off as a lecherous man at this early stage. She then switches to worry about her condition and then her horror in seeing Jek’s face. Bryant is underutilized but you understand it when you think of the circumstances and all that is going on.

The guest casting is great with special shout outs to Christopher Gable as Sharaz Jek, and Maurice Roeves as the greedy Stotz. The only issue I have with any of the character portrayal was Martin Cochrane who was a little stiff as General Chellak.

The music was well used and not overdone (just ask for a Seventh Doctor episode if you want music complaints).

My overall impressions of the regeneration are that is was well done and is one of the best in the show's history. The Doctor as he is dying sees all his former companions, Adric, Tegan, Nyssa, Turlough, even Kamelion. The last face he sees though laughing at him is his mortal enemy The Master which is nice as a fan of the character and of Ainley’s portrayal of him but not so much as hope for the future. The regeneration does not look like it went well and when finished we see a new man sit up and say in a sneering manner that he is happy for the change. What should we expect with the new Doctor? The regeneration worked to make me sad about losing Davison but wondering what is wrong with this new guy. As we would learn the new Doctor is nothing like his predecessors.

Total Rating:   5 out of 5 – As stated this is one of my favorite episodes and one which I can watch over and over again.