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"Doctor Who"
The Caves of Androzani: Part 1 (1984)
1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
A tale of two planets, 25 November 2007
Author: Daniel Kincaid from Canada
"The Caves of Androzani" is a "Doctor Who" serial featuring Peter Davison as the Doctor. The story concerns two neighboring planets, Androzani Minor and Androzani Major. Major is a center of governmental operations, but Minor contains a valuable resource. On Minor there is a war between government and resistance resources that is at a lingering stalemate. The situation is altered when the Doctor and companion Peri land in the TARDIS on Minor.
Peter Davison is in top form as the Doctor, playing the character as knowledgeable with occasional touches of sarcasm. Admittedly I always thought Peri was never an especially good companion for the Doctor. She gets better as the serial progresses, but too often whines, screams or squeals. I would say that her character is the only major detractor of the serial. John Normington is memorable as the cold, brooding capitalist that pulls the strings on Androzani Major. Christopher Gable is also notable as the enigmatic resistance leader Sharaz Jek, a masked character surely inspired by the Phantom of the Opera.
The sets for the dark caves of Androzani are well-made and the effects for space travel are amazingly seamless. The serial has many elements that make it an excellent one: political machinations, gunrunners, androids, minor military conflicts, duplicity, ambiguity and plot twists. Even the brief appearances by a rubber monster that terrorizes random British actors are decent. This is definitely a serial worth seeing for those that enjoy serials from the Peter Davison years.
1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
An excellent finale for the FIFTH DOCTOR!!!, 26 July 2007
Author: lordzavulon666 from United States
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
The Caves of Androzani is definitely one of the most intriguing and thrilling classic DW stories.
The story is set around the Doctor and his new companion Peri Brown (whom debuted in the previous story, PLANET OF FIRE), arriving on the planet of Androzani Minor. The duo venture deep beneath the caverns of Androzani where they are immediately dragged into an underground war between the army of Androzani Major (Androzani's twin planet) and the renegade forces of Sharez Jek and his android army. The Doctor and Peri are taken for gunrunners, supplying weapons for Jek, as the real gunrunners are trying to make good on their dealings with Jek. While the Doctor and Peri plead their innocence, they discover that the war revolves around Spectox, the greatest substance in the universe. When raw spectox is refined, it is a turned into a life-sustenance drug to keep humanity living on for a younger and longer lifetime. But to the Doctor and Peri's dismay, it is also the deadliest substance when in its raw form. The Doctor and Peri earlier came in contact with a Spectrox nest where they have immediately become infected a horrifying disease known as "Spectrox Toxaemia".
Meanwhile, Sharez Jek is planning his ultimate revenge against his hated nemesis, Morgus. But unknown to Jek, Morgus is also planning Jek's demise as he uses the gunrunners who supplied Jek's weapons to bring his enemy down. As the war escalates into betrayal, political intrigue, and ultimately greed, the Doctor struggles to stay alive long enough to save himself and Peri from not only the disease that's killing them, but also the forces that are after his life.
This story is so top-notch. The actors, the sets, and the performances are amazing. Though, dated the production is, the story itself is definitely gritty, atmospheric, and not to mention, the last story of Peter Davison's period as the Fifth Doctor. Director Graeme Harper has to be one of the best directors of the series. His energetic and eye for drama and action is what makes the story so great. After watching his directed-episodes for the revived series of Doctor Who, it is no wonder why he is considered the best director of the series.
The Caves of Androzani is all and all the best story of the Davison years. And also holds one of the greatest regeneration scenes featuring all his companions and his enemy, the Master, to send him off into the next incarnation.
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