Episode #116 : Castrovalva

"That's the trouble with regeneration. You quite never know what you're going to get."

Episode 116:   Castrovalva.
Companions:   5th Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa and Adric.
Air Date:         4th to 12th January 1982.

The newly regenerated Doctor escapes with his companions back to the TARDIS. Suffering from post-regeneration trauma, he only narrowly manages to save the ship from destruction as it plunges back to Event One, the hydrogen in-rush that preceded the creation of the universe. He then seeks sanctuary in the peaceful domain of Castrovalva, only to discover that it is an illusory, dimensionally paradoxical trap set for him by the Master with the unwilling aid of a kidnapped Adric. The Doctor eventually wins the day by enlisting the help of the Castrovalvan people who, although also part of the Master's creation, are nevertheless able to exercise free will.

The first adventure for the 5th Doctor is a bit of a let down. It continues the story from the events of the previous two adventures. Seeking a nice quiet place with which to finish regenerating, the time travellers are lured to the planet Castrovalva by the Master who yet again seeks to destroy the Doctor. The story is let down by a weak first half where the Master tries to send the TARDIS back to the Big Bang. The second half deals with the oddly amnesiac Doctor trying to both recover his wits and find a means to escape the trap set for him. The second half just doesn't fit very well with the first half and the story just feels weak.

There are some nice moments in this story however. Specifically when the Doctor wanders the TARDIS muttering things as though he was his prior selves. The scene where he finds his cricket outfit is suitable amusing and you start to get a feel for who this incarnation is going to be. Even looking back after watching these stories numerous times, those moments in the TARDIS are memorable.

The Master is once again portrayed as a weak villain who falls afoul of his schemes again. Although the Master must be defeated of course but it would be nice to have the writers present him as an intelligent inventive villain.

Despite a weak start to his run, the adventures of Peter Davison's Doctor do get a lot better however.