I'm finally moving my way into Fifth Doctor era. Though I love Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor, a new Doctor was a breath of fresh air. I want to say that Peter Davison is among my favorite Doctors, but I'll leave that discussion for when TJ and I discuss his era on the podcast. In the meantime, I'll just share some of my musings/ramblings from watching the Fifth Doctor's first story: Castrovalva.
It's rare to get a Doctor Who story that's a direct sequel to the story prior. The closest I can think of is the Fourth Doctor's season with Sarah Jane and Harry. But I couldn't think of another regeneration episode that's a direct follow up/sequel to the previous Doctor's finale. This story leads right off the heels from Logopolis, still dealing with the effects of the Master and his plot. Sure, the Fifth Doctor was incapacitated most of the time, but the plot went almost seamlessly from one episode to the next.
 |
| Goodbye, iconic scarf |
Speaking of the Doctor being incapacitated, the Third Doctor could have really used the Zero Room. Instead he was in UNIT's sick bay. It's too bad the Fifth Doctor jettisoned the Zero Room. A few future Doctors could have really used it... Specifically the Seventh, Eighth, Tenth and Twelfth Doctors didn’t have it. Could have helped. That's all.
I'm sad to say that I was tricked by Castrovalva; I thought the Master was the good guy. And I definitely didn't see the flaws in the fake paradise. And that's with having watched it before (granted, it's been like ten years). You'd think I'd see it coming even just with all my experience with the different Masters over the years. Well played, Master. Well played.
 |
| Do the costumes on Castrovalva remind anyone else of Monty Python? |
Though many people complain about Adric (and occasionally I'm one of them) I loved how the TARDIS team worked together in this story. Each had a purpose in the Doctor's plans, even when the Master had Adric trapped. This is why I like a good well-rounded TARDIS team. The last time we had a true TARDIS team was Sarah Jane and Harry. After this team, we wouldn't get another until Rose and Captain Jack (unless you count Turlough... but he was a double agent part of the time).
I'm excited to see where we go from here. A fresh face. A new Doctor. And a decorative vegetable. Even having watched all these stories before, there are so many that it feels like a new experience each time.
