Day 622: The Caves of Androzani Part 4

"It feels different this time"

The Doctor saves Peri, but at the cost of his own life. He lies on the floor and begins to die.

Regenerations in the past have been treated in various ways. The First Doctor's was treated as something strange and alien, almost psychedelic. The Second Doctor's was more of a punishment, and something to be frightened of, while the Third Doctor's was a little bit more relaxed, focusing more on the fact that he will renew himself. More recently, the Fourth Doctor's was a little bit more mysterious, but brought with it feelings of finality and the end of an era, before finally transitioning into the start of a new one. The Fifth Doctor's builds on much of the feelings of finality associated with Logopolis, but takes it just a little bit further.

It legitimately feels like the Doctor is dying. We see him fall onto the floor, and remark that he's not that sure whether he'll regenerate or not. He then enters into a strange mental state, as various friends and companions flash before his eyes, encouraging him to stay alive. Adric's appearance at this point reminds us of why the Doctor has been fighting for Peri all of this story, as he's still living with the guilt of Adric's death, and so he wants to make sure that Peri's safe because he may not be able to live with the consequences. The Master's appearance inadvertently solidifies the Doctor's regeneration, as it reminds him that evil is out there, and that he must fight it when he encounters it. The screen slowly fills with more strange patterns until eventually, with an almighty and triumphant noise, we have a new Doctor.

Thus ends one of the truly great Doctor Who stories. Looking back on the Davison era as a whole, it's been somewhat inconsistent, with some truly great things (Kinda, Snakedance), as well as some truly terrible things (Time-Flight, Arc of Infinity). Still, it seems to have found its feet with the last series (Warriors of the Deep notwithstanding) so hopefully Colin Baker will get a more consistent time as the Doctor.