Doctor Who: 10 Most Infuriating Cliffhangers Of The Classic Series

2. Caves Of Androzani (Episode 3)

This is a tricky one. Voted by Doctor Who Magazine as the single finest story of the classic series, this is, in all respects, a truly top notch episode, with great performances from Davison and Bryant and a compelling, misunderstood villain in Sharez Jek. The difficulty with the cliffhanger for Episode 3 is more due to longtime fans understanding of the series than any inherent story flaw. The Doctor has gained control of Stotz's ship and is threatening to crash it into the surface of Androzani Minor. However, as fans, it's clearly understood he's going to be fine because of the history surrounding the show. First, if the Doctor were to actually die, it wouldn't be in the third part of a four part story. Also, many fans going into this story knew it would be Davison's final adventure and as such, a regeneration story. Certainly the Doctor could not regenerate if he was incinerated in a fiery spaceship crash. And there is also no way the series would allow the Doctor to die without saving Peri, who was at this point at very near death from poisoning. So to most fans there was no surprise at all in the beginning of Episode 4 when the Doctor pulls up on the steering at the last moment and manages to land the ship safely. It's certainly the least suspenseful cliffhanger ever, although it is awfully nice of the Doctor to use up one of his regenerations on a companion that he barely knows (they only met in the previous adventure, Planet of Fire).