Ep 17. The Horns of Nimon: Part 1

The Horns of Nimon is the seventeenth serial of the seventeenth season in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which first aired in four weekly parts from 22 December 1979 to 12 January 1980.

The serial follows the Doctor and Romana as they arrive on the planet Skonnos and help its population in their efforts to appease the powerful Nimon, who demands periodic tributes of young people and technology. As the Doctor and Romana investigate, they discover that Skonnos's rulers have made a deal with the Nimon to conquer other worlds and feed them to the monster. Along with the space pirate captain Soldeed, who is in league with the Skonnans, the Doctor and Romana must stop the Nimon and their plans.

Part one of the serial begins with the TARDIS landing on a desolate spaceship floating in deep space. The ship's crew has been killed, and the Doctor and Romana begin exploring the vessel to try to determine what happened. They soon discover that the ship was a transport vessel carrying Skonnan youths to be sacrificed to the Nimon, and that the ship was attacked by the creature before it could reach its destination.

As they investigate the ship, the Doctor and Romana are confronted by the captain of the Nimon ship. The captain, a member of a humanoid race with horns protruding from their heads, demands to know what the Doctor and Romana are doing aboard the transport vessel. The Doctor tries to bluff his way out of the situation but is ultimately forced to use the TARDIS key to escape back to his own ship.

The TARDIS lands on Skonnos, and the Doctor and Romana begin exploring the planet. They quickly discover that the Skonnans are a primitive race who have been visited periodically for centuries by the Nimon, who demand tribute in the form of young people and technology. The Doctor and Romana meet the Skonnan leader, Seth, who tells them that his people are struggling to pay the Nimon's tribute and are in danger of being destroyed by the monster.

The Doctor and Romana agree to help the Skonnans and begin investigating the Nimon's activities on the planet. They soon discover that the Nimon has been assisted in its takeover of Skonnos by a group of space pirates, led by the ruthless Captain Soldeed. Soldeed is working with the Skonnans to provide the Nimon with the technology it needs to conquer other worlds and expand its empire.

As the Doctor and Romana try to stop the Nimon and its allies, they are captured and brought before Soldeed. The captain is intrigued by the Doctor's intelligence and offers him a deal: if the Doctor will help him capture the next tribute shipment, Soldeed will allow him and Romana to go free. The Doctor reluctantly agrees, and he and Romana set out to sabotage the Nimon's plans.

Part one of The Horns of Nimon is an intriguing and action-packed introduction to the serial. The episode sets up the central conflict and introduces the main players, as well as laying out the stakes for the Doctor and Romana's mission. The episode also features some impressive production design, including the striking design of the Nimon and its spaceship. The episode ends on a cliffhanger that leaves the viewer eager to see what happens next and how the Doctor and Romana will save Skonnos from the Nimon's grip.