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Overview of Season 24 of Doctor Who
Overview of Season 24 of Doctor Who
The Mysterious Planet The Doctor’s TARDIS is plucked out of time and space. The Seventh Doctor is put on trial by his people, the Time Lords, for breaking the First Law of Time, a law which forbids interference with alien species and galactic affairs. The Valeyard presents the transgressions, recordings depicting the Doctor’s adventures with Ace and Jim, though the Doctor is suspicious that evidence is being censored. In the first recording, the Doctor arrives on the planet Ravalox with Ace and Jim. The Doctor begins to notice similarities between Ravalox and Earth, and investigates to discover why.
Blood and Iron The Valeyard presents his second piece of evidence. The Doctor arrives in England in 1990, answering a call from UNIT. They are investigating a researcher at Margrave University that is doing cybernetic experimentation of subjects that UNIT believes to be extraterrestrial in origin. Also at the university is a group of students that are planning on stealing the subjects for their own use. With enemies seemingly on all sides, the Doctor must work with UNIT before it is too late.
Guest Star: Marina Sirtis as Brigadier Winifred Bambera
The Hollows of Time The Valeyard’s third piece of evidence continues directly on from the second. Not long after the events of Blood and Iron, the Doctor, Jim and Ace are seen in the TARDIS trying to recount the events of the past few days, when they travelled to meet Foxwell, an old friend of the Doctor. While there, they discover anachronistic technology, and after being shown Foxwell’s research, the Doctor determines that Foxwell is being manipulated to build a quantum gravity engine, a component necessary for time travel, and sets about stopping whatever is manipulating Foxwell.
Guest Star: Patrick Stewart as Professor Foxwell
A Familiar Face (idea by Martin) The Valeyard’s final piece of evidence is presented. The TARDIS lands in the House of Commons of 1812 London, shortly before the assassination of Spencer Percival and the beginning of the War of 1812. Upon arrival, the Doctor discovers he bears a striking resemblance to the Prince Regent, as he is mistaken for him by the MPs. When the Doctor is taken away to a private residence, Ace and Jim try to find him, and help him escape. The public and higher ups are suspicious of Ace and Jim due to the tensions between the British Empire and the US at the time, worsened when it is discovered that there now seem to be two Princes Regent. [1]
Guest Star: Hugh Laurie as the Prince Regent George
Terror of the Vervoids The Doctor is allowed to present evidence for his defence. He chooses events from his personal future, in the hopes that it will prove that he has reformed. During the presentation, the events appear different to how they did when the Doctor reviewed them, furthering his suspicions that the evidence has been tampered with. In the year 2986, the Doctor, Ace and Jim respond to a distress call from a ship under attack from Vervoids, a plant species that were genetically engineered to be slaves. Although the Doctor is able to stop the Vervoids, he confirms that none survived the voyage, and the Valeyard charges the Doctor with genocide under Article 7 of Galifreyan law.
Desertion (idea by @Drorac) The Doctor is able to present another piece of evidence to prove that he works to uphold historical continuity. The TARDIS lands in WWI Belgium, on the eve of the Battle of the Somme. As the battle breaks out, Ace is separated, being captured by the Entente forces, while the Doctor and Jim are captured by the Germans. Ace is believed to be a spy, and is sentenced to execution by firing squad, while the Doctor and Jim are handed to Commander Raven, a fanatically devoted officer who believes the Doctor is actually a time traveller, and threatens to kill Jim unless the Doctor reveals how to win the ongoing battle.
The Ultimate Foe The Doctor claims that the Matrix has been deliberately altered, and when the Keeper of the Matrix is summoned, the Master appears on the Matrix’s screen. Sabalon Glitz, Ace and Jim are called to the defence, and it is revealed that the secrets on Ravalox were Time Lord in origin, and Earth was moved and ravaged to preserve them. The Doctor was used as a scapegoat, and the Valeyard, revealed to be an amalgamation of the Doctor’s evil personalities between his twelfth and final incarnations, was promised the Doctor’s remaining regenerations if he could get a guilty verdict. The Valeyard tampered with the evidence to assure this. The Doctor tries to stop the Valeyard from killing the High Council, but is stopped by the Master, who wishes to dispose of the Doctor. The Doctor is able to stop the Valeyard by destroying the Matrix’s archives. The Doctor is cleared of all charges, and offered the presidency, but opts to leave. As he leaves, the Inquisitor tasks the Keeper with the repairing of the Matrix. As he turns. The face of the Keeper is revealed to be that of the Valeyard. [2]
Guest Star: Anthony Ainley as the Master
Hostage Right after his trial, the Doctor lands in a ruined alien compound in the future with Ace and Jim. There they meet a group of elite soldiers, who are tracking down two shapeshifting criminals, named Butler and Swarfe. The soldiers treat them with a great deal of suspicion, but they choose to help catch the criminals. When cornered, Swarfe transforms into a large monster that begins to hunt down the members of the unit. The trio must not only find a way to survive, but also to catch Butler, who remains on the run.
Guest Star: Christian Slater as Butler
Alixion The TARDIS lands on a monastic planet inhabited by humans and large beetles. The human inhabitants produce an elixir that increases intelligence, made of secretions the beetles make when they feed on intelligent beings. Upon the arrival of the Doctor, the abbot realises that he could be used to make the most potent elixir yet, and increase his intelligence massively. Jim Is taken hostage by the monks when the Doctor discovers the truth, to prevent him from leaving. The Doctor must then compete with the abbot in a battle of wits to save Jim.
For Your Consideration The Doctor, Jim, and Ace return to 1988 San Francisco, three days after they left. Although it has been close to three years for Jim and Ace, they are surprised to find that little has changed, and they have difficulty in fitting in to their old lives. Upon the arrival of the trio, the Valor, who tracked the Doctor down in New Beginnings plan to steal the TARDIS once more. Upon returning to his job, Jim discovers that he has been offered a position high up in another soliciting firm, one that would require he end his travels with the Doctor. After helping the Doctor and Ace to defeat the Valor for good, Jim decides to leave, citing his recent near-death experiences. They part amicably, and the Doctor offers Ace the opportunity to go, but she simply says “there’s nothing left here for me”. [3]
Paradise 5 The Doctor investigates the resort of Paradise 5 in the 35th century, while Ace goes undercover as a hostess. People have been disappearing from the resort, including a friend of the Doctor’s. They uncover a plan to steal the minds of the guests and use them to wage a multi-dimensional war, and that the Doctor’s friend has fallen prey to the trap. Fearing that the local authorities have found them out, the manager processes the remaining guests, and sets the station to fall into the local planet. While the Doctor is able to stop the plans to start a war, he is unable to save the guests, and leaves heavy hearted.
Thin Ice The TARDIS lands in London 1968, where the Doctor and Ace find an Ice Warrior’s armour in the London Dungeons. While investigating strange occurrences, the Doctor meets Anthony Gates, an American ex-pat with underworld connections who helps him out. The Doctor, Ace and Anthony find that two Ice Warriors have reawakened and are continuing a long rivalry. After managing to return them to a post-terraforming Mars, the Doctor and Ace witness the birth of Anthony’s daughter. In thanks for saving Anthony’s life, Anthony’s wife requests that the Doctor name her daughter. He chooses the name Isabella. As they depart, Ace requests that the Doctor take her to Gallifrey, so that she may enrol in the Prydonian Academy, as the Doctor did, and become a Time Lord. The Doctor takes her to Gallifrey, and they share a teary goodbye before a lonely Doctor departs. [4]
The Doctor arrives on Karn, having received a call from across the universe. There he is met with the Master, who proposes a truce. The Master reveals that he summoned him because he needs help. The Valeyard has returned and seeks vengeance on the Master. After the Doctor’s trial, the Valeyard has pursued the Master around the universe:
He narrowly escaped him in Ancient Egypt,
Sending his Tardis into a collision course with a Cyber Warship,
Sending three androids to decapitate him on Mars in the 23rd century.
The Doctor rejects this proposal outright and does not understand why he should save the Master from a plan of his own making. Meanwhile, the Sisterhood are holding a meeting about the three Time Lords, and what they should do about this intervention. However ultimately, they remain indecisive, and resolve to watch closely.
Meanwhile the Doctor has followed the path to castle, only to find large proportions of it blown up, with two of the towers in cinders and holes in the wall. The Master reveals this was the Valeyard, who has uncovered a cache of Morbius’s weapons from before his execution, buried on Karn. The Doctor and the Master enter the castle and make their way into the courtyard where suddenly the doors close behind them. Laughter rings in the air as the two Time Lords make their way into the dining hall, where they find the Valeyard sitting on the throne. He is overjoyed to make good on both his aims; to kill both Time Lords. However, as the Time Lords rush towards him, his hologram fades and behind it is a small, but very powerful neutron bomb. With not a lot of time left on the clock!
Episode II: The Agreement
Having successfully defused the bomb by a combination of dexterity, luck and throwing it out the nearest window, the Doctor and the Master continue their search through the castle to find the Valeyard. After walking through the ruins of the old castle they return to the courtyard to find three members of the Sisterhood awaiting them. The Sisterhood tell the Time Lords that the Valeyard’s presence on this planet is disturbing, and the weapons he has uncovered should not be used again due to their destructive capabilities. As the Sisterhood make their leave, one of them presses a blade into the Doctor’s hand, with the promise to use it against whichever Time Lord leaves Karn with any of Morbius’s weapons.
Having left the courtyard the two Time Lords descend to the caves beneath the castle and enter, hoping to find any of the weapons that they can use against Morbius. As they enter the cave, an arrow flies past the Doctor’s ear; a Raston Warrior Robot. Admittely a bit cruder than the last one, one of Solon’s failed experiments. The robot chases the Doctor and Master through the caves. The two Time Lords end up separated in the cave system, and the Robot chooses to follow the Doctor. The Doctor continues being chased through the cave, even though the Robot has shot and arrow through his leg. He eventually stops an open box, clearly the cache of weapons although it is half emptied. The Doctor ends up with a second arrow through his arm as he falls to ground and finds what he was looking for; an ultraviolet gun. Firing it at the robot overloads the body with too much radiation causing it to explode, lacerating the Doctor with cuts.
Meanwhile the Master has escaped the robot, and escapes the caves. There he comes face to face with the Valeyard, but the Valeyard offers him a deal; he has one day to dispose of the Doctor and allow the Valeyard access to the TARDIS, in return for his life. The story ends with the two Time Lords shaking hands.
Episode III: The Last Battle
Following the Doctor’s escape from the Raston Warrior Robot, he reaches the daylight outside the cave. There he is joined by the Master, who notices the Doctor’s injuries attempts to persuade him to return to the Tardis to seek medical attention. However the Doctor refuses his request, and continues to wander out into the ruined landscape with the aim of finding himself a weapon capable of stopping the Valeyard. After limping to a nearby spaceship he finds exactly what he wants, a Dalek gun from a crashed spaceship. His injuries have taken a turn for the worst however, and he is finding it more and more difficult to walk because of the damage of his legs. After arming both himself and the Master with a weapon, he realizes he needs to return to the TARDIS, not noticing the Masters pleasure at the idea. However, as he approaches the TARDIS a massive cloud of dust approaches sweeps the Time Lords off their feet and when the dust settles, the Valeyard appears.
The Valeyard congratulates the Master on his success on getting him to the Tardis, before pulling out a laser gun and shooting the Master in one of his hearts. The Doctor is angered at the Master’s betrayal, but the Valeyard reveals he has kept the Master alive to adjudicate the final battle, a Mexican standoff between the two. The two Time Lords stand back to back, and at the count of 10 they turn around. At the count of 10, the Doctor turns around and shoots the Valeyard with the Dalek gun, at the same time, the Valeyard shoots the Doctor with his laser pistol, damaging one of his hearts. Both sink to the floor, the Valeyard dead. The Doctor crawls to the TARDIS, but the Master stands up and walks towards to the Doctor gloating, and squats down to laugh. The Doctor, using every ounce of strength, reaches in his pocket and stabs the Master with his blade. The Master cries out in pain and falls to the floor and dies. The Doctor crawls into the TARDIS, and regenerates.
The TARDIS is sent into space, where it soon crashes on Earth. [5]
A final shot reveals a post-regeneration Doctor turning to the camera, revealing his new face.
Guest Stars: Anthony Ainley as the Master, Gary Oldman as the Valeyard
[1] I really liked this idea, I was given a concept, and sort of based a story around it. I'm pretty sure that's the plural of Prince Regent, as Regent is a descriptor, not the title.
[2] I kept this largely the same. Also, for every episode up to this point, assume that the Valeyard is in it.
[3] The eternal work-life struggle of being with the Doctor. When you're increasingly becoming the damsel in distress, you might want to leave if you have a good job lined up. Ace is still technically a wanted criminal, so it makes sense that she wouldn't want to stay.
[4] I went with the OTL plan for Ace, as it works, and it's really nice to have a character leave in order to become someone like the Doctor. One of the rare cases where acting like him doesn't end up with you dead.
[5] All of this story, up to here was written by my close friend @Drorac. If you're wondering why it's structured a little different, that's why. Almost all shows have multiple writers, so you get different styles, and I felt he'd do his idea better justice than I.
[6] Surprise! We're doing it now! Our Eighth Doctor revealed. An actor that I often see on "Who should play the Doctor" lists, but I think he'd work better young. In fact, those more observant among you may have noticed his first big role of OTL wasn't until 1992. Well, I shifted that to 1989, and made it a Doctor Who story, from last season. That was his breakout role of TTL, and it's made him a name to remember for the producers of Who here. If that's a little unbelievable, remember that he was the asked to play Benjamin Sisko, but was clearly too young, so they created Bashir for him to have a role. He'd only been in about three things before that, so I don't think it's so unreasonable. Yes, at 25 he'll be one of the youngest people to play the Doctor in TTL, but that's just how things are sometimes.
The next update will cover why Siddig was cast, and who his companion(s) will be for the next season. See you then.