Doctor Hides TARDIS Key from Companions
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
The Doctor waits for Dodo, then Polly and Ben arrive with a message that Dodo will remain in London; the Doctor expresses mock disappointment.
Polly and Ben say goodbye; Polly notices the Doctor using a key to enter the police box, piquing her curiosity.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Feigned disappointment masking deep relief and urgency; internally focused on departure and secrecy.
The Doctor stands near the TARDIS, initially feigning disappointment at Dodo’s decision to stay in London, but his body language and abrupt dismissal of Ben and Polly reveal his relief and urgency to depart. He slips into the TARDIS with his key, his actions betraying a calculated secrecy and emotional detachment. His dialogue is evasive, masking his true intentions behind a grandfatherly demeanor.
- • To depart London swiftly and unnoticed, avoiding emotional entanglements with Dodo, Ben, or Polly.
- • To maintain secrecy about the TARDIS and his true nature, ensuring no one follows him.
- • That emotional connections are a distraction from his mission and personal freedom.
- • That the TARDIS and its secrets must be protected at all costs, even if it means deceiving those around him.
Conflicted between loyalty to Polly and his military duty; hesitant but ultimately swept up in the moment.
Ben is initially confused by the Doctor’s abrupt dismissal, his loyalty to Polly and the Doctor warring with his military obligations. When Polly notices the Doctor’s key and suggests investigating, Ben hesitates, torn between curiosity and his need to return to barracks. His reluctance is palpable, but he ultimately follows Polly, using the forgotten key to unlock the TARDIS door, sealing their accidental recruitment.
- • To return to barracks on time, fulfilling his military obligations.
- • To follow Polly’s lead, driven by curiosity and loyalty to her, despite his reservations.
- • That the Doctor’s behavior is strange and warrants investigation, but only if it doesn’t conflict with his duties.
- • That Polly’s instincts are usually reliable, even if they lead to unexpected situations.
Excited and driven by curiosity; determined to uncover the mystery of the police box, regardless of consequences.
Polly is the driving force behind the investigation, her sharp observation of the Doctor’s key sparking her curiosity. She delivers Sir Charles’ message about Dodo but quickly shifts her focus to the TARDIS, her impulsive nature taking over. She unlocks the door with Ben’s forgotten key, her determination overriding Ben’s hesitation, and their entry into the TARDIS sets the stage for their accidental recruitment.
- • To investigate the Doctor’s strange behavior and the police box, driven by curiosity.
- • To involve Ben in the investigation, leveraging his loyalty to her and the forgotten key.
- • That the Doctor is hiding something significant, and it’s worth risking a few minutes to uncover it.
- • That Ben’s military duties can wait if there’s a mystery to solve, especially one involving the Doctor.
Not physically present, but her decision to stay in London is a point of emotional tension for the Doctor, who masks his relief with feigned disappointment.
Dodo is mentioned indirectly through Polly’s message, her decision to stay in London marking her departure from the Doctor’s travels. Her absence is felt in the Doctor’s feigned disappointment and the lack of her physical presence, which contrasts sharply with the impulsive actions of Ben and Polly.
- • To remain in London, prioritizing her personal life over further adventures with the Doctor.
- • To send her love to the Doctor, acknowledging their shared experiences but choosing to end them.
- • That her place is in London, not in the Doctor’s timeless travels.
- • That the Doctor will understand and respect her decision, even if he feigns disappointment.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Ben’s forgotten TARDIS key becomes the pivotal object that enables Ben and Polly’s entry into the TARDIS. When Polly spots the Doctor using his key, Ben remembers he still has the key the Doctor had lent him earlier. This forgotten key serves as the means by which Polly unlocks the TARDIS door, leading to their accidental recruitment. Its presence highlights the Doctor’s oversight and the serendipitous nature of the companions’ entry into his world.
The Doctor’s TARDIS key is the catalyst for Polly’s curiosity and the subsequent investigation. As the Doctor uses it to enter the TARDIS, Polly notices the action, her sharp observation leading her to question the nature of the police box. The key symbolizes the Doctor’s secrecy and the threshold between the ordinary and the extraordinary, its use triggering the chain of events that results in Ben and Polly’s accidental recruitment.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The TARDIS interior is the symbolic gateway that transforms Ben and Polly’s lives forever. As they enter using Ben’s forgotten key, the TARDIS dematerializes, trapping them aboard. The console room, with its pulsing central column and groaning machinery, represents the inescapable commitment to the Doctor’s adventures. The interior’s vastness and otherworldly technology contrast with the mundane setting of Fitzroy Square, underscoring the irreversible nature of their recruitment.
Fitzroy Square serves as the neutral ground where the Doctor’s deception and the companions’ curiosity collide. The square’s ordinary setting—pigeons scattering, passersby going about their day—contrasts sharply with the extraordinary events unfolding. The TARDIS, disguised as a police box, stands out as an anomaly, its presence drawing Polly’s attention. The square’s mundane atmosphere makes the Doctor’s secretive actions and the companions’ impulsive investigation feel even more jarring and unexpected.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The British Military Barracks exert indirect influence over Ben’s actions, creating tension between his duty and his curiosity. His obligation to return on time adds urgency to the scene, as he hesitates between following Polly’s lead and fulfilling his military responsibilities. The barracks represent the institutional constraints that Ben must navigate, even as he is swept up in the extraordinary events unfolding in Fitzroy Square.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"After Polly notices the police box, Ben remembers the key needs to be returned, prompting them to decide to investigate."
Ben and Polly Accidentally Board the TARDIS"After waiting in Fitzroy Square, the Doctor learns that Dodo stays/leaves, and the Doctor then prepares to depart."
Ben and Polly Accidentally Board the TARDIS"After Polly notices the police box, Ben remembers the key needs to be returned, prompting them to decide to investigate."
Ben and Polly Accidentally Board the TARDIS"After waiting in Fitzroy Square, the Doctor learns that Dodo stays/leaves, and the Doctor then prepares to depart."
Ben and Polly Accidentally Board the TARDISThemes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Key Dialogue
"DOCTOR: There you are, my child. It's nice to see you so well again. And you, my boy, away from that wretched tower."
"POLLY: Doctor! What on Earth is he doing in there?"
"BEN: Ah look it's locked. Let's forget it."