The Lion
When the TARDIS lands in 12th century Palestine, the Doctor and his companions find themselves caught in the middle of the Third Crusade, where mistaken identities and deadly betrayals threaten their survival and the fate of King Richard the Lionheart.
The Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Vicki arrive in the middle of a wood during the Third Crusade. Almost immediately, they are caught up in a skirmish between King Richard's forces and Saracens. Ian disarms a Saracen, while Barbara is kidnapped. During the fighting, a knight, Sir William des Preaux, shouts out that he is the King to aid Richard's escape, resulting in his capture. The Doctor, Ian, and Vicki find a wounded knight who reveals that the captured man was not the King. He gives them a belt belonging to King Richard, hoping it will help them gain the King's favor and assist in finding Barbara.
The Doctor and Vicki venture into Jaffa to find clothes, encountering a trader named Daheer and a thief named Thatcher, and they steal clothes for themselves and Ian. Meanwhile, Barbara is taken to Saladin's camp at Ramlah, where she is held captive with Sir William, who continues to pose as King Richard. He claims Barbara is his sister, Princess Joanna, to protect her. Saladin's brother, Saphadin, expresses interest in her.
In Saladin's throne room, El Akir presents Sir William and Barbara as King Richard and Princess Joanna. Saladin sees through the deception. Sir William explains his actions and asks Saladin to treat Barbara kindly. Saladin, intrigued by Barbara's stories and her claim of being a traveler who arrived in a box, decides to spare her life for the moment because, as she is not royalty, she cannot be used as a hostage. Instead, he asks her to dine with him, intending to use her for entertainment. To this end, he believes her stories of time travel and visitors from another world that she tells him are trivial. Saladin is challenged by Saphadin who mocks his determination to keep the imposter. Meanwhile, Ian remains behind to fashion a stretcher as the trio searches relentlessly for Barbara, as the situation grows ever more fraught with danger.
Events in This Episode
The narrative beats that drive the story
The episode opens in a 12th-century Palestinian wood, where Saracen forces, led by El Akir, search for King Richard. Simultaneously, King Richard and his knights, including the cautious Sir William des Preaux, are present, with Richard initially dismissing des Preaux's fears of an ambush. The TARDIS materializes, immediately thrusting the Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Vicki into the volatile environment. A sudden skirmish erupts between the Saracens and King Richard's men. During the chaos, Barbara is kidnapped by Saracens, and Ian disarms an attacker. To aid King Richard's escape, Sir William des Preaux bravely shouts that he is the King, leading to his capture by El Akir. The Doctor, Ian, and Vicki find a gravely wounded knight, De Tornebu, who, before losing consciousness, reveals that the captured man is not the King. De Tornebu entrusts them with King Richard's royal belt, suggesting it could help them gain the King's favor and secure assistance in finding Barbara. Ian, desperate to locate Barbara, wants to act immediately, but the Doctor insists on a more strategic approach, recognizing their need for appropriate attire to blend in. The group then splits: the Doctor and Vicki depart for Jaffa to acquire clothes, while Ian remains behind to fashion a stretcher for the wounded De Tornebu, holding onto the King's belt. This act establishes the perilous setting, introduces the central conflict of the Crusade, and sets the companions on divergent paths, each facing immediate and pressing challenges.
The TARDIS materializes into the chaos of the Third Crusade, where a skirmish between Saracen and English forces erupts around the Doctor and his companions. Ian disarms a Saracen warrior, …
In the chaotic aftermath of a Crusade skirmish, the Doctor and his companions—reeling from Barbara’s abduction—encounter a mortally wounded English knight, De Tornebu, who gasps out a critical revelation: the …
After a chaotic skirmish with Saracens—where Ian disarms an attacker and the Doctor and Vicki tend to a mortally wounded knight, De Tornebu—the group learns the man they believed to …
This act develops the separate storylines of the companions following their forced division. Barbara finds herself a captive in Saladin's encampment at Ramlah, held under heavy guard with Sir William des Preaux. Des Preaux, maintaining his impersonation as King Richard, shows compassion towards Barbara, providing her water and a cloak. Recognizing her vulnerable position and unusual appearance, he invents a protective lie, claiming Barbara is his sister, Princess Joanna, to elevate her status and shield her from harsh treatment. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Vicki venture into Jaffa, seeking suitable disguises. They observe the bustling marketplace, encountering Daheer, a silk trader, and Thatcher, a thief. The Doctor, ever resourceful, devises a cunning plan to acquire clothes. He engages Daheer in conversation, then, while Daheer is distracted by Thatcher, he orchestrates a table collapse, creating chaos and allowing him to discreetly 'borrow' several garments and boots. This successful acquisition provides the necessary attire for the Doctor, Vicki, and Ian to blend in. The act culminates as El Akir, confident in his capture, presents des Preaux and Barbara to Saladin's brother, Saphadin, and the hidden Saladin. El Akir proudly asserts they are King Richard and Princess Joanna, but Saphadin immediately sees through the deception, ridiculing El Akir and questioning the identity of the supposed Princess. This exposure of the lie marks a significant turning point, escalating the immediate danger for both des Preaux and Barbara.
With the deception exposed, Saladin emerges, confirming that the captured man is not King Richard, though he acknowledges Barbara's beauty. Sir William des Preaux, now confronted with the truth, bravely explains his selfless act of impersonation, undertaken to aid his King's escape. He then makes a heartfelt plea to Saladin, requesting kind treatment for Barbara, emphasizing her innocence in his ruse. Saladin, recognizing des Preaux's chivalry, dismisses El Akir, ordering that Sir William be treated with respect and granted all liberties except freedom itself. Saladin then turns his attention to Barbara, interrogating her about her origins. Barbara, carefully avoiding direct mention of the TARDIS, describes herself as a "traveller" from another world who arrived "in a box," recounting fantastical tales of visiting ancient Rome and a far-future England. Saphadin, Saladin's brother, dismisses Barbara's stories as trivial and her presence as inconsequential, deeming her useless for any prisoner exchange with the English King. However, Saladin, intrigued by Barbara's unique narrative and demonstrating a strategic understanding of mercy for diplomatic advantage, decides to spare her life. He commands her to grace his table that night in more suitable attire, intending to keep her as an entertainer, drawing a parallel to Scheherazade, whose life depended on her storytelling. This decision shifts Barbara's immediate peril from execution to a prolonged, uncertain captivity, where her survival hinges on her ability to captivate Saladin, concluding the episode with a new, precarious challenge for Barbara.
The Doctor and Vicki enter Daheer’s fabric shop under the pretense of admiring textiles, but their true goal is to acquire disguises for survival amid the Crusade. While Daheer is …
The Doctor orchestrates a calculated deception in Daheer’s shop, using Thatcher’s distraction to steal Crusader-era clothing and boots. While Thatcher argues with Daheer over payment for stolen goods, the Doctor …
In Saladin’s throne room, El Akir presents Sir William des Preaux and Barbara as King Richard the Lionheart and Princess Joanna, respectively, in a desperate bid to curry favor. Saphadin …
In Saladin’s throne room, Sir William des Preaux seizes the moment to expose El Akir’s deception and shield Barbara from punishment. After Saladin dismisses El Akir’s claim that William is …
Cornered in Saladin’s throne room, Barbara transforms her execution threat into a precarious reprieve by leveraging her storytelling prowess. After El Akir’s failed deception—mistaking her for Princess Joanna—Saladin dismisses the …