The Faceless Ones Part 1
When the TARDIS lands at Gatwick Airport, the Doctor, Jamie, Ben, and Polly stumble upon a sinister plot involving a murdered detective, a mysterious travel agency, and passengers being replaced by alien duplicates, forcing them to uncover the truth before it's too late.
The TARDIS materializes on the runway of Gatwick Airport, immediately causing chaos as Jamie and the Doctor narrowly avoid being hit by a landing airplane. Pursued by a policeman, the group scatters, leading Ben to go one way while the Doctor, Jamie, and Polly escape in another direction. Polly, seeking refuge in a hangar belonging to Chameleon Tours, witnesses a pilot named Spencer murder a man with an alien weapon. She narrowly escapes, but the encounter sets off a chain of events that pulls the time travelers into a dangerous mystery.
Meanwhile, Ben observes the TARDIS being transported to a hangar. Back at Air Traffic Control, the Commandant is baffled by the report of a police box on the runway and orders an investigation. The Doctor, Jamie, and Polly reunite, and Polly recounts seeing the murder. She recalls the name of the hangar, Chameleon Tours, but Ben is still missing. They decide to investigate.
Inside Chameleon Tours' secret office, Spencer reports the discovery of the postcards to Blade, who is on a monitor. Blade is concerned. Back at the hangar, Polly and the Doctor discover the body, but the Doctor realizes the man was electrocuted, not shot as Polly initially thought. This suggests that there is an alien weapon involved.
Blade insists that Spencer retrieve Polly because she can identify him. Spencer, hiding in another hangar, uses a pen-like device to capture Polly, taking her back to Chameleon Tours' office. There, Blade questions her about her connection to the airport, believing she works for an airline. Polly explains that she and her friends had just arrived and got lost. She insists that her friends will come looking for her. Indeed, Jamie tells the Doctor that Polly has disappeared.
Desperate to find someone in authority, the Doctor and Jamie try to alert officials at Immigration. However, their lack of passports and bizarre story lead to suspicion. They mention that they arrived via a police box and saw a dead body. Jenkins, the immigration officer, calls the Commandant, reporting that he has two suspects. Meanwhile, Ben overhears hammering in the Chameleon Tours hangar and encounters Blade, who pretends to help him find his way out.
Back at Immigration, the Commandant questions the Doctor and Jamie, dismissing their claims of a ray gun and a vanishing friend. Jenkins informs the Commandant that the two arrived on flight 729 from Madrid despite having no passports. As the Commandant and the Doctor visit the hangar, Blade is disposing of the body, placing him in a crate. Upon inspection by the Commandant, the crate is empty. Blade explains that he just found the box which he would have used for plastic cups. Back at Immigration, Polly appears at the desk, claiming not to know the Doctor and Jamie. It seems as if she does not recognize them. At the same time, Blade helps a figure, possibly dying, through the airport concourse.
Events in This Episode
The narrative beats that drive the story
The Doctor, Jamie, Ben, and Polly arrive unexpectedly at Gatwick Airport, causing an immediate disruption that forces them to scatter and evade airport police. Polly, seeking refuge in a hangar, witnesses a pilot named Spencer murder a man with an alien weapon. After reuniting with the Doctor and Jamie, Polly recounts the murder, prompting them to investigate the hangar, belonging to "Chameleon Tours." The Doctor examines the body, realizing the victim was electrocuted, not shot, confirming the use of an advanced, non-terrestrial weapon. Meanwhile, Spencer reports to his superior, Blade, who is concerned about "postcards" and orders Polly's capture, as she can identify Spencer. Spencer successfully abducts Polly using a pen-like device. The Doctor and Jamie attempt to report the crime to Immigration, but their lack of passports and extraordinary claims lead to suspicion and detention by Immigration Officer Jenkins and the Commandant. Ben, separated from the group, wanders into the Chameleon Tours hangar, encountering Blade, who feigns helpfulness while disposing of the body. The Commandant eventually takes the Doctor and Jamie to the hangar, but the body has vanished, replaced by a crate of plastic cups. The episode concludes with a shocking revelation: Polly appears at the Immigration desk, denying any knowledge of the Doctor and Jamie, while Blade is seen covertly assisting a mysterious, possibly dying, figure through the airport concourse, hinting at a wider, sinister plot involving alien impersonation.
In the shadowy confines of the Chameleon Tours hangar, Spencer—armed with an alien weapon—confronts a grey-suited man descending wooden stairs. The tension is immediate: Spencer’s demand for an envelope is …
Polly, hiding behind crates in the Chameleon Tours hangar, becomes an unwilling witness to Spencer’s execution of a grey-suited man—likely an alien duplicate. Spencer, armed with an alien weapon, demands …
Polly flees through the Chameleon Tours hangar after witnessing Spencer’s murder of Gascoigne, her survival instincts overriding fear as she sprints for the exit. Spencer emerges from the shadows, weapon …
Ben, separated from the Doctor and the others, observes the TARDIS being transported into a hangar—a moment that physically and symbolically severs his connection to the group. The TARDIS, his …
After narrowly escaping a pursuing policeman, Polly stumbles upon the Doctor and Jamie while still breathless from her harrowing flight. Her panicked revelation—a murder witnessed in a hangar—immediately shifts the …
After narrowly escaping a pursuing policeman, Polly stumbles upon the Doctor and Jamie, who are hiding beneath an airplane on the tarmac. Breathless and visibly shaken, she reveals she witnessed …
In the sterile confines of the Chameleon Tours office, Blade and Spencer interrogate Polly under the false assumption she is an airport employee. Blade’s calculated questioning reveals his operational caution—he …
In the Chameleon Tours office, Polly—now a captive—fiercely resists Blade’s interrogation, revealing her awareness of Spencer’s murder and her confidence that the Doctor and Jamie will come for her. Her …
In the Chameleon Tours office, Spencer drags Polly inside after abducting her, confirming her status as a captive. Blade immediately begins interrogating her, probing for her affiliation with the airport—revealing …
The Doctor and Jamie attempt to report Polly’s disappearance and the murder of Detective Inspector Gascoigne to the Commandant, but their credibility is immediately undermined by the absurdity of their …
In a tense standoff at the Immigration desk, the Doctor and Jamie confront the Commandant with claims of a murder and a missing witness. The Commandant initially dismisses their story …
The Doctor and Jamie return to the Chameleon Tours hangar to investigate the vanished body of the murdered detective, only to discover physical proof of alien interference. While the Commandant …
The Doctor and Jamie attempt to prove the existence of a murder by examining the hangar floor, where they discover burnt fibers and a scorch mark—clear evidence of an alien …