S5E15
Gritty yet hopeful
Written by Brian Hayles
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The Ice Warriors Part 5

The Doctor, Victoria, and Jamie face the chilling return of the Ice Warriors, who seek to escape their icy prison and exploit Earth's resources, while a base commander struggles between following a computer's orders and saving human lives.

Episode Five opens with the Doctor captured by the Ice Warriors aboard their spacecraft. Varga, the Ice Warrior commander, believes the Doctor can help them escape their icy tomb, but the Doctor is wary of their intentions. He learns they seek the power source of the nearby base to fuel their ship. The Ice Warriors take Victoria hostage to force the Doctor's cooperation, revealing their plan to use a sonic cannon against the base. Jamie, with the help of Penley, struggles to reach the base and warn of the impending danger, facing perilous conditions and wildlife along the way.

At the base, Leader Clent and Miss Garrett grapple with a critical decision: whether to activate the ioniser to melt the ice and free the base, despite the risk of triggering a nuclear explosion within the Ice Warrior ship. The base computer advises them to wait, prioritizing its own survival and creating a stalemate. Penley and Jamie finally arrive, bearing news of the Doctor's predicament and the Ice Warriors' intentions. Penley urges Clent to override the computer and take action to save the Doctor and Victoria, appealing to his humanity. However, Clent, a staunch believer in the computer's logic, refuses to deviate from its instructions.

As tensions escalate, Clent, feeling threatened by Penley's rebellious spirit, orders their removal. In a moment of desperation, Jamie grabs Clent's arm, prompting Clent to react violently. He orders Walters to shoot Penley and Jamie. As the episode concludes, the fate of the Doctor, Victoria, Jamie and Penley hangs in the balance, while Clent remains steadfast in his reliance on the computer, seemingly leading the base towards destruction.


Events in This Episode

The narrative beats that drive the story

17
Act 1

The Doctor, captured by the Ice Warriors, attempts to negotiate his and Victoria's freedom while simultaneously learning of their intent to exploit the nearby base's power source. He warns them of the ioniser's potential to cause a nuclear explosion, a fact he also tries to convey to his base. Meanwhile, a gravely injured Jamie, aided by Penley, endures a perilous journey through the icy wilderness, battling wildlife to reach the base and deliver a critical warning. At the base, Leader Clent and Miss Garrett grapple with the computer's ambiguous advice regarding the ioniser's activation, which risks triggering an explosion within the Ice Warrior ship. Clent, prioritizing the computer's logic and survival over human intervention, rejects Garrett's suggestion of evacuation. Jamie and Penley finally arrive, informing Clent of the Doctor's capture and the Ice Warriors' hostile intentions. Penley passionately implores Clent to override the computer and act to save their friends, appealing to his humanity. However, Clent, steadfast in his unwavering faith in the computer's directives, vehemently refuses. The confrontation escalates dramatically when Jamie physically confronts Clent, who responds by ordering Walters to shoot Penley and Jamie, silencing dissent and sealing the base's dangerous path forward. Garrett reinforces her trust in the computer, while the fate of the Doctor, Victoria, Jamie, and Penley remains uncertain, and Clent continues to lead the base towards potential destruction.