S5E27
Tense
Written by Henry Lincoln & Mervyn Haisman
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The Web of Fear Part 5

The Doctor must outwit the Great Intelligence, who seeks to drain his mind and use it for its own purposes, or his companions will suffer a dire fate.

In a London besieged by Yeti, the Doctor and his companions find themselves trapped by the Great Intelligence, who seeks to drain the Doctor's vast knowledge. Professor Travers, now under the Intelligence's control, delivers an ultimatum: the Doctor must willingly submit to having his mind wiped, or his friends will face the consequences. The Doctor stalls for time, hoping to find a way to defeat the Intelligence.

The group is segmented, with the Doctor, Anne Travers, Jamie, and Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart all in the Goodge Street Laboratory, while Professor Travers and Victoria are being held captive in the underground tunnels. A soldier named Evans expresses his willingness to sacrifice the Doctor for the safety of the others. Meanwhile, Jamie and the Colonel explore the tunnels, hoping to rescue Victoria and Travers, while battling the fungus that is spreading.

The Doctor and Anne work to reprogram a sphere that can control the Yeti, but find that it is only effective at close range. They decide that they need to place the sphere inside a Yeti. Evans, the soldier, is too afraid to help, so the Doctor and Anne decide to undertake the mission themselves.

Jamie and Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart encounter Staff Sergeant Arnold. Arnold relays the news that he saw Victoria alive and guarded by a Yeti. The Colonel makes it to the ops room where only Evans is. Evans says the Doctor went to Warren Street. The Doctor and Anne encounter a Yeti and use the control box to stop it. The Doctor manages to reprogram a sphere and place it within a Yeti’s control device. Now in control of a Yeti, they prepare to take on the Intelligence.


Events in This Episode

The narrative beats that drive the story

22
Act 1

The episode opens with the Great Intelligence, speaking through the possessed Professor Travers, delivering a stark ultimatum to the Doctor in the Goodge Street Laboratory. The Intelligence demands the Doctor's vast knowledge, threatening to drain his mind and leave him empty, or else inflict suffering upon his companions and countless others. To underscore its power, the Intelligence forcibly removes Victoria and Professor Travers, leaving a formidable Yeti to guard the remaining group, which includes Jamie, Anne Travers, and Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart. The Doctor, while outwardly appearing to consider submission, inwardly resolves to resist. This desperate situation immediately exposes the group's varied reactions: Jamie's impulsive defiance, Anne's concern for her father, and the pragmatic, self-serving suggestion from soldier Evans to simply hand over the Doctor to ensure their own safety. The Doctor, however, promises to seek a solution, subtly hinting at his refusal to yield. A brief moment of hope arises when the Yeti guard outside the lab unexpectedly disappears, suggesting a potential, albeit temporary, reprieve and a chance for the trapped group to strategize and move. This initial act effectively establishes the overwhelming threat, the high stakes, and the Doctor's immediate challenge to find a way out of an impossible situation.

Act 2

Following the disappearance of the Yeti guard, the narrative branches, with the group attempting different approaches to their predicament. Jamie and Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart venture out, hoping to find an escape route to the surface, but their efforts are thwarted by an aggressive, spreading fungus that effectively seals off their exit and begins to infiltrate the HQ, tightening the Intelligence's siege. Simultaneously, in the laboratory, the Doctor and Anne Travers dedicate themselves to repairing and re-purposing a control sphere. Their initial success is tempered by the crucial discovery that the sphere's control capabilities are limited to an extremely short range, leading to the critical realization that the device must be physically placed inside a Yeti's own control mechanism to be effective. This new, highly dangerous objective forms the core of their evolving plan. Amidst these external challenges, internal friction surfaces as soldier Evans, consumed by paranoia, begins to suspect a traitor within their ranks and defiantly refuses orders. Meanwhile, a breakthrough occurs when Professor Travers, now freed from the Intelligence's direct control, and Victoria manage to send Staff Sergeant Arnold to the HQ with their location, providing vital intelligence and a renewed sense of purpose for the rescue efforts. The act effectively escalates the stakes, refines the Doctor's strategic objective, and builds towards a direct, perilous action.

Act 3

With a clear, albeit dangerous, objective, the Doctor and Anne Travers embark on their mission to Warren Street, determined to find a Yeti and implant their reprogrammed control sphere. Concurrently, Jamie and Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart return to the ops room, where they learn of the Doctor's bold venture and receive confirmation of Victoria and Professor Travers' location. Despite Jamie's immediate and passionate desire to rush to Victoria's rescue, the Colonel, demonstrating strategic pragmatism, insists on prioritizing cohesion and supporting the Doctor's critical mission, recognizing its broader implications for their survival. In the claustrophobic tunnels, the Doctor and Anne confront a formidable Yeti, trapped by the encroaching fungus. With surgical precision, the Doctor successfully deploys his control box, neutralizing the creature's aggression. He then meticulously removes the Yeti's original control device and replaces it with their modified, reprogrammed sphere, thereby gaining complete command over the creature. This pivotal tactical breakthrough provides the Doctor with an unexpected and powerful ally, fundamentally altering the balance of power against the Great Intelligence. The act culminates with the Doctor and Anne, now accompanied by their subservient Yeti, preparing for a direct confrontation with their formidable foe, having secured a significant advantage in their desperate struggle.