Terror of the Autons Part 1
When the Master arrives on Earth and steals a Nestene energy unit, the Doctor must stop him from using radio telescopes to connect with and unleash the alien Nestenes' plastic-based Auton army on an unsuspecting world.
The Master, a renegade Time Lord, arrives on Earth disguised and immediately begins a campaign of theft and manipulation. He first coerces Luigi Rossini, an Italian circus owner operating in London using the name Lew Russell, into aiding him. The Master then steals a Nestene energy unit from the National Space Museum after Rossini knocks out a museum attendant. UNIT, led by the Brigadier, is already investigating the theft when the Doctor, still frustrated with the Brigadier’s assignment of the inexperienced but keen Josephine Grant as his assistant, is drawn into the case.
At the same time, the Time Lords send a representative to warn the Doctor about the Master's presence. The Time Lord informs the Doctor that the Master seeks to corrupt the planet for the Nestenes. The Time Lord vanishes after warning The Doctor of a volatiser bomb in the telescope control that The Master rigged.
The Doctor, Jo, and the Brigadier investigate sabotage at the Beacon Hill radio telescope facility, where two scientists have disappeared. There, the Doctor disarms a volatiser bomb left by the Master. He also discovers the shrunken body of one of the missing scientists, Goodge. The Master, meanwhile, visits a plastics factory and convinces Farrel to give control of the factory to the Nestenes so that the facilitys production lines can make Autons. The Master asserts his control through hypnotic suggestion.
Jo is sent to investigate the plastics factory, where she encounters the Master. The Master hypnotizes her into forgetting the encounter. Yates and the Brigadier are later informed that Philips' car was found abandoned with a UNIT-marked zinc box inside. Back at the plastics factory, McDermott confronts Farrel about "Colonel Masters". Farrel goes to the lab to find the Colonel at which point McDermott calls Farrel's father to report the events only to find the Master standing over three Autons.
Events in This Episode
The narrative beats that drive the story
The episode establishes the sinister arrival of the Master, a renegade Time Lord, on Earth. He immediately demonstrates his hypnotic power by coercing circus owner Luigi Rossini into aiding him. Together, they execute the theft of a crucial Nestene energy unit from the National Space Museum, setting the primary alien threat in motion. Concurrently, the Doctor is introduced, initially expressing frustration with his new, seemingly inexperienced assistant, Jo Grant. Their dynamic quickly shifts as Jo brings the report of the Nestene unit theft, drawing the Doctor into the burgeoning investigation. A mysterious Time Lord appears, warning the Doctor about the Master's presence and his dangerous plan involving a volatiser bomb at the Beacon Hill radio telescope facility. The Doctor, now fully engaged, races to the facility, successfully disarming the bomb and making the horrifying discovery of the shrunken remains of one of the missing scientists, Goodge, confirming the Master's deadly intent and the alien nature of the threat. Simultaneously, the Master begins to manipulate Farrel, a plastics factory owner, subtly hinting at the true purpose of the Nestene unit. The Doctor, understanding the Nestenes' affinity for plastic, directs UNIT to initiate a search of all local plastics factories, preparing for the next phase of the confrontation.
The Doctor’s frustration peaks when Jo accidentally ruins delicate TARDIS repair work and extinguishes the resulting lab fire. Instead of gratitude, his irritation fuels a dismissive tirade about her apparent …
Jo Grant enters the UNIT lab to formally introduce herself as the Doctor’s new assistant but immediately finds herself dismissed as unqualified after accidentally sabotaging his experimental setup. Undeterred, she …
Goodge and Philips move through a routine shift at the Beacon Hill radio telescope control, their easy conversation about diet and scans masking the mundane predictability of scientific rigmarole. Philips …
The Master slips into the Beacon Hill Telescope control room after the regular staff have stepped away for routine tasks. Using his sonic screwdriver, he silently disables security without alerting …
The Master physically inserts the stolen Nestene energy unit into the telescope control panel’s backend, bypassing security with his sonic screwdriver. With the unit active, he reorients the radio dishes …
The Doctor approaches the Beacon Hill telescope control room when a mysterious Time Lord materializes to issue a dire warning. The renegade Time Lord reveals that the Master has arrived …
The Doctor arrives at Beacon Hill Telescope Control to find Yates and the Director already present. Just before entering, a Time Lord materializes to issue a dire warning about the …
The Doctor’s investigation at Beacon Hill Telescope Control turns horrifying when he discovers Goodge’s shrunken corpse concealed within a sandwich box, a grotesque trophy of the Master’s Nestene-enhanced technology. Meanwhile, …
Following the Doctor's directive, UNIT commences its search for the stolen Nestene energy unit, while the Master systematically consolidates his control over the plastics factory. He employs his potent hypnotic 'Look' to fully subjugate Farrel, ensuring the factory's resources are dedicated to the Nestene cause. Back at the UNIT laboratory, the Doctor successfully neutralizes the volatiser bomb he recovered from Beacon Hill, extracting its dangerous contents and preventing its further use. Jo Grant, eager to prove her capabilities, is dispatched by the Brigadier to investigate local plastics factories. This mission leads her directly to the Master, who, upon encountering her, uses his hypnotic powers to erase her memory of their meeting and implant false information, ensuring she returns to UNIT with a negative, misleading report. This encounter highlights Jo's vulnerability and the Master's cunning, creating a significant setback for UNIT's investigation. Concurrently, Captain Yates and the Brigadier receive news that Professor Philips' abandoned car has been found, containing a UNIT-marked zinc box – a strong indication that the Nestene energy unit has been moved, further complicating their search. Inside the factory, McDermott, Farrel's long-time employee, grows increasingly suspicious of 'Colonel Masters' and Farrel's erratic behavior, providing an internal challenge to the Master's operations and foreshadowing a potential confrontation. McDermott's decision to contact Farrel's father signals a turning point in the factory's internal dynamics.
The Master deactivates the Beacon Hill telescope’s remote controls as the stolen Nestene energy sphere emits a rapid beeping, signaling that the alien device is ready to establish contact. Philips …
Philips bursts into the control room, alerted by the escalating signal. He confronts what he perceives as Goodge’s erratic behavior but falls under the Master’s hypnotic control the moment their …
Jo Grant enters the UNIT lab while the Doctor dismisses her as an unqualified trainee. When she quickly summarizes incoming reports on the stolen meteorite and confirms the delivery of …
Jo Grant demonstrates her initiative by bringing the Doctor an urgent UNIT report about a sabotaged radio telescope and two missing scientists. The Brigadier confirms the details and Jo’s thoroughness …
The tension at the plastics factory escalates to a critical point as McDermott, increasingly alarmed by Farrel's irrational behavior and the mysterious 'Colonel Masters,' attempts to contact Farrel senior. Unbeknownst to McDermott, his efforts are already too late to prevent the Master's plan from advancing. In a chilling display of his progress, the Master reveals his ultimate creations: three fully formed Autons, brought to life through the Nestene energy and the factory's plastic production lines. These menacing, lifelike mannequins represent the direct, physical manifestation of the alien threat the Doctor has been battling. Farrel, returning to the lab to find 'Colonel Masters,' stumbles upon this horrifying scene, witnessing the activated Autons for the first time. As he recoils in terror, one of the Autons positions itself behind the door, arm raised, ready to strike, effectively trapping Farrel. The Master, now fully in command, calmly asserts his authority over both Farrel and his new plastic army, declaring the Autons his servants. This climactic moment serves as the episode's major reveal and cliffhanger, confirming the Nestene invasion is not just a theoretical threat but a terrifying reality, with the Autons poised to unleash their terror upon an unsuspecting world. The episode concludes with the immediate danger to Farrel and the terrifying implication of the Autons' existence.
In the UNIT laboratory, the Doctor reveals the full scope of the Nestene threat to Jo Grant and Captain Yates, describing their cephalopod-like intelligence, disembodied nature, and dangerous affinity for …
The Doctor identifies plastics factories as the likely hiding place of the stolen Nestene energy unit and orders the Brigadier to mount an urgent search. Yates receives the assignment while …
The Master leads Farrel from the Nestene energy unit to the factory’s central computer, making clear his intention to deviate from the agreed plan. While Farrel resists the change to …
Jo Grant’s covert surveillance of the Master and Farrel abruptly ends when she knocks boxes off a crate while following them from hiding. Her accidental presence draws the Master’s gaze …
McDermott challenges Farrel's claim that a Colonel Masters is overseeing the factory's entire production run, a key detail in Farrel's effort to legitimize his authority. When Farrel cannot produce a …
McDermott senses instability in Farrel’s leadership and exploits it by secretly bypassing protocol to contact Farrel senior directly. The phone call exposes Farrel’s weakened authority while reinforcing McDermott’s defiance, fracturing …