S9E2
Cynical
Written by Louis Marks
View Graph

Day of the Daleks Part 2

The Doctor and Jo Grant are kidnapped by fanatical aliens who plan to kill a politician to alter history, but they must escape and prevent a catastrophic future.

The Doctor and Jo Grant are visiting Sir Reginald Styles at Auderly House when they are kidnapped by Anat, Boaz, and Shura, who are from the 22nd century and are attempting to alter history by killing Styles. The aliens are using a time machine and are in contact with their base, where they are using a Time Vortex Magnetron to track down anyone using a specific time frequency. The Doctor and Jo manage to escape and find help from Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Captain Yates. Meanwhile, Jo is taken to the 22nd century by the aliens' time machine and meets the Controller, who offers to help her rescue the Doctor. The Doctor and Jo eventually outsmart the aliens and prevent them from changing history.


Events in This Episode

The narrative beats that drive the story

33
Act 1

The Doctor and Jo remain captives of Anat, Boaz, and Shura in Sir Reginald Styles' study. The aliens, intending to execute the Doctor, are momentarily stalled when he proves he is not Styles by referencing a newspaper. This revelation forces Anat to question their mission parameters, causing internal conflict among the alien trio. Simultaneously, UNIT forces, led by Captain Yates and Sergeant Benton, arrive at Auderly House, searching for their missing men and the Doctor and Jo. The aliens, detecting the approaching soldiers, quickly move the Doctor and Jo to the cellar, binding and gagging them to prevent detection. While hidden, the Doctor and Jo, despite their predicament, engage in a discussion about their captors. The Doctor deduces the aliens are 22nd-century fanatics attempting to alter history by targeting Styles, highlighting the advanced yet "antiquated" nature of their time-travel technology. This initial confrontation establishes the immediate threat and the Doctor's quick thinking under duress, while also setting up the broader stakes of historical intervention. The act concludes with the Doctor and Jo confined, but with the Doctor having gained crucial intelligence about their adversaries' origins and intentions, shifting the narrative from mere capture to a strategic struggle against time-traveling saboteurs.

Act 2

Confined in the cellar, the Doctor and Jo continue to discuss the implications of time travel and historical alteration, with Jo struggling to grasp the concept of the Blinovitch limitation effect. Meanwhile, in the 22nd century, the Daleks, through the Controller, activate a Time Vortex Magnetron designed to track and divert anyone using the specific time module previously traced. Back in the 20th century, Anat attempts to contact her base but encounters a massive disturbance in the vortex, preventing communication. Boaz advocates for immediate action against Styles, while Anat insists on awaiting new orders, sending Shura to a tunnel for better contact. The Brigadier, preoccupied with an international crisis, receives a suspicious call from the Doctor, who, under duress from Anat, gives cryptic warnings about Styles' return to Auderly House. Jo, having secretly freed her hands, seizes the aliens' time machine, threatening to destroy it unless they release her and the Doctor. Despite the Doctor's warnings, Jo accidentally activates the device, causing her to vanish from the study and travel through time, leaving the Doctor behind with the bewildered aliens. This moment marks a significant shift, separating the companions and introducing a new dimension to the conflict.

Act 3

Jo Grant finds herself in the 22nd century, where she meets the Controller, a seemingly benevolent human figure. The Controller explains the nature of the Ogrons, describing them as simple, loyal servants used as policemen. He expresses concern for Jo's safety and offers to help her rescue the Doctor, who remains a prisoner of Anat, Boaz, and Shura. Jo, trusting the Controller, provides him with crucial information about the time travelers' entry point—a tunnel near Auderly House. The Controller, however, is revealed to be in league with the Daleks, reporting Jo's intelligence to them. They conspire to set an ambush in the 20th century, planning to use their security forces to drive the "guerillas" (Anat, Boaz, Shura) into their hands. Meanwhile, back in the 20th century, the Doctor, left alone in the cellar, manages to free himself from his bonds by rubbing the ropes against a wine rack. As Anat and Boaz prepare for Styles' arrival, Ogrons, dispatched by the Daleks, attack Auderly House. The Doctor, now free, confronts an Ogron, disarms it with a high-kick, and seizes its weapon. He then escapes the house amidst the chaos, encountering the Brigadier. The Doctor, in a hurry, commandeers the Brigadier's Land Rover and drives off, leaving the Brigadier bewildered but having successfully eluded his captors and the attacking Ogrons.