Fabula
Season 11 · Episode 9
S11E9
Cynical
Written by Malcolm Hulke
View Graph

Invasion of the Dinosaurs Part 5

The Doctor, arrested and on the run, must stop Minister Grover's sinister plot to alter history and wipe out unwanted populations, aided by rebel Sarah and UNIT forces.

The Doctor is captured by UNIT forces, led by General Finch, but manages to escape with the help of Sergeant Benton. Meanwhile, Sarah, who has been in suspended animation, begins to question the reality of her surroundings on a supposed spaceship. She discovers that they are actually in a fake environment created by Minister Grover. The Doctor learns that Captain Yates is working against him and teams up with Benton to evade capture. Sarah infiltrates Grover's office and discovers a hidden underground bunker where Grover plans to use a time field to alter history. The Doctor and Sarah join forces to stop Grover's sinister plot, which involves bringing dinosaurs to Earth and wiping out large portions of the population. As the story unfolds, the Doctor and Sarah navigate through UNIT headquarters, the fake spaceship, and the underground bunker, encountering various characters, including Mark, Adam, and Butler. The story reaches its climax as the Doctor and Sarah attempt to prevent Grover from activating the time field and changing the course of history.


Events in This Episode

The narrative beats that drive the story

24
Act 1

The narrative commences with the Doctor's immediate arrest by UNIT forces under General Finch, who, against Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's counsel, prioritizes reporting to the Minister over interrogation. This initial action establishes a sense of urgency and hints at a pre-existing, higher-level conspiracy. Concurrently, Sarah Jane Smith, disoriented within a simulated spaceship environment, begins to question her reality. She discerns the elaborate deception, escapes her assigned handler, Mark, and later convinces him of the fake environment's true nature by demonstrating the 'airlock' leads to a normal room. Back at UNIT, Captain Yates's true allegiance is exposed as he follows Finch's orders to imprison the Doctor, revealing his role as an inside operative for the antagonists. Sergeant Benton, however, stages a convincing 'overpowering' to facilitate the Doctor's escape, demonstrating a deep loyalty and understanding of the Doctor's critical mission. Meanwhile, Minister Grover and Professor Whitaker, the architects of the grand scheme, showcase their terrifying time-reversal technology, successfully reforming a shattered mug, thus confirming their capability to alter history on a fundamental level. The Doctor, now a fugitive, skillfully evades UNIT patrols in a Land Rover, demonstrating his resourcefulness. Sarah's independent investigation leads her through the fake spaceship's hidden passages to a lift, which she uses to infiltrate Grover's seemingly deserted office. She then makes her way to UNIT HQ, where she learns of the Doctor's re-capture and subsequent escape. Encountering General Finch, Sarah bravely exposes Grover's plot, detailing the hidden underground control center beneath his office. She persuades Finch to accompany her to Grover's office, believing him to be an ally. However, in a shocking and dramatic turning point within the filing room, Finch reveals his complicity in Grover's scheme by drawing a pistol on Sarah, trapping her and exposing the profound depth of the conspiracy. This betrayal leaves Sarah in immediate peril and marks a critical shift in the story's direction.