Pyramids of Mars Part 1
When the TARDIS lands in 1911, the Doctor and Sarah must stop an ancient Egyptian deity, Sutekh, from being summoned by Professor Scarman's archaeological discoveries, which have been disrupted by Namin's dark rituals.
The screenplay 'Pyramids of Mars - Part One' begins with Professor Scarman uncovering an ancient tomb in Egypt, which he believes dates back to the First Dynasty of the Pharaohs. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Sarah arrive in 1911, at Stargrove Manor, Hampshire, due to a temporal anomaly. They soon discover that Scarman has been searching for Egyptian relics, which have been stored in the manor. However, Namin, acting under Scarman's authority, is using these relics to summon an ancient Egyptian deity, Sutekh. As the Doctor and Sarah try to unravel the mystery, they encounter various obstacles, including Namin's increasing fanaticism and the appearance of mummified creatures. The Doctor and Sarah team up with Doctor Warlock and Laurence Scarman to prevent the summoning of Sutekh, which they believe could have catastrophic consequences for the world. The story unfolds with a series of intense encounters, including a showdown between the Doctor and Namin, and ultimately leads to a greater understanding of the forces at play and the danger that Sutekh poses.
Events in This Episode
The narrative beats that drive the story
Professor Scarman unearths an ancient Egyptian tomb, where a green light strikes him, and he screams, signaling the release of a malevolent force. Simultaneously, the TARDIS experiences a temporal anomaly, drawing the Doctor and Sarah to Stargrove Manor in 1911 Hampshire. Sarah discovers an Edwardian dress, prompting the Doctor to reflect on his long life and the implications of being a Time Lord. The TARDIS then suffers a power failure, and Sarah briefly sees a malevolent, animal-like skull, indicating a powerful mental projection influencing their journey. They materialize inside the manor, finding it filled with Egyptian artifacts. The Doctor senses something profoundly wrong, contrary to the laws of the universe. Inside the manor, Ibrahim Namin, a man wearing a fez, plays an organ and violently dismisses Collins, the butler. Doctor Warlock arrives, demanding answers about Professor Scarman's disappearance and Namin's authority. Namin claims to be acting under Scarman's instructions, storing relics and barring entry. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Sarah navigate the manor, discovering a locked wing. They encounter Collins, who warns them about Namin's volatile temper and the Egyptian's strange activities. Collins expresses fear, revealing Namin locked the wing and that he wouldn't stay if not for his age. As Collins leaves, a mummy case behind him shows movement. Warlock confronts Namin, accusing him of forging Scarman's letter and threatening to go to the police. A scream interrupts them. Namin and Warlock rush out to find Collins strangled by the window, his face frozen in horror. Namin proclaims the return of "the gods" and the power of "the All Powerful," then points a revolver at Warlock. The Doctor intervenes, lassoing Namin with his scarf, allowing Warlock to escape. Namin then performs a ritual, using a scarab ring to awaken a bandaged, non-human figure from the mummy case, bringing the ancient threat into corporeal existence.
Professor Scarman finally stands before the untouched tomb of the First Dynasty, a discovery that could rewrite history. Ignoring warnings from his superstitious workers, he removes the tapestry to reveal …
Professor Scarman and his team uncover a First Dynasty tomb containing untouched relics, including the Eye of Horus. As Scarman prepares to enter the inner chamber, Achmed and the Egyptian …
Professor Scarman’s ambition overrides his caution as he exposes the inner chamber of an untouched First Dynasty tomb. Ignoring Achmed’s terrified warnings, he pries open the sealed stones revealing the …
While the TARDIS jolts violently after their escape, Sarah wanders into the companion quarters and discovers Victoria's old Edwardian dress still hanging in the wardrobe. She slips it on without …
The TARDIS lurches violently as a malevolent, animal-like skull materializes in the air before vanishing. Sarah is visibly shaken by the apparition while the Doctor attempts damage control of the …
The Doctor and Sarah confront the TARDIS’s sudden instability after Sarah discovers a forgotten dress in the wardrobe. The Doctor’s casual reference to Victoria’s clothing shifts into a somber reflection …
The Doctor and Sarah Jane are caught in sudden turbulence as the TARDIS materializes unplanned in 1911 Egypt. Amidst the violent arrival and failing systems, a terrifying psychic projection of …
Collins braces against the study wall as Warlock invades the manor, intent on unmasking Namin and Scarman’s secrets at any cost. The door knob rattles violently across the hall, a …
Collins stands frozen outside the study door, pressing himself against the wall to avoid detection. The sudden violent rattling of the door knob across the hall shatters the nighttime silence …
Sarah and the Doctor investigate an oddly secured storage room in Stargrove Manor, suspecting dark activities behind it. Collins, the butler, enters unexpectedly and warns them about an unnamed Egyptian …
Collins hurries the Doctor and Sarah out a back window to avoid Namin, warning them of the volatile Egyptian and the danger of being caught in the locked wing. The …
Following Collins' murder and the mummy's awakening, the Doctor half-carries a wounded Doctor Warlock, whom Namin shot, away from the manor. Warlock, severely injured, urges them to find Laurence Scarman at the nearby lodge. Sarah runs ahead, encountering the walking mummy in the woods before reaching the lodge. The Doctor, also hiding from the mummy, eventually meets Sarah and Laurence. Laurence, Professor Scarman's brother, helps the Doctor staunch Warlock's bleeding. Sarah recounts seeing a walking mummy, which the Doctor initially dismisses as impossible. Laurence intends to call the police, but the Doctor insists the matter is far too grave, revealing his identity as a Time Lord and his mission to investigate the temporal interference. Laurence expresses skepticism about the Doctor and Sarah's claims of time travel. The Doctor then investigates Laurence's "Marconiscope," recognizing it as an early radio telescope designed to receive emissions from Mars. Despite Laurence's warnings about its delicate nature, the Doctor insists on a demonstration. The machine overloads, but not before revealing a repeating, complex signal. Using his own compact radio, the Doctor confirms the signal's origin from Mars and begins to decipher it. Meanwhile, Namin performs a ritual at the Priory with three mummies, who raise their arms in unison. The Doctor deciphers the signal: "Beware Sutekh." Sarah recognizes Sutekh as Set from Egyptian mythology, a god killed by Horus. Laurence questions the connection between Egyptology and Mars. The Doctor declares the world faces its greatest peril, recognizing the immense power of the forces being summoned. He instructs Sarah and Laurence to stay at the lodge, refusing Laurence's offer of a hunting rifle, and departs alone to confront the danger at the manor, leaving them with the ominous warning about Sutekh.
Warlock enters the study and confronts Namin over Scarman's absence, revealing he has made inquiries in Cairo and threatens to expose him to the police. Namin retaliates by claiming there …
As Namin and Warlock argue over dark rituals tied to Sutekh, the tension erupts into chaos when a distant scream interrupts. Seizing the distraction, the Doctor and Sarah slip into …
Namin gloats over the bloodied body of Collins, treating it as proof of divine retribution before declaring Sutekh’s victorious return. His apocalyptic fervor escalates as Warlock rejects the call to …
Namin maintains his fanatical certainty, drawing a revolver to silence Warlock’s skepticism while boasting of Sutekh’s imminent return. Just as he fires, the Doctor intervenes, lassoing Namin’s arm with his …
With the Doctor’s interruption temporarily halted, Namin seizes the chance to finalize his dark rites undisturbed. Within the storage room’s cold confines, he pushes open the mummy case to reveal …
The ritual reaches its peak as Namin completes the incantation, forcing open the mummy case with his scarab ring. From within emerges a bandaged figure whose unnatural form distorts human …
Sarah witnesses and flees from a supernatural mummy-like figure in the woods, while the Doctor separately eludes the same threat. Their parallel encounters in the hollows reveal their difference in …
As Sarah guides Laurence Scarman through the woods toward the stricken Doctor Warlock, Laurence reacts with immediate concern, revealing both his protective instinct and the fragile alliance forming against Namin’s …
Namin completes his blasphemous ritual before the sealed mummy case, prostrating himself and chanting in a forbidden tongue. The air twists and darkens as the dormant entity within stirs. Elsewhere, …
Laurence Scarman tenders the offer of police intervention after discovering the Doctor’s strange claims about temporal interference, only for the Time Lord to dismiss the suggestion outright. As Sarah Jane …
The Doctor confirms Laurence Scarman’s radio telescope is a primitive version of his own Marconiscope, then discovers the repetitive signal from Mars is a coded warning. When he decodes the …
The Doctor examines Laurence Scarman's Marconiscope with dangerous curiosity, triggering an overload that reveals a repeating signal from Mars. As the machine fails catastrophically, the Doctor identifies the pattern as …
The Doctor deciphers a repeating signal from the Marconiscope, identifying it as a warning from Mars about Sutekh’s awakening. Horrified by the scale of the threat, he rejects Laurence’s offer …