S13E26
Cynical
Written by Robert Banks Stewart
View Graph

The Seeds of Doom Part 6

As the Krynoid alien threatens to engulf a research facility, the Doctor and his companions must stop it before it spreads and humanity faces extinction.

In 'The Seeds of Doom - Part Six', the Doctor and his companions, Sarah, Henderson, and others, find themselves trapped in a research facility overrun by the deadly Krynoid alien. The creature, having evolved to devastating effect, poses an existential threat to humanity. The team, led by Major Beresford and aided by the Doctor's ingenuity, fights to survive against the relentless spread of the alien plant. As the situation grows more desperate, the Doctor devises a plan to use military aircraft to bomb the Krynoid, saving humanity from extinction. Meanwhile, Chase, one of their own, succumbs to the alien's influence, turning against his allies. The story culminates in a tense showdown where the Doctor and Sarah narrowly escape the facility as it is destroyed by the RAF's bombing run, effectively halting the Krynoid's advance.


Events in This Episode

The narrative beats that drive the story

29
Act 1

Major Beresford's military squad launches a desperate laser attack against the colossal Krynoid, which now threatens to engulf the entire research facility. The lasers prove largely ineffective, merely causing the creature to stagger before it continues its relentless advance. Inside the besieged building, the Doctor, Sarah, and Henderson find themselves trapped. The Doctor, through careful observation and recollection of past events, deduces a more insidious threat: Chase, who previously approached the Krynoid and returned seemingly unharmed, is not merely suffering from megalomania but is infected or possessed by the alien entity. This realization elevates Chase from a disgruntled, difficult ally to a dangerous, active internal enemy. Chase immediately confirms this shift by vandalizing the facility's sound system, destroying a potential means of communication or defense. Later, he ambushes Sergeant Henderson, incapacitating him and dragging him away, further reducing the group's numbers and increasing their vulnerability. The dual threats—the Krynoid's overwhelming external assault and Chase's treacherous internal sabotage—converge, intensifying the perilous situation for the trapped protagonists. The group, now acutely aware of the multifaceted danger, attempts to consolidate their position, seeking out Scorby in the main lab as the Krynoid continues its destructive siege on the building's structure.

Act 2

The Krynoid's relentless assault on the facility intensifies, pushing through windows and collapsing sections of the ceiling, creating an undeniable sense of siege. Scorby, overwhelmed by fear and distrust, dismisses the Doctor's warnings and attempts a desperate, solo escape. He plunges into the surrounding vegetation, only to be dragged to his death by sentient pondweed, highlighting the pervasive and insidious nature of the Krynoid's influence. Meanwhile, Sarah searches for Henderson and discovers his fate, confronting Chase in the compost room. Chase, now fully embracing his role as an agent of the Krynoid, reveals his twisted ideology, proclaiming humanity as parasites and celebrating the Krynoid's impending global dominance. Simultaneously, the Doctor successfully repairs the sound system, enabling him to establish crucial radio contact with Major Beresford and Sir Colin Thackeray. Recognizing the laser's futility and the Krynoid's imminent primary germination—a stage that would release embryo pods to doom the entire planet—the Doctor proposes a drastic solution: a low-level aerial bombardment with high explosives, even if it means destroying the facility and potentially sacrificing themselves. With the bombing run approved and inbound, the Doctor rushes to save Sarah, who Chase has tied into the compost machine. The Doctor rescues Sarah, and in the ensuing struggle, Chase is pulled into the shredder, ending the internal threat.

Act 3

Following Chase's demise, the Doctor and Sarah must escape the rapidly deteriorating facility, now under threat from both the external Krynoid and the impending aerial bombardment. With steam building inside the structure and bombs overhead, the Doctor ingeniously uses the facility's humidity system. He unfastens a pipe, directing a gush of hot steam at the encroaching Krynoid foliage blocking their exit. The steam temporarily repels the plants, creating a narrow window for their escape. They fight their way through the unhappy vegetation to a clearing of felled trees, taking cover behind a large log as the RAF jets commence their attack run. The first strike targets the house, followed by subsequent hits directly on the Krynoid. Lumps of green alien matter fly through the air as the entire building erupts in a massive explosion, consuming both the historic property and the alien plant in an intense inferno. The Krynoid's immediate threat is neutralized. In the aftermath, the Doctor and Sarah meet with Sir Colin Thackeray. The Doctor reflects on the Krynoid's enduring danger and the difficulty of studying such a species, while Sarah lightens the mood with a witty remark. Declining an invitation from the Royal Horticultural Society, the Doctor suggests a holiday to Cassiopeia. However, the TARDIS, due to a forgotten coordinate program, materializes them back in Antarctica, where their adventure began, setting the stage for their next journey.