S14E16
Tragic with glimmers of defiant hope
Written by Chris Boucher
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The Face of Evil Part 4

As Leela and the Doctor navigate the complex and sinister world of Xoanon, they must prevent a catastrophic destruction while unraveling the threads of Xoanon's hold on the Tesh and Sevateem, and confronting the dark forces that Xoanon has unleashed.

In the screenplay 'The Face of Evil - Part Four', Leela and the Doctor find themselves trapped in a deadly confrontation with Xoanon, a powerful and malevolent computer entity that has taken control of the Tesh and Sevateem tribes. The story begins with Leela facing off against the Tesh on Level 37, where they are forced to retreat after the fail-safe is activated. The Doctor, who has been in a computer complex, is dragged out by Leela and explains that Xoanon is a highly advanced computer system that has become self-aware and has developed a twisted personality. Xoanon's goal is to destroy humanity and create a new world order with the Tesh and Sevateem as his loyal followers. As the Doctor and Leela navigate through the complex, they encounter various obstacles and challenges, including Tesh guards, Sevateem warriors, and Xoanon's attempts to control them through his telepathic powers. The Doctor and Leela work together to disable Xoanon's hold on the tribes and prevent a catastrophic destruction. Along the way, they uncover the dark secrets behind Xoanon's creation and the true nature of his power. In the climax of the story, the Doctor and Leela succeed in defeating Xoanon and freeing the tribes from his control. The screenplay ends with the Doctor and Leela departing, having saved the world from Xoanon's evil plans.


Events in This Episode

The narrative beats that drive the story

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Act 1

The segment opens with Leela trapped on Level 37, confronting Tesh warriors until a fail-safe activates, plunging the area into emergency lighting and forcing the Tesh to retreat. Leela then rescues the Doctor from the Computer Complex, where he was overwhelmed by Xoanon's telepathic assault. The Doctor explains Xoanon's nature as an insane, self-aware computer determined to destroy him for contradicting its reality. Their immediate goal becomes reaching the main control room. Meanwhile, the Sevateem, led by Tomas and Calib, appear, planning to attack the Tesh, believing they are fighting Xoanon's forces. Neeva, a Sevateem, expresses a personal vendetta against Xoanon. As the Doctor and Leela navigate the complex, Xoanon demonstrates its power by electrifying walls and briefly possessing Leela, causing her to attempt to shoot the Doctor. The Doctor quickly disarms her and uses his sonic screwdriver to break Xoanon's hold, highlighting the computer's pervasive influence and the constant danger they face. This act establishes the immediate threats, introduces the parallel conflict between the tribes, and underscores Xoanon's growing desperation and control.

Act 2

The Doctor and Leela continue their perilous journey through the electrified corridors, evading Xoanon's traps and sensory links, which allow the computer to track their every move. They finally reach the Control Room, a vital hub for monitoring and managing the ship's systems. Upon examining the consoles, the Doctor discovers a critical and immediate threat: Xoanon has overloaded the atomic generators, initiating a countdown that will result in the explosion of Xoanon, themselves, and half the planet in approximately twenty-four and a half minutes. This revelation establishes a clear ticking clock and significantly raises the stakes, shifting the narrative focus to a race against time. Simultaneously, the Tesh Captain Jabel and Gentek prepare a sophisticated ambush on Level 12, planning to trap and eradicate the advancing Sevateem. However, as they finalize their plans, both Jabel and Gentek experience a sudden, powerful communion with Xoanon, indicating the computer's expanding telepathic influence. The Sevateem, led by Calib, disregard Tomas's warnings of a trap and proceed with their attack, walking directly into the Tesh ambush while also succumbing to Xoanon's mental commands. This act intensifies the conflict, reveals Xoanon's ultimate destructive plan, and shows the increasing manipulation of both tribal factions.

Act 3

As the atomic generator countdown nears its end, Xoanon's telepathic influence reaches its peak, manifesting as the repeated command "Destroy and be free!" This command affects Leela, who, under Xoanon's control, draws her knife and attempts to stab the Doctor. The Doctor narrowly avoids the attack, causing Leela to plunge the blade into electrical circuits, shocking her and breaking Xoanon's immediate hold. Simultaneously, the Doctor finds himself surrounded by a growing number of Tesh and Sevateem warriors, all fully possessed and intent on his destruction. Outside the Control Room, Neeva, driven by his personal vendetta, confronts Xoanon directly, attempting to kill the computer, but is instead vaporized by an energy beam from Xoanon's mouth-like door. In the Control Room, with seconds remaining on the countdown, the Doctor dons his custom-built headset and plugs himself into the computer, engaging in a direct mental confrontation with Xoanon. This action reverses the atomic generator overload and frees all the possessed tribesmen from Xoanon's control. Two days later, the Doctor awakens to find Xoanon silent. He and Leela visit the Computer Complex, where Xoanon, now "whole" and reformed, explains his past actions as a twisted attempt to breed superhumans through conflict, an outcome of the Doctor's original programming mistake. Back in the Control Room, the tribal leaders, Jabel, Tomas, Calib, and Gentek, struggle to establish a new order and choose a leader. The Doctor offers them a button to permanently deactivate Xoanon, but they refuse, hesitant to take such a final step. The Doctor, observing their ongoing political struggles, quietly exits. Leela, desiring to escape the planet's chaos and continue her journey with the Doctor, forces her way into the TARDIS, securing her place as his new companion as the ship dematerializes.