S22E10
Cynical with threads of reluctant hope
Written by Glen McCoy
View Graph

Timelash Part 1

The Doctor and Peri materialize on Karfel, a planet under the tyrannical rule of the Borad, who uses time travel technology to maintain power, and must help a young woman named Vena escape the clutches of the Borad's regime.

The narrative begins with the Doctor and Peri materializing on Karfel, a planet ruled by the Borad, an alien creature who uses advanced technology, including time travel, to maintain control. Their arrival coincides with a group of rebels, led by Aram, Gazak, and Tyheer, who are captured and sentenced to the Timelash, a time corridor that banishes them to an unknown fate. The Doctor and Peri become embroiled in the conflict when they encounter Mykros, a disillusioned member of the Inner Sanctum, who is secretly working to undermine the Borad's regime. Mykros's efforts ultimately lead to the Borad revealing his true nature and intentions. The Doctor's attempts to navigate the complexities of the time corridor and help his companions are thwarted by the Borad's interventions. The story unfolds with multiple plot threads that ultimately converge, leading to a confrontation between the Doctor and the Borad. The narrative explores themes of power, control, and rebellion, set against a backdrop of advanced technology and time travel.


Events in This Episode

The narrative beats that drive the story

43
Act 1

The Doctor and Peri aboard the TARDIS engage in their usual banter about travel destinations. Their journey takes an unexpected turn when the TARDIS is forcibly pulled into a Kontron tunnel, a dangerous time corridor, disrupting their intended course. Simultaneously, on the distant planet Karfel, a group of rebels—Aram, Gazak, and Tyheer—attempt to escape the tyrannical grip of the Borad. Their desperate flight highlights the oppressive regime and introduces the terrifying concept of the Timelash, a banishment into an unknown temporal void. Aram is captured, revealing the Borad's cruel authority. Within the Inner Sanctum, the political landscape of Karfel unfolds, showcasing the fear and division among its leaders, including the idealistic Vena and the disillusioned Mykros. Gazak and Tyheer are condemned to the Timelash, a public display of the Borad's absolute power. Mykros, witnessing this injustice, begins to question the Borad's leadership and secretly plots to undermine him. The Borad, however, maintains an insidious surveillance, leading to the dramatic downfall of Maylin Renis, Vena's father, who is brutally aged to death for perceived disloyalty. Tekker seizes power as the new Maylin. In a desperate attempt to save Mykros from the Timelash, Vena snatches a crucial amulet from Tekker, only to be accidentally knocked into the time corridor herself, alongside Mykros. The TARDIS, having endured its turbulent passage, stabilizes just as Vena's image momentarily flashes through the console room, directly linking the Doctor's predicament to the unfolding crisis on Karfel. This act establishes the core conflict, the oppressive antagonist, the stakes for Karfel, and the Doctor's unwitting entanglement in the planet's fate.

Act 2

Following the chaotic passage through the Kontron tunnel, the TARDIS stabilizes, and the Doctor and Peri witness Vena's fleeting image, confirming her presence within the time corridor. The Doctor deduces their proximity to the time tunnel's source: Karfel. Upon materializing, they are met by the newly appointed Maylin Tekker, who feigns hospitality while subtly attempting to manipulate the Doctor. Tekker immediately separates Peri from the Doctor under the guise of a 'tour,' but his true intentions are revealed when he provokes war with the Bandrils and orders Peri's assassination. Peri, demonstrating quick thinking, uses an acid-squirting plant to incapacitate her guard and escapes into the Citadel's labyrinthine corridors, eventually finding refuge in the caverns. Meanwhile, Vena, having been flung through time, materializes in Victorian-era Earth, where she is discovered by the eccentric writer Herbert. She collapses, clutching the vital amulet. Peri, in her flight, encounters a group of Karfelon rebels, including Sezon and Katz, who initially suspect her but are convinced of her allegiance to the Doctor through a shared connection to Jo Grant. They reveal the Borad's war-mongering and the devastating potential of the Bandril's bendalypse warhead. The Doctor, having calculated Vena's temporal displacement, tracks her to Herbert's cottage. He convinces Vena of the necessity to return the amulet to Karfel to save her people. Vena, driven by loyalty, agrees, but insists on accompanying him. Herbert, captivated by the TARDIS, stows away, adding an unexpected complication to their mission. This act builds tension through parallel narratives, establishing the Doctor's primary objective and gathering the disparate allies needed for the impending confrontation.

Act 3

The TARDIS, now carrying the Doctor, Vena, and the unwitting stowaway Herbert, transcends the time vortex and materializes back on Karfel, directly outside the Inner Sanctum. Their return is immediately met by Maylin Tekker and his android enforcer, who are keenly aware of the Doctor's mission to retrieve the amulet. Tekker, demonstrating his ruthless pragmatism, wastes no time in demanding the amulet, using Peri's life as immediate leverage. He reveals that Peri has been captured and threatens her execution, forcing Vena into an impossible choice. Despite the Doctor's attempts at defiance, Vena, prioritizing Peri's safety and the immediate threat to her companion, reluctantly hands over the vital amulet to Tekker. This moment represents a significant setback, as the very object crucial to undermining the Borad's power is now back in his control. The dramatic tension further escalates as Mykros, Vena's fiancé, and other captured rebels are brought in, their faces showing the toll of their imprisonment. Tekker, emboldened by his success and the recovery of the amulet, immediately orders Brunner to prepare the Timelash, signaling his intent to banish Mykros and the other rebels. The act concludes with a dire cliffhanger, with the Doctor disarmed of the amulet, his companion's life still hanging in the balance, and his allies in immediate peril, leaving the fate of Karfel and its heroes uncertain.