Doctor meets Liz Shaw at UNIT
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
The Brigadier and Doctor acknowledge Liz Shaw, establishing her presence as a scientist with UNIT, before the Brigadier explains that the Doctor arrived during a meteorite shower and insists on investigating any connection.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Cautiously intrigued, balancing duty with curiosity.
The Brigadier enters the scene as a skeptical but authoritative figure, questioning the Doctor’s identity and motives. He holds the TARDIS key but refuses to hand it over without answers, testing the Doctor’s claims through probing questions. His demeanor softens slightly as the Doctor’s alien references (like Delphon) begin to convince him, though he remains cautious. He introduces Liz Shaw and reluctantly allows the Doctor to assist in the investigation, setting the stage for a uneasy alliance.
- • Verify the Doctor’s identity to ensure UNIT’s security.
- • Understand the nature of the meteorites and their potential threat.
- • The Doctor’s knowledge is valuable but must be vetted for security.
- • The meteorites are an alien threat requiring immediate investigation.
Intrigued and slightly frustrated (by the unknown composition of the fragments).
Liz Shaw is introduced as UNIT’s lead scientist, examining the meteorite fragments with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. She dismisses the fragments as plastic but is stumped by their lack of polymer chains, creating an opening for the Doctor’s insights. Her dialogue with the Doctor is sharp and direct, challenging his unorthodox methods while forming a partnership to investigate further. She is physically present at the lab bench, surrounded by equipment, and her demeanor is one of focused inquiry.
- • Identify the composition of the meteorite fragments.
- • Form a working partnership with the Doctor to solve the mystery.
- • The fragments are not natural and require further analysis.
- • The Doctor’s insights, though unorthodox, may be valuable.
Cautiously optimistic with underlying frustration (amnesia as a narrative and emotional burden).
The Doctor arrives at UNIT HQ with a wristwatch homing device, his demeanor a mix of playful charm and evasive wit. He demonstrates his identity through cryptic references to alien planets (Delphon) and eyebrow-wiggling, all while claiming amnesia. His focus quickly shifts to the meteorite fragments, where he deduces their hollow nature and potential contents, sparking a partnership with Liz Shaw. Physically, he is energetic and expressive, using humor and alien knowledge to disarm the Brigadier’s skepticism.
- • Prove his identity to the Brigadier to regain access to the TARDIS.
- • Uncover the mystery of the meteorite fragments and their hollow spheres.
- • His amnesia is temporary, and his memories will return with time.
- • The meteorites are artificial and contain something significant.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Doctor’s TARDIS key is a point of contention between him and the Brigadier. The Doctor asks for it, claiming it will work for him but not for the Brigadier, which hints at its alien nature and the Doctor’s unique connection to the TARDIS. The key is not physically shown but is referenced as a critical object that the Doctor needs to regain full control of his ship.
The meteorite fragments are the focal point of the Doctor and Liz Shaw’s investigation. Liz examines them, dismissing them as plastic but unable to identify their composition. The Doctor deduces that they are hollow spheres, likely containing something significant, which sparks the partnership between the two. The fragments are physically present on a lab tray, surrounded by scientific equipment, and their unusual properties drive the scene’s tension and mystery.
The plastic dolls are not physically present in this scene but are implied as part of the broader mystery. The Doctor references Ransome’s factory and the barbed wire fence, suggesting a connection between the meteorites and the dolls’ production. This sets up a future investigation into the factory and its role in the alien conspiracy. The dolls symbolize the manufactured nature of the threat and the potential for deception.
The missing intact meteorite is referenced by the Doctor as a critical clue. He deduces that one whole meteorite survived the impact and was collected before UNIT arrived, implying a conspiracy. This object is not physically present but is invoked as a missing piece of the puzzle, driving the investigation forward. Its absence highlights the manufactured nature of the threat and the need to uncover who collected it and why.
The TARDIS is central to the Doctor’s arrival and identity verification. He uses a wristwatch homing device to locate it, revealing its importance as both a physical object and a symbol of his alien origins. The Brigadier mentions that the key to the TARDIS is in his possession but does not work for him, creating tension around access. The TARDIS itself is not physically present in the lab but is referenced as a key artifact that the Doctor seeks to reclaim.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Ransome’s factory is referenced tangentially by the Doctor as the potential destination for the collected meteorites. The Doctor mentions the barbed wire fence and the factory’s role in the conspiracy, setting it up as a future location for the investigation. While not physically present in this scene, the factory looms as a key site for uncovering the truth about the meteorites and their connection to the plastic dolls. Its industrial, mechanized atmosphere is implied as a contrast to the lab’s scientific environment.
UNIT HQ serves as the neutral ground where the Doctor, Brigadier, and Liz Shaw converge to investigate the meteorite fragments. The lab is cluttered with scientific equipment, reflecting the urgency of the analysis. The Brigadier commands from here, while Liz works at the bench, and the Doctor arrives unannounced, creating a tense but collaborative atmosphere. The location is secure, heavily guarded, and designed for military-scientific operations, which underscores the high stakes of the investigation.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
UNIT is represented through the Brigadier’s authority, Liz Shaw’s scientific rigor, and the guarded TARDIS. The organization’s role is to investigate the meteorite fragments and potential alien threat, balancing military protocol with scientific inquiry. The Brigadier’s skepticism and the Doctor’s unorthodox methods create tension, but UNIT’s resources and infrastructure (like the lab) facilitate the investigation. The organization’s power dynamics are evident in the Brigadier’s command and the Doctor’s defiance, setting up a collaborative yet uneasy alliance.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"The Doctor determining that the spheres were likely holding something leads directly to the doctor's questions, and an offer to help."
Doctor Identifies Meteorite Hoax"The Doctor's actions cleaning up and stealing the car put him into a position to arrive at UNIT HQ."
Doctor escapes hospital in disguise"The Doctor's actions cleaning up and stealing the car put him into a position to arrive at UNIT HQ."
UNIT’s lethal containment revealed"The Doctor determining that the spheres were likely holding something leads directly to the doctor's questions, and an offer to help."
Doctor Proves Identity Through Memory"The stolen globe informs The Doctor of the nature of the alien meteorite."
Forbes ambushed by alien mannequin"The Brigadier's inability to open the TARDIS with the key emphasizes the Doctor's unique connection to it, making him more believable when he arrives at UNIT HQ and claims to be the Doctor."
Brigadier’s Failed TARDIS Key Attempt"Liz's skepticism is consistent as she does not understand the nature of The Doctor in the lab and when The Doctor arrives at HQ."
Liz Challenges the Brigadier’s Faith"Liz's skepticism is consistent as she does not understand the nature of The Doctor in the lab and when The Doctor arrives at HQ."
Liz challenges the Brigadier’s faith"Both Liz analyzing the meteorite and the Doctor confirming its properties contribute to understanding the alien threat."
Liz Challenges the Brigadier’s Faith"Both Liz analyzing the meteorite and the Doctor confirming its properties contribute to understanding the alien threat."
Liz challenges the Brigadier’s faith"The Doctor determining that the spheres were likely holding something leads directly to the doctor's questions, and an offer to help."
Doctor Proves Identity Through Memory"The Doctor determining that the spheres were likely holding something leads directly to the doctor's questions, and an offer to help."
Doctor Identifies Meteorite HoaxKey Dialogue
"BRIGADIER: How the devil did he find this place?"
"DOCTOR: Ah, there you are, my dear fellow. I expect you're wondering how I found you here?"
"DOCTOR: Ah ha! But it will for me."
"BRIGADIER: How do I know that you're not an imposter?"
"DOCTOR: Ah, but you don't, you don't. Only I know that. What do you think of my new face, by the way?"
"LIZ: What are you a doctor of, by the way?"
"DOCTOR: Practically everything, my dear."
"DOCTOR: Plastic?"
"LIZ: It's not thermo-plastic and neither is it thermo-setting. And there are no polymer chains."
"DOCTOR: That's interesting. I wonder what was inside."
"LIZ: Inside?"
"DOCTOR: Yes, well, you can tell from the shape this was a hollow sphere. I should think the space inside was about three thousand cubic centimetres, wouldn't you?"
"DOCTOR: Then the answer to your question's obvious, isn't it? By the time your search party arrived, the rest of these things had been collected. Collected and taken somewhere. The question is, where?"