Doctor Who
S20E23
· The Five Doctors Part 1

First Doctor and Susan discover the TARDIS

Exhausted and separated from his granddaughter during their perilous journey through the Death Zone, the First Doctor collapses briefly to rest. Susan wanders ahead and stumbles upon a seemingly impossible sight—the TARDIS, camouflaged within the ruins as if time itself had bent to hide it. The Doctor joins her, recognizing the vessel instantly despite its concealed state. Together they resolve to explore the anomaly, unaware their reunion and the TARDIS’s reappearance may hold consequences for the looming conflict at the Dark Tower and the fractured timelines converging around it. The moment carries quiet weight, subtly foreshadowing the deeper collisions of time that await them.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

3

The First Doctor decides to rest, and Susan offers to take another look around.

calm to curiosity ['scrubby moorland']

Susan discovers the TARDIS, and the First Doctor is surprised.

surprise to intrigue

The First Doctor and Susan decide to investigate the TARDIS's presence.

intrigue to determination

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Susan Foreman
primary

Hopeful yet cautious, driven by a mix of concern for her grandfather and fascination with the impossible sight before her

Susan, concerned for her grandfather’s well-being, offers to explore ahead. She exhibits curiosity and alertness as she stumbles upon a sight that defies expectation—the TARDIS hidden among the ruins.

Goals in this moment
  • • To spare her grandfather further exhaustion by scouting ahead
  • • To uncover the mystery of the TARDIS’s appearance
Active beliefs
  • • Family comes first, even in the face of danger
  • • Unusual occurrences often hold the key to progress
Character traits
Curious and observant Protective and caring Intuitively attuned to temporal anomalies
Follow Susan Foreman's journey
The Fifth Doctor
Time Lord
 primary

Determined but physically drained, masking urgency beneath a veneer of composure

The First Doctor, showing signs of fatigue, pauses to rest on the scrubby moorland. His voice is weary but carries the weight of authority as he acknowledges his exhaustion.

Goals in this moment
  • • To recover enough strength to continue their journey
  • • To investigate the mysterious reappearance of the TARDIS
Active beliefs
  • • Time and space are malleable, capable of bending to unexplained logic
  • • The TARDIS is a sanctuary and means of escape, even when hidden
Character traits
Exhausted but resolute Authoritative yet physically frail Intellectually alert despite physical strain
Follow The Fifth …'s journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space)

The TARDIS, the Doctor’s time machine, appears camouflaged within the ruins as if concealed by time itself. Its familiar blue exterior stands starkly against the drab Death Zone landscape, shocking the Doctor and Susan. The vessel’s sudden reappearance disrupts their expectations and becomes a focal point of investigation.

Before: Concealed and presumably inactive, its presence unknown to …
After: Revealed and recognized by the First Doctor and …
Before: Concealed and presumably inactive, its presence unknown to the Doctor and Susan at the start of their journey through the Death Zone
After: Revealed and recognized by the First Doctor and Susan, now a subject of their immediate curiosity and potential investigation

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

2
Death Zone

The Death Zone envelops the Doctor and Susan in its inhospitable embrace, a land designed to test and break those who enter. The ruins where the TARDIS lies hidden serve as a focal point within the Zone, a rare spot of familiarity that disrupts the otherwise desolate and threatening environment.

Atmosphere Foreboding and desolate, with an ever-present sense of unseen peril lurking beneath the surface
Function A hostile traversal zone where time itself seems distorted, amplifying the shock of the TARDIS’s …
Symbolism Embodies the arbitrary and cruel nature of time and fate, a place where the rules …
Access Access is restricted to those compelled by unseen forces, trapping the unwary within its bounds
Jagged metallic corridors twisting through uneven terrain Dust clinging to every surface, disturbed only by erratic movement Energy fields flickering like unsteady curtains in the distance
Prehistoric Scrubby Moorland

The scrubby moorland serves as the bleak, exhausting backdrop for the Doctor and Susan’s journey. The uneven terrain and oppressive atmosphere mirror their physical fatigue and the unsettling nature of the Death Zone, while the ruins where the TARDIS lies hidden provide a glimmer of the familiar amid the alien landscape.

Atmosphere Bleak and oppressive with an undercurrent of quiet dread, intensified by the isolation and the …
Function A traversal route that inadvertently leads to a moment of discovery and reunion, setting the …
Symbolism Represents the harshness of time and space, juxtaposed with the comforting familiarity of the TARDIS, …
Scrubby moorland with wiry grasses and stunted shrubs Low, brooding sky pressing down on the landscape Uneven ground forcing careful footing

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

No narrative connections mapped yet

This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph

Part of Larger Arcs

Susan Foreman strives to balance her role as the Doctor’s granddaughter with her responsibilities as a companion, especially as she navigates the loss of her grandfather’s immediate presence during the mission.

Key Dialogue

"SUSAN: Look. Come and see."
"DOCTOR 1ST: Hmm? What? Goodness me! The Tardis!"
"DOCTOR 1ST: I suggest we go and find out."