Doctor Who
S20E9
· Mawdryn Undead Part 1

Turlough’s flight to the obelisk with Ibbotson

Turlough flees across Obelisk Hill with the shimmering crystal clutched in his palm, its glow pulsing like a second heartbeat. The dark pact with the Black Guardian coils around him, driving him forward with frantic urgency while Ibbotson stumbles in pursuit, desperate to understand his erratic behavior. Turlough’s refusal to answer Ibbotson’s questions heightens the boy’s growing terror, revealed in his breathless pleas that betrays his dawning recognition of something profoundly wrong. The obelisk looms ahead, its stones whispering of time and ruin, as Turlough’s choices edge closer to unraveling the Doctor’s path and sealing his own fate. key_dialogue: [ IBbotson: Where are we going? TURLOUGH: Don't ask questions. IBbotson: Oh, Turlough, what's happening? Who are you talking to? ]

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

3

Turlough and Ibbotson are on the run, with Turlough seemingly under duress or distraction, prompting Ibbotson to ask about their destination.

curiosity to urgency

Turlough's interaction with an unseen entity (the crystal) leads Ibbotson to express concern and confusion about Turlough's behavior.

confusion to alarm ['near the obelisk']

Ibbotson's plea for Turlough to wait is left unanswered as Turlough continues towards the obelisk, heightening Ibbotson's concern.

concern to desperation ['near the obelisk']

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Turlough
Schoolboy
 primary

Panic masking desperate resolve

Turlough bolts across the frost-slicked hillside, the shimmering crystal clamped in his fist as he ignores Ibbotson’s calls. His muttered words to the artifact reveal his panic and fractured resolve.

Goals in this moment
  • • Escape Ibbotson’s questions to reach the obelisk
  • • Find guidance from the Black Guardian’s crystal
Active beliefs
  • • Only the obelisk can resolve his predicament
  • • The crystal holds answers he cannot share
Character traits
Rebellious Secretive Physically urgent Desperate
Follow Turlough's journey
Supporting 1
Ibbotson
secondary

Desperate confusion and growing fear

Ibbotson chases Turlough up the slope, gasping for breath as he pleads for answers, his confusion deepening with each ignored demand.

Goals in this moment
  • • Determine what Turlough’s cryptic behavior means
  • • Prevent Turlough from disappearing beyond reach
Active beliefs
  • • Turlough’s actions must make sense if explained properly
  • • Seeking answers will avert danger
Character traits
Timid Confused Anxious for clarity Physically struggling
Follow Ibbotson's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
Black Guardian's Power Crystal

The crystal glows violet in Turlough’s palm, its light synchronizing with his frantic heartbeat as he clutches it tightly while running. It pulses brighter with every whispered plea he directs at it.

Before: Dormant while hidden beneath Turlough’s pillow before this …
After: Glowing with intensified inner radiance, responsive to Turlough’s …
Before: Dormant while hidden beneath Turlough’s pillow before this chase.
After: Glowing with intensified inner radiance, responsive to Turlough’s distress and his attempts to communicate with unseen forces.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Obelisk Hill Monument Site

Obelisk Hill becomes the stage for Turlough’s desperate flight, its ancient monolith marking the boundary between mundane exile and the supernatural pact. The frost-laden air and whispering stones underscore the trap closing around him.

Atmosphere Charged with urgency and looming dread under a bruised twilight sky
Function Stage for a reckless bid to reach a supernatural endpoint
Symbolism Embodiment of Turlough’s entrapment in time and his obligation to the Black Guardian
Access Open to both boys but psychically barred to those not summoned by the obelisk
Glyph-carved obelisk pulsing faintly with rhythmic light Frost-slick granite slope forcing Ibbotson to struggle uphill

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 1
Escalation medium

"The Headmaster and Brigadier's immediate disciplinary reaction (implied in the aftermath of Turlough's joyride crash) creates a context where Turlough's disoriented behavior by the obelisk (with Ibbotson questioning their destination) escalates his entrapment in the physical and psychological web."

Turlough takes the Humber for a reckless joyride
S20E9 · Mawdryn Undead Part 1