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S9E24 · The Time Monster Part 4

Doctor prepares desperate plan with Jo

The Doctor and Jo realize the Master has disabled sound reception in his TARDIS, forcing the Doctor to devise a non-verbal way to penetrate the silence. They must stop the Master before he completes his endgame with Kronos, but time is running out. While they discuss the danger, the Doctor improvises a solution, pulling a module from beneath the console to amplify their interference. Jo’s persistent questions reveal her growing fear while the Doctor’s focus remains razor-sharp, setting up their unstable but determined partnership against impossible odds. key_dialogue: [ DOCTOR: We've got to make him listen. It's our only chance of stopping him. JO: You're not thinking of going out there, are you? DOCTOR: No, not if I can help it. JO: Well, what are you going to do then? DOCTOR: If he's turned his sound receiver off, I must make myself heard without it. DOCTOR: If the thraskin puts his fingers in his ears, it is polite to shout. That's an old Venusian proverb. JO: What's a thraskin? DOCTOR: Thraskin? Oh, it's an archaic word, seldom used since the twenty fifth dynasty, the modern equivalent is plinge. JO: What does plinge mean? DOCTOR: Oh, for heaven's sake, Jo, I've just told you. It means thraskin ]

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

3

The Doctor and Jo discuss the Master's refusal to listen, highlighting their concern and urgency to stop him.

concern to urgency

The Doctor devises a plan to make his message heard by modifying a module, explaining his approach to Jo.

determination to explanation

The Doctor explains an archaic term 'thraskin' and its modern equivalent 'plinge', leading to a moment of clarity and understanding with Jo.

explanation to understanding

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2

Laser-focused determination laced with a veneer of playful distraction to deflect escalating tension

The Doctor moves with purpose, rapidly extracting a module from beneath the TARDIS console and reconfiguring its internal components with deft precision. His dialogue oscillates between urgent exposition and playful linguistic tangents, masking the gravity of the situation with his trademark mix of intellect and eccentricity.

Goals in this moment
  • Find a way to penetrate the Master's auditory blockade before Kronos is summoned
  • Prevent Jo from derailing the plan with her questions while keeping her engaged
Active beliefs
  • That all problems have a solution if one thinks creatively enough
  • That even seemingly irrelevant knowledge (like archaic Venusian proverbs) can become crucial
Character traits
Improvisational thinker Linguistically dexterous Precise under pressure Morally driven
Follow The Third …'s journey
Supporting 1

Confused dismay mingled with a nagging sense of responsibility that keeps her rooted to the spot

Jo stands tense and alert, her posture revealing escalating concern as the Doctor's cryptic plans unfold. She interjects with questions that betray her growing unease, her attempts to grasp the situation repeatedly frustrated by the Doctor's linguistic tangents and refusal to elaborate directly.

Goals in this moment
  • Protect the Doctor from reckless actions she senses coming
  • Gain clarity about the Doctor's improvised plan and its feasibility
Active beliefs
  • That direct action should be reserved for clear and present threats
  • That the Doctor sometimes prioritizes cleverness over safety
Character traits
Methodically analytical Increasingly flustered Loyal but questioning Pedantic in moments of stress
Follow Jo Grant's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
TARDIS Console Room Temporal Monitor

The module serves as the crucial impromptu tool enabling the Doctor to bypass the Master's auditory blockade. Pulled from beneath the console where it was likely a backup or emergency component, the Doctor dismantles and reconfigures its internal circuitry to create an alternative channel of interference that circumvents traditional sound-based communication.

Before: Located beneath the TARDIS console, dormant and part …
After: Removed from its original position, partially disassembled with …
Before: Located beneath the TARDIS console, dormant and part of the ship's secondary systems
After: Removed from its original position, partially disassembled with components rerouted to interface with the console systems

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Dalek Supreme Command Room (Central War Nexus)

The TARDIS main console room functions as the command center where the Doctor and Jo grapple with the temporal crisis unfolding. The room's temporal energies pulse around them as emergency measures are improvised, its infinite corridors stretching beyond perception reflecting the gravity of their confined but limitless mission.

Atmosphere Urgently charged with an undercurrent of temporal instability and the Doctor's characteristic blend of intellectual …
Function Mission control under temporal siege where invention meets necessity
Symbolism Represents the Doctor's sanctuary turned battlefield, where time itself bends to challenge his ingenuity
The time rotor pulses at the chamber's heart casting oscillating shadows Emergency lighting casts harsh angles across the gridded floor plates where the Doctor moves with purpose

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

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