Polo reveals his desperate TARDIS gambit
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
The Doctor attempts to enter the TARDIS to resume repairs, but Mongol guards, acting on Polo's orders, prevent him from doing so, highlighting Polo's control over the TARDIS.
Polo recounts his eighteen years of service to Kublai Khan and explains his desperation to return to Venice, believing the TARDIS is the ultimate gift to secure his freedom.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Calm and composed initially, but growing increasingly concerned as the Doctor’s emotional state deteriorates and Polo’s resolve hardens. She remains the voice of reason amid the chaos.
Barbara acts as a mediator, encouraging the Doctor to listen to Polo’s explanation and providing historical context to confirm Polo’s eventual return to Venice. She attempts to reason with Polo about the TARDIS’s uniqueness and tries to calm the Doctor as he becomes hysterical. Her role is to bridge the gap between the two men’s perspectives, using her knowledge of history and her pragmatic nature to de-escalate the situation.
- • To prevent the confrontation from escalating into violence or irreversible decisions
- • To use historical knowledge to appeal to Polo’s rationality and the Doctor’s sense of urgency
- • Polo’s plan is driven by desperation, not malice, and can be reasoned with
- • The Doctor’s emotional state is a critical factor that must be managed to avoid further conflict
Desperate and pleading initially, but hardening into assertive and unyielding as he senses the Doctor’s helplessness. His emotional state is a mix of fear (of never seeing Venice again) and determination (to secure his freedom by any means necessary).
Polo blocks the Doctor’s access to the TARDIS and lays bare his eighteen-year exile in Cathay, his desperation to return to Venice, and his reckless plan to offer the TARDIS to Kublai Khan as a bargaining chip for his freedom. He shifts from pleading to assertive, culminating in a threat: ‘I have just made it yours, Doctor.’ His tone is a mix of desperation and unyielding resolve, revealing his vulnerability (fear of dying in Cathay) and his willingness to leverage the Doctor’s helplessness to achieve his goals.
- • To convince the Doctor and his companions that his plan is the only way to secure his freedom
- • To leverage the TARDIS as a bargaining chip with Kublai Khan, regardless of the consequences
- • The TARDIS is a gift that Kublai Khan cannot refuse, and Buddhist monks can decipher its secrets
- • The Doctor’s protests are irrelevant in the face of his own desperation and the Khan’s power
Neutral and authoritative; their actions are driven by duty and loyalty to Polo, with no personal investment in the conflict.
The Mongol guards physically block the Doctor from accessing the TARDIS on Polo’s orders, enforcing his control over the situation. They project Polo’s authority, turning the lodgings into a site of restraint and tension. Their presence is a silent but potent reminder of Polo’s power and the companions’ vulnerability in this foreign land.
- • To enforce Polo’s orders without question
- • To maintain control over the situation and prevent the Doctor from accessing the TARDIS
- • Their duty is to uphold Polo’s authority and the Khan’s will
- • The Doctor and his companions are outsiders who must be contained
Frustrated and incredulous initially, shifting to despairing and hysterical as he grasps the magnitude of Polo’s threat and his own inability to counteract it. His laughter is a release of tension, but also a sign of his breaking point.
The Doctor is physically blocked by Mongol guards from accessing the TARDIS, which triggers a confrontation with Polo. He argues vehemently against Polo’s plan, emphasizing the TARDIS’s irreproducibility and the impossibility of replicating it in Venice. His protests escalate into hysterical laughter as he realizes the futility of reasoning with Polo, whose desperation has hardened into an unshakable threat. The Doctor’s emotional state unravels, revealing his helplessness and despair at being unable to protect the TARDIS or control the situation.
- • To regain access to the TARDIS and repair it
- • To convince Polo of the impossibility of his plan and the dangers of interfering with the TARDIS
- • The TARDIS is irreplaceable and must be protected at all costs
- • Polo’s desperation is clouding his judgment, making him a dangerous adversary
Neutral and polite; she remains detached from the conflict, focusing on her role as a companion and cultural bridge.
Ping-Cho responds politely to Polo’s inquiry about the lodgings and engages in light conversation with Susan. She does not participate in the TARDIS conflict but serves as a cultural intermediary, providing a contrast to the tension between Polo and the Doctor. Her presence highlights the broader social dynamics of Polo’s caravan and the companions’ integration into this world.
- • To fulfill her role as a companion and maintain polite interactions
- • To observe and adapt to the social dynamics of the caravan
- • Her primary duty is to support Polo and maintain harmony within the caravan
- • The conflict between Polo and the Doctor is a matter for them to resolve
Initially lighthearted and curious, but quickly shifting to concerned and anxious as the confrontation intensifies, especially when the Doctor’s emotional state unravels.
Susan initially engages in light conversation with Ping-Cho and Polo about the lodgings, praising their comfort with youthful enthusiasm ('fab'). She later shifts focus to the escalating tension between Polo and the Doctor, attempting to comfort the Doctor as he descends into hysterical laughter, asking what he plans to do. Her concern is palpable, reflecting her deep bond with her grandfather and her growing unease at the unfolding confrontation.
- • To understand the nature of the conflict between Polo and the Doctor
- • To comfort the Doctor and prevent his emotional breakdown from escalating
- • The Doctor’s emotional state is a priority that must be addressed
- • Polo’s plan is irrational but dangerous, and the group must find a way to counteract it
Yeng is mentioned briefly as leaving the lodgings while Polo speaks to Susan and Ping-Cho. He does not participate in …
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The lodgings provided by Polo serve as a neutral meeting ground that quickly transforms into a site of confrontation. Initially, they are described as comfortable and accommodating, with Polo asking Ping-Cho and Susan if they suit their needs. However, as the conflict over the TARDIS escalates, the lodgings become a confined space where Polo’s psychological leverage over the Doctor plays out. The guards block the Doctor’s path, and the Doctor’s hysterical laughter echoes off the walls, turning the lodgings into a pressure cooker of tension and desperation. The space reflects the power dynamics at play, with Polo’s authority and the Doctor’s helplessness colliding in this enclosed environment.
The TARDIS is the central object of contention in this event, serving as both a symbolic gift and a bargaining chip in Polo’s desperate plan to secure his freedom. Polo claims the TARDIS as a gift for Kublai Khan, believing that Buddhist monks can decipher its secrets and replicate its functions. The Doctor’s protests highlight the TARDIS’s irreproducibility and the impossibility of operating it without his expertise, but Polo’s desperation overrides these technical realities. The TARDIS’s physical presence in the courtyard—guarded by Mongol soldiers—becomes a battleground of psychological leverage, where Polo’s threat to claim it as his own forces the Doctor into a state of helplessness and despair.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The way-station lodgings serve as the primary location for this event, functioning as both a neutral meeting ground and a confined space where Polo’s psychological leverage over the Doctor plays out. Initially, the lodgings are described as comfortable and accommodating, with Polo asking Ping-Cho and Susan if they suit their needs. However, as the conflict over the TARDIS escalates, the lodgings become a site of confrontation, where the Doctor’s attempts to access the TARDIS are violently blocked by Mongol guards. The Doctor’s hysterical laughter echoes off the walls, turning the lodgings into a pressure cooker of tension and desperation. The space reflects the power dynamics at play, with Polo’s authority and the Doctor’s helplessness colliding in this enclosed environment.
The courtyard within the lodgings is where the TARDIS has been set up, serving as a strategic location for Polo’s gambit. The Mongol guards encircle the TARDIS, enforcing Polo’s orders and blocking the Doctor’s attempts to access it. The courtyard becomes a contested stronghold, where Polo’s desperation and the Doctor’s helplessness are played out in a public yet confined space. The dust from recent travel and the shadows from high walls frame the tension, transforming the courtyard from an arrival point into a site of psychological leverage.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Mongol caravan, led by Marco Polo in Kublai Khan’s service, serves as the logistical and organizational backbone for Polo’s gambit. The caravan’s resources—including provisions, horses, and shelter—are leveraged to support Polo’s plan to claim the TARDIS as a gift for the Khan. The Mongol guards, as members of this caravan, enforce Polo’s orders and block the Doctor’s access to the TARDIS, turning the lodgings into a site of confrontation. The caravan’s presence reinforces Polo’s authority and the companions’ vulnerability, as they are effectively trapped within the caravan’s sphere of influence.
Kublai Khan’s imperial authority is invoked by Polo as he commands his Mongol warriors to halt their attack on the Doctor and companions. This authority enables Polo to enforce obedience and extend reluctant hospitality via his caravan, demonstrating the Khan’s absolute sway over his faction. In this event, Polo leverages his position as the Khan’s envoy to claim the TARDIS as a gift, believing that the Khan’s power and the expertise of Buddhist monks will validate his gambit. The organization’s influence is felt through Polo’s unshakable resolve and the Mongol guards’ unwavering loyalty, turning the lodgings into a site of coercion and psychological leverage.
Polo’s Mongol guards play a critical role in this event by enforcing his authority and blocking the Doctor’s access to the TARDIS. Their presence turns the lodgings into a site of confrontation, where Polo’s psychological leverage over the Doctor is amplified by their physical restraint. The guards’ unwavering loyalty to Polo and their disciplined product of Kublai Khan’s empire make them a potent force in this conflict, ensuring that the Doctor’s protests are met with silent but potent resistance. Their actions reinforce Polo’s control and the companions’ vulnerability, making the TARDIS a contested stronghold within the lodgings.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"The Doctor being denied access to the TARDIS by Polo's orders (beat_36be99bb7ff506c2) prompts Polo to explain his reasons and his desperation to return home (beat_ce54556fd29e0ea6)."
Polo demands the TARDIS for Kublai Khan"The Doctor being denied access to the TARDIS by Polo's orders (beat_36be99bb7ff506c2) prompts Polo to explain his reasons and his desperation to return home (beat_ce54556fd29e0ea6)."
Doctor’s laughter reveals his despair"Polo's refusal to let the Doctor work on the TARDIS (beat_9edfc2fbd36e0158) escalates to Mongol guards preventing the Doctor from accessing the TARDIS at all (beat_36be99bb7ff506c2), solidifying Polo's control."
Doctor probes Ping-Cho about Tegana’s power"Polo's refusal to let the Doctor work on the TARDIS (beat_9edfc2fbd36e0158) escalates to Mongol guards preventing the Doctor from accessing the TARDIS at all (beat_36be99bb7ff506c2), solidifying Polo's control."
Polo asserts control over the TARDIS"Polo's refusal to let the Doctor work on the TARDIS (beat_9edfc2fbd36e0158) escalates to Mongol guards preventing the Doctor from accessing the TARDIS at all (beat_36be99bb7ff506c2), solidifying Polo's control."
Polo Manipulates the Doctor’s Compliance"Ping-Cho's arranged marriage (beat_f8a756d0a94eb0ef) and Polo's desire to return to Venice (beat_ce54556fd29e0ea6) both highlight the theme of individuals being trapped by circumstances and societal expectations."
Ping-Cho reveals her arranged marriage"The Doctor being denied access to the TARDIS by Polo's orders (beat_36be99bb7ff506c2) prompts Polo to explain his reasons and his desperation to return home (beat_ce54556fd29e0ea6)."
Polo demands the TARDIS for Kublai Khan"The Doctor being denied access to the TARDIS by Polo's orders (beat_36be99bb7ff506c2) prompts Polo to explain his reasons and his desperation to return home (beat_ce54556fd29e0ea6)."
Doctor’s laughter reveals his despairThemes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Key Dialogue
"POLO: My home is Venice. I left there with my father and my uncle to come to Cathay in twelve seventy one. The journey to Peking took us three and a half years. When I arrived at the Khan's court, I was twenty one. I was an alert young man, good at languages, and willing to learn. The Khan liked me. On my twenty fifth birthday, I was given an appointment in the Khan's service. Since then, I have travelled to every corner of his domain and beyond it. Two years ago, my father, my uncle and I asked the Khan for permission to go home. He refused. I think we had all served him too well."
"DOCTOR: You're mad. / POLO: No, Doctor, desperate. There are many men who are jealous of the Polo influence at court, and the Khan suffers from an affliction for which there is no cure. Old age. If he dies, I may never see Venice again. / DOCTOR: Well, that is your problem, not mine. / POLO: I have just made it yours, Doctor."
"IAN: Marco, it's impossible. / POLO: Surely, for a man who possesses a flying caravan, all things are possible? / IAN: No. We need special metals, materials, things that don't exist in Venice. I'm afraid you don't understand all the problems involved. / DOCTOR: And neither do you, young man."