Doctor Who: The Cancelled Years - Season 57

Season 57 would be the first full season for Rakhee Thakrar as the Doctor, the first season for Ronak Patani as Daniel Neshwin, & the fifth season for Pete McTighe as showrunner - now acting as the sole showrunner.

After having starred in 1/2 a season which was dominated by her predecessor, before being thrown into a fan-pleasing, Multi-Doctor event with her Twelfth incarnation, Season 57 would mark the "true" beginning of the Sixteenth Doctor. Despite being the 60th Anniversary Season, McTighe decided not to copy the formula of Seasons 20 & 49, which consisted of having every story featuring a fan-favourite monster. Instead, Season 57 would follow the likes of Seasons 10, 30 & 40 by having some fan favourites return, but making sure not to be overwhelmed in nothing but nostalgia & fan-service.

Joining Thakrar's Doctor would be the new companion: Daniel Neshwin - a Police Officer from the year 1984, with actor Ronak Patani cast in the role. This marked the first time the show had a TARDIS duo consisting of a female Doctor & a male companion, something which McTighe was interested in exploring. It was also decided by McTighe to try & keep Daniel around for the entirety of Sixteen's era to see how they evolve as characters over a long period of time.

After the major cutbacks in Season 56 due to the Covid outbreak, Season 57 was fortunate enough to return to the now traditional format of 10 episodes filling 8 stories. However, it was also revealed that the 60th Anniversary of Doctor Who would be marked with a brand new TV Movie - Doctor Who: The Endgame.

For this season, McTighe & Neame were joined by new Executive Producer, Elizabeth Kilgarriff. Catrin Lewis Defis would also join on as a new Producer, working alongside Vicki Delow from the previous season.

THE NIGHT CRAWLERS

WRITTEN BY: Pete McTighe
DIRECTED BY: Emma Sullivan
PRODUCED BY: Vicki Delow
PARTS: 2

The Night Crawlers would begin in London, 1984. We see Daniel Neshwin - a police officer working at a crummy, old police station. He's sent to investigate an abandoned factory, after several reports of noises were noted. Daniel enters the warehouse, using a torch to scan round every corner. He turns a corner where suddenly, a great, big, fanged alien in a boiler suit tackles Daniel & throws him to the ground, before sprinting out of the factory.

Daniel pulls himself up & gives pursuit - chasing this creature down an old road. However, the creature is too fast for him - as Daniel ends up tripping over his feet as the creature runs into the horizon. As Daniel catches his breath, he uses a radio to contact HQ & give a description of the attacker. Then suddenly, the wind begins to pick up around Daniel. A strange whirring noise begins to fill the air, as the landscape around Daniel changes from an old, London street to a great, gleaming spaceship interior - The TARDIS. The TARDIS lands directly around Daniel, leaving him bewildered in place. Then, from the other side of the console, we see the Doctor poking her head up, seeing Daniel & saying "ahh... sorry about that... officer. I'm the Doctor ''.

The Doctor proceeds to work at the TARDIS console, saying she's looking for a creature named a Fangore & asking Daniel if he's seen any toothy, hairy creatures around. But Daniel, his world completely puzzled, can't answer any of the Doctor's questions, and tries to learn who the Doctor is & where he is.

For Part One of the story, we see Daniel working with the Doctor to track down this Fangore creature - which is the beastly thing Daniel encountered. The Doctor explains that she "received a tip" that someone on Earth is using Fangores to hunt & kill humans at night time. She explains, however, that this isn't normal Fangore behaviour. While they aren't the brightest creatures, the Fangore's are a typically peaceful, harmless race - so someone or something has changed that behaviour.

Eventually, working with Daniels police force, the Doctor & Daniel are able to find the Fangore ringmaster - a cyborg named Voonder III who lives in the sewers. There, the Doctor questions Voonder about what he's doing with a pack of Fangore's as well as why these ones are hostile. Voonder reveals that the Fangore's home planet, Löuton, was taken over by a "Mastermind criminal" who turned it into a slave world. Voonder purchased these Fangore's & used a psychic collar, which can alter one's mind, to turn his Fangores into deadly creatures. Using the Fangore's, he plans to harvest human flesh, which he plans to sell to alien societies where alien flesh is a delicacy

In the end, the Doctor is able to force Voonder to give up his plans when the Doctor temporarily reprograms the psychic collars, making the Fangores turn against Voonder. However, the Doctor disables the collars before Voonder is hurt & orders him to go home & return his Fangore. Voonder is forced to comply & we see him & the Fangores teleport away.

Part One ends with the Doctor returning to the TARDIS with Daniel, where she asks for his help to free Löuton from this criminal. Daniel agrees & the two board the TARDIS & travel to Löuton. However, Part One would end on a cliffhanger - the Doctor & Daniel step outside onto the surface of Löuton. They see the red planet to be a giant slave camp. They turn to face a great mountain, where they spy a group of Fangores chiselling a face into the cliff face... the face... of The Master!

Part Two would begin with the Doctor & Daniel trying to rescue a group of Fangores from being taken to the mines by android servants made by the Master. However, the two are caught & taken to face the Master. They're handcuffed & escorted through a giant tower, forced into a lift & taken to the Master's office, who waits in anticipation in his grand office for the Doctor's arrival.

Coming face-to-face with the Master, the Doctor demands to know why he has taken over Löuton. The Master basically explains that he plans on turning Löuton & its neighbouring planets into his domain while also selling its inhabitants into slavery. He then orders his droids to have the Doctor & Daniel be taken away & frozen in cryostasis. However, before they're escorted away... *BANG!* The Master's window is blown up by a missile. Then, from the ceiling, down repels a group of Fangores in stealth gear. They destroy the Master's androids with laser rifles, before they capture the Doctor & Daniel & repel down the building with them.

On the ground, they board an old, battered jeep, where they drive down a gravel-y road, while being pursued by androids. One of the Fangores jumps to the back of the truck & destroys the androids using a laser turret. Then, with the androids gone, the Jeep drives the group into a cavern. A metal door seals them in & the Doctor & Daniel are escorted deep underground - where they discover a secret Fangore resistance base.

It turns out that the leaders of this resistance are the same Fangore's the Doctor rescued in Part One. We learn that the events of Part One happened in the year 2083, which was 6 years ago for the Fangores. Since being returned to Löuton, and still being free of the Master's control, they have secretly been setting up a resistance & freeing many Fangores from slavery in hopes of building a big enough army to take down The Master.

The story then sees the Doctor & Daniel working with the Löuton to try & take down The Master's tower's defences so that they can raid the tower & free the Fangores from slavery. We see them freeing a small group of resistance who'd previously been captured, before the resistance is split into two groups. We see the Doctor leading a group of Fangores to an old laboratory, where the Doctor plans to use an energy beam to shift a force field around the Master's tower, which'll give Daniel & his group access. Meanwhile, Daniel takes a group of Fangores to an abandoned Fangore reactor plant, where they plan to crawl through an abandoned pipe which'll get them inside the Master's tower once the force field is diverted.

Eventually, the plan works - the force field is diverted & Daniel's team makes it inside. From there, Daniel & his group take out an oncoming android attack, as well as lowering the force field, allowing the Doctor's team to gain access to the tower. With the field down, the Doctor's group prepare a giant catapult & load it with a big stone. The Catapult is activated & the stone flies through the air, before crashing directly on its target: a giant transmitter on the Master's tower which keeps the Fangores in slavery. With the Fangore's now free, they proceed to rally together to take down the Master's androids.

With his empire falling around him, the Master tries to flee from the tower, only to be captured by Daniel. The Master then attempts to flee again, using his androids as cover, but his androids recapture the Master, as it's revealed the Doctor has reprogrammed the Androids to serve her instead.

The story ends with Löuton liberated from slavery. The Doctor then orders the androids to help the Fangores rebuild their planet & to defend them from any future attempts of invasion. She then tells the Fangores not to kill the Master, but that they're free to keep him locked up for as long as we like. A group of Fangores drag the Master away, who proceeds to angrily scream the Doctor's name in rage.

We then end with the Doctor & Daniel back in the TARDIS, with the Doctor thanking Daniel for his help & promising to get him home, before saying "oorrrr... you could come with me", before revealing that the TARDIS can travel in space AND time. Daniel says he likes the idea & agrees to stick around for a while. The Doctor says "well, alright then Daniel Neshwin. Welcome aboard. Now then, what's it to be? Past of future?" Before she smiles & sets the TARDIS into flight.

SPECTRE OF EVIL

WRITTEN BY: Una McCormack
DIRECTED BY: Jennifer Perrott
PRODUCED BY: Catrin Lewis Defis
PARTS: 1

Spectre of Evil would've been set on a space station in the year 3663. The story sees the Doctor taking his new companion, Daniel to the future. They land on a space station named the Valiant. We see the station to be filled with several alien races & humans. Talking to one of the guards, the Doctor & Daniel learn that the Galactic Family is soon to arrive to officially open a new galactic trade world - Catheril, named after The Queen herself.

We see the Doctor & Daniel exploring the station, meeting locals & learning about other societies. However, the Doctor soon finds herself distracted when she hears a security guard telling another guard to "keep this death silent until the family have left". Realising that something isn't right, the Doctor & Daniel decide to investigate.

Making conversation with the first security guard, Daniel, using his experience as a fellow officer of the law, is able to work out that this death, who was another guard, was no accident. Someone killed this guard, yet there are no signs of injury or struggle. The story then sees the Doctor & Daniel, along with Daniel's new friend, Graeme, to try & track down the killer before the Galactic Family arrives. They eventually track down the killer, a woman named Yihana, only to discover her cold dead. However, after scanning the body with her sonic, the Doctor theories that someone or something was possessing Yihana & may be possessing someone else now.

The Doctor's theory proves to be correct, as they discover the killer to be a strange, gas creature, known as a Spectre. We learn that the Spectre is a Hitman for hire, who's been hired by an unknown third party to assassinate Catheril before she can open the new station. The party's motives have been kept hidden from the Spectre, but the Doctor believes it'll result in a Galactic War. We also learn more about what the Spectre is - a gas creature that can possess any living being for a short time.

The story then sees the Doctor trying to stop the Spectre, who has now taken possession of Daniel, from assassinating the Galactic Family. The Doctor offers her body as a host in order to save Daniel & the Spectre agrees. It leaves Daniel's body, who, thankfully, is still alive, & shoots into the Doctor's body, fully possessing her. The guards try to stop the Doctor, but she pushes past them & ascends in a lift to the top balcony, where she plans to gundown Yihana Catheril. She jams the lift behind her using her Sonic, as she takes her position on the balcony.

Daniel & the Guards rush up flights of stairs to reach the Spectre. We see the Doctor open a metal case & pull out a futuristic sniper rifle. She steadies the rifle & looks through the scope, getting ready to pull the trigger & kill Catheril. However, before she can open fire, we see the Doctor's left arm beginning to fight her right arm, stopping it from opening fire. We see the Doctor slowly gaining back control of her body. She's eventually able to fully take back control & exile the Spectre from her body. The Spectre ends up firing the rifle before it's exiled, however, the sniper was aiming nowhere near the family, although the loud *BANG* of the rifle throws downstairs into chaos.

Daniel & the guards arrive on the top floor. They see the Doctor & the Spectre. The guards ready their rifle, before the Doctor throws a strange, small device to the ground. She sonics it, which engulfs the Spectre in a force field. She explains that she was originally trying to trap the Spectre before, but it possessed her too soon. She explains that without a new host, the Spectre will now slowly wear itself out & pass on. We see the Spectre swimming through the field, screaming like a creature from hell, before the screaming fades away & the Spectre evaporates into nothing.

The story then ends with Daniel waiting for the Doctor in the TARDIS. We see the Doctor enter the TARDIS, with her back to the console, waving at someone outside & saying "Goodbye, Abigail", before she walks to the console & shuts the doors. She then apologises to Daniel for putting his life at risk, before asking if he wants to keep travelling. Daniel says he does, saying he's had worse days. The two smile & the Doctor sets the TARDIS into flight.

[WRITER'S NOTE: Yes - Catheril is Abigail Norwood, companion of the Ninth Doctor. In the story, the Queen is always referred to as Catheril. She is only named as Abigail by the Doctor in the scene above. While this is a canonical appearance of Abigail, Beverley Cressman does not star in the episode at all. Her voice is never used, nor her likeness. The Queen is only ever seen from a distance & in a Sniper scope POV, where she either has her back to the camera or her face is never shown. The Queen would be played by an acting double - it's not important who]

DALEK!

WRITTEN BY: Scott Handcock
DIRECTED BY: Emma Sullivan
PRODUCED BY: Vicki Delow
PARTS: 1

Dalek! would've been set in 1930s California. The story sees the Doctor taking Daniel to the year 1930 to see the filming of the 1931 Dracula film, after Daniel reveals he's a big fan of the classic monster films. The two land outside Universal Studios, and the Doctor is able to get her & Daniel inside using the psychic paper. However, to their confusion, they discover that a Dracula movie isn't in the works, but rather a film called The Metal Man. The two of them make their way to the set of this film where, to the Doctor's horror, they discover the famous Metal Man to be a Dalek.

The Doctor is horrified to see a Dalek standing before her & questions it - demanding to know what it's doing on Earth. Then, to her surprise, she hears a human voice inside the Dalek say "calm down, darling. it's only a costume" & the dome opens up, revealing a man inside the Dalek operating it. The Doctor, her mind in a race, asks the producer where they got the Dalek casing from, to which he says they bought it off a scientist who lives 30 minutes away. The Doctor gets the address & returns to the TARDIS with Daniel to travel to the scientist's home. Whilst in flight, the Doctor explains to Daniel what a Dalek is & why even just the image of a Dalek means danger.

Arriving at the house, they meet the scientist, Dr. Edward Blackheart, and ask him about the Dalek casing. He initially claims to have created the casing as a toy for his children. However, when the Doctor convinces him that she knows he's lying, he's forced to reveal the truth. He explains that a few years ago, the casing fell from the sky & crashed into the Earth. He thought it would make for an amusing project so he took it home & tried to rebuild it. Then, when news leaked of his project, the studios offered to buy it off him for a very nice price. The Doctor asks whether the casing originally contained some form of squid creature, but the professor denies it, saying he found the shell to be sealed & empty. Theorising the Dalek must've died & evaporated during the fall to Earth, the Doctor is somewhat put at ease. She & Daniel say their goodbyes to Edward, before returning to the TARDIS, with the Doctor telling Daniel that they've got to destroy the casing no matter what.

We then cut back to Edward, who, once the Doctor & Daniel are definitely gone, takes a painting off his wall which reveals a safe. He opens up the safe, revealing a Dalek mutant being held in a glass jar filled with green liquid. Edward talks to the creature, telling that some people were asking about it - some Doctor woman, only to get no response... as usual. Edward has kept this mutant creature in the jar for several years now, hoping to find out how, despite appearing dead, it has shown signs of life all this time. Edward puts the jar down & turns around to pour himself a whiskey. He takes his shot & begins to wash out the glass. Then suddenly, *SMASH* the Jar smashes open & the mutant flings itself out of the jar. It grabs hold of Edward by the neck & zaps him - knocking him to the floor. The Mutant jabs its arms into Edward & to talk to him telepathically, telling him to find the Doctor or else he will be exterminated! 

We then cut back to the Doctor, who has arrived back at the studios. She rushes into the main studio, where filming with the Dalek casing is underway, grabs a revolver & aims it at the Dalek - ordering the man inside to get out. Everyone gets their hands up & security surrounds the Doctor - aiming their own revolvers at her. The Dalek casing opens & out climbs the operator. The Doctor orders him to move to the side & says that she has to destroy the casing. The Director then proceeds to laugh, before saying "I'd like to see you try, Missy, with your prop gun". The Doctor then proceeds to inspect the revolver & realises it is indeed a prop. She tosses it to the ground, before she & Daniel are escorted away. Meanwhile, the crew are told to take a break while the situation is at hand.

Once the studio is clear, we see Edward, still being held hostage by the Dalek mutant, sneaking his way into the set & making his way towards the Dalek casing. The Mutant orders him to open the casing, place it inside & seal him in. We hear beeping & booping coming from inside the case, before we see the Dalek's eyestalk light up & turn online. Edward begs for mercy, before the Dalek shouts "EXTERMINATE" & kills Edward stone dead. The Dalek proceeds to shoot the set, causing a fire, before armed security come in & attempt to shoot the Dalek. However, the Dalek is able to exterminate all of them.

The story then sees the Doctor & Daniel working with the people at the studio to try & isolate the Dalek as well as a way to destroy it. The Doctor theories that due to the casing falling to Earth, the Mutant being kept on "life support" for several years, and the Dalek only just being reactivated, its defences might be lower than usual, meaning they have a better chance of destroying it than usual.

Eventually however, after much racing-against-the-clock & even more deaths, the Dalek is defeated when the Doctor lures it into a studio room filled with lights. She proceeds to use her sonic to overload the lamps, causing them to emit high levels of heat, which sets the Dalek casing alight & burns the mutant inside to a crisp. With the Dalek defeated, the sprinklers are activated, which leaves the Dalek casing all burnt & rusted.

The story ends with the Dalek casing being crushed by a machine & the Dalek mutant sealed in a zip lock bag, which the Doctor plans to throw into an exploding sun - just for good measure. The film's producer thanks the Doctor for her help & asks if there's anything he can do to repay her. Daniel suggests maybe making a film about him & the Doctor, but the idea is turned down quickly by the Doctor & the Producer, though for different reasons - the Doctor wanting to keep her identity a secret & the Producer thinking a film with a woman in a non damsel-in-distress-esque role would be terrible - with the Doctor calling him out on his comment. Finally, we end with the Doctor saying "I've got a film idea for ya - ever heard of Dracula?"

[WRITER'S NOTE: This story debuts a "new" Dalek design - ditching the Bronze/60s Colour Daleks which have been used since 2001. The new Daleks are a return to the original 1960s to 1980s styled shells, with the colour scheme used in Death to the Daleks. I've linked HERE an image of how these designs would look, along with the future Supreme Dalek. Not included on the Blogger as i feel a bit iyffe nabbing the image. Go check out other Dalek renders by ThePrydonian - they're all great!]

THEY COME OUT AT NIGHT

WRITTEN BY: Matt Fitton
DIRECTED BY: Mark Tonderai
PRODUCED BY: Catrin Lewis Defis
PARTS: 1

They Come Out At Night would've been set on an alien planet. The story sees the TARDIS landing on Trubicon - an old colony world. The Doctor & Daniel step outside only to see that the planet has been turned to dust & ash. Nuclear war has turned the planet into hell. There's nothing but cracked land & decaying hills for miles on end. The only signs of the old society are the ruins of City 16 - a giant city filled with collapsing towers & shattered shops.

Realising that this world is dead, the Doctor & Daniel wish to return to the TARDIS. The ground begins to rumble ever so slightly. Yet somehow, this activates the TARDISes HADS systems. The Doctor rushes back to the TARDIS & tries to open the doors, only for the TARDIS to disappear. The Doctor explains the HADS systems to Daniel & how she can resummon the TARDIS with her sonic... only to realise she left it in her coat pocket, which she left on the console. The Doctor & Daniel look at each other in dread, realising the danger they're both in. If the TARDIS ran away over a slight rumble, what horrors must lie on this desolate world?

The two travel to the city, walking down the cracked, abandoned streets, looking for any form of life. The Doctor explains that this society once was highly advanced & if she can track down the right equipment, she may be able to make a transmitter which'll return the TARDIS to them. Suddenly, their conversation is cut silent by the sound of a tin falling to the ground in an old supermarket. The two arm themselves with old planks of wood & enter the shop.

They creak open the door & check their corners, only to see nothing. Then suddenly, as the Doctor & Daniel turn another corner, the two of them are caught by a group of survivors, demanding to know where they came from. The Doctor, sensing that something has spooked them, is able to settle them & get them to explain what happened to this world & what they're so scared of. They say that their world was invaded by "them". "They" came in waves & couldn't be stopped. "They" were killing everyone & no one could stop "them". So the final option was called for: A nuclear warhead fired directly on the planet in a last ditch effort to defeat "them". But it wasn't enough. "They" survived, and now "They're" picking off the survivors. The Doctor tries to learn who "They" are, but the survivors just can't answer - they can't. It's as if the sheer mention of "them" freaks them out.

The Doctor explains their plan to the survivors & they agree to try & help the Doctor. But they also warn the Doctor that they need to move quickly. Nightfall is coming - which is when "they" come out. They warn the Doctor & Daniel: Do not look at "them" - because once you see "them", "they" will never stop following you until you're dead.

The story sees the Doctor & Daniel working with the remaining survivors of the planet to search the city for components the Doctor needs to build the transmitter. During this, we spend some time getting to better see the Doctor & Daniel's friendship. We see the Doctor actually doubting herself, wondering if she can even save these people for once. Meanwhile, we see Daniel trying to encourage the Doctor, as well as seeing hints that Daniel may "like" the Doctor, but is too afraid to admit so.

Throughout the story, we see the survivors being picked off slowly, as, while searching for parts or making their way through the rubble, they lay eyes on one of "them". They panic as they try to escape "them" only to be cornered & killed. We, the audience, never see "them". All we get is POV shots & the sounds of whispers in the dark.

Eventually, the Doctor, Daniel & the last 4 survivors are able to gather the last pieces needed & reunite in the streets. However, as they turn around, the entire group sees "them", who slowly make their way towards the cast. We see the group making their escape from the city & taking to the nearby hills, where the Doctor & Daniel work on building the transmitter. Meanwhile, we see, through POV shots, that "they" are still following the Doctor's group - never stopping, never slowing & never speeding. Just always following.

Suddenly, the group turn frozen stiff by the sound of an air raid siren echoing across the planet... another nuclear missile. How? Where? Why? WHAT?! We see the group now racing against the clock to finish building the transmitter, all the while the siren gets louder & louder as "they" begin to ascend the hills.

The story then ends with the Doctor's group racing to finish building the transmitter as "they" slowly begin to circle the Doctor's group. The transmitter activates & the TARDIS begins to land. The Doctor rushes & pushes everyone inside the TARDIS, as "they" start closing in on the TARDIS. The Doctor slowly backs up into the TARDIS, keeping her eyes directly on "them" - wondering about all these unanswered questions she'll never have answers to. Who are "they"? What's caused a second nuclear missile to be launched? What really caused the TARDIS to abandon her & Daniel? As the air siren begins to scream a deafening tone & the shadows of "them" begin to fully surround the TARDIS, the Doctor slams the door shut & sets the TARDIS into flight. We stay on a shot of the hills exactly where the TARDIS was. We see the shadows fade into nothing, before we see a MASSIVE explosion in the distance & a mushroom cloud forming. The blast wave flies directly towards the camera, before cutting to black

BREAK THE ICE

WRITTEN BY: Tim Foley
DIRECTED BY: Mark Tonderai
PRODUCED BY: Catrin Lewis Defis
PARTS: 1

Break the Ice would've been set on a space station. The story sees the Doctor & Daniel landing on a a space station orbiting Venus. There they meet the crew, including the chief scientist, Lenni Fisk. We learn that the crew are researching cryogenic freezing & are planning to freeze Fisk's assistant, Kenton.

Kenton is put into a cryo-chamber by the group's leader, Pal Andrews, & the temperature is dropped to absolute zero, which ends up killing him. However, Kenton quickly shoots back to life when a strange entity begins to possess his body. The entity proceeds to break free from the cryo-chamber & tries to attack & kill the crew.

The story then sees the Doctor & Daniel working with the crew to try & escape Kenton, as well as isolate him in a part of the space station. The Doctor eventually realises, however, that the entity possessing Kenton's body, is an entity that's known on Earth as Jack Frost. We learn that Frost was one of the Winter Lords, god-like beings responsible for cooling the universe after the initial Big Bang. Frost was able to emerge into this universe when the cryo-chamber's temperature reached absolute zero - such an extreme temperature changed the rules of the universe & allowed him to take the subject as a host.

The Doctor attempts to make Frost stand down by revealing that he was the last of the Winter Gods, after all of the other gods were wiped out over centuries of war. However, this angers Frost, who vows to destroy the universe in retaliation. However, with Frost still weak as he adjusts to his new host, the Doctor is able to evacuate most of the satellite's population & then send the part of the satellite occupied by Frost into Venus's toxic atmosphere.

THE SONTARAN PURITY

WRITTEN BY: John Dorney
DIRECTED BY: Jennifer Perrott
PRODUCED BY: Catrin Lewis Defis
PARTS: 1

The Sontaran Purity would've been set on a battleship in the future. The story begins with the TARDIS inflight, where it receives a distress call from a nearby human settlement world named Red Ouroboros, which says that the planet is under attack from invaders. The Doctor proceeds to flip some switches & lands on Red Ouroboros, where she finds the planet's population fighting against the invaders: Sontarans.

We see the Doctor & Daniel help a ground of resistance members fight off some Sontarans, where the Doctor notes that something isn't quite right about these Sontarans. Instead of dying for glory, these Sontarans seem determined to stay alive & don't seem to be as dedicated for war. However, before the Doctor has time theories as to why, she, Daniel & the resistance group are cornered & ordered to surrender. They're then loaded in with a group of other prisoners & forced to board a cargo ship, where they're taken into space & directly to Sontaran High Command. Again, the Doctor is left questioning the Sontarans actions - Sontarans typically don't take prisoners, so why are they now?

The ship lands inside High Command - a giant battleship in space. The doors open & the prisoners are escorted out. The Doctor's group gets separated from the rest of the prisoners, however, & are escorted by 2 Sontarans who say "Major General Cottege wishes to see you". "General Cottege? Cottege isn't a typical Sontaran name. What's going on?" The Doctor ponders.

The group are taken to the bridge of the ship - a great control room with a big window at the front. In the centre of the room sits a grand, black throne that has its back to the Doctor's group, with someone in a big, black cloak sitting on it. The Sontarans announce "The prisoners, Major. The ones you asked about''. The chair swivels around & we see Major Cottege to be... a human! Cottege tells the group that they've shown more signs of resistance & strength than any other groups before & that they'll be perfect candidates. The Doctor begins questioning Cottege - who is he? Why is he in charge of Sontarans? What is even up with these Sontarans? Cottege chuckles & says "oh don't worry. you'll soon find out yourself" before ordering the Sontarans to throw the group in jail.

We then cut to The Doctor & Daniel in a prison cell, where we see the Doctor using her sonic to break her & Daniel out. They begin to sneak around the ship, looking for answers as to what exactly is going on. They descend to the lowest level of the ship & travel along a corridor to a door. Entering said door, they find themselves in a strange, dark room filled with Sontaran cloning equipment & old bones. Suddenly, the sound of someone hissing fills the room. The Doctor & Daniel turn to their left, where they see a trio of Sontarans - real Sontarans - tied down to the wall, with strange tubes injected into their suits.

The Doctor questions these Sontarans, asking what's going on. They explain that Cottege has been harvesting Sontaran DNA & mixing it with "human scum" to make his own army of Sontarans. While the Sontarans continue their story, the Doctor turns around to use a computer & starts typing something onto it. The Sontarans explain that Cottege is planning on using his army of Sontarans, dubbed by the real Sontarans as "The Impure" to try & wipe out the real Sontarans. The Doctor asks "Why? What for? What does he hope to achieve by wiping out one race of potato warriors - no offence - with another?"

Suddenly, a voice from behind the group answers the Doctor: "Revenge". The Doctor & Daniel turn around to face the voice - Major Cottege. He explains that 60 years ago, when he was just a boy, the Sontarans invaded his homeworld, New Werther. Fortunately, he was able to escape with a group of survivors in the last evacuation shuttle, but the Sontarans burned the rest of the population to a crisp before blowing up the planet. Since that day, he vowed to destroy the Sontarans just in the same way they destroyed his life - no matter the cost. Cottege snaps his fingers & 2 Impure Sontarans come to his side, with rifles aiming at the Doctor & Daniel. Cottege says "But i'm afraid that's something you'll never get to see, Doctor". Before ordering his Impures to kill her & the Doctor.

However, before the Impures can open fire, the entire battleship begins rattling, causing the Impures to fall to the ground. We cut to outer space, and we see a Sontaran Battle Fleet beginning their attack on the battleship. It turns out that, while the Sontarans were talking, the Doctor was able to send out a signal to the real Sontarans, informing them about what was going on here. With Cottege & his Sontarans floored, the Doctor whips out her sonic & disables their weapons, before using it to free the imprisoned Sontarans, stating "Now get out of here. Don't make me regret doing that". The 3 Sontarans stretch, finally being free from imprisonment. They grab some spare rifles & we see 2 of the Sontarans execute the Impures. One Sontaran, Kriggs, tries to shoot Cottege, but he can't - he just can't. The other 2 Sontarans laugh at him, asking if he's gone soft, before they both shoot Cottege dead in the back.

The Doctor & Daniel rush to the main floor of the battleship, where they're able to free some prisoners & stop their original group from being injected with Sontaran DNA. Suddenly, *BANG!* *BOOM!* *CRASH!* The Sontarans break through the airlock. We see a giant gun battle play out between the Sontarans & the Impures, with the Sontarans ,slowly but surely, winning the fight. The Doctor states "That's one problem solved - now we have another".

The Doctor explains to Daniel that once the Impures are wiped out, the Sontarans will turn their goals into seizing this vessel & wiping out any forms of life. Therefore, she needs to find a way to defeat the Sontarans before they finish wiping out the Impure.  She comes up with the idea to create a gas which'll wipe out the Sontarans. We see them dashing through the corridors, dodging gunfire & helping where they can, as they make their way towards the laboratory. During this, they bump into Kreggs, who asks for the Doctor's help - saying that he can't kill anyone & thinks he can't be a Sontaran anymore. The Doctor agrees to help & tells Kreggs to follow them to the lab.

Entering the lab, the Doctor quickly begins working on a formula, quickly tipping several chemicals into different beakers. Eventually, the chemical is ready & the Doctor throws 1/2 of it into the ventilation shaft. However, to her shock, it only takes out the Impures. The Sontarans celebrate their assisted victory, before their leader, General Vluke, orders his men to take out the human scum.

The Doctor realises that the chemical only worked on the Impures because she was using a sample of the Impure DNA & that she'll need pure Sontaran DNA to take out the rest. However, Kreggs allows the Doctor to harvest some of his DNA, which she thanks him for. The Doctor, however, warns Kreggs that he will die once the gas enters the system, but Kreggs says he knows - he's had a long life of 6 years & is ready to die. The Doctor says she's sorry, before chucking the rest of the chemical into the ventilation system. We see Sontarans across the battleship collapsing to the ground & turning into green mush. We then see Kreggs choking on the air, before dropping to the ground, with the Doctor, for the first time in her life, feeling upset over the death of a Sontaran. The Doctor & Daniel are about to leave the room, when they hear Kreggs coughing & reawakening. The Doctor is shocked to see Kreggs still alive & has no idea how this is possible.

The story then ends with Kreggs, with support from the Doctor, rejecting the typical Sontaran ideology of dying for the glory of Sontar, and instead choosing to see the galaxy & try to do some good. He boards an escape shuttle & shoots out across the stars. The Doctor then activates an SOS system, telling the remaining resistance that help will soon arrive to rescue them & send them home, before she & Daniel depart in the TARDIS.

IN THE DARKNESS

WRITTEN BY: Jenny T Colgan
DIRECTED BY: Chanya Button
PRODUCED BY: Vicki Delow
PARTS: 1

In the Darkness would've been set on Earth in the year 2033. The story sees the Doctor discovering signals of alien life coming from a scientific research facility. We then see the Doctor & Daniel posing as a scientist couple & applying for a job in the facility, run by a typical Rich-CEO-type named Kit Whitehead, in order to gain access to the facility & find the source of these potential aliens.

Eventually, after some digging, they do indeed find several alien life forms. They find the aliens to be chained up & being fed strange chemicals, as Whitehead wishes to harvest the aliens' powers to try & benefit the human race. All of these aliens are either passive or neutral creatures, however, the Doctor discovers that Whitehead has captured one particular alien that is deadly to the touch: a Vilowolf - a creature that can only be seen in darkness. Vilowolves can only be identified in the dark by their strange skin, which emits striking colours in the dark.

Realising the danger everyone in the facility is in, the Doctor attempts to confront Whitehead, warning him about the Vilowolf & that it must be isolated. However, Whitehead chooses not to listen to the Doctor, but instead explains how the Vilowolf was in a classified zone, which only a select few have access to. Then, believing that other people may have also seen the Vilowolf, who may tell the authorities about it, Whitehouse puts the entire facility into lockdown. He then presses a series of buttons on his desk, which releases the Vilowolf from captivity.

The story then sees the Doctor & Daniel trying to recapture the Vilowolf, which has escaped from it's cage & is now slaughtering everyone it comes across, including the other aliens. The two are eventually able to shut down the base's lights, allowing them to easily see the Vilowolf, but only the Wolf, as everything else is pitch dark.

Eventually, the Doctor & Daniel, with help from a few scientists, are able to trap the Vilowolf in the East Wing of the building & cover it in pink paint, which allows them to see the Wolf with the lights on. Whitehead arrives in an elevator & tries to tame the Squid, however, the Wolfrefuses to cooperate & chases Whitehead back into the lift. The Wolf jumps into the lift as the doors close & we hear sounds of screaming & tearing coming from within. Finally, the Wolf is defeated when the scientists take it upon themselves to cut the cables to the lift, causing it & the Wolf to fall for miles, until, after roughly 10 seconds... *CRASH*.

The story ends with the Doctor being furious at the scientists, stating that the Wolf shouldn't even have been on Earth to begin with. It didn't know where it was or what danger it was in. It was scared. We end with the Doctor calling UNIT to come & shut the facility down for good, before she & Daniel return to the TARDIS.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Appoligies for using an AI image. I couldn't find anything that fitted my vision for the Viowolf so i had to stoop to a new low & use AI)

THE ORDEAL

WRITTEN BY: Pete McTighe
DIRECTED BY: Chanya Button
PRODUCED BY: Vicki Delow
PARTS: 2

The Ordeal would've been set in modern day London. The story sees the Doctor & Daniel arriving in London in the year 2023. However, upon exiting the TARDIS, they see chaos unfolding in front of them, with everyone shouting & fighting with each other, as well as some people robbing shops & riots breaking out. Daniel is grabbed by an old lady, who accuses him of stealing her television. However, the Doctor is able to separate the two, and she & Daniel retreat back to the TARDIS.

Back inside the TARDIS, the Doctor uses the console to scan the Earth to try & figure out why everyone is acting out, where she discovers that some sort of signal, beaming out of every phone, is affecting people's minds. She presses some more controls on the console & discovers an SOS call coming from UNIT HQ, before she sets the TARDIS into flight & travels across London to UNIT HQ.

Landing inside UNIT, the Doctor is greeted by Nicholas Lethbridge-Stewart & UNIT's scientific advisor, Ellen Yorke. The Doctor has a brief reunion scene with the two, as well as asking where Heather is at, to which Nicholas says she's on her honeymoon in Spain. After this, the Doctor talks with Nicholas & Ellen to learn more about this strange signal. We learn that the origin of this signal comes from a satellite around the Earth, however the signal has been scanned & comes up clean. Ellen also explains that everyone in UNIT HQ is safe from the transmission, which she dubs The Ordeal, as all members of staff have been fitted with special earpieces.

Analysing the satellite on UNIT's main computer, the Doctor deciphers a second signal hidden within the code, which is what's causing people to lash out. The Doctor asks if UNIT has anything that can shut down the satellite, to which Nicholas confirms. He reveals a big laser cannon which can destroy the satellite. The canon fires up & bursts a laser directly into space. However, the laser bounces right off the satellite, which has, to everyone's confusion, somehow been fitted with a forcefield. Suddenly, all of the monitors in UNIT HQ cuts to static, before, after a few moments, they cut to old, black-and-white footage of the man behind this attack: the Master!

The Master proceeds to taunt the Doctor, as well as noting how she may want to think twice about shooting down those satellites as the crew are very much still alive; just without communication to Earth. The Master laughs at the camera, before the footage ends. Realising that she needs to find The Master, as well as noting that the footage wasn't live, the Doctor begins to analyse the footage to discover where & when it was recorded. Eventually, after working with Ellen, the Doctor is able to trace the footage back to the 23rd of November, 1933 in San Francisco.

We then cut to the TARDIS landing in 1933, where the Doctor & Daniel proceed to locate the Master using the sonic screwdriver. They eventually find him in an old church filled with technology. The Doctor confronts the Master - telling him to stand down. However, the Master laughs & tells the Doctor to "leave while she still can, because her time is running out". The Doctor smirks, before replying with "Actually, i'm afraid it's you who's run out of time". Suddenly, the whole church is swarmed by UNIT personnel, who the Doctor bought with her to 1934, who proceed to surround the Master & handcuff him.

The Doctor then proceeds to take everyone back to 2023, where Nicholas has the Master im
prisoned. Meanwhile, we see the Doctor working with Daniel to try & lower the Master's force field so that he can rescue the crew with the TARDIS & destroy the satellite. We then cut back to the Master, where, before he can be thrown into jail, he pulls out his TCE device & shrinks the UNIT security, but not before one of them can raise the alarm. The Master, laughing in delight, dashes through rows of corridors, before finding himself in an old changing room. He throws himself into a nearby locker, before it begins to disappear into thin air - The Master's TARDIS.

It turns out The Master has orchestrated every step so far - he planned to be found & captured. But why? What is the rest of his plan? And what does this have to do with this satellite that's causing the human race to build in anger & paranoia? Realising that she can follow his trail, the Doctor & Daniel race back to the TARDIS, where they attempt to find & follow the Master's time tracks. They quickly find where & when the Master went. However, to the Doctor's confusion, they discover he is still in the present day, only on the other side of London.

The TARDIS lands in the corridor of some type of palace. The Doctor & Daniel, still in search of the Master, proceed to travel down some corridors, before they find themselves in a grand hall containing a chamber pod in the middle of the room. The Doctor & Daniel fully enter the room when, suddenly, *ZAP* Daniel is shot from behind the door by a laser, which knocks him out cold. The Doctor turns around in a flash, where she sees the Master, who was waiting for her behind a door. The Master proceeds to take Daniel hostage & says that he'll live so long the Doctor cooperates. He then orders the Doctor to step into the chamber or else Daniel dies, and the Doctor complies. Once inside, the Master drops Daniel & proceeds to seal the Doctor in. The Master then proceeds to laugh, telling the Doctor that he warned her - he REALLY tried to warn her to leave while she could; but now it's too late & she must learn the consequences.

The Master then reveals that his ultimate plan is to trigger a controlled regeneration, which'll allow him to regenerate into the form of the Doctor, by harvesting her DNA & connecting their minds together. He proceeds to place a crown on both his & the Doctor's head, before he activates some switches on a control panel. He then reveals a dagger from his pocket, braces himself & proceeds to stab himself in both hearts, causing him to fall to his knees. Suddenly, the skin of both the Doctor & Master begins to glow. The Master tells the Doctor to "watch this" before regeneration energy begins to violently shoot out of his arms & head. The Doctor, still glowing with energy but not changes, watches in horror, as the Master's face begins to morph into her own. Then, the regeneration finishes - the energy fades away & the Master collapses to the floor. They proceed to pick themselves up, and the Doctor sees the face of the new Master - her own face - Rakhee Thakrar.

The Doctor starts shouting, telling the Master to stop. Instead, the Master laughs, before proceeding to pull down a lever on the control panel, which freezes the Doctor in cryogenic sleep. The Master slings Daniel's arm around her neck & carries him into the Doctor's TARDIS. Part One would then end with Daniel reawakening in the TARDIS. The Master enters the TARDIS console room from a corridor, now dressed almost identically like the Sixteenth Doctor, although sporting a black coat, where, tricking Daniel into thinking she's the Doctor, she says the Master has escaped again & that they need to return to UNIT HQ.

Part Two begins at UNIT HQ, where the Master & Daniel arrive in the TARDIS. Still posing as the Doctor, the Master tells Nicholas that the Master escaped; however, she has found a code which'll destroy the force field around the satellite. We see the Master, working alone, uploading the code which, after a few moments, lowers the force field around the satellite. The Master then orders Nicholas to shoot down the satellite. Everyone around the Master is confused by this decision, saying that surely they should attempt to rescue the crew stuck on the satellite. However, the Master claims they are actually servants to the Master, before ordering Nicholas to destroy it. Reluctantly, Nicholas gives the order to his men to open fire. A laser bursts out of the cannon, shoots directly into space & blows up the satellite, killing everyone on board.

Meanwhile, we cut to what appears to be the interior to the Doctor's TARDIS - only everything is in black & white. We see the Doctor, lying on the floor, climbing to her feet, where she notices everything to be black & white. Confused, she begins to press buttons on the console, before the scanner switches on. To her confusement, the scanner is the only thing to be in full colour, and we see the scanner to be a POV shot from the Master's perspective. The Doctor then realises that she is in some sort of Mind Palace - a place where her mind remains active, where she can monitor the Master due to them stealing part of her DNA in order to steal her face. Realising what the Master is doing, she begins frantically pressing every switch on the console, which, to her amazement, allows her to gain control of the Master's right hand without them realising.

We cut back to UNIT HQ where, suddenly, the ground begins rumbling. We cut to an exterior shot, and we see a giant, diamond covered laser cannon entering Earth's atmosphere. Suddenly, every monitor at UNIT HQ goes to static. Then, once the static stops, we cut to another recording of The Master - the old Master - Mark Bonnar. The old Master threatens to split the Earth in half using his diamond satellite unless the Doctor surrenders herself to him within the next 24 hours. He then ends the message with "oh - and you can tell your little friends at UNIT that their pop gun won't work. It's made of Mara Diamond". The new Master, still acting as the Doctor, quickly forms a plan to destroy the laser cannon by firing nuclear missiles into the heart of the laser cannon, claiming it's the only thing that can destroy Mara Diamond (a material which, unbeknownst to everyone, is something they made up).

We then see UNIT getting in contact with the world leaders, asking for the nuclear codes. Nicholas initially asks the Doctor for the nuclear codes, however, the Master claims they don't remember them - something which puts further doubt into Nicholas' mind. Meanwhile, we see the Doctor, trapped in her Mind Palace, moving her right arm, which controls the Master's arm in the real world. Doing this, she makes the Master, unknowingly, write something on a sticky note & hand it over to Daniel when they pass each other in the UNIT command room. Daniel, confused, looks at the note & reads it - "Doctor not me. Do DNA test". Daniel is puzzled - why would the Doctor be saying this? Unless she really isn't the Doctor? The Master maybe? But they look like the Doctor?

Deciding to follow the notes advice, Daniel works to try & get a DNA sample from the Master. He proceeds to flirt with the Master & talking / acting as if the Doctor & Daniel are already a couple, and hoping that the Master buys his acting. After much back & forth, the Doctor plants a kiss directly onto Daniel's lips, before smiling & walking away. Daniel feels slightly embarrassed & awkward, but proceeds on with his work. He makes his way to a UNIT laboratory, where he proceeds to wipe the kiss onto a napkin, transferring the Master's DNA onto it, before using an analysis machine to compare this DNA with both the DNA of the Doctor & Master, which UNIT has on file. The machine scans the DNA & begins to cycle through lists of names & faces, before landing on the Masters profile - who is represented by a picture of Roger Delgado.

Back in the command room, word comes in from the world leaders, who announce that they will be handing over the launch codes from UNIT. Nicholas says that they will be making their way to Safehouse Hotel, which he describes as an old UNIT warehouse from the 70s or 80s, where they'll be able to launch the missiles. While the Master, acting as the Doctor, starts to speak with the world leaders, Daniel comes up to Nicholas & discreetly tells him about the Master's DNA. So the Doctor is missing - but how? & where is she?

The Doctor in her Mind Palace sees Daniel & Nicholas talking about her & tries to figure out where she's been held captive. Using what she remembers about her surroundings when she initially landed - the air, the smell, the coordinates, she's able to pinpoint roughly where they are. While the Master continues to address the world leaders on the main big monitor, the Doctor takes control of their right hand & uses it to signal Daniel & Nicholas, while tapping on a map, next to the Master, exactly where she is.

Eventually, communication between the Master & the world leaders ends, and the leaders email over the launch codes to Ellen. However, as the Master turns to face Daniel & Nicholas, they notice that their hand is moving without them commanding it. Realising he's buggered, the Master tries to escape, but Nicholas orders his men to seize the Master, who is quickly captured & surrounded by guns. Nicholas orders his men to watch the Master, while he, Daniel, Ellen make their way outside, board a UNIT jeep & drive to the Doctor's location - St. Paul's Cathedral. Making their way inside, they quickly find the Doctor &, after nearly killing her, they successfully free her from her pod.

The Doctor thanks the team, before asking where the Master is. Nicholas says he's at UNIT, and the group board the Master's TARDIS (now disguised as a pillar) and travel to UNIT HQ. The group rush back upstairs to the command room, where, to their shock, they discover that the Master & the Doctor's TARDIS has vanished, with everyone in the room having been shrunk by the TCE. Nicholas asks what the Master is exactly planning - they already have a deadly Mara Diamond laser cannon in the sky; what do they need the missiles for? The Doctor is confused, saying there is no such thing as Mara Diamond.

She then proceeds to scan the laser cannon readings, where she discovers that the laser isn't a real laser cannon but an alien satellite designed to look like a laser cannon. THIS was the Master's ultimate plan: to convince the world that a deadly threat was about to destroy the Earth & gain access to every nuclear missile from the world. From there, the Master can topple any government or organisation like UNIT they wish & conquer the Earth.

The Doctor asks where this UNIT warehouse is, and Nicholas gives him the coordinates. The Doctor tries to travel to the warehouse in the Master's TARDIS, but is flung back to UNIT HQ, as it turns out the Master has already arrived & has raised the warehouse's anti-travel shields - nothing can get in; nothing can get out. The Master makes contact with UNIT over a radio, where they laugh & gloat to the Doctor, saying that thanks to the Doctor's own good-will reputation, the Master has won! The Master proceeds to finish entering the final nuclear launch codes, before pressing fire on a control panel. We cut to a submarine in Moscow, where we see its silo doors opening & shooting out a missile, which has been programmed to destroy London.

We then see the Doctor's team racing against the clock. The Doctor & Nicholas work on trying to abort the missile, while Ellen & Daniel try to gain access to the warehouse's servers & lower the shields. However, before they can finish their work, the Doctor suddenly gets a throbbing pain in her head - saying that the Master is trying to attack her mind as the few strands of DNA they share binds them together, before passing out & falling to the floor.

We then cut back to the Doctor's Mind Palace - only she's not alone this time, as the Master is waiting for her. After an initial joke made about the Master's face, with the Doctor saying she got the hair wrong but liking the black coat, the two conclude that only one of them can live. The Doctor challenges the Master to a mind bending competition, which the Master accepts. The two close their eyes & make telepathic contact, which allows them to summon a mind bending machine.

The two connect their minds & the battle ensures. In a similar vein to The Brain of Morbius, the fight is represented by images of previous incarnations on the machine, with the images intercutting between Doctor incarnations & Master incarnations. We see images of the Doctor, going from Thakrar to Harntell, as well as faces of 8 other incarnations we haven't seen on screen. We also see pictures of Master incarnations we've seen on screen - Thakrar, Bonnar, McKee, Jacobi, Ainley, Pratt, Delgado. But then we see 11 NEW faces - faces we've not seen on-screen before.

[WRITER'S NOTE: These new 11 faces are a homage to The Brain of Morbius - where 8 members of the Production team played the "Morbius Doctors". For the 11 new faces, canonically making Delgado as the 12th incarnation, they would be played mostly by members of the current production team, with a few exceptions. The list, going from the 11th to 1st, consists of Edward Brayshaw, canonically making the War Chief from The War Games as a Pre-Delgado Master, Jamie Childs, Chanya Button, Elizabeth Kilgarriff, Jenny T Colgan, Mark Tonderai, Rachel Talalay, Jennifer Perrott, Scott Handcock, Emma Sullivan & Pete McTighe]

Eventually, after much battling, the Doctor wins the battle, which disconnects both of them from the Mind Palace. The Master is knocked out, while the Doctor begins to reawaken in UNIT HQ. She then helps Nicholas finish their work & they're successfully able to abort the missile over the ocean. Ellen & Daniel finish hacking into the warehouse's servers & successfully lower the shields. Everyone enters the Master's TARDIS (now disguised as a UNIT door) & they proceed to travel to the UNIT warehouse.

Exiting the TARDIS (now disguised as an old computer bank) the team race through the warehouse to the control room, where they find the Master alive but drained of energy & strength. Nicholas goes to shoot the Master, but the Doctor stops him - claiming that he'll have her to deal with if he does. The Master is chained up & the Doctor orders Nicholas to have the Master locked in The Bunker. Some UNIT guards lift the Master up & begin to carry them away. However, unbeknownst to everyone, the Master begins to discreetly free themselves from their chains.

With the Doctor's team distracted by the control panel in the launch room, the Master is able to break free of their chains, throw the UNIT security to the ground & attempts to make a break towards their TARDIS. Then suddenly, *BOOM!* The Master is shot in the back by Nicholas, collapsing into the doors of their TARDIS. The Doctor snatches Nicholas' gun out of his hands & throws it across the room, before rushing up to the Master. However, the Master manages to crawl their way inside their TARDIS, seal the doors & dematerialise. We then cut to inside the Master's TARDIS, where we see the Master climb to their feet. A golden glow begins to form around their body, before they burst out regeneration energy, laughing uncontrollably. However, before we see who the Master regenerates into, we cut back to UNIT HQ.

The story then ends with the Doctor & team back at UNIT HQ, where the Doctor & Daniel say their goodbyes to the UNIT team, before entering the TARDIS & dematerialising. Once in flight, the Doctor says to Daniel that she heard what he said to the Master - about him liking her - and wanted to know if he really felt that way about her. Daniel denies it, saying he was just trying any tactic he could think of to get the Master's DNA, but, when Daniel turns away, his face clearly reads that he still likes the Doctor.

CONCLUSION

Season 57 went down well with audiences & proved to be favourable with the fanbase. People started to buy into the Sixteenth Doctor more now that she had a full, proper season under her belt & Daniel was well received as the new companion. While some didn’t like that this season didn’t play more into fanservice, due to this being the 60th Anniversary season, many also liked it for that same reason. & Although there was a portion of the fanbase who disliked this season, they mostly consisted of NotMyDoctors who didn’t like that the Doctor wasn’t white.

And now, the wait was on for The Endgame, which would air in November, as McTighe, Thakrar & Patini set to work on Season 58.

To be continued…