History Recap / DoctorWhoS15E3ImageOfTheFendahl

* AbnormalAmmo: TruthInTelevision variant - Tyler loads his shotgun with rock salt at the Doctor and his grandmother's urging, which successfully takes down the Fendahleen.

* AbnormalAmmo: Tyler loads his shotgun with rock salt at the Doctor and his grandmother's urging, which successfully takes down the Fendahleen.
** A bit of TruthInTelevision, as rock salt is sometimes loaded into shotguns to cause pain but little damage. See ''Film/KillBill''.

* AllThereInTheManual: In the novelisation Stael's background and motivation is explained in detail.

* XMeetsY: ''Franchise/{{Quatermass}} and the Pit'' (unnaturally ancient artifact reveals dark secrets about alien manipulation of humanity) meets ''Film/TheStoneTape'' (scientific experiments in a creepy old house awaken an EldritchAbomination). Note that both works were written by Creator/NigelKneale.

* GoalOrientatedEvolution: The skull from the Core of the Fendahl had, over millions of years, subtly altered a life form on the planet it landed on until that life form was suitable for creating a new Fendhal and had a subgroup manipulated into actually creating it. The human who learned he and his species existed only to spawn the rebirthed Fendahl was not happy.

* EldritchAbomination: The Fendahl.

%% * SoundOnlyDeath

A Professor Fendelman is studying a human skull which archaeologists estimate to be 12 million years old -- far older than it can conceivably be -- when the Doctor and Leela arrive. Fendelman is using a "Time Scanner" to study the skull, and it is this which has not only drawn the TARDIS to the lab, but also causing the skull to glow with power every time it is activated. His snarky colleagues (including BenedictCumberbatch's mum) are stumped as to how the skull can even exist.

The Fendahl are defeated, and the Doctor throws the skull into a nearby supernova before getting down to the business of repairing K-9.

** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] later on when the Doctor is examining the dead Fendahleen. He comments that it is beautiful, but when Leela questions this he reveals he was actually talking about the way he killed it.

* GreenRooming: Introduced in the previous story, RobotBuddy K-9 promptly breaks down for the duration of the episode, whose script was written before K-9 was added to the cast.

** ExpandedUniverse [[OhCrap says no]].

* QuieterThanSilence

* SoundOnlyDeath

* TheXOfY
* YouLookFamiliar: Thea is Jean Rock from "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E8TheFacelessOnes The Faceless Ones]]".

[[caption-width-right:350:"[[WebVideo/WhatTheFuckIsWrongWithYou ... I think we're all going to Hell, now...]]"]]

* QuieterThanSilence

* XMeetsY: ''Franchise/{{Quatermass}} and the Pit'' (unnaturally ancient artifact reveals dark secrets about alien manipulation of humanity) meets ''Film/TheStoneTape'' (scientific experiments in a creepy old house awaken an EldritchAbomination).

The Doctor explains that this fatal weakness of the Fendahl inspired a folk memory of throwing salt over one's shoulder for good luck. And that much of humanity's race memory ''might'' have to do with the Fendahl, and that the skull ''might'' be related to Time Lord crimed on the briefly visited Fifth Planet, and that Professor Fendelman ''may'' be the descendant of an age-old evolutionary scheme to produce the perfect minion, but it could all be a coincidence, really. Also, Thea is painted gold and starts floating about the manor in a ghost-like way while backed by pentagrams.

** ExpandedUniverse [[OhCrap says no]]. Whether or not Expanded Universe materials are cannon, is another matter.

* XMeetsY: ''Franchise/{{Quatermass}} and the Pit'' meets ''Film/TheStoneTape''.

* {{Cult}}: Lead by Stael to summon the Fendahl. Stael thinks it'll make him a god. His followers seem to know much more.

* AncientAstronauts: Sort of. Possibly.

* {{Cult}}

--> '''Dr. Fendelman:''' Fendel-man -- man of the Fendahl! I have been used! ''MANKIND HAS BEEN USED!!''

* PivotalWakeup

* ThirteenIsUnlucky: The ritual requires thirteen people participating: one Fendahl and twelve Fendahleen.

[[caption-width-right:350:"[[WebVideo/WhatTheFuckIsWrongWithYou ...I think we're all going to Hell, now...]]"]]

[[caption-width-right:350:"[[WebSeries/WhatTheFuckIsWrongWithYou ...I think we're all going to Hell, now...]]"]]

-->-- '''Adam Colby,''' to the Doctor; not too far off the mark, really

'''WARNING! THERE MAY BE UNMARKED SPOILERS!'''