History Recap / DoctorWhoS18E2Meglos

'''Production code:''' 5Q

Written by John Flanagan and Andrew [=McCulloch=]. This four-episode serial first aired from September 27 to October 18, 1980.

* ChekhovsGun: Romana is attacked by killer plants. Not only does this separate her from the Doctor for most of the story, she leads Meglos's henchmen back to the plants, and uses them attacking as a distration to escape.

-->--'''The Doctor'''

* PinballProtagonist: The Doctor spends much of the first half of the story trapped in a TimeLoop, then immediately gets arrested when he arrives at Tigella, before largely spending the third episode held captive and protesting his innocence. It's not until the final episode that he finally does anything, namely reprogramming Meglos' weapon to backfire and destroy Zolfa-Thura. Though this can be partly chalked up to RealLifeWritesThePlot, as the logistics of having Tom Baker play both the Doctor and Meglos meant giving the former a more limited role than usual.

The one with an evil cactus and trypophobia. Plus the return of a former companion, but not in the way you'd expect.

* PlantAliens: The titular Meglos, an evil shape-shifting ''cactus'' who wanted to take over the universe. [[IncrediblyLamePun What a prick]].

* NoPronunciationGuide: The writers intended Grugger’s name be pronounced “Groo-ger”. The cast pronounced it as spelt.

* ImpersonatingTheEvilTwin: The Doctor impersonates Meglos. He is discovered only when Meglos is shot in the belief that he's the Doctor and replies, "satisfied?"

Written by John Flanagan and Andrew [=McCulloch=]. This serial first aired September 27-October 18, 1980.

%%* BadBadActing: The solution to the time loop.%%Is?

* SignificantAnagram: Brotadac is an anagram of "Bad Actor".

The one with an evil cactus and trypophobia.

The one with an evil cactus.

* ProtagonistCenteredMorality: The Doctor's decision to kill Meglos and the band of thieves he was working with (who didn't even know they were involved in a genocidal scheme up until the end) is never explained or even questioned. More alarmingly, the underground city leaders thank the Doctor for saving their planet from destruction and stopping the criminal who stole their power source, but never question whether it was really necessary to destroy the power source. They now have to evacuate untold cubic miles of powerless underground dwellings, set up new homes in a horrible writhing jungle, and somehow find the power to make it all work. Assuming this is even possible, it will be a long and difficult process in which many lives will no doubt be lost. The Doctor may have had no alternative to destroying the artefact, but we wouldn't know because the subject is never discussed at all.

* ChekhovsGun: Romana is attacked by killer plants. Not only does this separate her from the Doctor for most of the story, she leads Meglos' henchmen back to the plants, and uses them attacking as a distration to escape.

* ManEatingPlant: The plants that attack Romana and later, Meglos' henchmen.

* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Meglos anticipates his allies betrayal, and establishes the ground rules straight off.

** This was used to cue the audience on when it's the Meglos and not the Doctor.

[[caption-width-right:350:Just... Just look at the panic in Tom's eyes, there...]]

* BadBadActing: The solution to the time loop.