History Recap / DoctorWhoS22E3TheMarkOfTheRani

'''Production code:''' 6X

Written by Creator/PipAndJaneBaker. This two-episode serial first aired from February 2--9, 1985.

* WeaponForIntimidation: Deconstructed when Lord Ravensworth scares off the Luddites by firing his gun into the air. Once they've scurried off he points out if they'd not been so out of it they'd had realised he had to reload, and could've just kept on with what they were doing.

* WeaponForIntimidation: Deconstructed when Lord Ravensworth scares off the Luddites by firing his gun into the air. Once they've scurried off he points out if they'd not been so out of it they've had realised he had to reload, and could've just kept on with what they were doing.

* AndIMustScream: Luke and two of the miners' tree-ification by the Rani's land mines. Say what you like about the basic concept or the realisation of it, the thought of being trapped conscious and immobile in tree form for a potentially very long time must be one of the scariest ideas in the show's history.

* TheBaroness: The Rani

* DeadlyGas:

* EvilLaugh: Subverted. Iin the mine shaft scene with the Master and Peri, the Rani starts choking and knocks Peri out with her poison gas capsules.

* FailedASpotCheck: Seriously, Doctor--get your eyes checked.

JustForFun/{{The one w|ith}}here the Master gets kneed right in the ol’ timespheres.

-> '''The Master:''' Ah, but you've not been informed of my purpose here.
-> '''The Rani:''' Oh, I know why you're here. To destroy the Doctor. You've never had any other. It obsesses you, to the exclusion of all else.
-> '''The Master:''' You underestimate me. Certainly I want to destroy him, see him suffer, but that is just an exquisite first step. I have a greater concept, one that will encompass the whole human race!
-> '''The Rani:''' You're unbalanced. No wonder the Doctor always outwits you.

The one where the Master gets kneed right in the ol’ timespheres.

[[caption-width-right:344:"Once I've gotten the Doctor right where I want him, I'll destroy every fibre of that cursed, colourful [[ImpossiblyCoolClothes coat]]!"]]

* ShoutOutToShakespeare:

This serial is significant in a rather surprising way. Despite the "celebrity historical" being a regular feature of the revived series that happens at least [[OnceASeason twice every season]], George Stephenson was first real historical personality to appear in the series since the various Dodge City figures in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E8TheGunfighters "The Gunfighters"]] all the way back in 1966[[note]]Well... Gray the solicitor in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E4TheHighlanders "The Highlanders"]] was a historical figure too, but a long way from "celebrity", being basically an original character attached to an extremely minor historical figure. And King John showed up in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS20E6TheKingsDemons "The King's Demons"]] but of course it wasn't the ''real'' King John.[[/note]]. This story was also the first to mix a real historical celebrity into an aliens'n'monsters plot, an idea so obvious it's surprising to realise [[NewerThanTheyThink they only started doing it in 1985]].

--> '''The Rani:''' You're unbalanced. No wonder the Doctor always outwits you.

The Master and the Rani continue their labyrinthine, overcomplicated plan. They utilize [[StuffBlowingUp tree mines]] (because the Rani has clearly read the EvilOverlordList and knows mines are the sneakily evil way to go), [[EvilLaugh evil laughs]] done in counterpoint, and the ever-popular [[KansasCityShuffle "distract the dumb American with your weapon of choice and knock her out"]] ploy, but the Master's [[FatalFlaw stupid obsession with trying to kill the Doctor]] overrides the Rani's common sense. His pride gets them trapped in her TARDIS, which has been futzed-with by the Doctor to send them to the end of the universe with a rapidly-growing T-Rex embryo (because [[RuleOfCool everything's cooler with dinosaurs]]). The Rani is ''not'' pleased, and gives the Master a [[GroinAttack knee to the bollocks]] for his trouble, but unfortunately, is still stuck with him in a runaway TARDIS. At the end of the day, she's just not very good at her job.

The one where the Master gets kneed in the timespheres.

[[caption-width-right:344:"Once I've gotten the Doctor right where I want him, I'll destroy every fibre of his colourful [[ImpossiblyCoolClothes coat]]!"]]

Written by Pip & Jane Baker. This two-episode serial first aired from February 2--9, 1985.

* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Another Evil Time Lord thing. We're well aware of the Master's penchant for abusing the thesaurus, but the Rani gets in on the act, too. Of course, this story ''was'' written by Pip and Jane Baker.

Written by Pip & Jane Baker. This serial first aired February 2-9, 1985.