History Recap / DoctorWhoS14E1TheMasqueOfMandragora

* {{Astrologer}}: Hieronymous; a foil for the scientific Doctor (despite them both having awful fashion sense and a tendency to [[LargeHam hamminess]] and speaking gobbledygook).

During the dance, the Cult of Demnos attack the court and kill many, while Hieronymous -- now unified with the Mandragora Helix -- confronts the Doctor in the underground temple. Attempting to blast the Doctor with pure Mandragora energy, he is foiled when the Doctor reveals he has earthed both himself (with some iron armor) and the altar: the energy is drained off and the Earth is safe.

* ArmorIsUseless: Averted; the Doctor dons a suit of armor under his clothes to channel Hieronymous's HandBlast via a wire attached to it. In the novelisation the wire melts from the energy pouring through it, forcing the Doctor to absorb the final blast unaided.

* AnimalMotifs: The Fourth Doctor is associated with the lion, with a nice scene of him making the 'rampant' pose from heraldry while wearing a lion mask. He has a mane of hair, a powerful deep 'roaring' voice, big teeth and plenty of regal charisma. There may also be an allusion to his Britishness - a lion appears on the British Royal Family's crest, and the Doctor's line while playing the lion is ''Remember the French at Agincourt!'' (a battle they lost to the British).

* ChromosomeCasting: Sarah is the only female character in the story.

* HeterosexualLifePartners: Giuliano and Marco, although the "heterosexual" is seriously debatable.

* YouHaveToBelieveMe: Subverted; the Doctor ''does'' try to explain things in terms the locals will understand ("A ball of heavenly fire has come down to Earth, and I must return it to the stars!") but everyone just laughs at him, while Count Federico thinks he's a fraud posing as a sorcerer and brings in Hieronymous to debate with him. As the Doctor thinks Hieronymous is a fraud, things don't go well.

* StepfordSmiler: When the Doctor starts clowning around in the lion mask, Sarah is not amused. "The worse the situation, the worse your jokes get!" [[ExplainExplainOhCrap She then realises that things really are bad]], which the Doctor acknowledges. Ironically Sarah proves just as flippant while being held prisoner in the dungeon.

* TheStarscream: Federico thinks Hieronymous is his loyal (but despised) underling. Hieronymous has other ideas though his goals are a lot larger than a mere dukedom, Mandragora having promised him [[TakeOverTheWorld power to rule the entire Earth]].

* ColdBloodedTorture: Marco holds out a long while, but later admits to Giuliano he was forced to make a false confession.

* {{Astrologer}}: Hieronymous; a foil for the scientific Doctor (despite them both having awful fashion sense and a tendency to LargeHam and speaking gobbledygook).

* RoyallyScrewedUp: Count Federico. He has Giuliano's father killed to bring him one step closer to becoming the Duke of San Martino, but ends up being unable to have Giuliano assassinated.

* DressingAsTheEnemy: The Doctor tries to absorb the energy of the possessed Hieronymous by wearing armour. Both parties are weakened, but before a CommercialBreakCliffhanger Hieronymous is shown calling on Mandragora to aid him. We then cut to the masked ball where Sarah sees a man walking around in the lion mask and thinks he's the Doctor, until a DramaticUnmask reveals TheBlank face of the Brethren, making it look like the Doctor lost. Other Brethren start throwing off their costumes and shooting energy bolts at the guests, until a masked and robed Hieronymous appears and puts a stop to it, ordering the survivors be brought to the temple for a proper HumanSacrifice. Turns out it's the Doctor imitating [[VoiceChangeling Hieronymous's voice]] so he can lure his followers into the same fate he inflicted on their leader.

* TheStarscream: Federico thinks Hieronymous is his loyal (but despised) underling. Hieronymous has other ideas, though his goals are a lot larger than a mere dukedom, Mandragora having promised him [[TakeOverTheWorld power to rule the entire Earth]].

* HumansAreSpecial: The Mandragora Helix wants to conquer Earth because they believe that the ConstantlyCurious nature of the human race will cause them to spread beyond their own galaxy and challenge their power.

** On hearing that his nephew and the Doctor have gone to explore the ancient temple of Demnos, Federico decides to kill them off and blame their deaths on the notorious cult. However in the midst of this assassination attempt, the Brethren attack ''en masse'' and drive his men off. Hieronymous says it isn't in their interest for the Duke to die at that moment, presumably so Federico will be kept busy hunting him down.

* TheStarscream: Federico thinks Hieronymous is his loyal (but despised) underling. Hieronymous has other ideas, though his goals are a [[TakeOverTheWorld lot larger than a mere dukedom]].

* SwordFight: The Doctor might not like guns but has no issue carrying a sword when the Duke offers him one. On seeing the Duke desperately fighting off Federico's men, he gleefully joins in.

* SecretCircleOfSecrets: The Cult of Demnos.

* TheMole: Sarah Jane is drugged and hypnotized by Hieronymous into trying to kill the Doctor. Fortunately the Doctor realises what's happening.

** On hearing that his nephew and the Doctor have gone to explore the ancient temple of Demnos, Federico decides to kill them off and blame their deaths on the notorious cult. However in the midst of this assassination attempt, the Brethren attack ''en masse'' and drive his men off.

* ContrivedCoincidence: While escaping from his would-be executors, the Doctor enters the secret tunnels beneath the city where the guards aren't willing to follow, and stumbles across the underground temple where the Cult of Demnos are [[JustInTime about to sacrifice Sarah]].

* TimeTravelersAreSpies: The [[TheNativesAreRestless peasants are restless]] and Count Federico thinks that foreign spies are riling them up (it wouldn't have anything to do with his tyrannical behaviour of course). A strangely-dressed outsider who causes trouble the moment his guards try to question him fits the bill perfectly.

* TranquilFury: One seeing men in black cloaks carrying off his unconscious companion, the Doctor calmly but firmly tells them to stop, then judo-flips the first man who tries to lay hands on him. He then tells the others to "put the girl down, gently." They comply, but one of the Brethren sneaks up from behind the Doctor and and knocks him out [[TapOnTheHead with a rock to the head.]]

* ExpositionOfImmortality: The Doctor was taught swordfighting by the captain of Cleopatra's bodyguard, and wonders if his bandage would pass the scrutiny of Florance Nightingale.

** On hearing that his nephew and the Doctor have gone to explore the ancient temple of Demnos, Federico decides to kill them off and blame their deaths on the notorious cult. However in the midst of this assassination attempt, the Brethren attack en mass and drive his men off.

** The Doctor is in the midst of rescuing Sarah when he's spotted by the Cult of Demnos, who are about to SeizeThem when the Helix turns up in their midst. Naturally the Cult assume this is Demnos who has finally responded to their prayers, and proceed to worship it while the Doctor and Sarah sneak away.
** On hearing that his nephew and the Doctor have gone to explore the ancient temple of Demnos, Federico decides to kill them off and blame their deaths on the notorious cult. However in the midst of this assassination attempt, the Brethren attack en masse and drive his men off.

* NiceJobFixingItVillain:
** The Doctor is in the midst of rescuing Sarah when he's spotted by the Cult of Demnos, who are about to SeizeThem when the Helix turns up in their midst. Naturally the Cult assume this is their god responding to their prayers and proceed to worship it while the Doctor and Sarah sneak away.
** While a hypnotised Sarah is sneaking up behind the Doctor to stab him in the back with a poisoned needle, Hieronymous calls on her to "Strike him down!", alerting the Doctor that she's there. Though the Doctor clearly knows she's following him earlier, so it's likely he already knew.

* TranquilFury: One seeing men in black cloaks carrying off his unconscious companion, the Doctor curtly tells them to stop, then judo-flips the first man who tries to lay hands on him. He then quietly tells the others to "put the girl down, gently." They comply, but one of the Brethren sneaks up from behind the Doctor and and knocks him out [[TapOnTheHead with a rock to the head.]]

* WhenThePlanetsAlign: Hieronymous invokes this, and there's likely some truth in it as the Doctor at the end of the episode says that the constellation the Mandragora Helix is in [[TheEndOrIsIt will be in the right position from another attempt in 500 years]].

* DressingAsTheEnemy: The Doctor tries to absorb the energy of the possessed Hieronymous by wearing armour. Both parties are weakened, but before a CommercialBreakCliffhanger Hieronymous is shown calling on Mandragora to aid him. We then cut to the masked ball where Sarah sees a man walking around in the lion mask and thinks he's the Doctor, until a DramaticUnmask reveals TheBlank face of the Brethran, making it look like the Doctor lost. Other people at the ball start throwing off their costumes to reveal the BlackCloak of Demnos and start blasting away at the guests, until a masked and robed Hieronymous appears and puts a stop to it, ordering the survivors be brought to the temple for a proper HumanSacrifice. Turns out it's the Doctor imitating [[VoiceChangeling Hieronymous's voice]] so he can lure his followers into the same fate he inflicted on their leader.
* EnergyBeings: The Mandragora Helix. Once the Helix that's come to Earth spreads its power among the Bretheran of the Cult of Demnos however, the Doctor realises it's vulnerable if he can trick it into fully draining its power.

* InadvertantEntranceCue: Guiliano is holding off Count Federico's soldiers single-handed.

* KnowWhenToFoldThem: When the Doctor brings word that Count Federico is dead, Rossini orders his men to SeizeThem, only to find they've changed their allegiance to the only other prince available. Rossini then surrenders his sword to Giuliano, who fortunately is too merciful to have him executed on the spot.

* MasqueradeBall: The [[MalevolentMaskedMen Cult of Demnos]] takes advantage of Giuliano's swanky ascension party to conceal themselves in Part 4.

* NeverSplitTheParty: Sarah wanders off to [[DeliciousDistraction scrump oranges from a nearby grove]], only to be abducted by the Cult of Demnos.

* SwordFight: The Doctor merrily joins in.
* TapOnTheHead: When the Doctor realizes that Sarah Jane is being kidnapped and tries to intervene, a goon takes him out with a rock to his head.