History Recap / DoctorWhoS15E6TheInvasionOfTime

'''Production code:''' 4Z

Written by Anthony Read and Creator/GrahamWilliams ([[AlanSmithee under the pseudonym David Agnew]]). This six-episode serial first aired from February 4 to March 11, 1978.

The one with killer tinfoil.

* DecadentCourt: After the CrystalSpiresAndTogas of the first stories, and the [[NotSoOmniscientCouncilOfBickering pompous but weak]] depiction of "The Deadly Assassin", this story's powerful but deeply corrupt and self-serving portrayal of the Time Lords became the pattern for most later stories featuring them en masse, both in the TV show and other media. Lampshaded by the Doctor:

Being President gives the Doctor access to the Matrix, which contains all the knowledge of the Time Lords. He balances it on K-9's ears and connects it to his TARDIS.

Leela and a really overqualified Time Lady named Rodan roam about in the wilderness outside, where they meet a group of Outsiders, barbarian Gallifreyans (not part of the Time Lord houses) who are really quite bad at being barbarians.

Naturally, there are wheels within wheels, and the Vardan menace is defeated -- with two episodes left in the season. Wait... the cheers have stopped. What the... Uh oh, Sontarans! Cue a wild goose chase inside [[strike: an abandoned hospital]] the TARDIS, which gives us quite an extensive view of the interior, its gardens (giant carnivorous plants and everything) as well as its fabled swimming pool.

Leela, meanwhile, feels right at home with the barbarians and assembles them into a BadassArmy. As their new LadyOfWar, she organizes a charge of the Citadel and infiltrates the Capitol to help out the Doctor. He uses forbidden technology to destroy the Sontarans, wiping his memory of events -- and of the Matrix -- in the process. Leela suddenly decides she's fallen in love with Chancellery Guard Andred whom [[StrangledByTheRedString she's just met]], and remains on Gallifrey with K-9 to go [[AudioPlay/{{Gallifrey}} star in her own spinoff]].

* EvilChancellor: Castellan Kelner. (Chancellor Borusa is not evil here, though he has moments of ruthless pragmatism.)

* GambitPileup

--> '''Rodan''': Nothing can get pass the Transduction Barriers.\\

* GoingInCircles: Inside the TARDIS.

* IFightForTheStrongestSide: As soon as someone is about to take over power, the Castellan is there to lick their boots.

* KarmaHoudini: The Castellan. We never get to see him punished for being such a dick.

* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Leela refuses to believe the Doctor has really gone to the side of evil. The Castellan is a more villainous example.

* NotNowKiddo: The Sontarans attempt to locate the Doctor; the Castellan attempts to tell their Commander where he is, but each time the Commander reacts angrily to being interrupted, and doesn't let him speak. When he finally succeeds in conveying the information, the Commander of course demands to know why he didn't say so sooner.

* TheQuisling: The Castellan does everything possible to curry favour with the Sontarans.
* RetGone: What the forbidden Time Lord weapon does to its target.

* SequelEpisode: To "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E3TheDeadlyAssassin The Deadly Assassin]]".

* VichyEarth: More like Vichy Gallifrey. Especially eager is the Castellan; who, for one, welcomes his new Sontaran overlords.

Leela and a really overqualified Time Lady named Rodan roam about in the wilderness outside, where they meet a group of Shobogans, barbarian Gallifreyans (not part of the Time Lord houses) who are really quite bad at being barbarians.

* PantyShot: During the outside scenes, Leela's skirt is blown up. This ended up ''not'' being {{Fanservice}} - Leela's knickers turned out to be Film/BridgetJones' big-girl issue, in the same khaki-brown as her skirt.

Written by Anthony Read and Creator/GrahamWilliams ([[AlanSmithee under the pseudonym David Agnew]]). This serial first aired February 4-March 11, 1978.