| The following article is written from an Out of Universe perspective. |
The Restoration was the seventh episode of Season 56 of Doctor Who, which also acted the show's celebration of the BBC's Centenary. It was written by Jane Espenson, directed by Rachel Talalay and featured Ace Bhatti as the Sixteenth Doctor, Anthony Head as the Eleventh Doctor and Samantha Bond as the Fourteenth Doctor.
Synopsis
The Doctor faces the consequences of his actions as he reunites with both former friends and former enemies...
Plot
The Fourteenth Doctor wakes up, with a gasp, in the midst of snow. She breathes in and out and looks around confused. She checks her body and sheâs that itâs normal, sheâs just wearing her normal clothes⊠she pauses and checks her head⊠just her hair. She begins walking through the snow and in the distance she sees the TARDIS. Her TARDIS. She takes out her key and steps inside. She walks over to the console and begins to set a course, but then a flash of memory⊠her dying, her turning into a Cyberman. She stumbles as it comes back to her. She then looks at her reflection and is so confused. Decisively, she hits several control panels, in rapid succession, and takes a look at several readings on the monitors. She then says: âSomething grave has happened to the universeâŠâ
Andark stands on a platform overlooking the Citadel on Gallifrey. The whole planet still glows blue with ascension, but itâs full of both Time Lords and Vex, having been revived by the Restoration. Andark takes out a pair of high-tech binoculars and sees in the distance⊠a body. The body of the Eleventh Doctor.
The Eleventh Doctor wakes up, like the Fourteenth did, with a gasp. He looks around, sees Ascended Gallifrey and heâs entirely confused⊠He checks his watch and says out loud that he seems to have travelled several centuries into the future rather than have regenerated. He gets up and begins walking toward the citadel, continuing to speak to himself, speculating that a freak time anomaly saved his life, at the last moment, and took him out of the Masterâs reach. He then gets to the entrance of the Citadel, where Andark stands⊠The Doctor compliments Andark on lasting so long without regenerating, but Andark just blankly tells him that something has gone very wrong with the universe and both of them should be dead.
The Sixteenth Doctor stares into the central column in his TARDIS. He looks into it with a look of absolute rage. He stares and stares as flashbacks to Sara Kingdomâs death, and the Restoration taking place, are reflected in the column. He is then suddenly snapped out of it when the TARDIS phone rings. He looks confused and remarks that no-one has rung that phone in a long time. He then answers it to hear the voice of Sally Brennen, who says: âDoctor, where are you? Whatâs happened to the Master and the Daleks?â The Doctor gulps before telling Sally that itâs a long story. Sally says something about him ânot being the Doctorâ before she is hung up on and the Doctor sets the TARDIS into flight.
The TARDIS lands in front of Sally and Pete, standing on 41st Century Earth, looking incredibly confused. The door of the TARDIS swings open and Sally takes a step back, saying âyouâre not the Doctorâ. Pete explains to her that he thinks the Doctor has regenerated but that he didnât know âsheâ could become a âheâ. The Doctor makes a joke about it to which Sally is, again, unimpressed. She says that heâs nothing like the Doctor and asks how he can be the same person when his personality isnât even the same. The Doctor puts his hands on her shoulders, looks into her eyes, and tells her that heâs really the Doctor and she has to trust him. Sally looks at him and then after a pause says âOkayâ. They then enter the TARDIS and Pete comments that the Doctor has redecorated and that he doesnât like it. The Doctor then changes the subject and gives the two of them a brief overview of the Restoration. Sally and Pete are both horrified and shocked as they begin to remember their deaths, they begin to remember living through it and then they remember the feeling of being restored. Theyâre both very adamant that itâs unnatural and it shouldnât be. The Doctor then points to the scanner as it flickers to a protest on Earth⊠he tells them that theyâre not the only ones who think that.
In the midst of the protest, which sees placards reading âNo Zombiesâ and âThe Dead Should Stay Deadâ etcâŠ, Lou Madison, dressed in 16th Century clothing, stumbles through the street. Some of the protestors hassle her, some even spit, as she tries to make her way to a backstreet for safety. She then comes to an abandoned house and enters. Inside the house are a group of about a dozen people, all dressed in different period Earth clothing. Lou tells them that itâs as bad as they thought and if theyâre not careful, they are going to become dead once again, very soon. One of them asks if itâs even possible for them to die and Lou says that it very much is, as sheâs just seen one of the restored stoned to death in the protest. They all look terrified and Lou tells them that itâs best that they get out of their clothes and into something more 41st Century, otherwise theyâre not going to survive.
On Gallifrey, the Eleventh Doctor and Andark meet in the Lord Presidentâs office. Andark briefs him on the overall situation and the events of Panopticon that led to Gallifrey becoming ascended. The Doctor asks whoâs the primary authority on Gallifrey now. Andark explains that their ancestors opened diplomatic relations with the Vex, a few hundred years ago, but that theyâre far away from and they hold no official power on the planet. Then Andark says that unless there are any protests from other resurrected Presidents, the Worshipful and Ancient Law of Gallifrey clearly states that the honour of Lord President falls back to him, the Doctor. The Doctor then looks at Andark and says that he has just one order to begin with⊠and that is to find Sandra Armstrong.
A figure stands in a crowded refugee camp on Bellons⊠she slowly pulls down the hood on the rags sheâs wearing⊠It's Sandra Armstrong. She slowly walks through the camp before approaching a makeshift food stall. She asks for âwhateverâs the cheapest '' and is handed a bowl of gruel. She begins to eat it, as she thinks about her death, and flashbacks to it⊠Then out of nowhere, a sonic boom, as a spaceship enters the atmosphere. A Cybership.
In orbit of Bellons thereâs a fleet of Cyberships. In the mothership, the Cyber-Controller sits on a huge throne. He proclaims that the Cybermen will take advantage of the opportunity to rid the universe of pain and now that everyone has been restored, they will make sure they stay that way⊠forever!
The Fourteenth Doctorâs TARDIS lands on Earth. She steps out into the middle of a protest with a device that sheâs cobbled together. She looks at it as readings come in and continues moving around the street. One person hassles her and tells her that they donât want âher kindâ there but the Doctor uses humour to get him to back off before continuing with what she was doing.
Back in the abandoned house, Lou speaks to the others, now all dressed in 41st Century clothing. She tells them that she knows someone who can fix this, a man named the Doctor. She says that they just need to find him. They ask Lou if heâll really be able to help and she says that sheâd trust him with her life⊠and in fact, she did. One of them says that she died though and Lou awkwardly jokes that âeveryone is allowed an off dayâ... people look confused before Lou adds âIâm from the year 2000, itâs our sense of humourâ.
The Eleventh Doctor enters his TARDIS, wearing his Doctor Who: The New Renegade costume, having changed into it, between scenes. He punches in some coordinates and then dematerialises the TARDIS.
On Bellons, the Cybermen invade the planet and begin to convert hundreds of Bellonsions into Cybermen. They soon take hold of a large building and convert it into a Cyber Factory. Inside the refugee camp, Sandra hides from the Cybermen, as they convert everyone in sight. Sandra then turns around⊠to be faced with a Cybermen. The Cybermen tries to grab her to insert Cybermites into her skin, but Sandra dodges itâs hand and then tells the Cyberman to wait, and that he should scan her first. The Cyberman does so and says that it detects Artron Energy and that she will be taken to the Cyber Controller. Sandra breathes a sigh of relief as the Cyberman grabs her and loads her onto a shuttle.
Inside the Sixteenth Doctorâs TARDIS, he continues to speak to Pete and Sally. The Doctor tells them that he thinks the key to solving everything is in the information they already have. He explains what he knows and recounts the events of Journey into the Unknown. Pete then tells him that if he saw himself on Gallifrey, then thatâs the obvious place to go. The Doctor agrees but tells them that itâll take a lot of courage for him to go back there. Sally puts her hand on his shoulder and tells him that theyâre with him every step of the way.
The protest on Earth continues as the Fourteenth Doctor and, separately, Lou move through the crowd. However, it begins becoming violent as the protestors turn into rioters. Suddenly, the Doctor is grabbed by one of them and the rioters begin to attack her. However, Lou and the others interject and manage to grab the Doctor and bring her to safety. Once out of the way, the Doctor turns to thank her rescuers and sees Lou. Sheâs shocked and says âLou Madison. Oh dear, sweet Louâ. Lou is confused but then it clicks with her. She says that only one person ever called her âDear, sweet Louâ and then smiles and says âItâs you Doctor. Somehow itâs youâ. They then hug and the Doctor and Lou share the information that they understand so far.
The Eleventh Doctorâs TARDIS lands in the orbit of Bellons. He turns on the scanner and sees the fleet of Cyberships around the planet. He mutters âsorry Sandra, youâll have to waitâ and then materialises the TARDIS on the Cyber Mothership. He steps out into an empty corridor, before hiding, when a group of Cybermen march toward him⊠and then, to his surprise, he sees that theyâre transporting a prisoner⊠Sandra Armstrong.
On Gallifrey, the Sixteenth Doctorâs TARDIS materialises. The Doctor, Sally and Pete step out to see Andark waiting for them. Andark remarks that itâs curious that the TARDIS shields werenât raised, approaching Gallifrey. The Doctor thanks Andark for reminding him, saying that he hasnât been there for a long time and forgot. Andark begins to tell the Doctor about what he knows but the Doctor stops him and explains that he knows everything⊠because he was the one who caused the Restoration. Andark tells the Doctor to be quiet, in case anyone hears, and suggests they take it to his office. The Doctor is confused and says that he doesnât have one anymore⊠before Andark says âtechnically you still doâ and we cut to the Lord Presidentâs office.
Outside the office, Sally and Pete wait in the lobby, as they hear the muffled, but raised, voices of the Doctor and Andark speaking. Sally and Pete briefly speak about what theyâve gone through and their thoughts on this new Doctor. They also joke about Gallifrey being nothing like they expected the Doctorâs home planet to be.
Inside, the Doctor argues with Andark about his role in causing the Restoration. They both agree it has to be reversed but they donât know how. Andark then tells the Doctor of the suffering itâs causing and the parties that are taking advantage of the situationâŠ
In the control room of the Cybership, the Cyber-Controller confronts Sandra. He asks for the whereabouts of the Doctor and she says that sheâd happily tell them, if she knew, but she has absolutely no clue. She tells the Cyber-Controller that he abandoned her. She monologues about what happened to her in The Movie and The Confrontation of the Wicked, before standing tall and saying that sheâll now lived, as he always has, as a Bellonsion and âno tin robot is gonna tell me otherwiseâ, before she jumps and grabs onto a control hatch on the ceiling, swinging across the room and knocking the Cyber-Controllerâs head, clean off, with her feet.
The Eleventh Doctor then enters the room at that moment, applauding and moves in to hug Sandra. Sandra pushes him away telling him that she meant every word that she said. The Doctor tries to explain that she âhadâ to die, and it was out of his hands, but Sandra canât believe that heâs trying to justify killing her⊠twice. The Doctor tells her that theyâve all been restored, including him, and theyâre all now alive, for good. Sandra tells the Doctor that he can hide behind âgood luckâ if he wants but it doesnât change what he did. She tells him to go and that she can handle the Cybermen herself. The Doctor says no but Sandra insists and says that she doesnât want him there.
The Sixteenth Doctor and Andark continue to discuss matters and Andark mentions that his previous selves were resurrected by the Restoration too and that one of his past versions was on Gallifrey, not long before he arrived. The Doctor wonders whether itâs worth rounding up the ârestoredâ versions of his past selves and wonders how many there are. Andark explains that the Restoration has only affected the timestream before the year 4000, so any incarnation that regenerated after that date or in the Time Vortex, wonât have been restored. The Doctor says that thereâs a good chance that nine of his previous selves have been restored and says that itâd be a good idea to get hold of them. Andark asks why he wants to do that. The Doctor looks toward Andark, almost on the verge of tears, and gulps.
The Doctor and Andark exit the Doctorâs office. Sally and Pete ask whatâs happening and the Doctor tells them that theyâre headed back to Earth.
The Eleventh Doctor walks back to the TARDIS and enters it. He looks solemn. He slowly makes his way to the console, before swinging his fist in the air and smashing the central column as he screams out in pain. He falls back to the floor, as the glass falls onto him and looks up to the ceiling. He then hears a voice⊠the voice of the Intendant, who says that the Restoration has only led to misery. The Doctor gets up from the floor and turns to see him, standing by the console, eating an apple. The Doctor asks who he is and the Intendant replies that heâs the man who tried (and failed) to stop the Restoration⊠and that was all because of the Doctor, before taking a bite.
The Sixteenth Doctorâs TARDIS lands on Earth at night. The streets are vibrant and bustling, full to the brim with people, everywhere. Sally makes a comment about there being so many people, the streets will never fall silent again. The Doctor says that one of his past selves is within a mile of where they are, right now, and they need to find them. The Sixteenth Doctor tells Sally and Pete to stay in the TARDIS as itâs safer for them there.
The Fourteenth Doctor sits alone in an abandoned building with Lou. They talk and reminisce about old times. The Doctor tries to tell her how sorry she was for what happened⊠but Lou says that she understands and says there was nothing she couldâve done. Lou goes onto say that itâs only been a day for her since it happened, whereas the Doctor has had years to think about it and blame herself. The Doctor and Lou hug before the Doctor is struck back onto the floor, by a giant invisible force. She screams out as a vision appears in her head⊠itâs the Sixteenth Doctor saying âI need your help. Find me.â. Lou asks whatâs wrong and the Doctor says that theyâve got company.
The Intendant speaks to the Eleventh Doctor, in his TARDIS, taunting him about Sandra. The Doctor tells him to shut it and the Intendant just continually laughs. The Intendant says that he only exists because of the Restoration, but itâs the Restoration that is tearing the universe apart, as we speak. He says that he did his best to stop it but now heâs just happy to sit back and watch the chaos. The Doctor asks why heâs even there, but before the Intendant can answer, the Doctor is knocked back by an invisible force and receives the same vision from the Sixteenth Doctor telling him âI need your help. Find me.â. The Intendant tells the Eleventh Doctor not to go, banging his fist firmly on the console. The Doctor replies âmake meâ before the Intendant violently flicks his eyes.
The Fourteenth Doctor puts on her coat and tells Lou that sheâs got a date⊠with herself. Lou looks unimpressed but politely laughs, and then tells the Doctor to be careful, and that rioters are still targeting people dressed anachronistically.
Inside the Sixteenth Doctorâs TARDIS, Sally and Pete sit around looking bored. They reminisce about their time together and talk about how different the Doctor now is. After a moment of silence, Sally admits to Pete that she knows theyâre going to die⊠again. Pete solemnly says the same and that heâs fairly sure the Doctor is going to have to reverse everything, and thatâll mean the both of them being dead, before they both hug.
The Sixteenth Doctor runs down a street at night, and then we cut to the Eleventh and Fourteenth Doctors doing the same on other streets, before they all intersect at a crossroads and run past each other. They all then slowly move backward toward the crossroad looking at each other shocked. They eventually culminate in a circle as the Sixteenth Doctor says âWell, I guess we should all help each other out, thenâ. The Eleventh Doctor, rudely, says that was what the mental barrage was for, so yes, they should. The Fourteenth Doctor explains that sheâs here with Lou Madison and that âthe restoredâ are all in incredible danger. The Eleventh Doctor tells the other two that the Cybermen are taking advantage of everything and theyâve got Sandra Armstrong. The Sixteenth Doctor says that they need to act fast to reverse all of this or unimaginable suffering will continue.
Inside the Sixteenth Doctorâs TARDIS, Sally and Pete are startled when the doors open to reveal the Sixteenth, Fourteenth and Eleventh Doctors, entering the console room. Pete lights up when he sees the Fourteenth Doctor and runs straight over to her and hugs her. She smiles deeply as Pete tells her how much heâs missed her. The Fourteenth Doctor tells Pete that sadly, theyâre going now to face the Cybermen once again but that she wants him and Sally to go and look after Lou, and the other restored peoples on Earth, as theyâre all in danger. Pete and Sally agree and leave the TARDIS. The Sixteenth Doctor then asks the Fourteenth if she did that because she was protecting them and the Fourteenth nods saying that sheâs sure Pete would do something âincredibly stupidâ, likely out of revenge, if he saw the Cybermen again.
Sandra continues to run through the Cybership, as a group of Cybermen chase after her. The TARDIS materialises in space, looking over at the ship, as the Sixteenth Doctor says that theyâre unable to land on it, and that some sort of anti-materialisation defence has been initiated. Inside the Cybership, Sandra comes to a large control panel, which shows the TARDIS hovering outside. Sheâs visibly angry that the Doctorâs back. She then punches some buttons on the control panel and the Cybership enters the Time Vortex. The Doctors look on through the TARDIS scanner, shocked at what just happened. They canât understand why the Cybership has left Bellons. The Eleventh Doctor tells the Sixteenth to follow it and he says that heâs trying, as the TARDIS also enters the time vortex, chasing after the Cybership.
On Earth, Sally and Pete arrived at the abandoned house. They soon meet Lou and explain who they are. They then explain to her that theyâre fairly confident the Doctor plans to reverse the Restoration and if they want to stop that⊠then they need to make a compelling case.
The TARDIS chases after the Cybership in the Vortex, as the Fourteenth Doctor says thereâs only one way to get into that ship⊠and thatâs to do it manually. The others look confused but the Fourteenth Doctor smiles and pulls the door open and jumps out. The Eleventh Doctor grabs her hand, just in time, and asks whatâs gotten into her. The Fourteenth Doctor grabs onto the edge of the TARDIS exterior and then tries to explain that theyâve got to jump onto the hull of the ship and find an airlock, so they can enter the ship. The Eleventh Doctor tells her that they have to get a lot closer for that to actually look. The Sixteenth Doctor pilots the TARDIS further toward the Cybership, as the Fourteenth swings about, hanging on the ledge, laughing and yelling âIf only Erin could see me nowâŠâ. The Eleventh Doctor coldly rolls his eyes in embarrassment and says that he must be going through a midlife crisis. Finally, the TARDIS gets close enough and the Fourteenth Doctor jumps. The Sixteenth says that heâs extended the oxygen bubble, but it wonât hold for long, so she needs to get onboard. He asks the Eleventh to go down with her, to keep an eye on her, and heâs a little resistant but agrees⊠jumping off onto the ship too. The Fourteenth jokes that heâs now going through a midlife crisis but Eleven has no patience for the banter. They soon find an airlock and board the ship, meanwhile the Sixteenth Doctor closes the doors and keeps the TARDIS flying close to the Cybership.
On the Cybership, the Eleventh and Fourteenth Doctors look around. Meanwhile, Sandra continues to fiddle with the main control panel. She has eyes on the entire ship and can see where all the Cybermen are. She then sees the Doctors arriving and angrily diverts a group of Cybermen to intercept them. The two Doctors see the Cybermen approaching and quickly run away, but as they enter another corridor, they are cornered by the Cybermen and captured.
The Sixteenth Doctor notices a faint transmission in the TARDIS. He inquisitively raises an eyebrow as he investigates.
The Eleventh and Fourteenth Doctors are brought to the Cyberleader. The Fourteenth Doctor asks where Sandra Armstrong is and the Cyberleader says that he was about to ask her the same question. The Eleventh Doctor then points to a large machine behind them and says that it looks very interesting and asks what it is. The Cyberleader refuses to answer to which the Eleventh Doctor says that makes him all the more curious. He goes onto say that it looks like a mutli-dimensional exotronic displacement engine to him and asks the Fourteenth Doctor if she agrees. She takes a look, completely ignoring the army of Cybermen surrounding them, and says that she believes it has the ability to entirely isolate a group of individuals and relocate them. The Eleventh Doctor looks toward the Cyberleader, smiling warmly, working it out and laughs, clapping his hands and saying that this machine is going to transport all of the restored directly into the Cyber Factories. The Cyberleader shouts out telling the others to grab him, to which the Doctor continues dancing around the machine saying that heâs absolutely right. The Fourteenth Doctor then leans on the machine and says that this machine could hold the key to reversing all the damage. The Cyberleader grabs hold of the Fourteenth, attempting to crush her, and says that the Restoration will last forever and everyone shall become like them.
Meanwhile, Sandra watches on in the control room. She mutters that the Doctor is planning to kill her again and bemoans that he even attempted to apologise.
The Sixteenth Doctor materialises the TARDIS inside the Eleventh Doctorâs TARDIS. He takes out a device and follows a faint signal, which gets stronger, as he walks deeper into the TARDIS. Eventually, he comes to a cupboard, where he finds the Eleventh Doctor inside, tied up with rope. He unties him and the Eleventh Doctor mutters out that the Intendant is impersonating him.
The Intendant, posing as the Eleventh Doctor, continues to confront the Cybermen with the Fourteenth Doctor. He manages to grab hold of the mutli-dimensional exotronic displacement engine, while the Fourteenth Doctor distracts them, and he uses it to remove all Cybermen from the ship and move them into the vacuum of space. The Fourteenth Doctor mentions that such action was a bit harsh but Eleven tells her that sheâs gone soft, before he says they need to find Sandra. However, at that moment, Sandra appears, of her own accord, and she says that sheâs disgusted with the Doctor for wanting to kill all the restored. The Eleventh Doctor asks Sandra what she actually wants⊠Why is she still here? What does she want to achieve? Sandra just says that she wants a chance to live. Just a chance. The Eleventh Doctor says that she doesnât deserve a chance. Both Fourteen and Sandra look at him confused⊠Sandra raises an eyebrow, backs away, and then tells the Doctor that she knew he was harsh, but not heartless. Fourteen also comments that this isnât the Doctor. The Eleventh Doctor chuckles and says âgot meâ before morphing into the Intendant.
Sally turns on a projector, in the abandoned house, as it projects a Powerpoint onto the wall. She then presents a presentation to the others about why they should be allowed to remain alive and possible solutions to the issue. Lou looks entirely confused before Pete mouths âsheâs a school teacherâ before Lou looks at him, nods, and says that she understands. After Sally finishes, Lou politely claps and says that those are all good points but wonders whether this is the best way to get the Doctor to hear them.
The Sixteenth Doctor dematerialises his TARDIS out of the Eleventh Doctorâs, as the Eleventh Doctor takes control of his own TARDIS. They communicate via a video link on their scanners, as they discuss what to do. They decide, very quickly, to go and rescue the Fourteenth Doctor and Sandra from the Intendant.
The two TARDISes arrive on the Cybership, in front of the Fourteenth Doctor, Sandra and the Intendant. The two Doctors step out and are initially shocked by the lack of Cybermen before focusing their attention on the Intendant. The Sixteenth Doctor is furious with him, telling him that he thought he learnt his lesson and this matter was solved, but the Intendant spits in his face and says that was before the Doctor went and caused it! The Doctor says that according to him the Restoration was always inevitable. The Intendant points to the mutli-dimensional exotronic displacement engine and just says they need to use it to get rid of the restored⊠and itâs the thing heâs been searching eternity for to nullify the Restorationâs effects. However, before he even finishes his sentence, he vanishes. Sandra then says âoopsâ as she takes her hand of the machine and smiles. The Eleventh Doctor tells her that was very naughty but heâs glad she did it. He then turns to the others and asks if they can please work something out⊠maybe a compromise. He says that surely they canât just go with the Intendantâs plan of committing mass genocide. The Sixteenth Doctor is pretty adamant that there isnât any other way and the Fourteenth says that she agrees with Elevenâs perspective but that they donât have any other choice. Sandra speaks up telling the two of them that theyâve lost sight of who they are⊠They are the Doctor. They save people. She pleads âSave meâ.
The Doctors say âContactâ and they appear together in a vision. They appear in the Panopticon, with all three dressed in Time Lord robes. They enter to see it full of Time Lords, conducting the business of government. The Eleventh Doctor begins to ask the other two if they can justify killing every single one of them. The Sixteenth Doctor tells him of his experiences with the Intendant and how he saw the Restoration as a fate worse than death, and tried to destroy the entire universe to prevent it, but the Eleventh Doctor says that the Restoration is âlifeâ. He says that, yes it has its problems, and yes itâs unnatural, and should never have happened, but in the here and now itâs life and that there are practicalities that need to be fundamentally sorted, but surely the lives of trillions outweighs mere practicalities. The Sixteenth and Fourteenth Doctors look around, at every single Time Lord, living and breathing. The Eleventh Doctor says, âItâs not merely a Restoration but a second chance for allâŠâ A flash of Katarina dying appears, before similar shots of Adric, Katie, Henrick, Bernice, Lizzie, Chris, Gemma and Zenla dying appear, as the three Doctors cry⊠The Sixteenth Doctor then pauses before replying âOkay. Letâs do this your wayâŠâ
On Gallifrey, on top of a mountain, the Intendant crawls, hurt and weak. He sees the Citadel in the distance but doesnât have the energy to make it. The shouts out âThe Restorationâ over and over again in pain.
The three Doctorsâ TARDISes arrive on Earth, in the abandoned house. They all step out and meet with Sally, Pete and Lou. Sally tells the Doctors that she has a presentation to show them but Pete interjects to say that it can wait. The Sixteenth Doctor introduces Sandra to the others and Sandra is overjoyed to meet Lou, telling her that she met the Doctor, just after she died, so the Doctor spoke about her a lot. They both laugh at the absurdity of the sentence before the Fourteenth says that theyâve got business to attend to. The Sixteenth says that heâs taken the mutli-dimensional exotronic displacement engine on board his TARDIS but itâs only to be used in case of no alternative. The Eleventh Doctor reiterates that itâs not to be used under any circumstance. Sixteen says it has to be a last resort. Eleven shouts back questioning why Sixteen asked for his help, to which Fourteen buts in saying âour helpâ, before Eleven says that itâs the same thing. Sixteen tries to calm them down and says that theyâve got some of the brightest minds in the universe in this room and a woman (pointing to Sally) who knows her way around a good mind map, so heâs sure they can come up with something.
In a montage, the group come up with a bunch of different ideas, and Sally arranges them into a colourful mind map. Sally then talks the group through the ideas. She explains that they have the option to leave things as they are and let overpopulation, prejudice and disease run rampant⊠or they have the option to use the combined force of all 9 restored Doctors to relocate those affected most by the effects of the Restoration, whether original or restored, to entirely unoccupied planets⊠They all agree this is the best solution but they also say that itâs not perfect as many might not want to relocate⊠and they canât force them to. Sandra agrees saying they canât do anything by force. The Sixteenth Doctor almost shouts saying that they have no other choice. The Fourteenth Doctor rips up the mind map, to Sallyâs horror, and says that yes they do. The others look confused. She begins by saying âthe mutli-dimensional exotronic displacement engineâ to which Eleven quickly snaps âNoâ, but she asks him to hear her out. She says that itâs not the best option but what they can do with the engine is relocate every single restored individual to another realm, a parallel universe, or even multiple parallel universes where they can live in peace⊠almost like⊠heaven. Sandra says that this is still involuntary and there is no opt out. Fourteen says that itâs a quick solution and itâll be far more effective than the other option. The Eleventh Doctor looks at Sandra and says that he canât lose her to a parallel universe, but Fourteen reminds him that both of them are restored to, so theyâd be together. Sixteen says that the engine isnât capable of creating dimensional planes, just moving matter to them. Fourteen nods and says that they need that technology from Gallifrey. Eleven shouts at Sixteen asking if heâs really considering this. Sixteen says itâs the only real practical option and no one will be harmed.
The three TARDISes land on a mountainside on Gallifrey as the Doctors step out and Sixteen explains that Andark wonât like the plan. Fourteen says that getting this technology out of the Vaults of Rassilon is a one-in-a-million shot, to which Eleven winks at her and asks if sheâd have it any other way. Sixteen smiles and says they better get a move on, as they head toward the Citadel.
The Intendant crawls into the Vaults of Rassilon, in extreme pain, to see Andark standing there at the door. Andark just laughs and says if the possible future of the Time Lord race has come to this, maybe itâs best that things went the way that they did. He then takes out a staser and stuns the Intendant. The Doctors then arrive at the Vault and moan as they see Andark. Andark asks the Sixteenth if heâs found a way to undo the Restoration and they tell him their plan. Andark says that he doesnât like it, at all, but that he serves, and always has served, at the will of the Lord President, as he stands aside and allows them to enter. The Eleventh Doctor quips âso much for one-in-a-million shot thenâ, before the other two chuckle.
They enter and walk past a bunch of old props before coming to what they need. The Fourteenth Doctor takes out her mobile phone and rings Pete. She asks him if theyâre ready. Pete, inside the Sixteenth Doctorâs TARDIS with the engine, says yes and then the Sixteenth Doctor activates the machine, and on the other end, Pete does the same and a huge sonic boom is heard. Slowly, people, all over the universe, begin to fade away. Beautifully and slowly. This includes the Eleventh and Fourteenth Doctors. Additionally, footage of the First, Third, Fourth, Seventh, Ninth, Tenth and Fifteenth Doctors fading away plays.
The Sixteenth Doctor stands alone. Just him alone. Alone in this universe. He walks out of the vault onto Gallifrey to see the whole planet empty.
In another universe, somewhere else, the Eleventh Doctor and Sandra fly out into the stars, together in the TARDIS, smiling and laughing together.
Sally and Pete sit alone on a park bench, smiling but sad. It soon becomes clear, why they're sad, as we see Annie, Sally's wife, alone in her kitchen, in the main universe, apart from her. A woman then arrives at the park bench to meet Sally and Pete, it's Val Fletcher - Pete's wife. Pete smiles and Sally brightens up seeing the two of them.
The Sixteenth Doctor sits in his TARDIS. Alone.
Cast
- The Doctor - Ace Bhatti
- The Doctor - Anthony Head
- The Doctor - Samantha Bond
- Andark - Bill Nighy
- Sally Brennen - Shelley King
- Pete Fletcher - Daniel Adegboyega
- Sandra Armstrong - Anna Hope
- Lou Madison - Gillian Kearney
- Annie Downes - Jane Wymark
- Val Fletcher - Jenna Russell
- The Intendant - Ronan Summers
- Jaime - Nicola Alexis
- Anthony - Jordan Scowen
- Bigoted Man - Raad Rawi
- Voice of the Cybermen - Nicholas Briggs
Archive Footage
- The Doctor - William Hartnell
- The Doctor - Jon Pertwee
- The Doctor - Tom Baker
- The Doctor - Sylvester McCoy
- The Doctor - Michael French
- The Doctor - Richard E. Grant
- The Doctor - Adjoa Andoh
- Katarina - Adrienne Hill
- Adric - Matthew Waterhouse
- Katie Tollinger - Julia Sawalha
- Henrick - John Banks
- Bernice Summerfield - Lisa Bowerman
- Lizzie Clarke - Sophie Okonedo
- Chris Parsons - Dougray Scott
- Gemma Legato - Emer Kenny
- Zenla - Honor Blackman
Crew
- Created by Sydney Newman, Donald Wilson and C.E. Webber
- Director of Photography - Stuart Biddlecombe
- Production Designer - Andy Harris
- Visual Effects - DNEG
- Make-Up - Wendy Kemp Forbes
- Casting Director - Andy Pryor
- Music - Ruth Barrett
- Costume Designer - Louise Allen
- Edited by - Will Oswald
- Cybermen created by Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis
- The Intendant created by Adrian Hodges
- Andark and Sally Brennen created by Ronald D. Moore
- Pete Fletcher created by Jacqueline Rayner
- Lou Madison created by Steven Moffat and David Renwick
- Sandra Armstrong created by David Renwick and Nicholas Meyer
Memorable Quotes
To be added.
Background Information
Production History
- To be added.
Development
- To be added.
Production
- To be added.
Post-Production
- To be added.
Release
- To be added.
Reaction
- To be added.
Story Notes
- To be added.
Continuity
- To be added.
Home Video Releases
To be added.