Doctor Who/Recap/S16/E04 The Androids of Tara

"Would you mind not standing on my chest? My hat's on fire."

- The Doctor

The search for the Key to Time takes the Doctor and Romana to the planet Tara, where feudalism and chivalry have endured. They split up to search, and Romana finds the fourth segment fairly quickly - it's part of a statue - but is promptly captured by the villainous Count Grendel of Gracht, who thinks she's an android double he's created of Prince Reynart's betrothed, Strella. He's trying to usurp the throne, and will succeed if Reynart doesn't show up for his coronation.

The Doctor, meanwhile, also gets captured, by Prince Reynart's men. He's taken off to the Prince's hunting lodge and made to repair the Prince's android double, used as a decoy. Grendel's men kidnap the Prince, but the Doctor is able to modify the decoy android so it can attend the coronation in his place.

Grendel, a little annoyed at this, commissions a Romana android to kill the Doctor, but K-9 sees her for what she is and saves the day, while Romana herself escapes. Finally, the Doctor rows across the moat to Grendel's castle and swipes the Key segment just before the Prince's men attack the castle, leading to the Doctor and Grendel having a swordfight, ended by the latter diving into the moat and escaping.

Tropes

 * Accidental Murder: Madame Lamia is shot down by crossbow fire. She's the only one to die in the serial.
 * Acting for Two: Mary Tamm as both Romana and Strella, not to mention all the androids.
 * Affably Evil: Count Grendel
 * Come Alone
 * Costume Porn: Romana's purple and green hat-coat-trouser ensemble, which is apparently fashionable on Tara. In reality, Mary Tamm herself actually designed this costume.
 * Everything's Better With Princesses
 * Feudal Future
 * Frickin' Laser Beams: Taran swords and crossbows shoot them.
 * The Guards Must Be Crazy: Sick Prisoner version.
 * Heroes Gone Fishing: The Doctor resolves to spend this episode fishing, leaving the leg work to Romana.
 * Hopeless Suitor: Madame Lamia to Count Grendel, and he takes advantage of it to further his ambitions.
 * Identical Stranger: Romana and Strella
 * Magnificent Bastard: Count Grendel. It's even mentioned in-universe by another character.
 * Medieval Stasis: An odd example. The more advanced technology is used by peasants while the nobles live mostly without it.
 * Nice Hat: But top honors for hats must go to the Archimandrite's headpiece, which is very colorful.
 * Prisoner of Zenda Exit: Count Grendel
 * Recycled in Space: Based on The Prisoner of Zenda
 * Ridiculously Human Robots
 * Scenery Porn: The very beautiful forests, that's not to forget the location work at Leeds Castle.
 * Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace: The Doctor gets there a little too early, and has to ask if they've gotten to that part of the wedding yet.
 * Stellar Name: Princess Strella
 * Succession Crisis
 * Sword Fight: The Doctor vs. Count Grendel
 * Throwing the Distraction
 * Trap Is the Only Option: Lampshaded
 * Villain Exit Stage Left
 * Whole-Plot Reference: The Prisoner of Zenda
 * The X of Y
 * You Look Familiar: The Archimandrite is Professor Clegg, the ill-fated psychic from the beginning of Planet of the Spiders.