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

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< Doctor Who‎ | Recap‎ | S16


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