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Why can't we go somewhere pleasant? Where there's no fighting, just peace and happiness?
—Victoria never did get it
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The TARDIS lands on the surface of the sea and the travellers use a rubber dinghy to get ashore, where they are promptly shot by tranquiliser darts and taken prisoner.
They have arrived in a restricted area, a natural gas refinery, and there have been a series of problems in the pipes. One of the engineers insists that a rhythmic beating sound heard in the pipes must be a living creature.
It turns out that a creature of living weed has made its way into the pipes and can secrete either a gas or a foam that enables it to control the minds of anyone who comes into contact with it. It seems intent on establishing a colony based on the refinery.
The Doctor discovers that the weed is repelled by high-pitched noises when Victoria's screaming drives it away and he uses a recording of the screaming to defeat the weed creature.
Victoria, having had enough of the dangers of travelling with the Doctor, decides to stay with the family of one of the workers, Harris. Jamie is sad to see her go, but the Doctor understands.
This story also sees the debut of the Sonic Screwdriver, the Doctor's signature gadget, which is used as a one-shot item to undo a release valve. It is also the only Second Doctor serial to not begin with "The".
Tropes[]
- Brown Note: Victoria's screaming defeats the weed creature.
- Everybody Lives
- Freak-Out: Robson
- Hairpin Lockpick: Used successfully by Victoria.
- It's a Small World After All: Lampshaded by Jamie.
- Not Himself: More and more people in the complex.
- Missing Episode: Its the last Doctor Who serial from which all episodes are lost. Every story following has at least an episode to represent it, even if the story is incomplete.
- Plant Aliens
- Puppeteer Parasite
- Screaming Woman: The story puts this trope to constructive use.