The world is at war, and Harry Houdini wants to fight for his adoptive country. He might get the chance, when an old friend crashes his New York show.
The Doctor is on the trail of a Central Powers spy ring, which has somehow acquired unearthly technology. But he is also keeping a dangerous secret…
Finding himself on the run behind enemy lines, the world’s greatest escape artist has to work out who he can trust – and fast.
Tropes
- A Form You Are Comfortable With: After the Doctor crashes into the Estrati ship in the time vortex, the telepathic pilot takes the form of Peri.
- Call-Forward: The Doctor tries to dismiss his two hearts in an X-Ray done by Professor Winter as "double exposure".
- Category Traitor: Both Houdini and Helga Schmidt consider each other this. Houdini also feels this way about The Doctor when it seems like he's siding with the Germans (in reality the Doctor is just trying to get the gateway technology out of human hands, and affirms he would be doing this whoever got access to the equipment).
- Doomsday Device: The Doctor fears the portals could be used as this, them being able to make an entire city vanish.
- Do Not Call Me "Paul": Schmidt rejects her Americanized name of Helen Smith in end.
- Energy Beings: The Estrati are basically energy in their natural state, although one is able to convincingly duplicate Peri Brown to give others a face to interact with.
- Heel–Face Turn: Helga Schmidt after she sees the inside of the TARDIS and realizes how potentially dangerous the portals are.
- Inspector Javert: Oberst Brandt is a very petty version of this. Years ago, he helped Houdini with a trick involving some very hard to escape shackles. Houdini escaped from them, embarrassing Brandt. Brandt became obsessed with Houdini, convinced he must have some otherworldly powers. When he is placed in charge of the portal project, Brandt is convinced Houdini must have some of the technology as well and is hard pressed to capture him and learn the secret.
- Jumped at the Call: Houdini attempts this by joining the war but is rejected for being too old.
- Musical Spoiler: This story uses Dominic Glynn's 1986 version of the theme rather than Peter Howell's 1980-85 one, spoiling the twist that the Peri in this story isn't actually Peri and the story is set some time after she's left.
- Patriotic Fervor: Houdini and Schmidt show signs of this for America and Germany respectively.
- Then Let Me Be Evil: Helga Schmidt observes that she was treated with suspicion and mistrust for her German heritage for years, which prompted her decision to assist them during the war.
