Another tale told of how and why the Doctor and Susan left Gallifrey. It might not agree with some other stories, but with the Doctor, who knows? It can be true enough for now.
Part one of the Quadrigger Stoyn arc. Notable for starring original cast member Carole Ann Ford and Terry "Davros" Molloy as Stoyn, and for adding a direct tie-in to the TV series for the first time. Written by Marc Platt and directed by Lisa Bowerman.
Tropes:
- Blob Monster: The Archaeons, who are glassy, mirrored blobs.
- Blue-and-Orange Morality: The Archaeons aren't malevolent. They just think that (thanks to the Doctor and Stoyn's interference) the new, "wild" life on Earth is a mistake and needs to be wiped clean so they can start turning it into a garden again.
- Foil: Quadrigger Stoyn, who wants to very much to return to Gallifrey, is this to the Doctor, who wants very much not to go there.
- Origins Episode: For the TARDIS. The TARDIS isn't just unreliable because she's old - she was actively being decommissioned and taken apart when the Doctor and Susan stole her (which suddenly makes her desire to run away in "The Doctor's Wife" even more understandable).
- Prequel: To the televised series. This is, chronologically, the very first Doctor Who story.
- Retcon: Par for the course in Doctor Who. The Archaeons on the Moon are seeding the planetary body above them with lightning, which the Doctor determined they were using to nurture life in a controlled environment. This A) disagrees with the idea that Moon appeared when Silurian civilization was at its height (Though that was always nonsense.) and B) contradicts the origin of life on Earth as seen in "City Of Death".
- Shapeshifter Mode Lock: One of the few times it's averted. The TARDIS is still in its original cylindrical shape, and spends most of the episode disguised as a rock because the chameleon circuit still works.
- Writing Around Trademarks: Susan never names who was the person who convinced the Doctor to switch TARDISes when escaping Gallifrey, partially because Big Finish didn't have the rights to use revival-era characters at the time this story was produced. However, The BBC (the trademark holders) asked for this to be added to the script to provide continuity with the 11th Doctor story and still keep their respective trademark statuses as they were.
