< Doctor Who < Recap < S20

Doctor Who/Recap/S20/E04 Terminus


Aren't you glad that Nyssa is safe? She looks healthy again!
You represent a poor investment of my time and energy.
—The Black Guardian begins to have doubts about Turlough's skills as an assassin.


The Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa, and Turlough visit the exact center of the universe,[1] and find Terminus, a derelict old spaceship that's being used as a colony for the victims of the fatal Lazar's Disease. Which Nyssa has just been infected with. D'oh. She takes off her skirt[2] and proceeds to be taken into the custody of Terminus' employees, the Vanir. They leave her with the other Lazars until it's her turn to be treated by the Garm, a monster that looks like some sort of bulky wolfman.

There's a couple of Space Pirates aboard, too, so that ought to be good for a laugh. Especially since one of them has gigantic Eighties Hair that nearly completely fills her standard-issue bubble-shaped space helmet. They're just there to give the Doctor someone to talk to, because Tegan and Turlough are stuck crawling through ventilation shafts and avoiding the ship's sterilization procedures.

Oh, and the old space hulk was responsible for creating the universe (one of its fuel pods fell back in time and kicked off the Big Bang), and it's now in danger of destroying it. Only by pulling a really heavy switch can the process be stopped. Nobody tell the Master about this thing, OK?

For those keeping track, this is where Nyssa leaves. The good news is she survives the Decontamination Chamber's radiation treatment and is cured of Lazar's disease, but since the treatment procedure is a hit-or-miss, she nobly elects to stay behind on Terminus so she might help it become a proper hospital. She tearfully bids farewell to her friends, with a kiss on the cheek for the Doctor and a hug for Tegan.

And Turlough is still suspicious.

Tropes

Turlough: If ever you had to kill someone, could you do it?
Tegan: No. Don't know. If it was important. Save a friend, defend my life.
Turlough: But cold-bloodedly?
Tegan: You're weird, Turlough.

  1. ↑ How they measured this is anyone's guess, as it's like trying to find the center of a sphere's surface area; presumably Time Lords can see into one or more dimensions that make it possible
  2. ↑ The script half-heartedly justifies it as "Nyssa feeling feverish", but even actor Sarah Sutton had it pegged as Fan Service
This article is issued from Allthetropes. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.