Dr. Who (The Early Years) - Part 22 "The War Games"

Shall We Play A Game?
The Tardis crew has landed on Earth again, or so it would seem. They are shocked to discover they have landed in what looks like World War 1, in the year 1917. They befriend Jennifer Buckingham but are captured by Germans, then quickly released from a surprise Briton squad. The Tardis crew are taken into custody to determine who they are and what they are doing.

As much as it looks like Earth during World War 1, something far more sinister going on. The first evidence of this happens when General Smythe holds a court marshal for the Doctor and crew. Smythe used hypnosis to convince the rest of the tribunal they are guilty. The Doctor is sentenced to be shot, while Jamie is held with another prisoner who claims to be from 1745.

The War Games is the longest Doctor Who story with 10 parts. But there is a lot to cover as there are various wars going on from different parts of Earth's history. One of the persons responsible is known as the War Chief. He identifies himself as a Time Lord and the Doctor confirms this, while confirming he is also a Time Lord from the same planet. This is the first time we learn something about where the Doctor comes from.

The War Chief is a renegade from the same planet as the Doctor and has been helping the War Lords, constructing limited life-span Sidrat time machines (That's Tardis spelled backwards). The goal is to create an army from the survivors of these wars to conquer the galaxy. A task too daunting to deal with by himself, the Doctor is forced to contact those he ran away from - his own people, the Time Lords. He explains to Jamie and Zoe the Time Lords have a strict rule of not getting involved and for doing so he will be punished.

The leader of the War Lords find out the War Chief is double crossing them and has him executed. But because the Doctor called the Time-Lords, they are all captured. For his crimes, the War Lord is erased from history. Jamie and Zoe are sent back to their own people, and the Doctor is to be exiled on Earth, with a forced regeneration and all knowledge of the Tardis taken from him.

WHO: The Doctor (Patrick Troughton)


DEPARTURE LOCATION: Gallifrey (Though still unnamed in the series).

REASON FOR DEPARTURE: For breaking the rule of non-intervention, he is forced to regenerate.



WHO: Jamie

DEPARTURE LOCATION: Gallifrey, but returned Earth, 1746

REASON FOR DEPARTURE: Unwillingly forced to return to his own time by the Time Lords.




WHO: Zoë

DEPARTURE LOCATION: Gallifrey, but returned to the Wheel in Space in the 21st Century.

REASON FOR DEPARTURE: Unwillingly forced to return to her own time by the Time Lords.




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