STORYLINE
A Bit annoyed with Ian and Barbara, the Doctor believes he has delivered them back home. Ian is a bit suspicious of the Doctor's certainty they are in the correct time and place, so he convinces the Doctor to explore a little to make sure.
Finding an abandoned farm house, they quickly realize from documents and clothing left at the house, that they have arrived in France sometime during the French Revolution.
While the Doctor goes exploring upstairs, the others are soon confronted by a pair of french men trying to escape the horror occurring in nearby Paris. Seems the pair are being hunted by soldiers of the revolutionary army. One of them admits that he has already come across the Doctor and left him unconscious upstairs.
Before the situation can be settled, the French soldiers do indeed show up and surround the house. In a panic, one of the French men runs out in a panic. In an attempt to save his compatriot, the remaining French man also confronts the soldiers. The pair are quickly slaughtered by the bloodthirsty soldiers.
Ian, Barbara, and Susan are also unable to avoid capture, but instead of killing them on the spot, they decide to return them to Paris where they can be put to the Guillotine. Before they leave, the soldiers decide to torch the farmhouse. Unfortunately, the Doctor is still locked in one of the rooms upstairs as the flames engulf the home.
Once in Paris, Ian, Barbara and Susan are unceremoniously found guilty and sentenced to be executed by guillotine as soon as possible. Until then, they are all put into dank prison cells.
Meanwhile, the Doctor is rescued from the fire by a young peasant boy. Learning of the fate of his companions, is determined to follow them to Paris to rescue them. Unfortunately, along the way he is briefly waylaid and forced to work in a slave gang breaking rocks. The Doctor is not held for long before he outwits his captor and continues on his way
While waiting in his cell, Ian's dying cellmate makes Ian promise to give an Englishman in Paris named James Stirling a message. Stirling should be warned to leave for England immediately and inform his country of the revolution possibly spreading to their shores. The prison warden allows Ian to escape for some mysterious reason. Seems Ian has become involved in some sort of spy scheme.
On their way to the Guillotine, Barbara and Susan are rescued by a pair of men who seem to be part of an underground resistance movement. Unfortunately, since being in prison, Susan has come down with some sort of illness and is quite weak.
Meanwhile, the Doctor has made his way to Paris and has decided to adopt a more advantageous identity, one of a regional supervisor. Using his fake credentials he manages to make his way into the prison only to find out that Ian has escaped and Barbara and Susan were rescued. Before he can make a quick exit from the prison, however, he is stopped by the Warden and forced to accompany him to see Robespierre.
From all appearances, Robespierre is quite mad. The Doctor tries to influence the madman to stop his terrible reign of terror, but his logic falls on deaf ears. When the Doctor tries to slip away, once again he is detained by the Warden and politely told he must stay. Unknown to the Doctor, his identity has been betrayed by the tailor who gave him his new clothes.
Meanwhile, Ian has been asking around town about James Stirling, enough so that he gains the attention of the group who has rescued Barbara and Susan. The group knocks Ian unconscious and brings him back to their hideout. Barbara is pleasantly surprised to find herself once again reunited with Ian.
The reunion doesn't last for long, as Susan has continued to get worse. So much so that she and Barbara attempt to see a physician. In retrospect, not a wise choice, as the physician betrays them, and they are both recaptured by soldiers and returned to prison. The good news is that Barbara is now reunited with the Doctor. However, their reunion is all observed by the crafty Warden.
Ian is likewise betrayed while attempting to find the mysterious James Stirling. There is a traitor in the midst of the resistance, and he has just revealed himself to Ian in order to get him to give up James Stirling. The problem is, Ian knows little himself about the mystery man. Just before the traitor is about to have Ian shot, the resistance members burst in and save him, killing the traitor and his men.
Back at the prison, still believing his cover hasn't been blown, the Doctor tricks the jailor into letting Barbara out of prison in the hopes of following her to her friends. The only problem is that no one bothers to follow her and she returns once again to the resistance and reunites with Ian.
The Doctor's attempts to free Susan don't go so well. As he attempts to make break out with her, the Warden springs his trap and grabs them both. However, the wiley Warden has seen an opportunity to make a political bargain. He believes the Doctor must be an agent of Robespierre's rivals, and he believes he can make an arrangement that would be favorable for himself in case Robespierre falls. He convinces the Doctor to lead him to the resistance leaders.
Surprised to see the Doctor, Ian and Barbara are even more surprised when the Warden who accompanies him reveals himself to be the mysterious James Stirling everyone is looking for. Ian at last is able to relay his message. The message, however, only leads to more intrigue. Seems there is a plot brewing against Robespierre, and the message leads Ian and Barbara to spy on a secret meeting at an inn. One of Robespierre's subordinates is conspiring with Napolean Bonaparte to overthrow Robespierre and put Napolean in his place as ruler.
Things happen quickly as Robespierre's own mob turns on him. In the following confusion, the Doctor is able to slip back into the prison to get Susan out. The four are now able to get out of Paris and return to the TARDIS secure in the knowledge that history has played out exactly as it was meant to.