The Doctor battles killer rocks, druid cultists, and alien law clerks — proving once again that “gothic horror” and “bureaucracy” make surprisingly good bedfellows.
Short Synopsis
The Doctor, Romana, and K-9 arrive in the English countryside in search of the third segment of the Key to Time. Instead, they find a group of druids worshipping a stone circle, blood sacrifices, and standing stones that occasionally get up and stroll about looking for snacks. It’s all connected to the alien Cailleach (disguised as local eccentric Vivian Fay), who has been hiding out on Earth for centuries. Things spiral further when the Doctor winds up on trial in hyperspace, defended by a computer with the personality of an irritable fax machine.
Extended Storyline
Landing in Cornwall, the Doctor and Romana encounter a stone circle called the Nine Travellers, which is about as foreboding as it sounds. Local folklore ties the stones to blood sacrifices, but the duo quickly discover a more pressing problem: the stones aren’t exactly stationary. In fact, they’ve been moving, feeding, and doing everything but asking politely to borrow a cup of sugar.
Enter the modern-day druids, who are convinced that sacrificing humans will keep their goddess, the Cailleach, happy. The Doctor, naturally, is unimpressed by their cosplay death cult routine and even less thrilled when Romana is kidnapped as their next offering. Fortunately, K-9’s laser makes short work of ceremonial robes.
The true mastermind is Vivian Fay, a seemingly harmless local woman who is in fact the immortal criminal behind the whole mess. Turns out she’s been masquerading as everything from a goddess to a landowner while secretly controlling the Ogri — the carnivorous stone creatures who treat human hemoglobin like fine wine.
Things go fully bonkers when the Doctor pursues Vivian into hyperspace and winds up in a courtroom drama with the Megara, a pair of glowing justice machines with the collective charm of a parking ticket. They promptly put him on trial for trespassing, contempt of court, and generally existing in their vicinity. The Doctor defends himself with all the grace of a barrister juggling jelly babies, while Romana frantically tries to expose Vivian as the real criminal.
Eventually, the Doctor uses the Megara’s own rules against them, forcing them to scan Vivian and reveal her centuries-old criminal record. Vivian is carted off by her glowing legal overlords, the Ogri are deactivated, and the third segment of the Key to Time is safely recovered. The druids presumably go off to find a less murderous hobby, like Morris dancing.