Originally broadcast
16 June 2007
The TARDIS lands in Cardiff to refuel from the Rift. The Doctor states that this will only take twenty seconds (in contrast to his previous visit), noting that the Rift has been active recently. Captain Jack Harkness races towards the TARDIS, grabbing onto it as it dematerialises, causing it to hurtle out of control to the end of the Universe.
After landing in the year 100 trillion on the planet Malcassairo, the Doctor and Martha find Jack, apparently dead from travelling through the vortex. Moments later he revives. After confronting the Doctor about abandoning him on Satellite 5, Jack asks about Rose Tyler, and is told she is living with her family on a parallel world. Jack reveals that he returned to Earth using a vortex manipulator, but was stranded in the 19th century. Exploring, they find a dead city and encounter the Futurekind, cannibalistic humanoids who are hunting a human. The human is attempting to reach a transport to "Utopia", the last hope of the human race.
At the transport site, the TARDIS crew meet the elderly Professor Yana and his insectoid assistant Chantho, who are desperate for help. The spacecraft to Utopia is unable to take off due to problems with its experimental drive system, and Yana's research has been stalled for some time. These problems are worsened by a Futurekind infiltrator who vandalises the power systems. Despite the unfamiliar technology, the Doctor solves the scientific problems, and Jack makes final preparations in a heavily irradiated room. As Jack does this, he and the Doctor discuss Jack's inability to die, and why the Doctor abandoned him on Satellite 5. The rocket finally takes off for Utopia, leaving the Doctor, Yana, Chantho, Martha, and Jack behind.
A separate plot shows that Yana has been hearing a constant drumbeat inside his head — a condition he reports having had all his life, with the drums getting louder of late. Words such as "regeneration" and "TARDIS" — elements of Time Lord lore — exacerbate the problem, confusing and distracting him. When Martha expresses concern over the Professor's uneasiness, he reveals a long-standing concern with time, and shows Martha what appears to be a broken fob watch he has had since he was found as an orphaned child. The watch is identical in design to John Smith's watch in "Human Nature" and "The Family of Blood". Concerned about the implications, Martha rushes to inform the Doctor, leaving Yana alone with Chantho, contemplating the watch.
When the Doctor hears about Yana's timepiece, a flashback sequence inter-cut with the letters of the Professor's name makes clear that "Yana" is an acronym of "You are not alone", the Face of Boe's last words to the Doctor. At the same time, Yana opens the watch, releasing his Time Lord essence. Frantic and horrified, the Doctor races towards Yana's laboratory but is hindered as the Professor closes the doors and allows the Futurekind to enter the base. Yana reveals his true identity to Chantho: he is the Master. He electrocutes her, but Chantho manages to shoot him before dying.
The Doctor arrives in Yana's laboratory just as the Master enters the Doctor's TARDIS, taking the severed hand (which Jack recovered after the events of "The Christmas Invasion" and had carried ever since) with him. He then deadlock seals the TARDIS doors, preventing the Doctor from opening it. Dying from Chantho's shot, the Master regenerates into a younger body, whose voice Martha recognises. After taunting the Doctor, he leaves in the TARDIS, stranding the three time travellers in the distant future, with the Futurekind about to break through the door.
Cast
The Doctor — David Tennant
Martha Jones — Freema Agyeman
Captain Jack Harkness — John Barrowman
Professor Yana — Derek Jacobi
Chantho — Chipo Chung
Padra — René Zagger
Lieutenant Atillo — Neil Reidman
Chieftain — Paul Marc Davies
Guard — Robert Forknall
Creet — John Bell
Kistane — Deborah Maclaren
Wiry Woman — Abigail Canton
The Master — John Simm
Cast notes
This is Derek Jacobi's third involvement in Doctor Who. The first was in the September 2003 audio drama Deadline, where he played a screenwriter who believes himself to be the Doctor. The second was several months later, in the webcast Scream of the Shalka, where he played an android version of the Master.
John Bell is a nine-year-old who won a Blue Peter competition to appear in this episode.
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