Narrative Connection
How these two moments in the story relate
Why These Connect
The narrative assertion
"Adric's role in synthesizing the alien plague cure (Ep 12) directly enables the Doctor's farewell to K9 and his subsequent departure, as the crisis in the Starliner is resolved just in time for the TARDIS to escape."
inferred by llm_cross_episode_character
Why This Matters Across Episodes
The longer arc this connection carries
The successful synthesis of the serum (which saves the Starliner crew) concludes the immediate conflict in Ep 12, creating the necessary conditions for the Doctor to prepare their departure. This sets up Adric's stowaway attempt in Ep 13.
About Causal Connections
A directly causes B. The first event sets forces in motion that produce the second. These are the load-bearing connections of plot--remove one and the story structure collapses.