Narrative Connection
How these two moments in the story relate
Why These Connect
The narrative assertion
"The Marshal's K Block lockdown (implied by the Marshal's growing fear of exposure in Episode 21) directly causes the fragmented, desperate search for Astra in Episode 22, where Merak's grief and devotion lead him to stumble upon the Doctor and Romana."
inferred by llm_cross_episode_arc
Why This Matters Across Episodes
The longer arc this connection carries
The Marshal's paranoia in Episode 21 (scared of exposure even in reflection) drives his immediate lockdown of K Block, which isolates Astra and traps her. This isolation forces Merak to frantically search for her in Episode 22, creating the scenario where the Doctor exploits Merak's desperation to manipulate truths about the Marshal’s motives.
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.