Susan secretly defies the Doctor
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
The Doctor announces he will travel ahead to the city of Millenius to find the fourth key and locate the missing courier, Eprin. He instructs Susan to remain with Ian, Barbara, Altos and Sabetha, despite her desire to accompany him, stating it’s a more advantageous method.
The Doctor sets a rendezvous point in five days and departs, leaving Susan with the others, just as she secretly readjusts her dial to follow him, defying his wishes.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Frustrated by the Doctor’s dismissal but determined to assert her agency. Her silence masks a growing resolve to challenge his authority, even if it means acting in secret.
Susan listens to the Doctor’s instructions with feigned compliance, her fingers subtly adjusting her travel dial as the group disperses. She vanishes without a word, her departure unnoticed until Barbara points out her absence. Her action is a quiet but deliberate rejection of the Doctor’s authority, driven by a desire to assert her independence and stay close to him despite his dismissal.
- • Prove her capability and independence by following the Doctor despite his orders.
- • Avoid direct confrontation while still achieving her goal of staying with him.
- • The Doctor underestimates her ability to handle danger and make her own decisions.
- • Her presence could be valuable to him, even if he doesn’t realize it.
Confident in his leadership but emotionally detached from Susan’s unspoken resistance. His urgency to proceed overshadows any deeper concern for her feelings or autonomy.
The Doctor stands with his travel dial in hand, having just demonstrated its use to Altos. He delivers his plan to split the group with authoritative certainty, instructing Susan to remain with Ian and Barbara while he travels alone to Millenius. His tone is paternal but dismissive of Susan’s protest, emphasizing urgency and the 'well-ordered society' awaiting him. Unaware of Susan’s silent rebellion, he departs with a final admonition to Ian and Barbara to ensure her safety, his focus already shifting to the mission ahead.
- • Locate Eprin and the fourth Key in Millenius to advance the mission efficiently.
- • Protect Susan by ensuring she remains with the 'main party' under Ian and Barbara’s care.
- • Splitting the group is the most strategic and speediest approach to resolving the crisis.
- • Susan’s compliance is assured, and her safety is guaranteed by Ian and Barbara’s supervision.
Detached from the group’s personal tensions, his attention is on the practical steps needed to retrieve the Keys. He is ready to follow the Doctor’s lead but does not engage in the emotional undercurrents of the moment.
Altos stands ready to depart with the group, having explained his and Eprin’s mission to retrieve the Keys. He demonstrates the travel dial to the Doctor but remains a passive observer during the Doctor’s exchange with Susan. His cooperative demeanor suggests he is focused on the mission’s success, though he does not intervene in the group’s internal dynamics.
- • Assist the group in locating the remaining Keys as efficiently as possible.
- • Ensure the Doctor’s plan to travel to Millenius is supported logistically.
- • The group’s internal conflicts are secondary to the mission’s urgency.
- • His role is to provide information and support, not to mediate personal disputes.
Concerned for Susan’s safety and frustrated by the Doctor’s lack of attention to her disappearance. Her urgency to act reflects both her care for the group and her distrust of the Doctor’s plan.
Barbara, now back in her familiar jumper and slacks, expresses concern for Susan’s whereabouts and the group’s safety. She suggests fixing a meeting time and volunteers to ensure Susan’s safety after her disappearance. Her sharp observations and proactive stance contrast with the Doctor’s dismissive tone, highlighting her role as the group’s moral and logistical anchor.
- • Locate Susan immediately to ensure her safety.
- • Coordinate the group’s next steps to minimize further risks.
- • The Doctor’s plan is flawed and puts Susan at unnecessary risk.
- • Her role is to mitigate the group’s vulnerabilities, especially when the Doctor is distracted.
Anxious about the group’s safety and the Doctor’s plan, but committed to fulfilling his role. His urgency to leave the city is tempered by his responsibility to Susan, which he takes seriously.
Ian stands near the Doctor, his posture tense as he listens to the plan to split the group. He expresses urgency about leaving the burning city but ultimately defers to the Doctor’s authority, agreeing to take care of Susan. When Susan disappears, he reacts with alarm, ready to follow her as instructed, though his earlier hesitation about the plan suggests lingering doubt.
- • Ensure Susan’s safety by following her as the Doctor instructs.
- • Leave the burning city as quickly as possible to avoid danger.
- • The Doctor’s plan, though risky, is the best course of action given the circumstances.
- • Susan’s safety is his immediate priority, even if it means chasing after her.
Focused and resolute, with no visible reaction to the group’s personal conflicts. Her emotional state is subdued, reflecting her role as an instrument of the mission rather than an active participant in its interpersonal dynamics.
Sabetha prepares to depart with the group, her demeanor determined but silent. She does not participate in the Doctor’s exchange with Susan or the subsequent alarm over her disappearance. Her focus remains on the mission, reflecting her role as a mind-controlled servant now aligned with the group’s objectives.
- • Continue the search for the Keys of Marinus with the group.
- • Support the group’s efforts without drawing attention to herself.
- • Her primary function is to assist in retrieving the Keys, regardless of the group’s internal disputes.
- • The mission’s success depends on collective action, even if it is tense or fragmented.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The travel dials are the critical tools enabling the group’s time-based movements across Marinus. The Doctor demonstrates their use to Altos, and Susan secretly adjusts hers to follow him, exploiting their portability and precision. These devices symbolize both the group’s agency and the fragility of their coordination—Susan’s unauthorized use highlights how easily the plan can unravel when individual wills clash with the Doctor’s authority.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Morphoton Guest Quarters serve as the group’s temporary refuge and planning hub, but its opulent facade masks the urgency of their situation. The burning city outside casts a looming threat, heightening the tension as the Doctor announces his plan to split the group. The room’s luxurious trappings—urns of plants, sumptuous food—contrast sharply with the group’s precarious circumstances, underscoring the illusionary nature of Morphoton and the real dangers they face. Susan’s disappearance from this space symbolizes her rejection of its artificial safety.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Morphos’ influence looms over the event as the group prepares to leave Morphoton. Though not physically present, their control over the city is evident in the burning revenge of its inhabitants and the group’s urgency to depart. The Morphos’ psychological domination—exemplified by the mind-control devices and illusions—has already begun to unravel, but their legacy of deception shapes the group’s actions. The Doctor’s plan to split the group and Susan’s defiance are indirect consequences of the Morphos’ ability to exploit divisions and insecurities.
Arbitan’s couriers—represented by Altos and the absent Eprin—are the organizational backbone of the mission to retrieve the Keys. Altos’ presence and his explanation of the couriers’ roles reinforce the group’s alignment with Arbitan’s objectives, even as the Doctor’s plan introduces a new variable. The couriers’ reliability and mission focus contrast with the group’s internal conflicts, highlighting the stakes of their collaboration. Eprin’s disappearance in Millenius serves as a reminder of the dangers they all face.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
Within this episode
"After the city burns and the group regroups, the narrative shifts focus to the next key, as the Doctor announces his plan to travel ahead to Millenius (beat_70c9b34b52364907)."
The Doctor reveals Altos’s mission and Eprin’s disappearanceAcross episodes
"Arbitan’s ultimatum traps the crew into retrieving the keys, setting the stage for their later confrontation with the Morphos, who similarly exploit and control humans for their own ends. This establishes a cause-and-effect thread linking oppressive forces across episodes."
Arbitan’s Blackmail and the Teleportation Trap"The Doctor's habit of making solo decisions (seen when he initially resists Ian's caution in Episode 21) continues as he plans to travel alone to Millenius in Episode 22, prompting Susan to defy him by secretly adjusting her time dial."
TARDIS crew debates planet exploration"Ian’s rescue of Arbitan and his agreement to help despite the Doctor’s reluctance foreshadows his later defiance of the Doctor’s plans in Morphoton. Both actions demonstrate Ian’s instinct to protect and take action, even when it contradicts the Doctor’s cautious approach."
Ian rescues Arbitan from Voord attack"The Doctor's resistance to Arbitan's blackmail in Episode 21 ('If you think I'm going to travel across that acid sea in one of these primitive submersibles, you're very much mistaken') carries over to his skeptical nature in Episode 22, where he questions Altos's motives."
Arbitan’s Blackmail and the Teleportation Trap"Barbara's impulsive act of teleporting away in Episode 21 (fueled by fear) is mirrored by Susan's secret defiance in Episode 22 (where she follows the Doctor despite his instructions). Both actions stem from a desire to take control in chaotic situations, despite the Doctor's contrary guidance."
Arbitan’s Assassination and the Crew’s Forced Departure"Barbara's impulsive activation of the teleportation device (forcing the crew to split up) parallels Susan's secret defiance of the Doctor's authority in Episode 22, where she disobeys his instructions to follow him alone."
Arbitan’s Assassination and the Crew’s Forced Departure"Ian’s decisive rescue of Arbitan and acceptance of a dangerous mission (Episode 21) logically leads to his later decision to defy the Doctor and secretly follow Altos (Episode 22), motivated by a strong instinct to protect and investigate."
Ian rescues Arbitan from Voord attack"Susan's defiance of the Doctor in Episode 22 is echoed by Barbara's defiance of the Doctor's authority in Episode 28, where she enforces her will in the temple despite his attempts to control the situation."
Doctor reveals Ixta’s threat to Ian"Susan's secret departure in Episode 22 leads to Barbara being the only remaining companion with the Doctor in Episode 28, increasing her vulnerability and responsibility in the Aztec temple."
Barbara commands non-lethal duel terms"Susan's independent subversion of the Doctor's plan in Episode 22 (secretly following him) precedes the Doctor's own covert manipulation of events in Episode 28 (ensuring Ixta wins a fight), showing cross-character defiance of authority."
Doctor reveals Ixta’s threat to Ian"Susan's defiance in Episode 22 (secretly following the Doctor despite his orders) parallels Ian's prioritization of Barbara's rescue in Episode 23. Both show the companions asserting autonomy in response to authority figures' perceived flaws."
Ian isolates himself to find Barbara"Susan's pattern of exploring independently, despite the Doctor's instructions, continues as she wanders ahead and makes a crucial discovery of the TARDIS."
First Doctor and Susan discover the TARDIS"Susan’s defiance of the Doctor’s authority by secretly following him in Morphoton escalates into the companions being scattered and individually targeted in The Snows of Terror—Susan is held hostage by Vasar, Barbara and Ian are separated, and the group’s cohesion is further eroded."
Vasar’s Betrayal and Violent End"Susan's defiance against the Doctor’s authority in Episode 22 escalates into the Doctor himself compromising authority and morality to manipulate events in Episode 28."
Doctor reveals Ixta’s threat to Ian"Susan's initial small act of defiance develops into her taking significant responsibility in a life-threatening crisis, showing her growth into a capable companion."
Cybermen breach TARDIS amid temporal chaos"Susan's defiance of the Doctor by secretly following him mirrors Ian's later defiance of group consensus by isolating himself to rescue Barbara. Both actions escalate interpersonal conflict while advancing the plot."
Ian isolates himself to find Barbara"Susan’s act of defiance (adjusting her time dial to follow the Doctor alone) results in her being captured as a hostage by Vasar, directly continuing the narrative thread of scattered and endangered companions initiated in Morphoton."
Vasar’s Betrayal and Violent End"Susan secretly defying the Doctor in Episode 22 to follow him forward through time (defying his plan) is echoed by the Doctor's own defiance of temple law in Episode 28 to protect Ian and Barbara."
Doctor Repositions Barbara After Sacrifice Crisis"Susan's secret defiance of the Doctor in Episode 22 (adjusting her time dial to follow him) parallels Barbara's defiance of authority in Episode 28, where she asserts her divine role as Yetaxa to manipulate temple politics."
Doctor Repositions Barbara After Sacrifice CrisisThemes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Part of Larger Arcs
Key Dialogue
"DOCTOR: No. I think it better if you travel with the main party, child."
"SUSAN: But I want to go with you!"
"DOCTOR: Yes, yes, I know, Susan, but don't you see it's better if we split our forces..."
"SUSAN: All right. Won't be for long though, will it?"
"DOCTOR: No."
"BARBARA: Susan! She should have waited for us."
"DOCTOR: Now, quickly. You must go and follow her."