Series 1 (2005)
Episode title: Boom TownFeaturing: Ninth Doctor
Companions: Rose Tyler, Captain Jack Harkness
First shown: 4th June 2005
Related articles: Slitheen, Mickey Smith
Guide: In the present day, the TARDIS lands in Cardiff on the site of the rift seen in The Unquiet Dead (Series 1 : Episode 3). Though the Gelth were defeated, the Rift remained as a scar leaking radiation through it, which the TARDIS now requires to refuel itself, suggesting that the TARDIS is no longer powered by the Eye of Harmony. As the process will take a whole day, the Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack are joined by Mickey and the four go out for dinner at a local restaurant. While there, the Doctor reads the headline of the local newspaper, “New Mayor, New Cardiff” with a picture of Margaret Blaine, a Slitheen in human form previously seen in Aliens of London (Series 1 : Episode 4) and World War Three (Series 1 : Episode 5). As Mayor, Blaine initiated the construction of a nuclear power plant in Cardiff, however there are major flaws with the plans for the plant, and although numerous people have tried to bring these up they have all mysteriously disappeared with Blaine having killed them. During a press conference, a reporter named Cathy tries to interrogate Blaine about the disappearances. Believing she knows too much, Blaine prepares to kill Cathy but relents when Cathy mentions that she’s pregnant as Blaine remembers she doesn’t have a family.
The Doctor, Rose, Jack and Mickey converge on City Hall in Cardiff to stop Blaine from carrying out her plans. The group finally capture Blaine after a brief chase following her repeated uses of her teleporter device, which she explains is how she survived the destruction of the rest of her family at the end of World War Three. She also reveals that she hopes the nuclear meltdown and the meltdown of Earth would reopen the Rift and allow her to escape the destroyed planet by using a hidden tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator, a pan-dimensional surfboard. The Doctor also notes the name of the power plant, Blaidd Drwg, is Welsh for Bad Wolf, a phrase following the Doctor and Rose through most of Series 1. The Doctor decides to take Blaine back to Raxacoricofallapatorius, but Blaine insists that she will suffer the death penalty as the Slitheen family are convicted criminals, though the Doctor insists that it isn’t his problem.
Jack realises that the extrapolator could be used to halve the time required for the TARDIS to refuel, so he stays with the TARDIS to sort it out while Mickey and Rose go to a restaurant to discuss their relationship, where Mickey reveals he’s been dating someone else after Rose seemingly left him for the Doctor, which angers Rose. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Blaine also go out for dinner at Blaine’s last request, but both wear bracelets that will electrocute Blaine if she steps more than 3 meters away from the Doctor. At the dinner, Blaine attempts to kill the Doctor multiple times, but he casually bats them away before Blaine then attempts to attract the Doctor’s sympathy. She asks to be taken to a different planet instead, but before the Doctor can decide a large earthquake rips through Cardiff. The Doctor, Blaine, Rose and Mickey all regroup at the TARDIS where a bright column of light is shooting out of the central column, tearing the Rift and Earth open. The Doctor realises that this was Blaine’s plan the whole time, to find someone with advanced alien technology to try and connect to the extrapolator to rip open the rift while she escaped.
Blaine takes Rose hostage inside the TARDIS and demands the use of the extrapolator, but before she can use it the console of the TARDIS opens up and Blaine stares into the heart of the TARDIS. The light overtakes her and her skin suit falls to the floor. The Doctor and Jack close the console and seal the Rift again before investigating the skin suit to find a Slitheen egg inside. The Doctor remarks that the TARDIS is slightly telepathic and might have noticed that Blaine wanted a second chance, so it gave it to her. As the Doctor, Rose and Jack prepare to take the egg back to Raxacoricofallapatorius, Rose notes that Mickey has disappeared. The Doctor offers to wait for him, but Rose decides to let him go, and wishes that she could also have a second chance.