Series 2 (2006)
Episode title: The Christmas InvasionFeaturing: Tenth Doctor
Companions: Rose Tyler
First shown: 25th December 2005
Related articles: Sycorax, Mickey Smith
Guide: WThe TARDIS lands badly in London, near Rose’s flat, on Christmas Eve with the Doctor in a bad state after his regeneration, suffering from some of its effects, where he is carried into Rose’s flat by Mickey, Rose and Jackie and dress him in some bedclothes. With nothing to do while the Doctor recovers, Rose and Mickey go Christmas shopping, but while they’re out they get attacked by robotic masked Santa robots playing musical instruments (which double up as weapons), and retreat back to the safety of the flat. However, a Christmas tree delivered anonymously suddenly becomes animated and begins to tear its way through the flat. Rose places the Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver in his hand and begs for his help, causing the Doctor to wake up and destroy the tree. Out on the balcony, the Doctor watches the Santa robots return to whoever sent them and realises that his regeneration energy is drawing the unknown enemy towards them, but he still needs more time to rest as he collapses. He is carried back into bed where Rose, Mickey and Jackie keep an eye on him.
Meanwhile, the new Prime Minister, Harriet Jones (from Aliens of London (Series 1 : Episode 4) and World War Three (Series 1 : Episode 5)) and her government science team prepare for a live broadcast from a recently dispatched space probe, Guinevere One, as soon as it lands on Mars. However, when the broadcast is shown, a large alien face appears instead as the scientists find the probe is still in orbit around Earth instead as it was swallowed up by a giant spaceship heading for Earth. The Sycorax aliens use the probe to contact the scientists and speak with the humans, demanding Earth’s surrender. As they do so, they activate a hypnotic state in one third of the Earth’s population and pose themselves on the edges of tall buildings nearby. The Sycorax threaten to make them jump if Earth does not surrender half of their population to be used as slaves. One of the science technicians works out that all of the hypnotised people share the same blood group as the blood sample sent with Guinevere One. As Harriet tries to negotiate with the Sycorax, she finds herself and some of her team transmatted aboard the spaceship now hovering above London having entered the Earth’s atmosphere some time previously, and kill the commanding soldier.
As the Sycorax ship continues to move over London, Rose, Mickey and Jackie evacuate their flat and move into the TARDIS with the Doctor and some supplies. However, before Jackie can return with more supplies, the TARDIS is transmatted onboard the Sycorax spaceship. Rose and Mickey attempt to leave the TARDIS thinking that Jackie’s got lost but find themselves onboard the spaceship and in their haste to close the door they knock over a flask of tea that leaks into the TARDIS. Rose attempts to diffuse the situation using ploys the Doctor has used in the past, mentioning the Shadow Proclamation among others but the Sycorax see past it. However, as the Sycorax speak, their language is translated into English once more, as the Doctor steps out of the TARDIS, fully recovered having had some of the tea spilt inside. He reintroduces himself to Rose, Mickey and Harriet before going to the device used for controlling the humans. The Doctor, liking a big red button that shouldn’t be pushed, pushes the button. The humans take one step forward but then wake up from their hypnotic state. The Sycorax claim that they have allowed the humans to live but the Doctor states that they did no such thing, as the survival instinct is higher than the blood control the Sycorax possess.
The Doctor and the Sycorax challenge each other to a sword fight for the planet, during which the Sycorax Leader slices the Doctor’s hand off, however, as he is in the first 15 hours of his regeneration cycle, he is able to grow a new one. The Sycorax calls this trickery but the Doctor calls it Time Lord before defeating the Sycorax Leader, pinning him to the edge of the ship. He gives the Leader the chance the live as long as they leave Earth never to return. The Leader agrees and the Doctor walks away, pulling out an orange as he does so and remarking that he’s found what sort of man he is. Behind him, the Sycorax Leader charges to kill the Doctor, but the Doctor throws the orange at a button on the side of the ship causing the wing to fold in and the Leader to plummet to Earth, with the Doctor remarking that he’s a “no second chances” kind of man. Inside the ship, the Doctor tells the rest of the Sycorax to leave, which they begin to do so after transmatting the TARDIS and everyone else back down to Earth. As the ship moves away, Harriet gives the order to allow Torchwood to blow up the space ship, angering the Doctor. Harriet tries to defend her actions, stating that Torchwood is their last defence when the Doctor’s not around to save the world but the Doctor warns not to challenge him saying that he can bring her government down with just 6 words. Harriet stands by her decision and the Doctor walks over to her aide and whispers in his ear “Don’t you think she looks tired?” before walking away. That evening, snow falls on London though the Doctor comments that it is actually ash from the spaceship and he selects his new outfit from the TARDIS wardrobe before having Christmas dinner with Rose, Mickey and Jackie. On TV, Harriet defends her position and denies rumours of ill-health while there is a pending vote of no-confidence in the House of Commons, before the Doctor and Rose prepare to set off again.