Season 56 - 2021

 

Season 56 of Doctor Who aired from November 7th 2021 for six episodes, the season was initially scheduled to air in the first half of 2021 and consist of 8 episodes with an entirely different story arc. The season was postponed until mid- to late-2021, when it was thought that Covid had sufficiently subsided, because of the 2020 Covid-19 outbreak. As a result, this season was the most problematic since 1986. Finally, in November 2020, production on Season 56 began in preparation for its late 2021 airdate.

In August 2021, it was officially announced that Simone Ashley and Andrew Buchan would be departing from Doctor Who at the conclusion of the current season. Both actors expressed their affection for the programme and acknowledged that their characters had spent enough time aboard the TARDIS, therefore they thought it was time to move on.

The Echoes of Chaos

By Chris Chibnall

The TARDIS materialising on a desolate, barren wasteland. The Doctor, Claire and Derek step out into the eerie silence, their footsteps echoing in the stillness. The Doctor surveys the landscape, sensing something unsettling about the planet. His instincts lead him to believe it was once a battlefield, as they soon discover futuristic weapons scattered across the ground, half-buried in the dust.

Claire, intrigued, speculates if the planet was a testing ground for advanced weaponry. The Doctor, ever mysterious, admits he doesn’t know the full story but can’t shake the feeling something bigger is at play. Derek suggests they search the area to uncover more clues. The trio splits up, cautiously exploring the surroundings.

As they wander deep into the wasteland, a sudden flash of laser fire scorches the ground near them. The group ducks for cover, but within moments, they are surrounded by armed soldiers in high-tech armour. A man, smug and charismatic, steps forward from the ranks. He smiles coldly, issuing a chilling command: "Bring them to the labs."

Captured, the trio is handcuffed and loaded into an army truck. The vehicle drives through the barren wasteland, heading towards a seemingly abandoned building. Once inside, they are ushered into an elevator, descending deep underground into a gleaming, futuristic laboratory complex. There, they are placed into a secure holding cell.

The Doctor, ever resourceful, tries to come up with a plan, but for once, he seems stumped. The high-tech nature of the facility and the unpredictability of their captors leave him without a clear solution. As they wait, the door to the cell slides open and the man who had captured them steps in. He beckons the Doctor to follow him.

The Doctor is led through sleek corridors to an office, where the man introduces himself as The Governor. He reveals he knows exactly who the Doctor is, claiming to have heard stories about him from "countless beings across the universe." The Doctor is taken aback, especially when the Governor casually mentions the Time Lords—a subject no one in the current universe should know. When the Doctor presses for answers, the Governor simply smiles, saying, "It’s amazing what people can know when they want to."

Intrigued and wary, the Doctor asks what the Governor is doing on this desolate planet. The Governor explains he’s working on something called "The Anomaly Scheme", a cryptic project designed to bring the Doctor to his knees and serve as part of a much larger plan. The Governor reveals that his only goal is to have "fun" with the Doctor, testing his limits and his ability to solve the puzzle laid before him. Naturally, the Doctor vows to stop him, but the Governor, growing bored, knocks him unconscious.

The Doctor awakens back in the cell with Claire and Derek. Knowing time is running out, they hatch an escape plan. Crawling through the narrow ventilation system, they overhear the Governor speaking with a group of scientists. The Governor warns his staff that the Doctor must not discover the full extent of his plans, as it would ruin everything that is to come.

Determined to stop whatever sinister plot is unfolding, the Doctor and his companions make their way into the main lab. There, they sabotage the equipment powering the "Anomaly Scheme," causing chaos and confusion. Alarms blare, and the trio makes their daring escape, sprinting back to the TARDIS as the facility falls into disarray.

As the TARDIS dematerialises, the camera cuts back to the wasteland, where the Governor stands alone, watching the horizon. In his hand, he holds a mysterious fob watch—one that looks eerily similar to those used by Time Lords. With a smirk, the Governor whispers to himself, "Not long now."

Duskhaven

By Maxine Alderton

The TARDIS lands in what seems to be a peaceful, idyllic 1950s town nestled in the woods. The sun is setting as the Doctor, Claire, and Derek step out, greeted by clean-cut houses, white picket fences, and perfectly manicured lawns. At first glance, Duskhaven seems like the perfect small town—cheerful residents, classic cars, and many other things symbolising typical American life. But something is off. The townspeople move with nervous energy, eyes darting toward the surrounding forest.

The Doctor, always suspicious of too much perfection, senses the strange atmosphere immediately. As the trio begins to explore, they quickly notice that Duskhaven is cut off from the outside world. There's no way in or out, no communication with the outside. The same people have lived here for years, but no one knows how or why they ended up in Duskhaven. And at night, the town changes.

They meet Sheriff Cole, the exhausted and haggard town leader who is clearly hiding something. He warns them to seek shelter before nightfall, but doesn’t explain why. The Doctor tries to question him further, but Cole becomes evasive, unwilling to reveal the town’s darkest secret.

As the sun dips below the horizon, an eerie calm settles over Duskhaven. Lights flicker on in every home, and the previously friendly residents rush inside, locking their doors and bolting their windows. Claire notices fear in their eyes as they hurry past.

The Doctor, Claire, and Derek are about to investigate further when they hear strange, unnatural sounds coming from the nearby forest—like the echo of growls and whispers carried on the wind. Sheriff Cole’s warning echoes in their minds: "Stay inside after dark. It's the only way to survive."

Ignoring the warning, the trio chooses to explore, drawn toward the forest by the Doctor's curiosity. As night falls, the town becomes a completely different place—a twisted, nightmarish version of itself. The once-bright and friendly streets are now shrouded in mist, and shadows seem to move of their own accord. The air is thick with fear. Suddenly, they hear a terrifying screech, and creatures—tall, distorted figures with glowing eyes—emerge from the forest, hunting those who dare to be outside after dark.

The Doctor, Claire, and Derek run for shelter, narrowly avoiding the grasp of the creatures. They dive into a nearby house, where they meet Evelyn, an older woman who has been trapped in Duskhaven for over 20 years. She explains the grim reality: No one leaves Duskhaven. People have tried to escape, but the forest seems endless, looping back to the town no matter which direction they go. Worse, the creatures—known to the residents as the Nightlings—prowl the streets after dark, hunting anyone foolish enough to remain outside. No one knows what the Nightlings are or where they came from, but every night, they emerge from the forest, and the town is plunged into terror.

Evelyn also reveals that many of the townspeople aren’t just frightened—they are desperate. Over the years, people have searched for a way out, but strange disappearances occur for those who try. Even Sheriff Cole, who once led escape attempts, has now given up, trying instead to keep the peace and ensure survival.

The next day, the Doctor devises a plan to uncover the town’s secrets. He suspects that Duskhaven is more than just a trapped village—it’s a prison, designed to keep something—or someone—contained. But is the town trapping the residents, or are the Nightlings being contained by the town itself?

Derek befriends a group of younger townsfolk, including Tom, a rebellious teenager determined to escape, while Claire uncovers old town records hidden in the local library. She discovers that Duskhaven doesn’t exist on any map. No one in town remembers arriving, and their memories of life before Duskhaven are fading, as if they’re being erased. Claire also finds references to an old, abandoned underground bunker hidden beneath the town square.

That night, the Doctor, Claire, and Derek lead a small group of residents to the bunker, hoping it holds the key to escaping. Inside, they find technology far beyond the 1950s—alien machinery designed to manipulate reality and time. The Doctor realises that Duskhaven is not just a random town, but a construct, created by an advanced race to imprison the Nightlings, who are actually remnants of a failed experiment—creatures created by accident, now cursed to wander the forest at night, feeding on fear.

The Doctor uncovers the truth: the Nightlings were once human, former inhabitants of Duskhaven who were transformed by the same technology that built the town. Over the years, the experiment went wrong, and the town became a self-sustaining nightmare, trapping not just the creatures but anyone unlucky enough to stumble into it.

In a final, tense confrontation with the Nightlings, the Doctor hacks into the alien machinery, attempting to reverse the process and restore the creatures to their original forms. But there’s a cost. If the Doctor deactivates the machine, Duskhaven itself will collapse, potentially erasing the town and everyone in it.

As the town begins to tremble and distort, Claire makes a desperate plea to save the residents. The Doctor, using his sonic screwdriver, manages to reprogram the machinery, shutting down the experiment and restoring the Nightlings to their human forms. The town begins to fade, but instead of being destroyed, it is released—everyone, including the Doctor, Claire, and Derek, are finally free.

The TARDIS crew watches as the former Nightlings—now human again—stumble out of the forest, disoriented but alive. Sheriff Cole, grateful but weary, thanks the Doctor for freeing them, though he knows they have a long road ahead to recover their lost lives.

As the Doctor, Claire, and Derek return to the TARDIS, the Doctor reflects on the fragile nature of reality and the dangers of tampering with life. 

The Dalek Conundrum

By Simon Allen

The TARDIS lands in 1896, in a quiet village in Lancashire. The Doctor, Claire, and Derek step out into a chilly, fog-laden morning. The village seems unusually deserted, but soon they spot villagers gathered at the edge of a field, murmuring in awe. They have discovered what they believe is a meteorite that fell from the sky the night before. But the Doctor’s eyes narrow—there's something far more sinister in the air.

The "meteorite" is not what it seems. It's the crash site of a Dalek ship.

The Doctor warns the villagers to keep back, but before he can act, the ship opens with a hiss. A single Dalek emerges, its gleaming eye scanning the crowd. Panic ensues as the Dalek begins exterminating villagers, declaring its intention to conquer Earth. Unlike the Daleks of larger invasions, this one is alone—its ship damaged in a time vortex malfunction, but no less deadly.

The Doctor races back to the TARDIS with Derek, analysing the ship’s crash data while Claire stays behind to help the wounded villagers. During this time, Claire meets Anna, a resilient local woman trying to keep her family safe amidst the chaos. Anna’s courage and compassion draw Claire in, and the two quickly bond while assisting those injured by the Dalek.

Meanwhile, the Doctor discovers a deeper threat. Hidden inside the Dalek ship is a bio-virus—engineered in the far future—capable of wiping out entire populations. The Dalek plans to release it into Earth’s atmosphere, not as a conquest but as an experiment to destroy humanity at its early stages. This single Dalek, though stranded, is still fighting the eternal Dalek war, ensuring human extinction no matter the century.

Realising the severity of the situation, the Doctor contacts the British Army, who arrive in force, but conventional weapons prove useless against the Dalek’s near-impenetrable armour. While Derek coordinates the defence with the soldiers, the Doctor devises a plan to hack into the Dalek's systems using the virus. If he can reprogram it, he can use the Dalek’s own deadly creation against it.

As the Doctor works to break into the Dalek ship, Claire and Anna share increasingly tender moments. Despite the danger around them, Claire feels drawn to Anna’s strength and warmth. The two find a quiet moment in the chaos and, amid the uncertainty of survival, share a kiss. It’s a fleeting but profound connection.

Back at the crash site, the Dalek continues its rampage, but the Doctor completes his plan just in time. As the Dalek prepares to release the virus into the atmosphere, the Doctor reverses the process and infects the Dalek with its own weapon. The Dalek begins to malfunction, screaming in rage as it crumbles from within, finally destroyed by the very virus it sought to use on humanity.

With the immediate danger over, the British Army secures the area, and the Doctor ensures the Dalek ship is dismantled to prevent any further threats. However, as the TARDIS prepares to leave, Claire and Anna share a bittersweet farewell. The bond they've formed is undeniable, but Anna cannot leave her home and Claire's place is with the Doctor and Derek. Their goodbye is tender, emotional, and marked by an unspoken understanding of what could have been.

The TARDIS departs as Anna cries. Inside the TARDIS, Claire remains quiet as she stands against the doors with a single tear rolling down her eye.

The Doctor, sensing Claire’s emotions, gives her a gentle look, reminding her that life is made up of these moments—moments that shape who they are, even if they cannot last forever.

The TARDIS vanishes into the stars, leaving behind a quiet Lancashire village and a single Dalek’s scorched remains—a reminder that even the most terrifying threats can sometimes be defeated by the smallest acts of courage and love.

The Riddle of Time

By Adrian Hodges

The TARDIS materialises in the bustling streets of Mexico City, 1904. The Doctor, Claire, and Derek step out into the warm, sun-soaked plaza, greeted by the lively sounds of mariachi bands and street vendors. But they haven’t come for the sights or sounds—they’ve arrived in response to a strange signal detected by the Doctor. Something is very wrong here, and as always, the trio is drawn to the mystery.

Their investigation begins when they discover a rare artefact has been stolen from the National Museum of Anthropology—an ancient Aztec relic said to hold the secret to untold power. The museum curator, a nervous man named Carlos Rivera, explains that shortly after the artefact vanished, strange events started occurring: people disappearing without a trace, sudden unnatural storms, and unsettling tremors felt across the city.

The Doctor examines the relic’s records, noticing intricate patterns resembling temporal distortions. It’s not just a simple robbery—someone is using advanced technology to harness the relic’s power. The Doctor, Claire, and Derek decide to track down the thief, following a trail of clues that takes them far from Mexico’s vibrant streets.

Their first lead points them to Constantinople, a city buzzing with intrigue at the height of the Ottoman Empire. Arriving in the shadowy corners of the bustling city, the trio navigates the winding alleys and crowded bazaars. They learn that the relic has passed into the hands of an enigmatic figure known only as The Baron, a shadowy aristocrat with fingers in black-market dealings and arcane secrets.

In a tense meeting at a lavish palace deep in the heart of the city, they confront The Baron. But he is one step ahead, slipping through their grasp and revealing that he has already sold the relic to an unknown buyer. Before leaving, The Baron warns them that whoever now possesses the artefact is seeking to unlock its true power—something that could shatter the very fabric of reality.

Their next destination? A luxury cruise ship sailing across the Mediterranean Sea, where the buyer of the relic is reportedly hiding among the wealthy passengers.

The atmosphere aboard the ship is glamorous but tense. The Doctor, Claire, and Derek blend in, mingling with the ship's elite passengers as they try to identify the buyer. The Doctor finds himself in conversation with Madame Duquesne, a mysterious woman with a suspicious amount of knowledge about ancient artefacts and time distortion. Claire, meanwhile, encounters a charismatic gambler, Mr. Van Helsing, who hints at knowing more than he lets on about the relic's true potential.

Derek, always the more direct type, decides to investigate the ship's lower decks, where he discovers a secret laboratory hidden below. There, he finds Professor Ivanoff, a brilliant but unhinged scientist working with the relic. Ivanoff reveals that the artefact is not of Earthly origin but is instead a piece of a time-altering device created by an alien race long ago. Ivanoff believes that by unlocking its full power, he can manipulate time itself and reshape history.

But just as Ivanoff is about to activate the relic, Claire and the Doctor burst into the lab. They realise that using the relic aboard the ship will create a temporal shockwave that could tear the timeline apart. The Doctor tries to reason with Ivanoff, explaining the catastrophic consequences of his actions. But Ivanoff is too far gone, consumed by his obsession with power.

In a race against time, the trio works together to stop the machine from activating. The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to disable the relic's power source, but Ivanoff, desperate, lunges at the controls, causing a partial activation. The ship is rocked by a violent tremor as time begins to warp around them—moments from different periods of history flash before their eyes, threatening to pull them into the past or future.

Just as it seems all is lost, Claire manages to grab hold of the relic and, with a sudden surge of determination, tosses it into the sea. The artefact sinks into the depths, its power fading away. The temporal distortions cease, and the ship stabilises.

With the crisis averted, the Doctor, Claire, and Derek return to the ship's deck, watching the calm waters of the Mediterranean stretch out before them. As they prepare to leave, the Doctor reflects on the fragile nature of time and the dangers of tampering with forces beyond comprehension.

The adventure ends with the trio standing on the ship’s bow, looking toward the horizon, knowing there will always be another mystery waiting for them somewhere in time and space.

The Anomaly Scheme

By Charlie Brooker

The TARDIS lands with a quiet hum aboard a massive, dimly lit spaceship adrift in deep space. The Doctor, Claire, and Derek step cautiously out, immediately sensing something is wrong. The ship is eerily silent, the only sound a faint hum of the engines in the distance. Before they can investigate further, the trio is suddenly separated by shifting walls and automatic doors closing around them, locking each of them into isolated sections of the ship.

Alone, each of them encounters a familiar face—the Governor, a figure they haven’t seen since their first adventure. But something about him is more menacing now, a shadow of control and manipulation lurking beneath his calm demeanour.

The Doctor confronts the Governor first, his face darkening with suspicion. “What are you doing here? What's this all about?”

The Governor smirks, speaking as if he's been expecting this encounter. He begins to explain his master plan—The Anomaly Scheme. A carefully crafted plan to unravel the Web of Time by causing paradoxes that should never have existed. Over the course of the season, many of the Doctor's adventures—encounters that seemed odd or slightly out of place—were orchestrated by the Governor. Each adventure has been an intentional disturbance in the timeline, and now the Governor reveals his ultimate goal: to rip apart the fabric of reality itself. “Certain events you’ve lived through were never meant to happen yet, Doctor. You’ve been playing into my hands all along. Soon, the paradox will reach its tipping point, and the Web of Time will collapse.”

The Doctor's eyes narrow. "You’re playing with forces you can’t control. You’ll destroy everything.”

"That’s the point," the Governor replies coolly. "Toying with your existence, your companions, your choices—it’s been delightful. The real fun begins now."

Meanwhile, Derek finds himself face to face with the Governor, and the tension escalates quickly. The Governor taunts him mercilessly, exploiting Derek’s deepest guilt. “You’ve been running away, haven’t you, Pete? You abandoned your family for a new life, a fresh start, but travelling with the Doctor has made you forget them even more. You’ve failed them again and again. Do you think they even remember you?”

Anger surges within Derek, and he lunges at the Governor, fists raised, but the Governor simply clicks his fingers. In an instant, he’s behind Derek, lifting him with inhuman strength and slamming him against the wall with a cold smile. Derek crumples to the ground, hurt but not broken, his rage simmering beneath the surface.

Elsewhere on the ship, Claire is faced with the Governor in a much more personal confrontation. He leans in, speaking softly but with a cutting edge. “I know what you truly want, Claire. You’ve felt it in your heart this whole time. Anna. You long to be with her, to settle down, to live that quiet life of love and peace you’ve dreamed of. But you won’t, will you? You can’t. You’re too afraid of abandoning the Doctor and Derek, of leaving them alone. But deep down, you know where your heart lies.”

Claire’s eyes well with tears as the truth of his words stings. She is torn between her love for Anna and her loyalty to her friends, and the Governor relishes her inner turmoil.

In the final act, the Doctor, Derek, and Claire are reunited, facing the Governor together. The Doctor demands an end to the manipulation, but the Governor only smiles darkly. “Toying with you has been a joy. But this is far from over. I’ll see you all soon, for the ultimate victory.”

With a snap of his fingers, reality shifts again. The trio finds themselves thrown into the Time Vortex, spinning uncontrollably. In the distance, the Doctor spots the TARDIS—but before he can reach it, the TARDIS explodes, fragments of the blue box scattering across the void. Claire, Derek, and the Doctor begin to drift apart, separated by the forces of the vortex.

As they float through the endless expanse of space, they struggle to reach each other, but the distance grows greater with every passing moment. Their voices grow faint, their outstretched hands too far to grasp.

The Abyss

By Chris Chibnall

The Doctor awakens in a scorching, endless desert. His mind is foggy as he trudges through the sand under the harsh sun, unsure of how he arrived. He scans the horizon and sees a distant glimmer—the Citadel of Gallifrey.

As he stumbles toward the Citadel, the Governor appears out of thin air, walking beside him casually. “Our home planet,” the Governor says with a smirk, “so many memories.” The Doctor’s eyes narrow in shock and confusion. "You're a Time Lord?" he demands. The Governor reveals that he experimented on himself, breaking the natural laws of Time Lords to transcend physical form, allowing him to appear and vanish at will.

The Governor, with a wave of his hand, leads the Doctor through the arid landscape, eventually arriving at the edge of a cliff. Below, a familiar yet haunting sight materialises out of nowhere: The House of Lungbarrow, the Doctor’s ancestral home. “I’m glad we came here,” the Governor says, snapping his fingers. “You need to face your demons.”

The Doctor is frozen with shock and dread. Reluctantly, he steps toward the ancient house and enters. Inside, he is confronted by painful memories of his childhood, his formative years in Gallifrey’s most secretive and burdensome house. Visions of his past selves and the weight of the responsibilities he inherited loom large. The Doctor wrestles with the guilt and unresolved trauma of his early life, grappling with the choices that shaped him into who he is today.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the timeline, Claire is in the quiet village of Lancashire, where the Governor shows her a tantalising vision of a future she’s dreamed of: a peaceful life with Anna, the woman she loves. The life they could share is shown to her in intimate detail, a future where they are happy, together, free from the dangers and chaos of travelling with the Doctor. Claire is conflicted, torn between the life she yearns for and her loyalty to the Doctor and Derek.

Derek, similarly, is shown a vision of returning to his family. The Governor gives him a glimpse of what life could be like if he stopped running—if he chose to go back home and repair the broken relationships he left behind. The temptation to return to normalcy and the family he misses weighs heavily on his heart.

After these individual confrontations with their desires, the trio—Doctor, Claire, and Derek—are reunited outside the Citadel. Before they can catch their breath, the Governor snaps his fingers again, and a squad of Cybermen suddenly appears. The Doctor quickly formulates a plan, leading them to an old military post hidden on the outskirts of Gallifrey. In the ensuing action-packed battle, the trio fights fiercely against the Cybermen, utilising the military equipment left behind to fend off their metallic attackers. Claire, wielding a laser rifle, covers Derek as he plants explosives to slow the Cybermen down, while the Doctor uses his wit and agility to hack into their systems and turn their weapons against them. The battle is intense and fast-paced, with each of the trio showcasing their strengths and teamwork.

After narrowly escaping the onslaught, they retreat to Lungbarrow. Inside the decaying halls, the Governor confronts the Doctor one final time. He taunts the Doctor about his past choices, the lives he’s ruined, and the friends he’s lost. “You’re doomed to be alone forever,” the Governor sneers. He reveals Claire and Derek’s desires to the Doctor, emphasising how both of his companions long for lives away from the chaos of his travels. “Soon, they’ll leave you,” he adds with a cruel grin. “And you’ll be all alone—again.”

The Doctor, for a moment, looks pained. But then, with quiet strength, he responds, “Maybe I will. But that’s the nature of my life. And it’s a life I’ve chosen. I always find new friends—and I’ll always remember the old ones.”

The Governor’s eyes darken, his smile fading. With a final, cold snap of his fingers, Claire and Derek disappear. The Doctor is left standing in Lungbarrow, alone once more, haunted by his words.

The Doctor and The Governor return to the spaceship that the Governor has been using as the base for his Anomaly Scheme—the plan to collapse the Web of Time by manipulating key events throughout the universe. The Doctor storms into the control room, where he confronts the Governor in a final, epic showdown. The two exchange blows and verbal jabs, the fight culminating in a fierce struggle over the main machine controlling the Anomaly Scheme. In a desperate act, the Doctor overloads the machine, triggering a catastrophic chain reaction.

As the ship begins to explode around them, the Governor is seemingly consumed by the chaos, disappearing in the flames. The Doctor barely escapes, rushing into the TARDIS just as the ship is destroyed in a brilliant burst of light.

With the Governor defeated and the Anomaly Scheme shattered, the Doctor returns to the TARDIS console room, where silence fills the air. He walks slowly, his expression contemplative, and leans against the console. 

In the present day, Derek is back with his family. He laughs with his children, happy and content in the life he once feared he would never return to. He’s found peace in normalcy and is truly enjoying his newfound stability.

Meanwhile, Claire arrives back in Lancashire, where Anna spots her from across the street. They run to each other, and Claire, finally certain of her feelings, tells Anna that she loves her and wants to be with her. Anna smiles, replying that she will never let Claire go as long as they are together. They share a heartwarming, beautiful kiss, their future finally clear.

Back on the TARDIS, the Doctor watches the Time Rotor move slowly up and down. Melancholy fills the air as he sets a new course. The Time Rotor hums softly as he stares into the distance, deep in thought. The weight of the season’s events bears down on him—he’s won, but he’s alone again.

The season like the last three was very mixed, the popular episode of the season was Duskhaven and the finale was a very complex one which fans had a problem with. Another problem was with the Governor, while he was a good villain the fans were disappointed how he was built up and how his big plan was to mess with time and how he just vanished in an explosion. There were also issues on how Derek and Claire's exit was handled but on the whole it was generally ok.

Positive reactions came from the return to Lungbarrow, the portrayal of the Doctor, Claire, Derek and  the Governor and Claire and Anna's love story.