Doctor Who
Object

Second Chair Room's TARDIS-Shaped Cupboards

Critical to the companions' strategy of testing chair lethality without direct risk, and a potential red herring (locked cupboard) hinting at the real TARDIS's location.
2 appearances

Purpose

Store dolls to test deadly chairs for safety

Significance

Fuel Steven and Dodo's deception, letting them hoard dolls for an edge over the King and Queen in the Toymaker's game and advancing their escape strategy

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments
S3E31 · The Hall of Dolls
Dolls and Deception in the Chair Room

The TARDIS-like cupboards are the key to Steven and Dodo's strategy, as they contain the dolls needed to test the chairs. Steven opens one cupboard, revealing the dolls, and Dodo suggests using them to identify the safe chair. The cupboards become a point of contention when the Queen and King arrive, as Steven lies about testing the chairs in the other room to hoard the dolls. The locked cupboard is speculated to contain the real TARDIS, adding a layer of hope and urgency to the scene.

Before: Four cupboards are embedded in the walls of the Second Chair Room, three containing dolls and one locked. The dolls are stacked inside, ready to be used as proxies for testing the chairs.
After: Three cupboards are emptied of dolls, with Steven and Dodo hoarding the dolls they take. The locked cupboard remains unopened, its contents (potentially the real TARDIS) still a mystery.
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S3E31 · The Hall of Dolls
Steven and Dodo’s Deception Exposed

The TARDIS-shaped cupboards in the Second Chair Room are the source of the dolls used to test the chairs. Steven and Dodo initially open one of these cupboards, revealing the dolls inside. The Queen later references these cupboards as a potential hiding place for the real TARDIS, adding to the group’s urgency. The dolls are critical to the players’ strategy, allowing them to test the chairs without risking their own lives. However, the confrontation with the King and Queen disrupts Steven and Dodo’s plan to hoard the dolls, leaving the group with limited resources to identify the safe chair.

Before: The cupboards are closed and locked, except for one that Steven opens to reveal the dolls inside. The remaining cupboard is suspected to contain the real TARDIS, but it cannot be opened without the Doctor’s key.
After: One cupboard has been opened and its dolls partially distributed among the players. The remaining cupboard (potentially containing the TARDIS) remains locked, and the dolls are now a contested resource, with Steven and Dodo taking some and the King and Queen taking others.
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