Storylines graph
Storylines

Storylines in Doctor Who

The conflicts and themes that run through the narrative — each one traceable across episodes and seasons, event by event.

1609 conflict arcs
375 themes

Conflict Arc

Sandminer Sabotage Destruction

Societal
S14 3 events

The escalating destruction of the Sandminer through deliberate sabotage threatens the lives of everyone aboard, involving Poul Jensen and Toos.

Conflict Arc

Sara Kingdom's Sacrifice Against Time Destructor

Interpersonal
S3 3 events

Sara Kingdom struggles against the effects of the Time Destructor, ultimately making a sacrifice alongside the First Doctor to stop its destructive power.

Conflict Arc

Sarah Jane vs Medieval Patriarchy

Societal
S11 3 events

Sarah Jane Smith confronts systemic gender oppression within Irongron's medieval domain, asserting her agency against patriarchal constraints. The conflict pits a modern woman against a brutal warlord, with the Third Doctor aiding in resolving the clash between medieval power structures …

Conflict Arc

Sarah Jane's Dalek Identity Threat

Internal
S12 3 events

Sarah Smith faces identity threats from genetically engineered Dalek creation while navigating psychological torture and preservation against all odds.

Conflict Arc

Sarah Jane's Eldrad Loyalty Crisis

Internal
S14 3 events

Sarah Jane Smith experiences a psychological and moral struggle with the supernatural influence of Eldrad, leading to a crisis of loyalty versus self-preservation. The conflict tests her character as she is torn between helping the entity and protecting herself.

Conflict Arc

Sarah Jane's Estrangement from Kettlewell

Interpersonal
S12 3 events

Sarah Jane Smith grows increasingly estranged from Professor Kettlewell and disillusioned with Arnold Jellicoe's dismissive attitude. Her professional curiosity about stolen technology fuels an investigation that puts her at odds with those who want the truth hidden.

Conflict Arc

Sarah Jane's Fear Versus Trust

Internal
S13 3 events

Sarah Jane Smith's internal conflict between maintaining trust in the Doctor's guidance and her growing fear about the escalating danger to both herself and Ponti.

Conflict Arc

Sarah Jane's Fight Against the Exxilons

Interpersonal
S11 3 events

Sarah Jane Smith fights for survival against the Exxilons' enthralling, petrifying grasp, culminating in her imprisonment and ritual condemnation. Her struggle requires ingenuity and defiance against ancient sacerdotal authority, embodying the lone individual against an indifferent cosmos.

Conflict Arc

Sarah Jane's Grief and Resolve

Internal
S11 3 events

Sarah Jane Smith's internal struggle between grief for her lost loved ones and her determination to save the Doctor and liberate Metebelis.

Conflict Arc

Sarah Jane's Supernatural Conversion

Internal
S14 3 events

Sarah Jane Smith transitions from scientific skeptic to supernatural believer as she witnesses and battles Mandragora, Eldrad, and other threats alongside the Doctor.

Conflict Arc

Sarah Jane's Transformation Against the Ice Warriors

Interpersonal
S11 3 events

Sarah Jane Smith transforms from a captive of the Ice Warriors into a rebellious ally in the fight against their oppression. Under Azaxyr's command and aided by Eckersley, she resists her captors and eventually joins the resistance.

Conflict Arc

Sarn's Sacrifice

Interpersonal
S24 3 events

Sarn shows tragic irony by displaying compassion toward the Doctor and Mel despite strict orders to the contrary. His defiance leads to his annihilation by the Rani's machinery, sacrificing himself for his principles.

Conflict Arc

Scaroth Temporal Tampering

Internal
S17 3 events

Count Scarlioni, also known as Scaroth, pursues a millennia-long quest to reunite his splintered selves and prevent his species' extinction by altering history, culminating in a desperate temporal tampering scheme that threatens reality.

Conflict Arc

Sea Devil Biological Weapon

Internal
S9 3 events

The Doctor races against time as human intellect and compassion face an unstoppable biological weapon and its sinister controller, the Master, who unleashes a Sea Devil to terrorize the modern world.

Conflict Arc

Secrets of Cranleigh Hall

Societal
S19 3 events

The Doctor investigates Cranleigh Hall's secrets and locked rooms, uncovering mysteries within the estate.

Conflict Arc

Seeker's Ritual Duty Survival

Internal
S16 3 events

The Seeker's internal conflict between maintaining her ritual duty and avoiding the Graff's violent punishments while sensing impending doom creates a desperate struggle for survival. She must choose between obedience and self-preservation.

Conflict Arc

Sentinel Six Automated Defense

Interpersonal
S21 3 events

The Doctor and companions struggle to survive and escape Sentinel Six's automated defenses while uncovering the base's true nature and purpose.

Conflict Arc

Shardovan's Castrovalva Loyalty Test

Internal
S19 3 events

Shardovan experiences conflicted loyalty between the customs of Castrovalva and his ambiguous awareness of the Doctor's true situation. He struggles internally to decide where his allegiance lies as the artificial reality begins to crack.

Conflict Arc

Shrivenzale's Containment Conflict

Societal
S16 3 events

The Shrivenzale creature conflicts with its containment field, reacting to Garron and Unstoffe's heist plans.

Conflict Arc

Silurian Missile Gas Deployment Duel

Interpersonal
S21 3 events

A deadly clash between Silurian technological supremacy—wielding gas weapons and missile systems—and human adaptive ingenuity under the Doctor's guidance reaches a climax over gas deployment synchronized with a Silurian missile strike.

Conflict Arc

Sixth Doctor Master Rivalry

Interpersonal
S22 3 events

The Doctor vs. the Master in a long-standing Time Lord rivalry erupting into direct confrontation over control of the temporal landscape and the fate of the TARDIS.

Conflict Arc

Skagra's Universal Mind Merge

Interpersonal
S17 3 events

The alien scientist Skagra pursues a grand ambition to merge all minds in the universe into a single consciousness, using the ancient Time Lord Salyavin as a key. He employs psychological manipulation and the Ancient Law of Gallifrey to further …

Conflict Arc

Sontaran Pursuit

Interpersonal
S12 3 events

Sontaran discovery of human survivors triggers immediate pursuit and abduction attempts, testing evasion tactics against superior tracking technology while local resistance factions prioritize different response strategies.

Conflict Arc

Sorin's Ideological Fall

Internal
S26 3 events

Soviet revolutionary Sorin's fall from ideological certainty to servitude under Fenric's ancient will.

Conflict Arc

Source Collapse Struggle

Interpersonal
S18 3 events

Adric and Nyssa collaborate against the collapsing Source's temporal energies, risking Traken's foundation with morally perilous decisions.

Conflict Arc

Space Corps and Pirate Crossfire

Interpersonal
S6 3 events

The Doctor and his companions inadvertently get caught in the crossfire between pirates and the Space Corps, struggling to survive and escape the chaotic battle.

Conflict Arc

Space Wheel Cyberman Threat

Interpersonal
S5 3 events

The Doctor attempts to warn Jarvis Bennett about the Cybermen threat, but Bennett's arrogance leads him to dismiss the Doctor, endangering the entire Space Wheel.

Conflict Arc

Spiridon's Defiance Through Sacrifice

Internal
S10 3 events

Wester Spiridon struggles between his duty to his people and the moral consequences of his actions as a prisoner of the Daleks, culminating in his decision to release the bacteria mist. His sacrifice is an act of moral defiance.

Conflict Arc

Stapley vs. Kalid

Interpersonal
S19 3 events

Stapley engages in a professional rivalry and direct opposition with Kalid as the hijacked Concorde captain recognizes the temporal theft and psychotronic control. He fights against the manipulation of time and his own role in the scheme.

Conflict Arc

Stapley's Temporal Dissonance

Internal
S19 3 events

Captain Stapley grapples with his own cognitive dissonance while witnessing impossible temporal events and his crew falling under psychotronic control.

Conflict Arc

Steven's Leadership Ascension

Internal
S3 3 events

Steven Taylor journeys from being a companion to becoming a leader, grappling with his protective instincts and accepting the responsibility of uniting a divided planet. His growth reflects his transition from follower to commander.

Conflict Arc

Steven's Rill Cooperation Shift

Internal
S3 3 events

Steven Taylor evolves from distrust and skepticism about the Rills and Chumblies' intentions to cautious cooperation as he witnesses their actions and understands survival necessity.

Conflict Arc

Stien's Dalek Conditioning Battle

Internal
S21 3 events

Stien's internal battle between Dalek conditioning and free will, culminating in his sacrificial act to destroy the Dalek virus by activating the station's self-destruct mechanism.

Conflict Arc

Stike's Sontaran Rebellion

Interpersonal
S22 3 events

Stike rebels against Chessene's Sontaran authority, breaking the Time Space machine and challenging the rogue Time Lord's temporal manipulation. His insurrection disrupts the established power structure and creates new dangers.

Conflict Arc

Stone Entity's Blood Pursuit

Societal
S16 3 events

The silicon-based Stone Entity or Ogri's primal pursuit of organic blood to sustain themselves creates environmental threats to all intruders.

Conflict Arc

Stotz's Mercenary Desperation

Interpersonal
S21 3 events

Stotz escalates from mercenary opportunism to violent desperation as he struggles against Sharaz Jek, Morgus, and his own crew. He attempts to secure authority and survival in a chaotic power struggle, becoming increasingly ruthless.

Conflict Arc

Striker's Need for Dominance

Internal
S20 3 events

Captain Striker's psychological need to dominate the race and maintain the Eternals' superiority while concealing their parasitic nature drives his internal conflict.

Conflict Arc

Summer's Resistance to WOTAN

Societal
S3 3 events

Summer's initial skepticism and denial of WOTAN's threat evolve into reluctant acceptance and eventual action against the sentient computer's attempt to take over the world. The conflict follows a psychological journey from disbelief to active resistance against technological tyranny.

Conflict Arc

Supernatural Refinery Danger

Interpersonal
S19 3 events

The Doctor and Todd's partnership is strained by differing responses to escalating supernatural danger, balancing urgency against strategic restraint in a tense confrontation.

Conflict Arc

Supreme Dalek UNIT Time Travel Duel

Interpersonal
S9 3 events

A duel of wits and force between the Supreme Dalek and UNIT forces, including the Doctor, the Brigadier, and Captain Yates, to control time travel and eliminate threats to temporal dominance. The conflict pits human military against Dalek technological superiority.

Conflict Arc

Survival on the Scoutship Williams

Societal
S10 3 events

Life-or-death survival aboard the Scoutship Williams amid mechanical failures and pursuing enemies, with the psychological toll on its compromised human pilot and crew, including the Fourth Doctor.

Conflict Arc

Susan Ross's Execution Defiance

Internal
S25 3 events

Susan Ross’s acceptance of state execution vs her last gasp of defiance and survival instinct.

Conflict Arc

Susan's Choice to Leave

Internal
S2 3 events

Susan's internal struggle between her loyalty to the Doctor and her desire for a normal life on Earth with David culminates in her difficult choice to leave the TARDIS. This conflict represents the tension between familial duty and personal fulfillment.

Conflict Arc

Susan's Jungle Mission for Anti-Radiation Drug

Societal
S1 3 events

Susan undertakes a solo mission and struggle for survival in the jungle to retrieve an anti-radiation drug, facing environmental hazards alone.

Conflict Arc

Sylvest Twins' Family Tyranny Refusal

Internal
S21 3 events

Genius twins Remus and Romulus Sylvest navigate an internal conflict between their arrogance, vanity, and moral illegitimacy as they are coerced into Mestor's schemes. Their eventual refusal to be weaponized marks a turning point in resisting family tyranny and systemic …

Conflict Arc

Systemic Corruption Mission

Interpersonal
S9 3 events

The Doctor and Jo Grant's moral dilemma and mission against systemic corruption.

Conflict Arc

Tactical Conflict Against the Animus

Interpersonal
S2 3 events

Barbara Wright's ordering of the Zarbi assault on the control section versus the Menoptra showcases tactical disagreements and power dynamics within the resistance against the Animus, creating internal friction.

Conflict Arc

Taltalian's Moral Decay

Internal
S7 3 events

Bruno Taltalian's internal struggle and external manipulation by Reegan and Carrington lead him to commit morally questionable acts, sabotage the rescue mission, and ultimately meet a tragic end.