Fear Itself (''K-9'')

"Fear Itself" is an episode in the Australian/British science fiction drama television series K-9. It is the sixth episode of Series 1.

Synopsis

London is out of control, and riots erupt due to a strange irrational fear that fills the air. The focal point of the paranoia is based in an old junkyard where a strange alien consciousness is at work.

Plot

Darius is in a junkyard to find a device when he is approached by two strange vagrants who say the junkyard belongs to them and tell Darius to leave. They lock Darius in a wardrobe. When he grabs on to a bar in the wardrobe he suddenly finds himself holding on for his life as there is a bottomless pit below. Back at the mansion Gryffen and Starkey are feeling frightened for an unknown reason. They find out they are not the only ones feeling this as they monitor news reports of mass stampedes and riots across London. Darius arrives at the mansion, terrified after his ordeal.

When they ask him where he was, Darius is shocked to find that the junkyard is on the news and the two vagrants are being interviewed. Drake suddenly interrupts the interview when they start talking about a monster, and Darius determines that there is an alien in the hole. K-9, Darius, Starkey and Jorjie go to the junkyard only to find that CCPCs are patrolling it. K-9 manages to distract the CCPCs by alerting them to a violation of Department Regulation 29d (the use of unapproved sandwiches at a picnic).

Although the CCPCs are gone, Drake arrives, and they decide to hide in the wardrobe. Darius refuses because of his earlier experience. They realise his fears when he once again holds on to the bar and nearly falls. They try to hold on him but they can't hold on much longer. K-9 manages to save him, and Drake is with K-9. He asks them if they saw the alien. As they leave Drake shouts out to the alien, refusing to acknowledge his fear. Back at the mansion Gryffen demonstrates to the team events concerning the spread of fear. Gryffen reveals to the team that Darius is claustrophobic.

At Department HQ Drake tells June of the alien in the wardrobe. Back at the mansion Starkey and Jorjie futilely try to scare K-9 in order to make him understand fear. At the junkyard June finds nothing in the wardrobe, but Drake insists there is an alien. When Starkey investigates the wardrobe he determines that "your own fear makes you see the hole". He is taken away by two CCPCs. He is taken to a cell where he is met by Drake. Drake starts to show signs of paranoia and refuses acknowledge his fear.

K-9 decides that they have to go to the junkyard and prove the fear isn't real. K-9 goes to the hole and finds nothing, and both Starkey and Gryffen lose contact with K-9 temporarily. K-9 sees a Jixen but registers no data. Starkey tries to convince him it's not real. Drake decides to arm a bomb and destroy the wardrobe. K-9 manages to believe the Jixen is not real and it vanishes. Starkey and Jorjie go back to the mansion and warn Gryffen to tell K-9 to get out but they feel the force of the explosion. However, K-9 manages to escape. Drake tells the creature he has won and destroys the wardrobe with his mechanical hand.

K-9 reveals he felt the bomb was coming, Jorjie congratulates him on experiencing a feeling. The team all have a group hug.

External links

• "Fear Itself" on IMDb
• K9 Official
• The Doctor Who site