10 Shocking Classic Doctor Who Era Cliffhangers
9. Sontarans On Gallifrey (The Invasion Of Time)
The Invasion of Time was a fun season finale for Graham William's first season as producer. It created a lot of intrigue in how the Fourth Doctor was portrayed. For a good portion of the narrative, the audience is left wondering whether or not the Time Lord has gone rogue.
After returning to Gallifrey, the Fourth Doctor insists that he be made Lord President (given he was the only candidate after the events of The Deadly Assassin), before making extreme demands to bring about a new world order for his people. It was eventually revealed that this was all a ploy, as the Fourth Doctor attempted to deceive the Vardans, in order to prevent their invasion of Gallifrey.
The battle seemed won. Gallifrey was once again saved due to the Doctor's genius. However, things were far from over. In a shocking turn of events, the Sontarans are revealed to be behind the entire invasion attempt, and had now surrounded the Fourth Doctor and his friends. Talk about averting your expectation with a sudden curve ball.