THE INVASION

Zoe and Isobel have been caught by the International Electromatix guards
and dragged up to see Tobias Vaughn after Zoe has deliberately broken
the computer receptionist. Vaughn is in his suave avuncular mode,
snickering gently at their misbehavior. The girls are not so amused at
the way they have been ambushed. Vaughn comments that they have caused
him a lot of trouble: it was rather naughty of them to ruin such an
expensive piece of equipment. 'What are you going to do about it?' asks
Isobel grouchily, 'Spank us?' Vaughn smiles. 'A very good idea,' he
says, standing up and moving his chair back. 'I think you were the main
culprit,' he says, taking Zoe by the shoulder and turning her over his
knee as he sits back down. In this position Zoe's mini-skirt is too
short to cover her panties, stretched tightly over her quivering bottom.
Vaughn proceeds to spank her, administering seven firm slaps while
Isobel looks on open-mouthed. Then he releases Zoe and she backs away,
rubbing her bottom, while Vaughn advances on Isobel. 'Your turn now,
Miss Watkins...'

That just about works for me for several reasons. Vaughn is not an
absolutely villainous character, especially at this early stage in the
story before he's shown to be in with the Cybermen. Zoe trashed the
computer of pique and not as a deliberate attempt at sabotaging the
invasion. The girls kind of bring it on themselves by the way they act
when Vaughn confronts them (and Isobel is the one who actually suggests
it, although not meaning for it to be taken seriously). And the spanking
itself is fairly restrained - not quite token, maybe, but Vaughn clearly
treats it as half a joke and not a serious act of discipline. (A
companion might expect something more severe from the Doctor if she
broke the TARDIS, f'rinstance.) What do you think?