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Warning! This review contains spoilers for Doctor Who season 15, episode 3.
season 15, episode 3, “The Well,” is easily the strongest entry this season and one of the best from Russell T Davies’ new era. With the Doctor and Belinda still struggling to find a way back to Earth, the pair end up tagging along on a dangerous mission to an abandoned planet. However, when the Doctor learns what the planet was called, the danger becomes infinitely more terrifying, and all the more familiar.
The TARDIS is struggling to zone in on Belinda’s home and timeline, so the Doctor plans to triangulate the location by dropping special equipment to help him find Belinda’s home. However, the Doctor finds trouble when a space station is littered with dead bodies — half of whom were shot and the other half attacked. It’s tense, thrilling, and delivers some of the best nostalgia hits of modern Doctor Who.
Doctor Who Is Leaning Into Its Roots In The Best Way Possible
As the longest-running sci-fi series of all time, Doctor Who has a wealth of material to look back on. However, even the 2005 reboot is 20 years behind us. So, when “The Well” makes a reference to a classic adventure from David Tennant’s era, “Midnight,” it immediately resonates with fans of the show who began watching at that early stage. As someone who picked up the show back in 2005, this moment was a spectacular payoff from the showrunner who originally oversaw the episode himself.
It’s tense, thrilling, and delivers some of the best nostalgia hits of modern Doctor Who.
On top of that, the episode gives care and attention to building the relationship between Belinda and Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor, as the pair get time to talk on the TARDIS — in the cold open and throughout the episode. But while the episode established itself as a follow-up to 2008’s “Midnight,” the connection to that creature was tenuous at best. What made “Midnight” so tense was not simply the idea that you couldn’t see the monster, but the fact that it got inside your head.
Unfortunately, the monster in “The Well” is a faint imitation of that creature. If it proves to be setting up yet another Pantheon God, it may be a less favorable return. As it stands, however, the episode was a strong one. The side characters delivered emotive and compelling performances, while the Doctor took charge of the situation and asserted his role as the cleverest person in the room. All of this feels very on-brand with the show, and restores trust that the series will continue to build on the tremendous foundation that came before.
“The Well” Presents A Serious Challenge For The Doctor
“The Well” is a balanced episode that delivers drama, horror, and builds towards the mystery this series is working towards. The Doctor continues to establish a close connection with Belinda, and while Bel is frustrated at not getting back home in a timely manner, she is starting to enjoy the adrenaline of these adventures. However, the episode left things open for this monster to return.
while there have been missteps so far in RTD’s second era, Doctor Who‘s “The Well” truly delivered.
The Doctor doesn’t always win, so that isn’t really the issue, but it’s notable that this season has had three episodes with Mrs. Flood scenes, and potentially major story beats that will later be addressed in the season finale. That’s all well and good, but Doctor Who is not a typical serialized show. Adventures stand apart, with the Doctor and his companion embracing new and dangerous situations. To that end, this season appears to be more connected than normal, and I’m excited for what that could mean for the season’s storytelling.
The episode’s actual content, the performances of the cast, and the emotion that is delivered by every central player in “The Well” are spectacular. Doctor Who is an emotive series that invites us to react and engage. And seeing the Doctor go up against impossible odds and win is always a treat. But it needs to be done right, with the resolution feeling worthwhile and sensible. And while there have been missteps so far in RTD’s second era, Doctor Who‘s “The Well” truly delivered.
Doctor Who season 15 continues with new episodes on Disney+ and BBC iPlayer each Saturday.
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