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Warning! This article contains spoilers for Doctor Who, season 15, episode 3.
‘s “The Well” was a compelling episode, but there was a flaw in the resolution I couldn’t get past. As Russell T Davies’ second season in his second era as showrunner on Doctor Who continues to unfold, the quality has taken a large step up from last season. With Ncuti Gatwa settled into his role as the Doctor, and the adventures feeling more familiar and exciting, it seems like everything is moving in the right direction.
However, that doesn’t mean the show has no flaws. As a series that has been going on for more than 60 years, Doctor Who has had more than its fair share of ups and downs. Despite this, in the face of everything, the Doctor continues to travel all time and space, saving people, and making friends. But the latest addition to the TARDIS lineup came very close to meeting her end when a terrifying unseen monster attached itself to her back. Fortunately, an expert shooter helped to expel the monster, and keep Belinda Chandra safe from danger… sort of.
The Doctor Could Have Used A Mirror To Save Belinda Instead Of Shooting Her
Moments Before, They Saved Aliss With Mirrors
The issue is, earlier in the episode, while the rescue team are still getting to grips with the monster, the Doctor figures out exactly what this creature is. And upon learning its identity, the Doctor gets the bright idea of leaking mercury, a highly reflective metal. This worked a treat, as the monster was forced to jump off Aliss’ back, before the entire team made a run towards the pick-up point. But then, when the beast is revealed to have continued following them and capturing a new host, Belinda’s life is endangered.
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Other than the creature from “Midnight,” which one-time Doctor Who villain deserves to come back?
I was over the moon to see the return of the unknown creature from Doctor Who’s season 4 episode “Blink” in the recent season 15 installment, “The Well.” It’s an underrated villain, and one I’m glad to see make a comeback, but it’s made me think about which other one-time villains also deserve a second chance. I’d love to see Prisoner Zero from “The Eleventh Hour.” In “Joy to the World,” it says on the cover of the Doctor’s newspaper that Prisoner Zero was deemed innocent, and I really want to know what occurred to result in the alien’s freedom.
In an effort to protect Belinda, Shaya, the captain of this mission, puts her considerable marksman skills to the test as she prepares to shoot Belinda. But none of this was necessary. As the Doctor figured out with Aliss, the monsters can’t stand the sight of their own reflections. Had he simply walked into the TARDIS, he could have found a mirror or other reflective device, and forced the monster to jump off of Belinda’s back.
Why The Doctor May Not Have Been Able To Repeat The Same Reflection Trick With Belinda
Doctor Who Needs More Variety & Contention
Now, since it’s a sci-fi adventure show, it makes sense that they didn’t want to repeat the same trick twice within the span of a few minutes. But, in the context of the story, it feels odd that the Doctor would take the chance of letting Belinda get shot when he could have grabbed a mirror. Perhaps the Doctor felt strongly that he couldn’t leave her side, even briefly, in order to save Belinda with the tried and true method of reflection. Or, perhaps the Doctor wanted the creature dead and gone, which was more likely to happen if it was shot rather than simply forced to jump away from its host.
The Doctor promised to keep Belinda safe, and having a near-complete stranger shoot near her heart did not feel very safe. However, it is also possible that the Doctor feared the creature had learned from the interaction with Mercury, and would be able to better defend against having a reflection used on it a second time. No matter what, the Doctor’s choice to let Belinda get shot seems controversial at least, and could lead to some more dark reveals in Doctor Who season 15.
5/10
- Release Date
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December 25, 2023
- Directors
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Douglas Camfield, David Maloney, Christopher Barry, Michael E. Briant, Barry Letts, Michael Ferguson, Richard Martin, Peter Moffatt, Pennant Roberts, Lennie Mayne, Chris Clough, Ron Jones, Paddy Russell, Paul Bernard, Michael Hayes, Timothy Combe, Morris Barry, Gerald Blake, Graeme Harper, Waris Hussein, Rodney Bennett, Mervyn Pinfield, Hugh David, John Gorrie
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