Why Nobody Remembers Earth Or Humans In Doctor Who Season 15, Episode 3

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 15, episode 3, “The Well.”Although it arguably isn’t that surprising, the fact that no one knows what the Earth is or who humans are in Doctor Who season 15, episode 3, “The Well,” comes as something of a gut-punch to Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), but it actually makes perfect sense. Despite the fact that “The Well” appears to be filled with human characters, almost everyone in the episode actually belongs to a species called the Lombardic. They may look identical to the naked eye, but it’s confirmed not only that they’re aliens, but also that they’ve never heard of Belinda’s race.

The near-human species in “The Well” is the second in Doctor Who season 15 to seem as though they’re from Earth. The first was Missbelindachandrakind, with the population being freed from oppression at the end of Doctor Who season 15, episode 1, “The Robot Revolution.” That same episode also established the reason why the TARDIS can’t take Belinda home, which also explains where all the humans have gone by the time of “The Well.” Although episode 3’s main focus is the return of a Doctor Who monster from David Tennant’s era, the confusion surrounding humanity is a fascinating subplot.

Earth Is Destroyed In 2025, Meaning It No Longer Exists In Doctor Who’s Future

No one remembers humanity because they never branched out from Earth

“The Robot Revolution” has already confirmed that the Earth will be destroyed in May 2025. This has been proven by the floating debris at the end of the season 15 premiere that could only have come from the human homeworld. So, it stands to reason that by the time of “The Well,” which is set in the distant future, no one would have heard of a race that never even got the chance to populate anywhere in the universe other than Earth.

Humans were all wiped out in one swift blow, so there are none of them left to keep the species from fading into obscurity. As such, Belinda would seem to be the last of the humans, just as the Doctor is the last of the Time Lords. So, even though there are races that are indistinguishable from humanity upon first glance, Belinda can only blend in rather than belong to a larger group of her own native species. In this way, Doctor Who has made her even more like the Doctor.

But Hasn’t The Doctor Visited Future Earth Before?

The Doctor landing on post-2025 Earth doesn’t mean the planet is safe

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Yes, the Doctor has been to Earth beyond the date of its coming destruction several times within Doctor Who canon. He even visited the planet’s 43rd century as recently as 2024’s “Joy to the World,” and humanity was thriving. So, it would be reasonable to argue that Earth’s end arriving in 2025 presents a major plot hole. However, Doctor Who‘s timeline has always been flexible and ever-changing. Although certain moments are fixed in time, most events aren’t guaranteed to happen or be avoided – and that includes the Earth being reduced to rubble.

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In other words, just because Earth’s post-2025 future has been shown in Doctor Who already, it doesn’t mean that it can’t all be changed. If the Earth’s safety was always assured by the fact that the Doctor had visited its future, then he’d never be worried whenever the planet came under threat in the present day. Instead, the Doctor knows that time can be changed, and that preventative or rectifying actions need to be undertaken to ensure Earth’s continued existence. Otherwise, he’d just be happy to sit back and wait for the perceived danger to pass, which never happens.

Erasing Humans Will Have A Massive Impact On Doctor Who’s Timeline

Humanity has a big role to play in the future

Being so far into the future, Belinda asks the Doctor in “The Well” whether there are any humans left. His response mistakenly confirms that humans “always” exist, because they eventually venture out into the cosmos and start to establish colonies at incredible distances from their planet of origin. So, even if the Earth were to be destroyed after that, humanity would remain. Unfortunately, the Doctor has either not accounted for or has underestimated the threat to Earth he witnessed at the end of “Robot Revolution.”

Humanity becomes a major player in the outer space community, weaving its way into events that lead to big turning points and landmark Doctor Who storylines. The destruction of Earth before this is accomplished means all of that is wiped from the timeline, which would result in a very different version of the future than the one that has been shown throughout Doctor Who‘s vast history.

Doctor Who

5/10

Release Date

December 25, 2023

Directors

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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