There ’s a lot of comparisons to be drawn between this weekend ’s “ The Pyramid at the End of the World ” and its precede episode , “ Extremis”—mainly in that they ’re both setup for a story that ’s really yet to shift into high-pitched paraphernalia . But , they ’re also both model of how Doctor Who can transmute a humdrum episode into something marvelous in its last moment .
Like “ Extremis ” before it , “ The Pyramid at the goal of the World ” is mostly arrange up — which make it even weird that this is a three - part story about the Monks that has , so far , seemingly determine to pull through much of what ’s actually the spate with these guys for next week ’s instalment . At least , unlike “ Extremis ” , which was mostly in serve ofone self-coloured ending twist that fork up most of itself inconsequential , “ The Pyramid at the oddment of the World ” ’s escalation in its last fifteen minute more than made up for the fact that two third of its run time was a bit heavy bring there .
Part of that is built into the premise : an ancient Pyramid has landed in the middle of a standoff between the armies of the US , China , and Russia , threatening to be the catalyst of a new World War , prompting the UN to evoke the Doctor ’s “ presidentship ” of Earth again ( a form of address used in the yesteryear as more of a joke and condone to lend him into the action , but here ultimately proved to be the sham it always was , considering the generals adjudicate to ignore the Doctor ’s plan ) to get him to investigate .
But , similarly to “ Extremis ” and its computer pretending , this countersink up was actually faux in and of itself — the Monks and their skittish Pyramid were nothing more than a decoy for the Doctor , Bill , and Nardole to cypher out while the veridical remnant of the world come about in a Yorkshire bio science lab called Argofuel , where random luck ( plus a set of broken glasses and a drunken all - nighter ) leads to the creation of an airborne virus that can release any support matter into a pool of goop in minutes .
It ’s an interesting set up — in that instead of being a meticulously crafted plan , the real terror is a butterfly consequence from what were otherwise altogether harmless random consequence — but also a tedious electrocution one , made somewhat wearisome for the audience by the fact we make love from pretty much the get - go that the veridical danger is away from the Pyramid , and we ’re just wait for team TARDIS to catch up and figure it out too . It make up much of “ Pyramid ” , while on its own whole fine , feel like it ’s rub to get into gear .
But man , when it does , it drive home a really spectacular bit of Doctor Who . Pretty much from the moment Nardole and the Doctor home in on Argofuel as the situation about to end the mankind — oddly quickly , I find , given the episode had earlier done a near job of showing the Doctor and his team trying to make the mystery out bit by flake , something Doctor Who does n’t do enough at times—“The Pyramid at the End of the World ” exploded into action . Literally , even , given that the Doctor ’s plan to save the day affect him fluff the bejesus out of the laboratory so as to sterilize it of the deadly Modern gunkify - ing virus . And he would ’ve set out away with it if it had n’t been for a manual doorway curl !
What makes the moment the Doctor realizes he can no longer cover his blindness so tragical was that he came so nigh to saving the day without get to reveal his biggest awe : that he ’s weakened and compromised . Early on in the instalment the Doctor differentiate Bill that sometimes you’re able to be so gripped by a fear that even just saying so becomes petrifying in and of itself , and throughout , his attempts to reveal to her that he ’s still blind make it clean-cut he was babble out about his own care of being unreasoning rather than the impending end of the world . The Doctor had basically done everything right , only to be loosen by a compounding lock he could n’t even see : not by the Monks , but a doorway and a deception of his own making . It ’s a startling moment of hubris for the Doctor — and bright mirror the instalment ’s extensive exploration of cause and burden , cashing in on the Doctor ’s own brashness in “ Oxygen ” at the worst potential time .
That moment of failure , in turn , makes Bill ’s own decision to consent to the Monks ( trade the enslavement of humanity for the fortune the Doctor can see again and contend back against it ) so powerful . It all comes back to something that this season of Doctor Who has been playing with in every instalment : the value we put on a exclusive sprightliness . Here , Bill realize that the Doctor aliveness , and seeing again , is deserving being put through the revulsion of not just being judged by the Monks — and potentially facing a grim death — but also an uncertain , grim time to come where they rule the Earth . Because if the Doctor still lives , there ’s still hope for the day to be hold open and the villains to be defeated .
And if he can do it while blind , then maybe free Bill and the earthly concern from the Monks does n’t seem like such a daunting task after all .
Assorted Musings (In Time and Space)
inadequate Douglas the scientist . His death was alarmingly sudden for whatever biologic catastrophe he ’d accidentally fudge up , but also , maybe one of the rank Doctor Who has done in a while — much more efficaciously shocking than the Monks ’ sandy - dissolution thing .
I really go for “ The Trygve Halvden Lie of the Land ” somehow opens with Bill get a third attempt date with Penny break hilariously cockeyed , butconsidering how grim it expect , it ’d be a pretty weird way to stock on a operative joke like that .
So what can the Monks actually do ? They can take unexampled shapes ( they mention their current form is one they ’ve recently taken ) , they ’re dependable at creating alternating reality , they can see the hereafter , they can decay mass , they can swap position with another person at will . I trust we get an intimation of just why they seem so insanely sinewy in next week ’s installment , give that we ’re see them ruling over the Earth .
Speaking of that Bill / Penny scene , we ’ve pretty much get confirmation that Donald Trump is the US President in the medico Who universe . That might be the most petrifying plot rhythm of all , really .
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