My Review of Doctor Who: "The Well"

 

Written by Russell T. Davies And Sharma Angel Walfall

Directed by Amanda Brotchie 

Aliss/The Entity (to the Doctor/crew): "Don't turn your back on me!"

In their bingo card for RTD2, who had a sequel to the Series 4 episode Midnight in mind? I certainly didn't and despite being spoiled that it was going to happen, I'm still shocked that it did. This episode could've gone so wrong but fortune really favoured this one.

Failing to get Belinda home yet again, the Doctor ended up 500,000 years into the future with his new companion. They landed on a spaceship with a crew and then descended on the Planet 6767 as a result. A crew, who fortunately didn't feel too much like just stock characters. 

The three members that got the most focus at least had personalities and were both a help and a hindrance to the Doctor, Belinda and main guest focus, the terrified and possessed Aliss Fenly (Rose Ayling-Ellis). Let's talk about those crew members before discussing Aliss, shall we?

On the negative side of things, there was Cassio Palin-Paleen (Christopher Chung). He was openly dismissive of the Doctor and Belinda, had no problem trying to take over command and his inability to read the room got himself and most of the crew killed when antagonising the Entity that had a hold on Aliss. Cassio was nice to look at but he wasn't smart at all.

Fortunately the actual commander of the crew Shaya Costallion (Caoilfhionn Dunne) and right hand woman, Mo Gilliben (Bethany Antonia) were more receptive to listening to the Doctor and Belinda when it came to the Entity in question. One of them made a noble sacrifice but the other ended with an eternal curse, ending this episode on one hell of a note.

Now, let's get back to Aliss. She was a cook who desperately wanted to get back to her daughter. Being deaf meant the Entity hadn't driven her mad but the Entity in question also had no problem jumping into Belinda before changing hosts and that ending of course.

The Doctor and Belinda's relationship really went through the ringer thanks to that Entity this week. There was a genuine sense of danger and for an Entity that previously repeated itself, it certainly evolved this week in terms of what it could do. Now do we have to wait another several incarnations before the Doctor encounterd it again?

- In the future, the Earth and the human race no longer exist. None of the crew knew of either during their scenes with the Doctor and Belinda.

- Mo ended up reporting to Mrs Flood, who seemed to be happy about the Vindicator. 

- Belinda was scolded for not knowing sign language. The Doctor was the only character who used sign language to communicate with Aliss.

- Cassio didn't care for the Doctor calling him "Babes". He wasn't keen on "Hun" either. 

- Standout music: Britney Spears Toxic made a comeback for this episode. 

- Chronology: From where the previous episode left off and 500,000 years in the future. 

The Well could go down as a future classic and proof that sometimes a sequel to a popular story can be done well. I feel we learned a bit more about that Entity but didn't have the mystery diluted. Ncuti Gatwa might just have given his best performance in his tenure as well.

Rating: 9 out of 10