The Pyramid at the End of the World

"Life on Earth will cease at humanity's own hand."

Writers: Peter Harness & Steven Moffat
Format: TV
Broadcast: 27th May 2017
Series: 10.07

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Bill, Nardole

Synopsis

At a war zone in Turmezistan where America, Chinese and Russian armies are about to meet, a 5,000-year-old pyramid stands. It's very strange, but one thing raises the suspicions of the United Nations: it just appeared overnight. The aliens inside claim that humans would cause the death of all life on Earth. Soon, the Doctor, Bill and Nardole are facing an invasion the likes of which they have never seen before. Before they invade, the Monks need to be invited...

Verdict

The Pyramid at the End of the World was an excellent episode and it continued the Monk story arc very nicely. After witnessing a simulation they had run in Extremis, we now got to see them in the real world and whilst the Doctor continued to have problems actually seeing them, given his continued blindness, they had arrived. They did so in quite unique style as they plonked a five-millennia old pyramid smack bang in the middle of a war zone. That was rather bold and it seemed that their intention was to provoke World War Three with the area of Turmezistan being occupied in territories by the Chinese, Russians and Americans. However, some expert help was needed and it was deemed that the Doctor was required. He was the President of Earth after all. I liked how that wasn't made too much out of but I did find it quite funny when the Doctor emerged from the TARDIS with it being inside an aircraft. He had no choice in the matter. He was required. The way he tried to hide his blindness from Bill for another episode was good although I do question why she didn't push Nardole into explaining why he was telling the Doctor what he should have been able to see when he approached the pyramid. I thought the Monks were brilliant enemies in this episode which says a lot because they didn't actually do that much. They anticipated being attacked in quite horrific style and the image of them in the plane was quite haunting I have to say. I'm a big fan of their appearance as it's so grotesque and just horrible. It really works but it made the prospect of them being invited to save mankind all the more unlikely. The fact that they needed the consent to take the planet to be pure was really intriguing but it did seem a little harsh that if it came from strategy or fear, then you died. That did sell their evil intentions though which was good. Erica was a wonderful character and her role in the episode seemed a little confusing until the later stages. The Doctor had deduced that the military tension was merely a distraction and the reason for the doomsday clock countdown was happening elsewhere. The ingenuity of the Doctor to discover which lab the problem was at was superb and I thought Peter Capaldi was fantastic throughout. I particularly liked the Doctor's relationship with Nardole in this one. His helping of Erica was really good and he found the solution to preventing the deadly biochemical from getting into the atmosphere but his blindness would give the Monks the planet. He needed to enter the security code to get out of the air-locked lab but he couldn't see the panel to enter the numbers. This was where Bill came in and once she knew the Monks would give the Doctor his sight back, she would give them the planet. Her consent came out of love and love was pure. The planet was in the hands of the Monks, but humanity had a fighting chance with the Doctor's sight returned. Things have been set up very nicely and this was a very strong episode!

Rating: 9/10