The Well

"Hope is irrelevant."

Writers: Russell T Davies & Sharma Angel-Walfall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 26 April 2025

Series: 15.03

Featuring: Fifteenth Doctor, Belinda

Synopsis

Far in the future, on a tough, brutal planet, a devastated mining colony has only one survivor. To discover the truth, the Doctor and Belinda must face absolute terror.

Verdict

The Well was an outstanding episode to continue the new series! Wow, this was probably not suited for an 8am viewing with my three-month old daughter attached to me in the carrier, but that's exactly how I watched the episode and it's something that will stay with me forever. This is a sensational story and might just go down as my favourite Fifteenth Doctor episode yet! That's saying something considering the beauty of Lux last week but I'm a sucker for nostalgia and having a sequel to Midnight is a tremendous idea that was executed pretty perfectly. Unfortunately, the news had gotten out into the online domain about this being a sequel but I appreciate the effort that came from the official channels and previews not detailing it. I still take information gleaned online with a pinch of salt but the noise was very loud surrounding this particular rumour. That didn't take anything away from the reveal moment though. That was one of the best sequences of the modern era as the Doctor learns that 400,000 years ago the planet designated 6-7-6-7 in which he stands in Colony Base 15 had a very different name. He learns of the cause of the galvanic radiation and how in the ancient times the planet was made of diamonds. That was extraordinary as Shaya revealed the planet used to be called Midnight. The reaction from the Doctor was just sublime as he slowly realised what kind of evil and demonic he was dealing with. I thought the direction in the episode was sensational and I was really impressed with the tiny glimpses we got of the Midnight creature. I am so glad we didn't see it properly or in full because that just isn't needed and I think would have taken away from the original too. We saw just enough. The atmosphere in the episode was incredible and the tension was honestly palpable! Aliss Fenly was a superb character and I loved that she was deaf. It added so much to her character and played a crucial part in explaining why she was the final survivor. The Doctor and company finding the base had been smashed with particular reference to the mirrors was intriguing, even if it did signal a weakness and possible use of defeat. The way everyone approached Aliss with caution other than the Doctor and Belinda was excellent and I'm already a huge fan of the latter as a companion. Her performances in the first three episodes have been sensational and I hope she stays for a very long time. I just love everything about her and she seems to have accepted her situation now of not quite being able to get home. She's going to enjoy the ride now and apparently changing clothes are a big part of the fun! I'm still baffled as to how the Doctor and Belinda had the exact same spacesuits as those being used to reach the planet, but that's a minute detail to be honest. I thought Shaya as the leader was another fantastic character and the way she took it upon herself to become the sacrifice when they thought they'd gotten away from the creature was admirable. She would do her job and duty as the best shot around. Shooting through Belinda (literally) to attack the creature is quite audacious, but it worked! Or so we thought. Belinda just wants to help people but here she was as the one needing help. Cassio was a decent character and his death was just excellent as Shaya ordered the creature to turn its back on some of the crew that deposed her. Was she to blame or should we accept she was justified? The whole the creature being behind you vibe was so well done and I loved the devastation that came from the crew being thrown about like rag rolls. The performance from Rose Ayling-Errirs in the story is just incredible. Her getting to escape to safety was fitting for everything she had gone through in killing her own friends and watching them die. She deserved to reach safety and I'm so glad that she did! Overall, just pure excellence. A sublime sequel! 

Rating: 10/10