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Doctor Who Series 9: Breaking Down the Second Trailer Scene-by-Scene

By Barry Rice

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(Credit: BBC)

Yesterday, the BBC surprised everyone with the release of a second, all-new trailer for Doctor Who‘s upcoming Series 9. So what all does it contain? Let’s break it down!

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At exactly one-minute long, it’s a bit shorter than the first trailer, and it’s edited much tighter. Shot after shot flies by at breakneck speed, requiring multiple viewings to catch even half of what it contains.

The trailer opens with the TARDIS interior (note the new roundels on the lower level). The Doctor bursts through in a hurry, wearing a purple suit and exclaiming, “Sorry I’m late.”

Then we cut to a shot of Clara and Maisie Williams‘ mystery character. From their attire and the backdrop, it’s safe to assume this is a scene from the fifth episode, ‘The Girl Who Died’ (also known as “the Viking episode”). Clara says to Maisie, “He doesn’t have a plan yet.” That sounds like the Doctor, all right.

(Credit: BBC)

Next we see the Doctor and Clara staring down a squadron of those strange armored creatures we’ve seen in set photos and in the first Series 9 trailer. Are they robots or are there people inside those suits? Who knows!

(Credit: BBC)

The following shot is a silhouetted Doctor standing at the end of a long hallway, basking in a golden glow. I’m getting a James Bond vibe here. The Man with the Golden Sonic, anyone?

(Credit: BBC)

As the camera zooms in on Capaldi’s stunned face, the trailer cuts to… a dragon?! It definitely appears to be a sea serpent of some kind. Note the Celtic shields and other designs in the background. Could this be a connection to the Loch Ness monster/Fisher King storyline rumored to be in episodes 2 & 3? Is this Nessie herself we’re looking at?

Related: Series 9 Rumor: The Doctor vs. The Fisher King?

There’s a quick cut after where we see a muddy hand raising out of the ground with an eyeball planted firmly in the palm of the hand. No idea what that could be or which episode it’s from. And then…

(Credit: BBC)

It’s Rigsy! And he looks very frightened. But probably not from…

(Credit: BBC)

The Zygons! Well, ONE Zygon anyway. But you know Zygons — where there’s one, there’s bound to be a dozen more. Wait, what’s this?

It’s Clara… with a bazooka?! Notice the blank stare in her eyes, though; she looks as though she’s being controlled somehow. Or maybe she’s been brainwashed? Or could she be a Zygon? (Set photos do indicate this scene is from the two-part Zygon story in episodes 7 & 8).

(Credit: BBC)

Hey look, it’s Maisie Williams again. Wait, what in the world is that behind her?!

All right, let’s break this down for real. Maisie is looking a little dolled up here, with lipstick and an updo. Whatever that thing is behind her, it’s certainly not looking very Viking-like, so I think it’s safe to assume this is a scene from episode 6, ‘The Woman Who Lived.’ Allegedly, this episode takes place in 18th century France, as evidenced by set photos and Maisie’s intriguing appearance at the end of the first trailer. Other than that, we have no idea what the episode is about.

Related: Steven Moffat: Maisy Williams is NOT Playing a Returning Character

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you see the creature in that coach behind Maisie? “Beauty and the Beast,” right? It seems like an obvious answer, but I suspect we’re looking at a Doctor Who version of that classic tale. Now, what that has to do with Maisie’s character being present in two different time periods looking exactly the same, and what the actual in-show explanation is for the Beast’s appearance, your guess is as good as mine.

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Next: PAGE 2: Missy and Daleks and Clara, Oh My!

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(Credit: BBC)

All right, now back to the trailer.

Next we see the bulbous, brass city first glimpsed in the original Series 9 trailer. Most fans have speculated that this is a Dalek city on the planet Skaro, perhaps even the same city first seen in the Daleks’ debut story back in 1963. And… wait. What’s that? There’s something rising into the air from the city — hundreds of somethings, actually. Are those Daleks? It’s hard to tell; they’re extremely tiny in the shots shown here, but it seems likely.

Related: 7 Biggest WTF Moments from the First Doctor Who Series 9 Trailer

Then we see an empty chamber of some kind, possibly in the same city (but probably not), before cutting to…

(Credit: BBC)

Some kind of creature, with arms (and weapon) outstretched, facing an oncoming storm. This one is extremely hard to place; I’ve got no idea which episode this could be from or what kind of creature this is. Even from the back, though, it’s an extremely unsettling image.

(Credit: BBC)

And enter… Missy! In a cavern of some sort, much to the apparent chagrin of Clara.

Then we see the Doctor face-slapped by an unknown monster, before warily emerging from the TARDIS in the next shot.

(Credit: BBC)

And hey, here are the Daleks — along with Clara. Note the architecture of the room; the simplicity of the design resembles the sets from that original First Doctor story mentioned above, where we first met the Daleks. Might this lend credence to the theory that this is the same city?

Next we see a couple of spooky apparitions, one the same top hatted being from the first trailer, the other making a debut appearance.

(Credit: BBC)

The following shot is of the disturbing individual seen on Karn in the first trailer, with strange cuts/scars running horizontally across his face. Who is this person? Some have speculated it could be the return of Morbius, due to his appearance with the Sisterhood of Karn.

(Continued on next page)

Next: PAGE 3: Osgood, Zygons, and Sunglasses

(Credit: BBC)

Quickly, we cut to… Odin? It’s hard to tell with the beard and helmet, but it does look like this could be actor David Schofield, who was announced to be playing Odin in episode 5, ‘The Girl Who Died.’ He seems to have had some cybernetic upgrades.

Next we see the Doctor on horseback(!), fiercely driving his steed onward, followed by a shot of…

(Credit: BBC)

…the Predator? Okay, not really. But it could definitely pass for the Predator’s cousin. Whatever it is, it’s gruesome; it also appears to be the same monster facing off against some kind of storm a few shots back. The Doctor tells it defiantly, “I’m the Doctor, and your story ends here!”

Then, an explosion, and here’s Maisie Williams again, dressed once again in her “Beauty and the Beast” garb.

(Credit: BBC)

Hey, it’s Osgood! Running for her life from a Zygon, of course. Then we see the Doctor rocking out on guitar again, as we saw in the first trailer, followed by Missy and a Dalek — perhaps our first official confirmation that the Daleks we keep seeing are in the first two episodes, since we know Missy is definitely in those episodes. This only lends more credence to the long-running rumor that Missy will tempt the Doctor into murdering Davros as a child, thus preventing the Daleks from ever being created.

Related: Doctor Who Series 9: Was the Davros Rumor Actually True?

The Doctor and Clara are running from something and then — the Beast guy can breathe fire?! What is this thing?! The Doctor dives through a glass window!

(Credit: BBC)Ah yes, the Doctor’s new sunglasses. I tried desperately to make out the reflection in the lenses, but I’m not seeing anything.

And then another shot of the Daleks. Again, I’m struck by the simplicity of the architecture. I really think this is a throwback to the original Dalek episode.

The Doctor and Clara. The Doctor does his best Nixon impression while surrounded by UNIT soldiers.

(Credit: BBC)

Clara gives the Doctor a warm embrace; he doesn’t seem to mind. Apparently we’ve come a long way from last year’s “no hugging” policy from the Twelfth Doctor.

The Doctor puts the TARDIS in gear and… BOOM: the Doctor Who logo. “19 September.” And about 10 seconds of darkness.

So that’s it! How they managed to pack that much intrigue into such a tiny little package, I’ll never know. If you want to try and catch all of these images yourself (and I know you do), here’s the trailer for you one more time:

Doctor Who Series 9 premieres September 19 on BBC One and BBC America. For full episode information, check out our guide: Doctor Who Series 9: Everything There is to Know so Far.

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What say you? Any other glimpses in the new trailer that I’ve missed? Any guesses about what will happen in Series 9 based on this new tease? Sound off in the comments below!

Next: No Paternoster Gang in Doctor Who Series 9? Good

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