In a new video BBC released, Steven Moffat talks about the event of the upcoming episode, and they might not be exactly what you’re expecting.
Basically, the Doctor’s fighting from a new position this week — the losing position. He’s already lost and been with the monks for six months. This leads to some new totalitarian/dystopian world where, yes, the human race is controlled by the Monks. In the teaser, we hear Bill say that the monks have been around forever, and we see their statue in all different parts of the world. It is a reminder of the Silence, except for the fact that these monsters seem to be controlling everything and everyone.
In a current world of dystopian television shows, this is definitely up there. We have the monks everywhere, we have people wearing the same muted colors, and we know that Bill has to go against the Monks (possibly with Missy) in order to save the Doctor.
We see the Doctor on television, presumably how the monks communicate with the masses, with a grin that can only be described as…evil. It looks like getting the Doctor’s sight back came with some conditions, and one of those is to join them.
Credit: BBC
Capaldi’s got that creepy smile down pat.
Doctor & the Monks
So the Doctor has, at least for now, lost to the Monks. Do we believe that he’s truly gone over to the dark side, or is he faking it? This wouldn’t be the first time that the Doctor surprised us all and was really helping from the inside.
But what does he gain from pretending? Information? Is that why we see him looking at these pictures while obviously in some kind of monk prison? (Hence the statue)
Credit: BBC
Moffat always likes to turn us on our heads. Maybe trying to think one step ahead of him is fruitless, but a girl can try. None of this explains what happened in Extremis, if we’re still in a simulation or if that was a result of the projector and bad TARDIS stealing. The Monks now have what they want, a Doctor with supreme knowledge. Can all of our questions be answered in 45 minutes?
I suppose they’ll have to be.
Next: BBC America gives us first look at The Lie of the Land