The Gallifrey gang arrive on a version of their world that features a war between Time Lords and the Ancient Enemy: vampires! (Do I really need to say more than that?)
Annihilation is an incredibly bleak episode of Gallifrey. That’s the thing with parallel universe stories – you can get away with so much more and give a story a huge downer ending. (Doctor Who discovered this best on-screen with Inferno.)
One reason why it’s so bleak is that it features a different kind of war story. At least, different to what we’ve heard in the Civil War from the earlier seasons, or from the Time War later on. Because this focuses on trench warfare, on a world torn apart by two sides desperate to wipe each other out.
There’s a lot of death and a lot darkness in this story (both figuratively and literally – Gallifrey is shrouded in eternal night in this episode). But there’s also a lot of fun, too. Especially who the main enemies are in this episode: vampires!
If you don’t know much about Time Lord history in Doctor Who, it was revealed in Tom Baker serial State of Decay that vampires were once the “Ancient Enemy” of the Time Lords, during some of Gallifrey’s earliest and darkest days.
In this reality, due to one man’s huge decision, the war never ended, and the Time Lords aren’t nearly as powerful as they should be. The vampires have ruled the planet for a very long time. It would take a lot to end this stalemate. But will Romana, Leela and Narvin save this world? Or will they lead to its destruction?
Vampires were originally introduced into the Doctor Who universe with State of Decay. Annihilation builds upon that mythos….
(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.
Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)
A great character story
Along with darkness and horror, what’s also enjoyable about Annihilation is how much the story focuses on Narvin’s and Leela’s relationship. Both characters have come a long way since Gallifrey began, and their relationship has grown considerably.
More from Winter is Coming
- For All Mankind finally gives us information in Episode 405, “Goldilocks”
- Watch a stunning VFX breakdown of The Wheel of Time season 2
- Of course Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon) thinks Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen) should rule Westeros
- Confirmed: The Last of Us season 2 will air in 2025
- Final season of Star Trek: Discovery will have “a lot of action, a lot of adventure, a lot of fun”
While initially they hated each other, they have grown fond of each other, too. Narvin actually admits that, while he doesn’t think he likes Leela, he “certainly respects” her. It’s a sweet moment, especially as Leela actually prefers to be respected than liked.
In fact, this is a pretty solid character episode all round. Romana is put into a difficult position where she has to make a terrible choice. And it’s clearly going to leave an impact on her. Especially with Brax no longer around.
It’s funny how your opinion of certain stories and episodes can change over time. Annihilation is a prime example of this. When I first listened to it, I’ll be honest, I didn’t think much of it. This, more than any other, seemed to move the furthest away from the thrilling politics of the series. And it seemed a little too dark and bleak at times.
But now that I’m relistening to it, it’s actually an enjoyable and thrilling episode in its own right. One that explores the characters in a very satisfying way, while still telling a story of Time Lords versus vampires. It may not be my favorite episode, but it’s certainly enjoyable, regardless, and really shows how Gallifrey isn’t afraid of taking risks with the format.
Do you think the history of the Time Lords and the vampires should be explored more in Doctor Who? Let us know in the comments below.