‘The Well,’ the latest episode of Doctor Who’s second season, takes viewers 500,000 years into the future, revisiting the planet Midnight from 2008’s iconic episode and introducing fresh twists involving the Toymaker, Mrs Flood, and altered timelines.
The latest episode of Doctor Who’s second season, “The Well,” continues the adventures of Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and Varada Sethu’s companion Belinda Chandra, transporting viewers 500,000 years into the future for a compelling continuation of a storyline originally introduced in the 2008 David Tennant era episode “Midnight.” Now streaming on BBC iPlayer and Disney+, this episode merges past and present narratives while introducing fresh mysteries to explore in the show’s evolving lore.
In “The Well,” the Doctor’s initial struggle to return Belinda home takes a surprising turn when the TARDIS is unable to land on May 24, 2025, as planned. Instead of arriving on present-day Earth, the TARDIS materialises aboard a spaceship orbiting a desolate planet, prompting an abrupt emergency descent to the surface. The Doctor and Belinda find themselves immersed in an investigation of a long-lost mining colony, soon discovering that the lifeless world they have encountered is actually the far-future state of the planet Midnight.
Midnight first appeared as a setting in the 2008 episode of the same name, where the Tenth Doctor encountered a deadly, unseen creature that possessed individuals aboard a stranded tour bus on the diamond-covered world. The planet’s dangerous Galvanic radiation, emitted by its X-tonic sun, was a notable feature of that story. “The Well” cleverly connects to this history, revealing that the creature from that earlier encounter has not only returned but has evolved considerably over a span of 400,000 years.
In its new incarnation, the Midnight creature demonstrates a disturbing ability to take physical form, using its victims as puppets in a deadly game. The Doctor immediately recognises its behaviour as reminiscent of the “games” it played during their original encounter. This playful yet sinister nature hints at deeper connections to one of Doctor Who’s recently reintroduced antagonists: the Toymaker.
The Toymaker, portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris since 2023, first returned to the series in “The Giggle,” a special celebrating Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary. He is described as one of the Gods of Chaos from beyond the material universe, and in a meeting with the Fourteenth Doctor he cryptically claimed to have “made a jigsaw” out of the Doctor’s history. The playful, game-oriented tendencies of the Midnight creature align well with the Toymaker’s characterisation as the God of Games, bound by the rules of play. Moreover, the creature’s formless, enigmatic nature echoes other chaotic entities introduced in the series’ new era, including the Not-Things seen in “Wild Blue Yonder,” suggesting a shared origin beyond the known universe.
Adding complexity to the narrative is the recurring presence of Anita Dobson’s character, Mrs. Flood, who appeared in every episode of this season so far. In “The Well,” she is revealed to be posing as a superior officer in the investigation and closely monitors the Doctor’s involvement and his use of the Vindicator—a device to guide the TARDIS. This consistent manipulation of events has stirred fan speculation that Mrs. Flood may be more than she appears, potentially linked to the Time Lord known as the Master.
The Master, the Doctor’s long-standing adversary, last made an on-screen appearance in 2022, played by Sacha Dhawan. Notably, in “The Giggle,” the Toymaker imprisoned the Master in his golden tooth, a detail which remains unresolved. Mrs. Flood’s possession of that tooth’s recovery and her knowledge of Time Lord matters have led to theories positing that she might be manipulating the Doctor’s timeline for her own purposes. Mrs. Flood’s declaration in the previous episode, “Empire of Death,” of plans to bring war to the gates of Heaven suggests ambitions beyond mere interference.
“The Well” also exposes unsettling changes to the Doctor’s historical understanding. On arrival, Belinda inquires about the survival of humanity in the far future, to which the Doctor responds that humans continue to explore the stars. However, when the Doctor interacts with troopers from the planet Lombardo, none recognise the existence of Earth or humanity itself. This discrepancy aligns with revelations from “The Robot Revolution,” season two’s premiere, which depicted Earth’s ruins drifting through space on May 24, 2025, indicating a timeline where Earth has been destroyed and history altered.
Such an alteration in time could result from immensely powerful forces at work. While the Toymaker and other Gods of Chaos have the capability to manipulate temporal events, Mrs. Flood’s ongoing surveillance and strategic influence over the Doctor’s journeys strongly hint at her involvement in redirecting history. Whether she is acting for her own benefit or on behalf of another agenda remains to be seen.
Fans eagerly await how these narratives will unfold in the coming episodes of Doctor Who. The intricate layering of past storylines, the resurgence of iconic villains, and the introduction of new mysteries promise a season rich in complexity and intrigue. New episodes are released every Saturday on BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Disney+ where available.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/the-new-doctor-who-episode-the-well-is-actually-a-sequel-to-a-david-tennant-classic – Confirms that ‘The Well’ is a continuation of the storyline from the 2008 David Tennant episode ‘Midnight,’ featuring the Fifteenth Doctor and the setting of a future desolate planet once known as Midnight, including the mining colony and the character Aliss Fenly as the sole survivor.
- https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/doctor-whos-the-well-callback-explained/ – Explains the direct connection of ‘The Well’ to the original ‘Midnight’ episode, detailing the nature of the Midnight creature, its evolution over 400,000 years, and the Doctor’s recognition of it and its behavior, supporting the article’s point about the continuity and character evolution.
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32800929/ – Provides a summary of ‘The Well’ episode, highlighting the far-future setting on a harsh planet, the mining colony’s devastation with only one survivor, and the Doctor and companion’s investigation, supporting the basic plot details presented.
- https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/doctor-who-series-15-episode-3-review-the-well/ – Reviews ‘The Well,’ highlighting the episode’s exploration of past and present storylines, including the Doctor’s struggle to return Belinda home and the unfolding mystery aboard the spaceship and planet surface, corroborating the narrative elements of TARDIS malfunction and new mysteries.
- https://www.avclub.com/doctor-who-recap-season-2-episode-3-the-well-1850313776 – Discusses character developments including the mysterious role of Mrs. Flood and her potential manipulations, as well as the Doctor’s interactions with alien troopers unrecognizing Earth or humanity, aligning with the article’s claims about altered timelines and Mrs. Flood’s suspicious actions.
- https://screenrant.com/doctor-who-toymaker-explained-neil-patrick-harris/ – Details the Toymaker’s return in the 2023 special ‘The Giggle,’ his role as a God of Chaos, his connection to the Doctor’s history and games, and the link between the Midnight creature’s game-like behavior and the Toymaker’s character, supporting the claim about the Toymaker’s influence on the narrative and the creature’s new abilities.
- https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMie0FVX3lxTFBLYTBNbkYwYTdEU1lCRmNSTjF4OV9zYTFRX2F0OGllbWRoM3p6Q3N4eWliSUVvQ3ZNUzc4QmJxakRCZmpXeGlUTmljcmJzV3FOODJTdU5PTDExU3RsMmVlMWp0LV9kZVBxX2g3V1hRclJ6ME1GY1c3MkhIVQ?oc=5&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en – Please view link – unable to able to access data
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
9
Notes:
The content references recent episodes of Doctor Who, such as those featuring Ncuti Gatwa and Neil Patrick Harris. It also mentions a specific future event dated May 24, 2025.
Quotes check
Score:
8
Notes:
There are no direct quotes in the text, but references to narrative elements from previous episodes are verified through context.
Source reliability
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative originates from a reputable platform associated with Google News, though the original publication source is not explicitly stated.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The storyline aligns with typical Doctor Who plot developments, featuring continuations of past narratives and the introduction of new mysteries.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative appears to be current and well-integrated with existing Doctor Who lore, featuring a coherent storyline that aligns with typical series developments.
