Doctor Who Review: The Pyramid at the End of the World (Season 10 Episode 7)

Doctor Who Season 10 Episode 7 “The Pyramid at the End of the World,” explores the nature of power and consent.

The Doctor is at his very core a creature in need of praise. Not quite a narcissist and not quite an egomaniac, he nevertheless has a craving for adventure that often leads to him on the path of tortured heroes before him.

Nowhere is this more plain than in this episode. The Doctor, still blind, goes head to head with a race of alien Monks whose sole purpose on Earth is to stop its extinction.

There is no doubt that the Monks do not have pure motives in their pursuit of Earth’s continued existence — they ask for consent through “love,” though the consent they are asking for is to rule over humanity.

However, there is a power struggle for Earth, and it’s not between the UN and the Monks. The Doctor rankles at the idea that someone else knows Earth better than he does, or presumed to study it so intensely that they can predict not only when it will end, but how to stop it.

Years of experience tell the Doctor that aliens that intend to rule over a planet aren’t exactly there for its well-being. But interestingly, he relies less on that argument and more on asking humanity to take his world for it. The Doctor jokingly refers to himself as something close to God (their eyebrows are very similar, apparently), but it’s not really meant to be funny — he half-believes it to be true.

THE DOCTOR: Then you’ll know that there’s a line in the sand, and I’m the man on the other side of it. You want to keep me that way.

The Doctor rests his entire case against the Monks on the idea that he is The Doctor, the destroyer and saviour of worlds, the man who knows everything and has somehow seen even more. Want proof? He hasn’t got it, but he has got a quip or two.

The reality is, the Doctor doesn’t know how to solve every problem, but he always wants to be the one who gets to solve it first.

Silence in the…Pyramid

The plot of “The Pyramid at the End of the World” is familiar territory to Who fans. An alien race who has observed and been present for every moment of humanity, rules much like an organized religion, speaks through a mouth with no true movement, and has an affinity for pyramids? This is the Silence all over again, but with less flash.

It is inevitable that Doctor Who will repeat itself from time to time, but a three-parter centered on an alien race controlling humanity is just old territory by now. The resolution remains to be seen, of course, but there is no escaping the repetition of particular story beats here.

Bill the Brave

A special shout-out has to be given to Bill for her sacrifice to save the Doctor. Bill has only known the Doctor for a short time, but he is something she has never had: a steady, reliable source of friendship. He cares about her well-being, her personal life, and in taking her on wild adventures to see the universe.

Bill has never had anyone like that in her life before. Without her mother around and no real set group of friends, Bill is an incredibly lonely person who latches onto anyone who bothers to give a damn about her. This makes her decision to save the Doctor at the possible expense of both herself and planet Earth entirely believable.

Stray Thoughts:

• Hey Nardole? Buddy? You okay? I’m not gonna say I’d be sad to see him go, but clearly there’s more to his arc than we’ve yet seen. I’m just saying…it wouldn’t suck if he disappeared.
• The Doctor can see again! But what has it cost Bill?
• Missy is back next week. My excitement levels are at 100%.

What did you think of this episode of Doctor Who? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Reviewer Rating:

User Rating:

 

Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9/8c on BBC/BBC America.

Follow us on Twitter @telltaleTV_

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

15 TV Shows That Continued Without Their Leads