Doctor Who Season 11, Episode 2: ‘The Ghost Monument’ spoilers and theories
The new series of Doctor Who is up and running, with Jodie Whittaker already settling in to life as the Thirteenth Doctor, but what can Who fans expect from second episode “The Ghost Monument?”
Any concerns that the first female Doctor would somehow throw the long-running series out of kilter were quickly allayed last Sunday when Jodie Whittaker gave an assured, charming, thoroughly Who performance in the Series 11 premiere.
If skeptical fans were worried that the show might be fundamentally changed by the leadership of new head writer Chris Chibnall (of Broadchurch fame), then the episode’s classic blend of action, pathos and whimsy were enough to put those worries to bed.
Things are very much in order and Doctor Who fans have no less a tantalising prospect than nine new episodes of the show to look forward to over the next few months.
But with Episode 1 closing on a cliff-hanger which seemed to transport the Doctor and new acquaintances Ryan (Tosin Cole), Graham (Bradley Walsh) and Yasmin (Mandip Gill) into the airless reaches of outer space, what can we expect from the second instalment?
Where have the Doctor and her companions landed?
CREDIT: BBC
The trailer for the new episode makes it clear that – surprise, surprise – the Who entourage haven’t expired in deep space. They seem to have arrived on a desert planet with some extra alien companions. (Played by Shaun Dooley and Susan Lynch, we know these characters are called Angstrom and Epzo).
As they traipse across the scorched landscape and avoid an attack from the natives of this new planet, we hear the Doctor reassure her companions: “I will keep you alive and I will get you back home.” It’s a bold claim since we know from Episode 1 that the Doctor has lost the TARDIS.
Since the group seem to come under fire pretty quickly, it seems safe to say that – whoever their new alien companions are – they’re not particular welcome either. In the trailer, hooded robotic-seeming figures are wielding the guns, and since the episode makes reference to a monument of some description, it could well be that these menacing figures are guardians of some sort of shrine or religious temple.
The episode description from the BBC suggests they will have to “solve the mystery of Desolation.” Since the planet itself appears to be a desolate, desert landscape, another fair bet would be that the ‘desolation’ references some sort of environmental destruction that ravaged the planet. Perhaps it was a lush, fertile place at some point in the past?
Doctor Who airs on Sunday on BBC One and BBC America.
