Warning: This article includes MAJOR SPOILERS for Doctor Who season 15, episode 3, “The Well”!
InDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 3, “The Well,” the Fifteenth Doctor impressively predicts the big twist fifteen minutes before the story reveals the truth. RTD’s return as showrunner had a rocky start and dividedDoctor Whofans. Not everyone enjoyedDoctor Whoseason 14, starring the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday. However,the highly-rated first three episodes ofDoctor Whoseason 15 are winning over many skeptical fanswith their excellent writing and clever premises.Belinda Chandra also feels different than past companions, and she has a better dynamic with the Doctor than Ruby Sunday did.
TheDoctor Whoseason 15 episode “The Well” is a sequel to “Midnight,” set 400,000 years after the events of the first episode. Even thoughDoctor Whogave away the twist in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it momentfive minutes into the episode, this doesn’t become obvious until over halfway through. Still, the Fifteenth Doctor does an impressive job predicting the truth early on, despite not having all the information to piece it together.
The Fifteenth Doctor Predicts Aliss Will Be Both The Victim & The Threat
Right before entering the chamber to find Aliss, Shaya worries that the person in the room might be a threat to them, while Belinda thinks they should treat the person like a victim. However, the Doctor mentions the fact that the person in the room could be both the survivor and the killer. Only 15 minutes later, the episode reveals thatthemonster from “Midnight”has attached itself to Alissafter she had to kill her best friend in self-defense.
The fact that the Doctor was clever enough to predict the possibility of an innocent person also being a threat makes sense, given their past encounters with entities who are dangerous without intending to harm others. Ultimately, it’s nice to see that the Fifteenth Doctor hasn’t completely forgotten everything past Doctors have learned throughoutDoctor Who.
“Lux” & “The Well” Have Made A Big Improvement To The Fifteenth Doctor
The Fifteenth Doctor Now Has Two Integral Personality Traits Of Past Iterations
Although I’ve enjoyed Ncuti Gatwa’s performance as the Doctor since the beginning, one writing flaw has subtly bothered me since the actor took over. Before RTD returned as showrunner,the Doctor was usually the cleverest and most curious person in the room, even if they weren’t always the smartest. They typically have a unique perspective and an uncanny ability to solve problems, saving the day. However,Doctor Whoseason 14 made theFifteenth Doctor feel bad at their job.
Fifteen kept stepping on things by accident and didn’t approach situations with curiosity, even running away from trouble a few times. Then, the premiere ofDoctor Whoseason 15 showed the Doctor getting a bunch of rebels killed. Luckily,“Lux” and “The Well” bring back these two core traits of the Doctor. Hopefully, this side of the Fifteenth Doctor will continue to grow throughoutDoctor Whoseason 15 without ruining the fun characteristics that make them unique from their previous regenerations.
