Doctor Who: The Pyramid at the End of the World.

Two episodes of build up….this better have a good ending.

So this episode stocks more mystery on the monks and where they come from. Apparently, their form is determined by those viewing them and they can’t do anything unless invited to do so.

Again, it’s getting a bit political with the idea of giving away your freedom for fear of the alternative narrative given to you by those asking for it.

This episode is the product of a collaboration between Steven Moffatt and Peter Harness, with the influence of both coming through.

It focuses on an otherwise mundane task leading to the end of world, as the dad from My Parents are Aliens is so hungover that he makes a super-virus instead of a crop control gas.

So yeah “don’t drink and science” is the overall message of this episode.

I do like that the ironic twist is that it’s actually the Doctor’s actions that end up damning the world to monk control. Him being trapped in the exploding lab was the only reason that Bill surrendered to them in the end.  It’s a god switch up, especially as it follows the monk’s dooms day clock reversing, leading us to think that the treat has been eliminated.

Bill does come across as a bit selfish, being legitimately willing to sacrifice the world to save one man. But I do think that this will feed into the overall story arc. There have been hints that she (and her late mother) are more than they seems and are connected to Doctor in some other way. Since Missy is returning proper next week, it’s probably that the Bill mystery is far more important than the vault arc.

On that point, it could still be that Missy is behind the whole monk plot. By the looks of the trailer, agreeing to their help seems to have created a parallel version of Earth.

The Executioners made clear that Missy’s prison cell (the vault) is shielded from everything including time, so she’d presumably be unaffected by changes to the time line. She also mentions that someone would have had to open the door for the monks to get to Earth.  This could easily have been the Master.

But getting back to this episode, it’s good, if a little slow in places. It sets up the stakes well…again. So yeah…not bad.