Doctor Who fans have a terrifying theory about new episode The Well
Could we be in for a chilling return?
This week's episode of Doctor Who, The Well, has been described as a horror-inflected tale, with co-writer Sharma Angel Walfall calling it "very scary", and saying it has a "frightening edge to it".
Naturally, fans will be wondering what monster the Doctor and Belinda will be facing to provide so much terror - and fans have been theorising that it might in fact be one we've seen before.
Russell T Davies has recently teased that this season of the show features "a very unexpected sequel", and fans have been theorising for some time now that the episode in question will be The Well, and the episode it will follow up on is season 4's Midnight.
During a titles announcement sequence for the new season, a clock was seen turning from 23:59 to midnight on the graphic for The Well, perhaps a clue for eagle-eyed fans.
Midnight saw the Tenth Doctor trapped on a space bus as a mysterious creature inhabited one of the passengers, and made her repeat everything that was said in the cabin.
Some fans have theorised that it could be Rose Ayling-Ellis's new character Allis who is possessed by the creature this time - in the trailer, the other characters are seen pointing guns at her, despite her appearing unarmed and unassuming.
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One fan has speculated on Twitter, which has been rebranded as X, as to the "fascinating" possibilities this would bring, given that both Ayling-Ellis and her character are deaf, meaning a creature that copies would have to find another way to do so than by hearing.
The synopsis for The Well says: "Far in the future, on a tough, brutal planet, a devastated mining colony has only one survivor. To discover the truth, the Doctor and Belinda must face absolute terror."
Others have speculated that the episode might instead be a sequel to season 2's The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit, given the setting and aesthetic.
Notably, Ncuti Gatwa has previously expressed his desire to take on that story's villain, The Beast.
One fan said: "Do we think The Well will be a sequel to Midnight? I'm kinda 50/50 if it is i love the episode Midnight and if The Well is a sequel I just hope it doesn't ruin it #DoctorWho".
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Another speculated that the episode might not be a sequel to either Midnight or The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit, but instead a "crossover-episode sequel" between 2009's The Waters of Mars and 2023's Wild Blue Yonder.
Guest starring in The Well alongside Gatwa, Varada Sethu and Ayling-Ellis are Caoilfhionn Dunne and Christopher Chung.
Doctor Who season 15 continues on 26th April 2025, coming to BBC iPlayer at 8am and airing at 7:20pm on BBC One.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
