Doctor Who’s ‘The Well’: Hidden Sequel to ‘Midnight’ Explained

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So far in the 15 episodes that make up the Disney+ era of Doctor Who, some classic enemies have been missing, such as the Daleks, Cybermen, and Master. No Sontarans or Silurians either. Instead, fans have encountered less common adversaries like the Toymaker and Sutekh. In episode 3 of season two (or whatever we’re calling it), “The Well,” another unexpected character made a comeback, harkening back to an episode that’s more recent in fans’ minds. It could be seen as a sneaky sequel to what many believe is Russell T Davies’ finest Doctor Who story.

It seems that many fans had already anticipated this (as suggested by Radio Times), and they were correct: “The Well,” co-written by Davies and Sharma Angel Walfall, appears to be a hidden sequel to Davies’ renowned “Doctor Who” piece from 2008, “Midnight.” In “Midnight,” David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor and a small tour group found themselves stranded with a mysterious and terrifying alien entity. This story has been highly praised by fans for years, despite its dark and intense nature. It stands out as my favorite in the RTD (Russell T Davies) canon.

On a mysterious planet, “The Well” unexpectedly transports the Doctor and Belinda into the midst of a military investigation regarding a vanished mining operation. The facility appears abandoned, with only decaying bodies – some shot, others broken – in sight. Eventually, they come across Aliss Fenley (played by Rose Ayling-Ellis), the lone survivor who happens to be the cook. Soon, both the soldiers and Belinda start noticing something elusive lurking behind Aliss.

As the Doctor quickly finds out, this mysterious being, whatever its nature, eliminates anyone who positions themselves immediately behind Aliss. Moreover, it’s revealed that the planet, now known as 6767, was once called “Midnight” and appears to be entirely composed of diamonds. Spooky music plays here, and indeed, spooky music is warranted because this creature has managed to survive for hundreds of thousands of years.

In the captivating episodes titled “Midnight,” I found myself witnessing an intriguing transformation. This enigmatic entity, rather than maintaining a constant demeanor, subtly infiltrated one of the passengers, gradually and then alarmingly learning human language by appropriating the voices of others. It mirrored, overlapped, and even preempted speech, giving an uncanny impression that it was the creature itself speaking through the Doctor. This chilling, malevolent extraterrestrial being ranks among the most terrifying in the series’ annals.

The behavior of the entity in “The Well” appears to primarily involve attaching itself to the backs of individuals. It seems desperate to leave its planet, and it eliminates those who occupy the role of the host at the “midnight” position, precisely behind them. Quite chilling indeed, yet distinctly different from traditional horror tropes. I’m open to the idea that this could be a product of evolution or some other phenomenon. There’s a hint of similarity with the spiders from “Turn Left,” which perch on shoulders and are barely perceptible to human eyes. Interestingly, these spider episodes occurred consecutively in series four, did you know?

As a devoted cinephile, I must confess that “Doctor Who’s” “The Well” fails to match the chilling brilliance of “Midnight,” but make no mistake, it stands on its own as an effectively scary and captivating science fiction horror tale. The brief glimpses of the creature’s form are masterfully crafted to ignite the nightmares of any viewer.

Kyle Anderson serves as the Senior Editor at TopMob, where he also hosts a weekly exploration into pop culture called Laser Focus. His insightful film and television critiques can be found on this platform. Connect with him on Letterboxd for more of his work.

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2025-04-26 10:02