2nd Opinion: The Pyramid at the End of the World
Connor Johnston & Gustaff Behr give their verdicts on the seventh episode of Series 10.
Connor’s Verdict
First and foremost – my devotion and love of this show have never been stronger than they have been in the last two series. Like most members of the audience (critic, average viewer and fan alike) – moments of utter surprise and thrill when an episode fully consumes you are rare, but integral to our devotion to the show. Moments for myself that match these criteria include, but are not limited to, the majority of “The Caves of Androzani”, the “No Sir, All Thirteen” scene in The Day of the Doctor – which all rewardingly give context to this introduction: which is the duration of The Pyramid at the End of the World.
My opinion, without question, is worth no more than anyone else’s. Regardless of this pedestal – there is nothing that I can say that can or should belittle or challenge the way anyone else receives an episode. In addition, readers will notice that this year specifically, I’ve aimed to focus more on an analysis of episodes rather than a showcase of how their reception has differed from my own. This week however, I must mention how innocently baffled I was to see audiences challenge various points of scientific and administrative accuracy that – to paraphrase – “restricted their ability to suspend disbelief” and in practice restrict their own ability to enjoy the same atmosphere and narrative that had me liquefied to a puddle of pure delight.
The very premise of the show is based on things that are fundamentally impossible, so the question must be asked – since when have we been so selective in what we choose to arc up about? At the end of the day, regardless if an episode isn’t completely accurate in terms of our logic in our reality, we must forever remember (if not purely for aims of extending our own enjoyment) that we are watching a TV show that will fundamentally remain a work of fiction, no matter how much it attempts to masquerade as our own world. To cast a light of relevance to the current arc, no reality Doctor Who attempts to create will ever be quite as convincing as a Monk’s simulation.
The intensity and drive of this week’s episode speak volumes of an inspired marriage between Moffat and Harness’ script as well as Nettheim’s direction. The scale of Pyramid is something that changes as constantly as it impresses, and Nettheim’s ability to cement a sense of cohesion and style is utterly rewarding to watch. Furthermore, Capaldi’s opening rhetoric on how “There is a last place you will ever go, a last door you will ever walk through, a last sight you will ever see, and every step you ever take is moving you closer” reflects on the interweaving factors of each of our timelines in creating a reality. The way this imagery effortlessly fits into both the wider series narrative, the episodic course of events and even the episode’s set (see the Monk’s Chamber) is the television equivalent to poetry.
Once more this season, Moffat and Capaldi have continued to verify their own creative choices by finding merit in the Doctor’s “blindness” storyline both to explore bold narrative choices and a vulnerable side of the Doctor we haven’t seen very often. Despite knowing that the Doctor would survive this ongoing arc – there was still a sense of consequence for our protagonists’ well-being that is a striking testament to all aspects of the episode’s creation.
Bold, invigorating, brim-full of consequence and potential: The Pyramid at the End of the World was for me the crème de la crème of what this show can offer both to the realms of science fiction, drama, and the entertainment industry as a whole.
Gustaff’s Verdict
Part Two of the highly anticipated Monks Trilogy gives us pyramids where none ought to be, World War 3 at our doorstep with no explanation for why this is, the Doctor continuing to keep his blindness a secret and Bill still trying to get lucky. With all of the above, you’d think this week would at least match the bar set by last week’s Extremis…you’d think.
In the past Peter Harness’ scripts have always played hard and loose with consistency, whether they are External (the fictional world works like ours unless stated otherwise), Genre (Doctor Who behaves like most other time travel shows) or Internal (the show disobeys its own established rules), but The Pyramid at the End of the World takes this up to eleven by throwing all three out the window and hoping we won’t notice…we noticed.
Perhaps the most tragic aspect of this story is the fact that its problems are so glaring that it makes it difficult to concentrate on any other praise this episode might garner. For instance, where is UNIT? It feels like they should be here. Why are we only hearing about a potential World War 3 in episode 7 when nothing in previous stories has even hinted that the world might be facing a problem?
The Monks are reality warpers who require consent in order to reshape reality. Are they Pantheons of Discord too? The Pyramid at the End of the World is a haphazard script and it’s plain to see given that some events just can’t happen in the normal course of business and in more extreme cases, the rules the episode sets for itself have to be completely ignored in order to work. “Consent” is a very important element in this episode and it is discussed (to death) in various scenes, but nobody is any the wiser over who actually is empowered to give it. The Monks state that the Doctor is the most powerful party on the planet, but throughout the episode, they behave as though the various country leaders and generals have any sort of say in the matter. It is also repeatedly stated the consent the Monks are looking must be “pure”. This differentiates them from the Trickster, but not for the better. The Monks require that the consent be out of love for them, yet Bill’s consent is somehow valid despite the fact she makes it out of 1) guilt, 2) fear and 3) tactical awareness. Why is this allowed? Because the plot needs to be resolved and next week’s episode needs to be set up. One could argue that Bill’s consent is also made out of love which is true, but once again, it’s love for the Doctor, thus impure consent.
In many ways, it feels like the Monks teamed up with Death from the Final Destination films. No wonder they chose this particular day to invade. It’s filled with the most plot conveniences and poor decision making ever recorded in human history. Erika breaks her glasses at the start of the episode because the plot needs her to be short-sighted on the same day her colleague comes to work hung over which allows them to make a mistake that will kill us all. Not only that, but the safety procedures are nonsensical and even extend to the building layout and the not-so-safety procedures this episode pretended to follow. Funny how the doors can all open at the same time throughout the episode, but not one will open when there is a genuine emergency and the Doctor needs to get out.
I am really impressed how the writers allowed the Doctor’s blindness to be the linchpin which ensures the Monks’ victory. It’s a clever way of restoring his eye sight without making it feel cheap because the price paid for it is staggeringly steep, thus it feels earned. Not being able to see the keypad is such a mundane, yet effective way of trapping the Doctor, and thus Bill, in an impossible situation. Because of that, it’s just unfortunate that this scene is hampered by the Sonic Screwdriver not working…for some reason. The Doctor clearly uses it, it doesn’t work but as the door is not made of wood and it hasn’t been deadlocked, there is no reason why the door wouldn’t open…unless the plot needs it to be shut in order to put pressure on Bill.
What’s worse is the fact that most of these problems mentioned could’ve been explained away rather easily: Have Erika break her glasses at work instead of home (where she likely keeps a spare), destroy the Sonic or give it to someone else before the Doctor gets stuck, replace the Monks with the Trickster who only requires ordinary consent and clearly state that only the most powerful person (or his proxy) can give consent does away with the military leaders.
But while this episode falls apart on a narrative level, on a production level it sores. The outdoor locations continue the strong trend Series 10 has set along with some pretty impressive CGI thrown into the mix. And despite the material, this episode does feature a handful of poignant moments between the Doctor and Bill, showcasing Pearl Mackie’s talent in a very powerful scene where you can see all the guilt and fear on her face. Not only that, but this week’s episode worked really well on a comedic level with some fantastically witty dialogue, particularly from the Doctor.
Next week sees the Monk trilogy come to a close with The Lie of the Land. Given the phenomenal outing Extremis enjoyed, coupled with the dip last week with The Pyramid at the End of the World, it’s clear that there is a lot of pressure on Toby Whithouse to close the book on this three-parter in jaw-dropping fashion.
