Doctor Who – The Lie of the Land

By: Sharon Kurack

At an extremely high cost, the earth was saved. By whom, you ask? The most benevolent rulers, the shadow monks. History has been rewritten so that all believe that the monks have always been here with humankind. We open with a propaganda video about the absolute sovereignty of the monks, seemingly being narrated by the Doctor (Peter Capaldi). The video goes even as far as to claim that the monks not only were there for every major breakthrough in mankind’s history, but also were the ones responsible for the defeat of the Daleks, Cybermen and Weeping Angels. The irony isn’t lost on us, but it appears most humankind accepts the “occupation” of the shadow monks as truth. Most, but not all, believe and we see the product of those who refuse to believe the new truth. (Even reading comic books seems to be an offense! What’d Kara Danvers ever do to you, shadow monks?!)

Clever girl Bill (Pearl Mackie); however, seems to have held onto the truth: that the monks have only been there for six months because she had asked them to give the Doctor back his sight. She’s alone in her flat, but sets a mug of tea across from her own before taking a seat. With a deep breath to collect her thoughts, after witnessing another person being taken for speaking the real truth, Bill begins to speak as though someone were sitting in the empty chair. It’s not just anyone; it’s her mother. After receiving more pictures of her, Bill had created an image in her mind. It’s to this image now Bill speaks in order to stay sane in this new world and to remember what is real. Everything that earth is being told by the monks via the Doctor’s broadcasts is a lie, and yet, no one says anything. They accept it.

Speaking of the Doctor, despite apparently working for the monks now, Bill believes her Time Lord friend has a plan. Anything otherwise would be devastating to her. The conversation with her mother is short-lived when the door’s lock clicks, indicating someone attempting to enter. Thinking the monks finally caught on to her, Bill hides around the wall of the next room, waiting to defend. Thankfully, she doesn’t need to as we find out through extremely similar screaming that it’s Nardole/“Nardy” (Matt Lucas) who’s alive. After a quick reunion, Nardole and Bill try to assess what the monks are doing to everyone. As if knowing human history, Nardole comments that however bad a situation is, it’s always easier to do nothing if people believe things have always been bad. Like bullying, but on an extremely larger scale. (A lot of harsh truth tea being served tonight).

There is some good news….Nardole has indeed found the Doctor by tracing the signal of the broadcast to a prison boat at sea near Scotland (of course it’s near Scotland). The plan is to sneak on the ship via a supply run. Although the security technically should be tight, the monks are more concerned with the Doctor getting out than anything getting in. Bill and Nardole are safe so long as no one checks their “papers.” As though someone spoke too soon, one of the guards starts checking until it becomes clear that one of the monks is one board. The monk passes by each person and lingers at Bill and Nardole for a moment before continuing on its way. Not wanting to tempt fate twice, the duo makes its way to where the Doctor is and they overhear him recording. With a smile full of hope, Bill enters only to be disappointed as the Doctor calls the guards on them. Flustered, Twelve then calls the monks, claiming that he has to talk to them because she and Nardole are there.

According to Twelve, human society is regressing because nobody pays attention to history enough to have learned from it and not give up free will. At least, he concludes, the monks give peace and order, thus confirming that he is working with them (even after a coded message exchange). Shattered, Bill breaks down, claiming that all this time she was fighting the lies she was fighting for the Doctor to come back. At the realization of hopelessness, Bill grabs one of the guards’ guns and shoots Twelve. Before you can say 13, the Doctor gives a show of regeneration energy and then cheers at Bill. (Ok… he’s cracked up.)

What the hell happened, you ask? The Doctor was testing Bill, with Nardole in on it (his idea, actually). Clearly, the Doctor is not working with the monks, but has been planning the last 6 months – so much so that he knew Bill would try to shoot him and replaced bullets with blanks. Before Bill has the shot to wring Nardole’s neck Homer Simpson-style, the Doctor lets them in on his plans. They need help from someone almost as smart as Twelve: Missy (Michelle Gomez). Where is she? The vault at the university, now occupied by the monks. Dodging the monks, the trio gets to the vault and (finally) opens it.

Bill finds a piano playing Missy and questions why she’s in there, claiming that it’s “just a woman, not a monster.” (Girl….[insert eyeroll here]) Missy, of course, shoots Bill a look that makes you fear for the companion’s life. Going “cold turkey” from being the Master is difficult, hence the house arrest. Pleasantries aside, we find out that Missy had fought the monks once and had won. Her knowledge would be an asset. However, Missy makes the Doctor work for it, feeding him hints here and there until he figures out how the monks’ lies infiltrated everyone. The monks need a “pure mind” to make a request that creates the psychic link to them. This is then amplified by the many statues of the monks around the world, which project whatever message they want sent. All the Doctor and company need to do is get rid of the link, which is the person who established the link, as it is carried on through her bloodline. However, that would mean they need to kill Bill (volume 1 or volume 2?). Not being an option, they think of ways to change the message. Unfortunately, the person who would change the message could become of shell of a body with just their images being projected…unless they were the Doctor.

The new plan? Break into the monks’ cathedral to find the machine transmitting the signal and have Twelve attach himself to it in order to send out his brainwaves of the real truth. Twelve and company (including the “truth” guards) sneak into the pyramid cathedral, where the signal is stronger, making the real truth more difficult to keep close. To keep everyone sane, the Doctor gives them a walkman (anyone born after the 90s, google it) with a recording of Bill’s voice to help them focus on the true events. However, the monks spot them (I mean, it is a big group) and attack. One of the guards’ walkman gets destroyed by a stray bullet. By the time he gets to the Doctor, he is already brainwashed and turns his gun on Twelve. Badass Nardy is badass as he uses the “Tarovian neck pinch” and knocks the man out. Onward, squad!

Fake News Central is revealed when the Doctor “sonics” the door open. Images of human history with a monk twist are projected with a dormant lone monk in the center of the room. Twelve tries to infiltrate the monk’s thoughts by placing his hands on its brain. Unfortunately, it fights back and wins, blowing the Doctor backwards, knocking him out momentarily. Even worse news, Bill has tied him up while asleep so he wouldn’t try it again. When he awakens, Bill says a tearful goodbye, that it was “worth it” and takes the Doctor’s place behind the projector monk. Immediately, the images change to her memories, but after a moment it seems the monks begin to corrupt her. It’s not until Bill thinks of her mother that she starts winning the mental battle, filling the projector with the signal of one pure, uncorrupted image of a world without the monks. Because of this, the lie breaks, Bills lives and the monks run away.

Surely humans will learn from their mistakes? Unfortunately, from this we will not be able to learn as the monks have erased themselves and their impact on society. Are humans doomed to never learn from their mistakes as they continue to ignore warnings from history? It’s frustrating from the Doctor’s point of view, but he decides he can “put up” with humanity and its quirks because of companions like Bill. She redeems humanity. (Most of his companions do in one way or another. He can’t help himself with humans, can he?) Speaking of redemption, we next see Missy, in tears, talking to the Doctor. She’s remembering all of those she has killed and is clearly distraught, having a difficult time processing. Is she remorseful and can we start to trust her? The last thing we hear is Twelve reassuring her that processing everything is good.