10.7. The Pyramid At The End Of The World

Series 10 - 2017

Writer: Peter Harness and Steven Moffatt
Produced by: Peter Bennett
Director: Daniel Nettheim
Music: Murray Gold

Synopsis

Bill is on a date with Penny (the previous date in Extremis was a simulation). The Doctor has told Bill about the simulation, and her previous date. Bill tells Penny about this, and she doesn't really believe it. Until troops from the UN appear storm the flat. A few moments later the Secretary-General of the UN appears. He wants to speak to the President - of Earth. As Penny leaves Bill goes with the Secretary-General. He tells her of an area in Turmezistan that borders three of the World's important factions: The Chinese, the Russians and the United States. In the centre is a 5,000 year old pyramid - that wasn't there yesterday.

Inside the TARDIS the Doctor is 'meditating.' Bill, from outside, tells him the UN wants him in Turmezistan. He says no, but when he exits the TARDIS he finds himself on board an aeroplane with Bill and Nardole, the Secretary-General, and UN troops.

In a laboratory an experiment is moving to stage 2. Erica asks Douglas to do the mixing; she can't as she has broken her reading glasses. Douglas is still hung over from a big night, but agrees. Erica enters a sealed laboratory with plants and starts up the fans.

In Turmezistan the UN are trying to keep people away from the pyramid, which Bill realises has to be a space ship disguised as a pyramid. Ignoring the UN the Doctor walks up to the pyramid. When he gets close a door opens, and a Monk from the simulation (See Extremis) appears. The Doctor tries to want the Monk against doing anything, but the Monk says they will rule the Earth, but only when invited. It tells the Doctor they will speak again at the end of the Earth before disappearing back into the pyramid. After it does every clock on Earth changes to 23:57.

The Doctor tells Bill that the time is the Doomsday clock; the closer to midnight the closer the world is to global catastrophe.

In the laboratory Douglas has trouble focusing on a screen. Part of the experiment is Enzyme EC31. A dosage of 11.89 is required, but enters 118.9. Events in the laboratory are being monitored by Monks in the pyramid.

Believing the global catastrophe could be World War Three the Doctor gets representatives from each bloc - Privyet for Russia, the Secretary-General for the US, and Xiaolin for China, together. Usually the Doctor is against force, but agrees that an attack on the pyramid, even though it will have no effect, would be a show of strength. As the three armies prepare to strike a beam emanates from the pyramid. The beam acts like a tractor beam and is able to pluck a bomber out of the sky, and a submarine from the sea, and deposit them gently in the Turmezistan dessert.

The Monks announce they are ready to talk, and the Doctor, Nardole, Bill, and UN troops, enter the pyramid. A Monk tells them that life on Earth will soon cease - by humanity's own hand. The Monk shows the Doctor the simulation machine where they model the future. The Monk tells the Doctor they can save the Earth, if asked. If asked they will protect the Earth - forever. Earth would become enslaved. When everyone takes a strand from the simulation machine they can see Earth one year in the future - a desolate, ravaged, lifeless, world.

The Secretary-General is ready to consent to the Monks, despite the Doctor's pleas to not even consider their requests. The Monk determines the Secretary-General's consent is not pure, and the Secretary-General is killed.

In a command centre the Doctor realises that landing a spaceship in a war zone was a distraction to make them assume it was war than ends the Earth. The Doctor asks for other options that could destroy all life, and Nardole suggests bacteria.

In the laboratory Erica and Douglas are checking on the experiment, and notice plants dying. Douglas, not wearing a mask, takes a sample for Erica to analyse. Douglas manages to seal of the laboratory before choking and collapsing. His body decomposes within seconds.

With time running out Privyet, Xiaolin, and Colonel Brabbit, ignore the Doctor and go back to the pyramid to negotiate a surrender. In the laboratory staff are trying to escape the lockdown. Nardole has narrowed down a search of laboratories to 428. Inside the TARDIS the Doctor asks Nardole to cut the CCTV feeds of all 428 laboratories. The Monks are clever enough to turn them back on, but they only turn on the one that is making the mistake.

Once the laboratory is located the Doctor takes Nardole and the TARDIS to the laboratory. The Doctor asks Nardole to go back into the TARDIS (being predominantly human he could be infected) as he helps Erica. The Doctor contacts Bill in Turmezistan, and the three leaders agree to wait for two minutes to give the Doctor time. The Doctor learns that the laboratory automatically vents into the atmosphere every 30 minutes. There are 20 minutes until it next vents.

The Doctor plans to sterilise the bacteria - by blowing up the laboratory, but the three army leaders go back to the Monks for help. But the Monks determine that the consent is not pure, and kills them. This leaves only Bill, as a representative of the Doctor, with the power to give consent.

In the laboratory the Doctor sets the explosives and runs back to a safer laboratory. The problem is and airlock that has an analogue combination lock. Being blind the Doctor cannot see the numbers, but the doomsday clock starts to go backwards as the Monks realise that the explosion will prevent disaster. Bill calls the Doctor to tell him about the clock, but he tells her that he is trapped, and finally tells her he is blind.

Bill asks the Monks if they can give the Doctor his sight back. They will - if she gives consent for them to take over the Earth.

In the laboratory the Doctor begins to see again, and manages to get to safety before the laboratory explodes.

Regular Cast

  • Nardole: Matt Lucas
  • Bill Potts: Pearl Mackie

Guest Cast

  • Secretary General: Togo Igawa
  • The Commander: Nigel Hastings
  • Colonel Don Brabbit: Eben Young
  • Erica: Rachel Denning
  • Douglas: Tony Gardner
  • Ilya: Andrew Byron
  • Xiaolin: Daphne Cheung
  • Monk: Jamie Hill
  • Voice of the Monk: Tim Bentinck

Original broadcast on the BBC

Channel Title Date Viewers Rating
BBC 1 (HD) 7. The Pyramid At The End Of The World 1 Saturday, 27 May 2017 19:50 - 20:35 5.79M 82
1: Scheduled for 19:45. It was delayed due to the FA Cup Final.

Click here to show repeat broadcasts on the BBC

Notes

Due to a terrorist attack in Manchester a scene relating to terrorism was cut from transmission.