Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 3, “The Well.“Doctor Whoseason 15 would have everybody believe that the TARDIS is landing randomly as usual, but I think there is a guiding hand at play in Ncuti Gatwa’s second run as the Fifteenth Doctor. As has long been established, althoughthe TARDIS can be accurately pilotedby thevarious versions of the Doctor, the sentient blue box often has a say in its next destination. However, I don’t even think the TARDIS knows why it has been landing in the places and times it has been during the early outings ofDoctor Whoseason 15.
Theending ofDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 1, “The Robot Revolution,“reveals thatthe TARDIS can’t take Varada Sethu’s Belinda Chandra directly home. This results in the Doctor and his new companion taking “the long way round.” This twist has provided the narrative structure for theDoctor Whoseason 15 cast, as the show’s main duo for 2025 keeps landing to allow the Doctor’s Vindicator to gather the navigational information it needs to return Belinda to May 24.
The Doctor’s Two Vindicator Landings In Season 15 Don’t Feel Random
By the end ofDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 3, “The Well,” the Doctor has landed his TARDIS twice. On each occasion, the encounters that he and Belinda have endured have been important for two separate reasons. Firstly, meetingAlan Cumming’s Mr. Ring-a-Ding/Lux Imperatorcomes at an incredibly convenient time, story-wise. Of all the places Fifteen could have landed so soon after defeating Sutekh at theend ofDoctor Whoseason 14, he finds himself almost immediately up against another member ofDoctor Who’s Pantheon. Given the size of the universe, this seems like more than a mere coincidence.
After leaving 1950s Miami behind, Fifteen and Belinda land on an alien world that, at first, seems like a new location that has never before appeared inDoctor Who. Eventually,“The Well” reveals itself to be a sequel to “Midnight,“with Fifteen experiencing an unexpected reunion with a monster who had only ever appeared once - in the 2008 episode withDavid Tennant’s Tenth Doctor. Again,there were essentially infinite possibilities when it came to where the TARDIS could have landed nextafter “Lux,” but it landed on a planet the Doctor had visited before.
Something’s Controlling The TARDIS, And I Think It’s Mrs. Flood
There is quite clearly more to Anita Dobson’s character than meets the eye
It can’t just be happenstance that the Doctor has had two conveniently significant adventures in a row, not whenDoctor Who’s Disney erahas long been teasing the presence of forces beyond the Doctor’s understanding. So, my theory is that it’s Mrs. Flood (Anita Dobson) who has been responsible for the TARDIS' landing spots inDoctor Whoseason 15’s earliest episodes. She may even have been the one who brought Fifteen into Belinda’s life, as she is now apparently her neighbor, while the last time we saw her,she lived next door to Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday.
There’s clearly a lot being kept under wraps about Mrs. Flood’s true nature.
There’s clearly a lot being kept under wraps about Mrs. Flood’s true nature.Her constant addressing of the audience is incredibly unusual forDoctor Who, and suggests an immense level of power and self-awareness that characters in the show almost never display. Plus,Mrs. Flood appears to be very interested in the Doctor’s Vindicatorwhen she appears for her now-regular cameo at the end of “The Well.” This teases a connection to the TARDIS' guidance systems, and although it doesn’t prove she’s responsible for the blue box’s issues, it does suggest she has a hand in where it’s been recently.
How Mrs. Flood Could Be Controlling The TARDIS In Doctor Who Season 15
She could be a member of the Pantheon, or someone else entirely
Although they haven’t yet communicated directly, Mrs. Flood seems to know a lot about the Doctor and his TARDIS. Comments dating back to 2023’s “The Church on Ruby Road” immediately revealed her familiarity with Gatwa’s character and the iconic space-and-time machine. Paired with her ability to break the fourth wall,Mrs. Flood’s other traits could mean she is secretly a member of the Pantheon. Given her impromptu narration duties at the end of season 14, making her the God of Stories, or something similar, would be logical.
If so, this would certainly give her the power to observe/interact with the Doctor’s story. The length and intrigue of his life would make him possible to resist for the God of Stories. If not a Pantheon God, Mrs. Flood could either be an entirely new character, or perhaps someone fromDoctor Who’s classic era- the latter of which has been a common trend for Russell T. Davies lately. If so,someone like the White Guardian could fit Mrs. Flood’s profile, but only time will tell who Dobson is really playing inDoctor Who.
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“The Story and the Engine”
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