Warning: Spoilers for Doctor Who episode 3, “Boom”!
Steven Moffat returns to Doctor Who with a bang, or rather, a boom, in the new episode, “Boom”, which sees the Doctor unable to rely on his usual tricks. When he and Ruby arrive at a war-torn planet, The Doctor steps on a landmine, and he will need to rely on his wits, Ruby, and a few strangers to help him out of this precarious situation as he tries to escape the bomb beneath him without blowing up half the planet. As tensions grow, the Doctor will make a startling discovery about the war he is in the middle of, which will have massive implications for himself and the entire planet.
Moffat has been a staple of Doctor Who since the series was revived in 2005. Starting as a writer, he penned iconic episodes, including “Blink,” “The Girl In The Fireplace,” “The Empty Child,” “Silence In The Library,” and many more. He served as showrunner for Doctor Who during the Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi eras, from 2010 to 2017. Now he, like Russell T Davies, has returned to lend his voice to Doctor Who once again, writing not only the newest episode, but the next Christmas Special as well.
Screen Rant interviewed Steven Moffat about his new Doctor Who episode, “Boom.” He explained why he brought back the Anglican Marines and incorporated “Thoughts & Prayers” into the villainous AI’s vocabulary. Moffat also contemplated what a team up between the Gatwa, Capaldi, and Smith versions of the Doctor could look like and broke down why this is the episode where Gatwa fully becomes the Doctor with elements of past regenerations bleeding in.
Moffat has brought the Anglican Marines into play before with “The Time Of The Angels,” “Flesh And Stone,” and “A Good Man Goes To War.” While they aren’t always on the Doctor’s side, they do present an interesting dichotomy because they represent both faithful religious beliefs and soldiers, which are two things the Doctor struggles with. Moffat explained what inspired him to bring back the Anglican Marines, not only as the ideal foil for the Doctor but as the perfect army to be fighting against an enemy they only believe to be there without ever seeing proof.
Although the Anglican Marines are fighting against the Doctor and his friends in “A Good Man Goes To War,” Moffat explained why he’s never seen them as evil or straight forward bad guys. This lens is because of the Doctor’s own perspective. “Boom,” shows both the good and bad sides of the Anglican Marines by focusing on just a few and showing the horrors once they realize the truth about the war so many of their own have died in.
One of the most chilling elements of the new episode is Moffat’s decision to have the AI ambulances use the phrase, “thoughts and prayers,” after killing soldiers. This phrase is often used in the real world after tragedy strikes, but this episode of Doctor Who shows how empty those words can be. Moffat broke down why he included this detail and how he hopes it changes the conversation around this phrase.
Gatwa’s Doctor has brought his companion on a few very fun yet dangerous adventures, but can always rely on his usual tricks, running, the sonic screwdriver, and his excitability to get them out of trouble. “Boom” strips him of these tools and forces him to stand still trusting those around him. While Gatwa has done a fantastic job of establishing himself and his Doctor, this is the episode where he becomes the Doctor with intensity, fear, mourning, celebration, and humor.
Each of the Doctor’s companions stand out as intriguing characters in their own right with unique relationships to the Doctor. Ruby Sunday in some ways, feels reminiscent of Rose Tyler and Amy Pond as a young woman swept up in amazement and adventure. Moffat explained how he approached writing Ruby with this episode forcing her to see the realities of the situation she is in now. He also declared that “Jackie Tyler was right back in the day” regarding her feelings about the Doctor and the dangers he poses.
During Screen Rant’s last interview with Gatwa, he revealed which past Doctors he’d like to team up with for a multi-Doctor adventure. Two of his picks were Smith and Capaldi. Moffat revealed what he believes Smith and Capaldi’s Doctors would think of this regeneration and what the dynamic could be between the three of them.
Moffat has talked about how he was excited to return with “Boom” because it was an opportunity to explore an element that he never truly had with Doctor Who before: suspense with the Doctor forced to stand still. When asked if he wanted to return for the Christmas Special in order to do something else he’d never done before with Doctor Who, he remained tight-lipped. However, he did discuss how he has approached the Christmas Specials in the past, noting that they are often more Doctor-centric, but said Whovians will just have to wait until Christmas.
The Doctor and Ruby travel through time and space on adventures to unknown lands, to the Regency era in England, to outer space worlds and the Sixties.
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