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In Doctor Who Season 15, Episode 3, entitled "The Well," there is a major twist that connects the episode to a classic episode from Season 4 entitled "Midnight." The twist is that both episodes are set on the same planet, but thousands of years apart. But this revelation was nearly ruined at the beginning of the episode.
Savvy viewers who paid attention to some of the details and lines early on were able to solve the connection before it was officially revealed. On the surface, "The Well" looks like a typical tale of a group stranded on an unfriendly planet. It is, in fact, a secret sequel to "Midnight," which appeared almost 20 years prior.
The key clue is a line referencing the atmosphere of the planet being filled with "galvanic radiation," which was also a term used to describe the same place in "Midnight." Combined with other clues, like the carbon mining (which ties into diamonds) and the appearance of the planet, these clues enabled some watchers to guess the twist early.
The early hint in Doctor Who Season 15, Episode 3: Galvanic Radiation
One of the earliest and most obvious connections between "The Well" and "Midnight" comes in the opening scenes. When the Doctor greets Platoon Leader Shaya Costallion, she says that the planet, code 6-7-6-7, contains an atmosphere "charged with galvanic radiation."
The significance of this phrase lies in its direct correlation to "Midnight," in which the planet was said to be exposed to "raw galvanic radiation." This particular word is unusual in Doctor Who. While "galvanic" has occurred in other instances, e.g., in guns, the description of a planet with galvanic radiation occurs only in "Midnight."
Hence, viewers of that episode would be able to identify this as an intentional allusion. Since this clue is presented so early, it was a quiet hint that the series took place in the same world.
It did, however, ask viewers to recall a detail from an episode that had aired almost two decades prior, something many of the casual fans may not have remembered. This quiet reference nearly gave away the twist before the episode had even had a chance to develop.
Supporting Clues: Carbon Mining and Planet Appearance
Aside from the galvanic radiation clue, Doctor Who Season 15, Episode 3, "The Well" also has other clues that support the link to "Midnight." Shortly after the initial clue, Shaya Costallion discusses mining carbon-46 on the planet. Carbon is the element that constitutes diamonds, which directly points to "Midnight," where the surface of the planet was filled with diamonds.
This information in itself may not have sufficed to disclose the surprise, but taken alongside the galvanic radiation reference, it served to further confirm the identity of the planet. The Doctor employs this knowledge to make his deductions towards the end of the episode.
One very subtle indication is the planet's topography. The rocky and mountainous country presented in Doctor Who Season 15, Episode 3, "The Well" looks like that in "Midnight," if less glittery due to lacking diamond ground coverage. Although such a visual reference point is subtler in and of itself, it contributes to proof that two shows are within the same venue.
Together, these hints provided a breadcrumb trail for alert viewers, lessening the surprise for some but still an engaging connection for lovers of the original episode.
Why the connection matters
"Midnight" is a popular episode from Doctor Who's fourth series, starring the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble. It consisted of a faceless creature terrorizing commuters aboard a shuttlecraft in orbit around a planet encrusted with diamonds. "The Well" takes this tale many thousands of years later and reintroduces the faceless creature as something new.
The connection between the two episodes was not heavily promoted before Doctor Who Season 15 and came as a surprise for the majority of the audience. Yet, the early hints in Doctor Who Season 15, Episode 3, "The Well" reveal that the writers were about to intertwine the storylines subtly from the start.
This tactic paid off loyal viewers who recalled nuances from "Midnight" and enjoyed continuity. It also kept the twist subtle enough not to spoil the suspense for less experienced viewers of the earlier episode.
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Doctor Who Season 15, Episode 3, "The Well," nearly gave away its big twist up front through some subtle clues. The most revealing was the term "galvanic radiation" in the planet's atmosphere, a term invoked previously in the Season 4 episode "Midnight." Other hints were the excavation of carbon, which is akin to diamonds, and the surface of the planet looking like it did in "Midnight."
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