Review of The God Complex by 15thDoctor
23 April 2024
This review contains spoilers
A surprisingly effective episode. Much like Night Terrors, one that’s not spoken about much but delivers something unique and interesting to the cannon. A year after Toby Whithouse’s slightly dodgy fish-vampire tale he returns with something a little more thoughtful and even a little intellectual.
The Doctor and friends are stuck in a liminal space, an ageing hotel, which changes shape forming a maze. Behind each hotel door is a fear calling out for a lost soul wandering around the maze.
We get a proto-companion who’s ripped from The Doctor before she can see the world (another Lorna Bucket!) a cowardly alien and a nerdy conspiracy theorist. Tonnes of memorable guest cast members wander around a striking set which looks nothing like anything else we’ve seen in the show despite literally being corridors!
The idea of faith being stolen to feed the maze’s monitor is reminiscent of a clever idea from Big Finish’s 8th Doctor audio Faith Stealer, likely a coincidence. It’s a striking concept which leaves pretty much anyone vulnerable, but in an individual and personal way.
Before watching this episode, I remembered that Amy and Rory were left by The Doctor at this point in the series and it slightly annoyed me. But seeing it play out was actually quite beautiful. The Doctor is saving his companions in the only way he knows how.