Stories Television Doctor Who Series 11 Episode: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 The Ghost Monument 2 images Overview Characters How to Watch Reviews 6 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 1 Transcript + Script Overview First aired Sunday, October 14, 2018 Written by Chris Chibnall Directed by Mark Tonderai Runtime 49 minutes Story Type New TARDIS interior Time Travel Future Tropes (Potential Spoilers!) LGBTQA+, Lost the TARDIS Story Arc (Potential Spoilers!) The Timeless Child Location (Potential Spoilers!) Desolation UK Viewers 9 million Appreciation Index 82 Synopsis Stranded on an alien planet infamously called Desolation, can the Doctor find her way to the TARDIS as she promised her new friends? Will her newest company be of any help when they're also racing against each other? And what exactly is "the Ghost Monument"? Watch Watched Favourite Favourited Add Review Edit Review Log a repeat Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Owned Save to my list Saved Edit date completed Custom Date Release Date Archive (no date) Save Characters Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker Graham O'Brien Bradley Walsh Yasmin Khan Mandip Gill Ryan Sinclair Tosin Cole Remnants Show All Characters (5) How to watch The Ghost Monument: Watch on iPlayer Blu-Ray The Complete Eleventh Series [Steelbook] Blu-Ray The Complete Eleventh Series DVD The Complete Eleventh Series Reviews Add Review Edit Review Sort: Date (Newest First) Date (Oldest First) Likes (High-Low) Likes (Low-High) Rating (High-Low) Rating (Low-High) Word count (High-Low) Word count (Low-High) Username (A-Z) Username (Z-A) Spoilers First Spoilers Last 6 reviews 8 April 2025 · 756 words Review by MrColdStream Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time! “THE GHOST MONUMENT: A DESERT DETOUR TO A FAMILIAR BLUE BOX” Picking up directly from The Woman Who Fell to Earth, The Ghost Monument wastes no time throwing the newly formed TARDIS team into the chaos of outer space. After a brief, breathless rescue, they find themselves split across two crashing ships, piloted by rival space racers Angstrom and Epzo, landing them on the harsh and desolate planet Desolation. The tension of this disorienting start—fuelled by shaky camera work, scarred ships, and the growing dread of imminent doom—immediately draws us in. From the get-go, the companions are forced to adjust to their extraordinary new reality. Ryan plays it cool and dismissive, Graham is more grounded and pragmatic, and Yaz remains curious and attentive. The Doctor, as ever, leaps straight into command, barely breaking stride. The dynamic between the characters starts to gel, with the four feeling more like a team in motion, even if still a bit shaky. A RACE WITH LOW STAKES The bulk of the story takes place on Desolation, a dusty, sun-scorched planet reminiscent of Tatooine from Star Wars. Its alien landscape, while visually simple, is brought to life through a warm, evocative colour palette. Sadly, the actual plot—the final leg of a galaxy-spanning race—lacks urgency or depth. The so-called “Ghost Monument” at the finish line is, unsurprisingly, the TARDIS, which robs the narrative of any real surprise or tension. While the idea of building an episode around the Doctor desperately trying to reach her lost ship is a lovely callback to Classic Who, the execution is surprisingly low-key. There’s also a notable absence of a proper villain. The true danger lies in the planet itself—abandoned, booby-trapped, and cursed by a violent past. It’s an intriguing setting that whispers of something sinister, but that thread never truly builds. Hints about what happens after nightfall or why the world is deserted are never fully explored. And when the “monsters” finally do appear—floating, whispering, sentient rags called the Remnants—they feel half-baked. Despite a haunting concept and a tragic origin, they arrive far too late and leave too little impact, serving mostly to tease the “Timeless Child” arc that won’t come to fruition until much later. COMPANIONS UNDER PRESSURE This episode continues to explore the growing tensions and bonds within the companion group. Ryan and Graham are still at emotional odds, grappling with Grace’s death and their uneasy relationship. Ryan pushes boundaries by reaching for a gun, testing the Doctor’s firm no-weapons stance. His dyspraxia is mentioned again, but frustratingly, a key scene of him struggling with a ladder was cut—an opportunity missed to explore his challenges more meaningfully. Yaz, meanwhile, is largely sidelined, a pattern that will sadly repeat throughout the series. Jodie Whittaker delivers a more confident, vibrant performance here, clearly enjoying the chance to blend rapid-fire science with a dose of righteous authority. Her infectious enthusiasm and optimism are a delight, even if the script sometimes favours sentiment over storytelling. SECONDARY CHARACTERS LEFT IN THE DUST Angstrom and Epzo, the two racers, don’t leave much of an impression. Their endless bickering quickly becomes tiresome, and their backstories are delivered in clunky exposition dumps. Neither character is particularly likeable, and their scenes tend to slow the pacing rather than build it. Art Malik appears briefly as Ilin, the race’s organiser and final judge, and while he gives a suitably authoritative performance, his role is so minor it feels like a waste of a strong guest actor. THE BLUE BOX RETURNS The emotional payoff comes in the closing minutes, as the Doctor—believing she has failed her new friends—sinks into quiet despair. But just as hope fades, the TARDIS finally materialises, drawn to her once more. It’s a joyous reunion, made even sweeter by Whittaker’s beaming reaction and the stunning reveal of the Thirteenth Doctor’s TARDIS interior: a crystal cathedral of amber light, strange geometry, and warm welcome. It’s a high note that elevates the episode’s uneven journey. 📝VERDICT: 6/10 The Ghost Monument has its moments: a strong opening, a vibrant Doctor finding her footing, and a beautiful TARDIS return that tugs on the heartstrings. But the lack of compelling guest characters, the weak villains, and a meandering central plot prevent it from fully taking off. A classic-style Who tale in structure, it ultimately feels more like a gentle stroll than a dramatic race. Whittaker shines, the companions begin to gel, and the ending lands—but it’s a long walk across a mostly empty desert to get there. MrColdStream View profile Like Liked 0 6 April 2025 · 62 words Review by Dullish Spoilers 3 This review contains spoilers! Ghost Monument Great episode. The doctor and "the fam" accidentally come across a space race, not the space race a race that's in space. Graham tries to bond with Ryan to no avail, this will happen a lot. A talking rag sets up the series 12 Finale for some reason, The Doctor forgets their gender and finds the TARDIS is the ghost monument Dullish View profile Like Liked 3 3 March 2025 · 109 words Review by MarkOfGilead19 3 I remember really liking this one on my first watch, and yeah, it is just a comfortable watch for me. It's packed with action from the start and the mystery of the planet kept me intrigued. The TARDIS being the "Ghost Monument" is actually such a cool idea and the race is pretty compelling. I'm liking Jodie's Doctor much more than the first time too, she is actually pretty badass when it comes to calling out people for what she believes is wrong (except for the no guns speech, that was a bit ham-fisted imo). The writing is nothing crazy but the vibes more than make up for it. MarkOfGilead19 View profile Like Liked 3 6 February 2025 · 238 words Review by DarthGallifrey Spoilers 4 This review contains spoilers! The Ghost Monument: A Rambling Review I do remember liking this one when I first watched it on broadcast. Watching it now, It's interesting seeing that Ryan feels like the focus character for the season. Both in this episode where he's our focus when we first wake up and he's the opening and closing focus (via Youtube) in the previous episode. All the companions feel like they're developed by their relationship to Ryan (Graham is his granddad, Yaz is a friend from school, etc). I love the ships and the scenes therein. It makes the universe feel lived in. I love the ideae of the race, I'm a little surprised it's never been used in the series before. (Yes, I know that Enlightenment exists. But that's a yacht race through space, this is space Dakar. There is a difference.) I like the ruins with the sniperbots, it feels very Halo. The reveal that the Stenza are behind Desolation is really cool. It really is a shame that apart from a return of Tim Shaw in the season finale, we never hear anything of the Stenza again. I really feel that they're ripe for a return. I liked how the race ended, and those mountain vistas when the TARDIS appears are gorgeous. I do like Thirteen's TARDIS interior with the contrasting blues and orange/golds, I just wish that those gold finger things didn't block camera angles so much. DarthGallifrey View profile Like Liked 4 27 December 2024 · 90 words Review by whitestar1993 Spoilers 3 This review contains spoilers! This was a very fun episode, I am enjoying the new TARDIS team. Loved the scavenger hunt story, and thought the cinematography was great. There were a few things that I think could've been clarified, such as the robots appearing out of nowhere (how in the world could they sneak up on them..?) and the EMP. (I'm guessing the EMP came from the damaged robot, but It could've been better portrayed.) Anyways, enjoying these episodes so far, much more than I thought I would based off its reputation and reviews. whitestar1993 View profile Like Liked 3 Show All Reviews (6) Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating737 members 2.82 / 5 Trakt.tv AVG. Rating1,746 votes 3.71 / 5 Member Statistics Watched 1501 Favourited 50 Reviewed 6 Saved 2 Skipped 2 Related Stories Yaz’s Case Files (Minisode) Case File Two: The Remnants Rating: 2.26 Story Skipped Webcast Reviews(1) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Yaz’s Case Files Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Quotes Add Quote Link to Quote Favourite DOCTOR: Come on, please. Give us this. It's all right, it's me! Stabilise. Come to Daddy. I mean Mummy. — Thirteenth Doctor, The Ghost Monument Transcript + Script Needs checking (The Doctor and her new companions have just appeared in the vacuum of space where - according to the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - they'll have less than thirty seconds to survive, unless they get picked up by a passing spaceship at a probability of 2 to the power of 267,701 to 1 against. Possibly much higher. So it is no surprise to anyone when a spaceship promptly drops out of hyperspace and grabs them.) [Angstrom's spaceship] (A dilapidated old thing, and small.) GRAHAM: Breathe slowly, son. Well done. That's it. Well done.RYAN: I'm alive. We are alive, right?GRAHAM: As far as I can tell, yeah. (Ryan tumbles out of a horizontal medipod.) Show Full Transcript Open in new window View Script (PDF)