An ep a cross between Star Wars, Stargate and Death Race (don't ask me why I thought of that) finds the Doctor (Jodi Whittaker) and the others stranded in space and being rescued, or rather "scooped" by two ships. Heading towards a planet where the pilots are taking part in a race to claim the prized winnings and thinking that their passengers are "bonuses." The Doctor helps Epzo (Sean Dooley) save his ship by jettisoning the back of the ship. Adding, "I'm really good in a tight spot. At least I have been historically, I’m sure I still am." Then heading towards the planet and her new companions as well as Angstrom (Susan Lynch), the other pilot on a crash landing course As they are relived to see each other, the Doctor tells them they're on another planet and passes sunglasses to Graham (Bradley Walsh) but can't recall if they belonged to Audrey Hepburn or Pythagoras, with Graham replying that Pythagoras wouldn't wear them. They were more Audrey's style anyway.
The two pilots are the last two remaining contestants in the Last Rally of the Five Galaxies. The other four thousand have all died and they have made it to claim the money. As they find a tent and inside is a hologram of the man, Ilin (Art Malik) who is behind the race. His rules. The Doctor is more interested in the Ghost Monument as she is on the search for the elusive TARDIS. He shows her the hologram and the TARDIS is the Ghost Monument, leading them to join forces with the two. The only mode of transport being the boat which isn't running. The trusty Sonic came in quite handy and she examines the water for flesh eating microbes, with Ryan (Toisin Cole) and Graham tasked with fixing the boat. Ryan refusing to talk about his grandmother and calling Graham "grandad," Graham comments he likes to ask what Grace would say and replies she'd tell them this is amazing, they're on another planet. Ryan's NVQ coming in handy as he finds there's a battery and Graham thinks it runs on solar power so perhaps the panels aren't aligned.
As they get underway Epzo shows off his cigar he'll light when he wins and finally falls asleep for the others to talk. Angstrom telling them about her planet and how she misses her family, competing in the race to gather money for them. Yaz (Mandip Gill) is surprised she left her family for so long when she only just saw hers last night. Angstrom telling her not to take her family for granted. Having been warned not to travel at night they arrive at the other ruins and the Doctor wonders why there's no life or any signs of it. The two go off on their race and the others head off in search of the Monument, but she doesn't find anything. Until Epzo activates a sensor and a shadow follows him. Culminating in soldiers, which the Doctor says are armed robots, but why are they here?
Epzo shoots and activates them as they fire, causing the others to go through a tunnel and come across humans as targets. Epzo is wounded and the Doctor sends him off for a nap. As the Doctor finds a map of the tunnels and Ryan and Yaz find CCTV footage. As Epzo sleeps, reams of cloth or paper come alive and smother his mouth. As the others contemplate getting through the tunnels and travelling at night as a shortcut. Epzo screams and Angstrom rips the material away from his mouth with her knife. They mention the Stenza again and Angstrom opens up about the cleansing on her planet by them. They run through the tunnels and come to a ladder, the only way out with the smell of acetylene outside. Climbing the ladder to get out, Ryan hesitates and the Doctor asks him what he learned about acetylene. Outside they are surrounded by the creatures and they try to tap into their fear. Reaching out to the Doctor and reading her mind about the "Timeless Child." Of being abandoned and left alone. She wants to know what they know about that and to get out of her mind. At the same time telling the others to dig. As they lie down, she gets Graham to pick Epzo's pocket and steal his cigar which she lights up at the click of a finger, burning the creatures.
Reaching the finish line, the Doctor gets them to call it a tie and head into the tent together with the race man finally agreeing to let them win after being threatened by Epzo with pursuit until he finds him. They vanish, but the rest are left and she gives up hope of finding the TARDIS and getting them back home, when the whooshing of the TARDIS is heard. Having changed in colour outside and the interior resembling a monument of ruins, almost. Hence the title the Ghost Monument and she loves it. Now being able to take the others back. The TARDIS giving her a biscuit, a Custard Cream no less!
Character traits of the Doctor still coming through such as not liking or using guns, using brains over guns and remarking on her intelligence once again. Ryan still demonstrating his dyspraxia and Grace is still remembered. As there are throwaway lines relating to home and family, but nothing too emotional or long winded. Showing also how Ryan's aim to use the robots own weapon against them backfires confirming what she said about guns. Perhaps those peices of material were reminiscent of the mummy in the past with Peter Capaldi's Doctor Twelve, well almost. Tim Shaw (T'Zim Sha) being mentioned again as foreshadowing since he will definitely be showing up again at some point. The Doctor's new enemy perhaps.
The TARDIS appears on the Planet Desolation at every one thousand rotations and the Doctor thinks she can harness it. How did she manage to get the sunglasses though if she didn't have anything with her last ep and has lost her key too. The others being surprised at how the police box is bigger on the inside and the Doctor refers to it as dimensional engineering, Yaz replying you can't engineer dimensions. Something they will have to get used to.
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