When Doctor Who ultimately revealed that The One Who Waits was Sutekh all along, I felt like I was missing out on a large plot twist, and right after going back and watching his only other reside-action outing, I recognize why Russell T Davies brought back the God of Death. As it turns out, Doctor Who season 14 was a stealth sequel to a Fourth Doctor story all along, with Tom Baker’s version of the renowned Time Lord getting the only other iteration to go up against Sutekh onscreen.

While one particular of the harsh realities of rewatching Doctor Who‘s classic era is that some of the stories fall a small flat, the threat Sutekh presents is just as large now as it was in 1975. I located myself glued to the screen for all 4 episodes of the “Pyramids of Mars” serial, and the villain’s apparent defeat close to the finish of the arc brilliantly lures the audience into pondering he’s gone for fantastic. Davies has capitalized on this false feeling of safety by enacting a clever comeback half a century later.

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Sutekh Was One Of Classic Doctor Who’s Most Underrated Villains

The God of Death virtually broke absolutely free and carried out his program considerably earlier

I’m not extremely effectively-versed in the show’s classic run, but I have noticed some of the extra renowned stories. However, even the most casual Doctor Who fan will be conscious of quite a few of the iconic villains from prior to the 2005 revival with Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor. Antagonists like the Daleks and Cybermen have been brought back and reimagined quite a few occasions in Doctor Who‘s contemporary era, when other individuals have languished in the BBC archives for decades without having getting revisited. Among these, Sutekh quickly sparked my interest in “Pyramids of Mars” by boasting energy that is hardly ever so immense amongst Doctor Who villains.

While I located Sutekh’s correct kind a small confusing in the original series, I also located how lethal he was not possible to deny. His capacity to finish a life with just a touch alone, paired with his view of a decimated universe getting preferable to one particular that is teeming with life, is a really terrifying notion. Not quite a few villains have the capacity to carry out their darkest desires as well readily, and the Fourth Doctor’s final-minute pondering was the only issue that stopped Sutekth from escaping his prison and ending reality as it is recognized.

I Can’t Believe Doctor Who Hasn’t Brought Sutekh Back Before

Sutekh’s comeback would arguably have been productive through any time in the contemporary era

As I pointed out earlier, Doctor Who hasn’t been afraid to definitely ride the Daleks and the Cybermen when it comes to bringing back classic villains. I utilised to be fine with that, as I truly definitely appreciate all the related lore regarding each races. However, when I located out a villain like Sutekh had been ignored by the show for virtually 50 years, I was all of a sudden shocked, and a bit annoyed, that I’d been subjected to such repetitive storytelling.

While the villains exceptional to the contemporary era have been compelling as well, character comebacks can frequently be extra rewarding, and Doctor Who waited a shockingly extended time for the return of Sutekh to come about. Of course, I’m conscious it is quite most likely that Sutekh’s comeback to sit atop Doctor Who‘s Pantheon of Gods is only so productive mainly because of the massive gap among appearances. That getting stated, Doctor Who‘s Disney era feels made as a jumping-on point for new fans, and bringing a fairly obscure villain like Sutekh back as the significant terrible possibly went underappreciated by swathes of newer viewers.

Sutekh Can Work Even Better In Doctor Who’s Modern Era

Disney can additional Sutekh’s story (in spite of him losing in “Empire of Death”)

The art of storytelling has come a extended way due to the fact 1975, in particular in sci-fi shows like Doctor Who. The extended-operating British series could not have been conscious of the magnitude of the threat Sutekh could have presented had he not been thwarted so readily by Baker’s Doctor. However, now that it is been confirmed the God of Death can survive an apparent demise, he can come back and be even extra productive in future Doctor Who stories than he was in the season 14 finale.

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While I’m certain there are extended-standing fans of the show who choose Sutekh’s original design and style, I definitely enjoyed the modernization the character’s aesthetic underwent in “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” and “Empire of Death.” His updated appear matched the worry he was intended to instill back in 1975, as when it could have worked through Tom Baker’s era, it hasn’t aged all that effectively. Going forward, I’d enjoy to see Doctor Who‘s contemporary era bring back Sutekh once more, as I do not think the leader of the Pantheon could be really defeated so quickly.

Doctor Who

The most current season of Doctor Who introduces the Fifteenth Doctor, joined by new companion Ruby Sunday. Their initially adventure starts with “The Church on Ruby Road,” exactly where they face highly effective new foes and unravel the mystery surrounding Ruby’s origins. The Doctor grapples with the aftermath of a exceptional regeneration occasion and battles enemies extra formidable than ever prior to.

Cast

Ncuti Gatwa , Millie Gibson , Susan Twist , Michelle Greenidge , Angela Wynter , Jemma Redgrave , Yasmin Finney , Anita Dobson

Release Date

December 25, 2023

Seasons

2

Streaming Service(s)

AppleTV+ , Britbox , Max , Disney+