6.11. The God Complex

Series 6 - 2011

Writer: Toby Whithouse
Produced by: Marcus Wilson
Director: Nick Hurran
Music: Murray Gold

Synopsis

In old 80's a hotel policewoman Lucy Hayward makes her way down a corridor, looking in some of the rooms. She is the last one left. All the rooms contain something meaningful to their occupants. All she can say before she is killed is 'Praise him'.

The Doctor is excited by a hotel that looks like an old Earth hotel, only they are not on Earth. On a wall there are various pictures of previous guests, and each one is labelled. There is a picture of Lucy Hayward with the label 'that brutal Gorilla'.

The Doctor rings a bell, and three guests appear. Two of the guests are human, and one is from the planet Tivoli - one of the most invaded planets in the galaxy. One of the guests - Rita - tells the Doctor that the rooms have 'things' in them. None of the guests knows how they got into the hotel, or where the hotel is. There is one more guest - Joe - but he is tied to a chair in the restaurant. All the other chairs have laughing ventriloquist dummies. Joe tells the Doctor there is a room for everyone - even him. The Doctor uses a trolley to wheel Joe away, still tied to his chair.

Howie thinks they are in Norway - a conspiracy. He's drawn to a particular room full of girls. They all start mocking him.

As they are all checking corridors the Doctor notices scratches of the ceiling. They hear something in the corridor and all hide in one of the rooms. Rita, a nurse, takes Joe into a room and finds her father, a doctor, who starts complaining about her grades.

Elsewhere Amy, Rory, Gibbis and the Doctor hide in another room where there are two Weeping Angels, and the lights are flickering. But the Weeping Angels are not attacking them. Outside the room they can hear a snarling. Looking through

the spy hole in the hotel room door the Doctor can see the creature outside. Joe emerges from his room and calls to the creature. The Doctor runs after Joe and the creature, but they have vanished. After some searching the Doctor finds Joe's body slumped against a wall.

Amy remembers a note she found in a corridor, a note from Lucy Hayward. As the Doctor reads the note out loud Howie starts saying 'Praise him'. The others are scared that Howie is going to lead the creature to them. Whatever is in the hotel feeds on fear. The Doctor sets about trying to capture the monster. The Doctor sets up a speaker in a hairdresser's salon. The monster hears this and heads to the salon. Amy and Rory use mop handles to block the doors so the monster is trapped inside. The Doctor has set up mirror so he can see the creature - a Minotaur.

The Minotaur is telepathic, and the Doctor is able to understand that the Minotaur is a wadern, and that the hotel is a prison. The Doctor asks what the people are, and the Minotaur says they are not 'ripe'. The Minotaur tells the Doctor it wants it all to stop, and the Doctor asks it how to fight it. The Minotaur escapes and the Doctor goes after it. Amy follows the Doctor, but feels drawn to one of the rooms - number 7. She peeks inside, but Rita stops her going in.

The Doctor finds Howie's body in one of the corridors, and down in reception a new picture of Howie appears. Whilst talking to Rita the Doctor notices a CCTV camera, and goes to find the control room. On the way he feels drawn to one of the rooms - number 11. He peaks inside and hears the cloister bell from the TARDIS.

A while later the Doctor finds the CCTV control room, and is able to see all over the hotel. On a screen the Doctor can see Rita, who has started praising the Minotaur. On another screen he can see the shadow of the Minotaur approaching Rita. The Doctor realises the Minotaur is not preying on fear, it's preying on faith. Not just religious faith, but any faith. Faith in an object or faith in another person. The Minotaur is not after Rory, as he has no real faith. The Minotaur is after Amy, and her faith in the Doctor.

The Doctor, Amy, Rory and Gibbis can hear the hooves of the Minotaur and start running, into room number 7. Inside is the young Amelia Pond, sitting on her suitcase. The Doctor starts talking to Amy, breaking her faith in him. The Minotaur breaks into the room, but steps out when Amy faith is shaken. In the corridor the Minotaur collapses.

The Doctor comforts the Minotaur as it dies. When it is dead the hotel hologram breaks down, leaving the Doctor, Amy, Rory and Gibbis in a prison in space.

The Doctor returns Gibbis to his home, and Amy and Rory back to Earth, to a new house with an old sports car outside. Amy realises the Doctor is leaving them, and these gifts are his way of saying goodbye.

Regular Cast

  • Amy Pond: Karen Gillan
  • Rory Williams: Arthur Darvill

Guest Cast

  • Lucy Hayward: Sarah Quintrell
  • Rita: Amara Karan
  • Howie Spragg: Dimitri Leonidas
  • Joe Buchanan: Danie Pirrie
  • Gibbis: David Walliams
  • PE Teacher: Dafydd Emyr
  • The Creature: Spencer Wilding
  • Rita's Father: Rashid Karapiet
  • Amelia Pond: Kaitlin Blackwood
  • Gorilla: Roger Ennals
Uncredited:
  • Young Lucy: Ella Whilton-Stroude
  • Lucy's Husband: Andrew Jay
  • Photographer: Gary Dobbs
  • Girls: Joanna Blewitt, Kally Davies, Lousie Garrett Evans, Louise Harris, Hollie Miles, Vicky Rusell
  • Double for the Doctor: Matthew Humphries
  • Angel: Louise Bowen
  • Clown: Damon Jeffrey

Original broadcast on the BBC

Channel Title Date Viewers Rating
BBC 1 (HD) 11. The God Complex Saturday, 17 September 2011 19:10 - 20:00 6.77M 86

Click here to show repeat broadcasts on the BBC

Studios

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 2
  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 5
  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 6
  • Upper Boat Studios: Studios 1 + 2

Outside Locations

  • Bute Esplanade, Cardiff Bay
  • Manor Park Hotel, Thornhill, Cardiff
  • Seabank Hotel, The Crescent, Porthcawl