Warning: Spoilers for Doctor Who episode 3, "Boom"!

Summary

• Steven Moffat returns to Doctor Who with a bang in the new episode "Boom", testing the Doctor's usual tricks.
• Ncuti Gatwa shines as the Doctor in "Boom", forced to rely on others and face intense emotions in this unique episode with the return of the Anglican Marines as the perfect foil.
• Moffat shares what an adventure with Ncuti Gatwa, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi's Doctors could look like.

Steven Moffat returns to Doctor Who with a bang, or rather, a boom, in the new episode, "Boom", which sees the Doctor unable to rely on his usual tricks. When he and Ruby arrive at a war-torn planet, The Doctor steps on a landmine, and he will need to rely on his wits, Ruby, and a few strangers to help him out of this precarious situation as he tries to escape the bomb beneath him without blowing up half the planet. As tensions grow, the Doctor will make a startling discovery about the war he is in the middle of, which will have massive implications for himself and the entire planet.

Moffat has been a staple of Doctor Who since the series was revived in 2005. Starting as a writer, he penned iconic episodes, including "Blink," "The Girl In The Fireplace," "The Empty Child," "Silence In The Library," and many more. He served as showrunner for Doctor Who during the Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi eras, from 2010 to 2017. Now he, like Russell T Davies, has returned to lend his voice to Doctor Who once again, writing not only the newest episode, but the next Christmas Special as well.

Screen Rant interviewed Steven Moffat about his new Doctor Who episode, "Boom." He explained why he brought back the Anglican Marines and incorporated "Thoughts & Prayers" into the villainous AI's vocabulary. Moffat also contemplated what a team up between the Gatwa, Capaldi, and Smith versions of the Doctor could look like and broke down why this is the episode where Gatwa fully becomes the Doctor with elements of past regenerations bleeding in.

The Anglican Marines Are Back As The Perfect Foil For The Doctor

"Borderline Irrational Anger At Soldiers And Religious People"

Moffat has brought the Anglican Marines into play before with "The Time Of The Angels," "Flesh And Stone," and "A Good Man Goes To War." While they aren't always on the Doctor's side, they do present an interesting dichotomy because they represent both faithful religious beliefs and soldiers, which are two things the Doctor struggles with. Moffat explained what inspired him to bring back the Anglican Marines, not only as the ideal foil for the Doctor but as the perfect army to be fighting against an enemy they only believe to be there without ever seeing proof.

Steven Moffat: Well, I've always quite liked them. I always quite liked the idea that the rather sweet church of England that we have one day gets some uzis and goes on invading planets. It's just a crazy Doctor Who thing to do. I also wanted an army who were capable of convincing themselves there was an enemy in the fog. I thought, "That's interesting," but also with an impotent Doctor unable to move or do anything.

He has slightly borderline irrational anger at soldiers and religious people, even though he's full of faith and is pretty much a warrior himself, all self-loathing. I think it just gets him a bit wound up, and I wanted to wind him up. A soldier with a clerical collar, who he ends up really liking, of course, is the perfect person to face him with when he is trying to control his mood state on a smart landmine. It was that, I think. And also, I liked the image, the daff wee collar and the great Big John.

Although the Anglican Marines are fighting against the Doctor and his friends in "A Good Man Goes To War," Moffat explained why he's never seen them as evil or straight forward bad guys. This lens is because of the Doctor's own perspective. "Boom," shows both the good and bad sides of the Anglican Marines by focusing on just a few and showing the horrors once they realize the truth about the war so many of their own have died in.

Steven Moffat: I never saw them as straightforward bad guys, to be honest, at all. In Time of Angels and Flesh and Stone, Father Octavian is the most heroic character there. The way he dies to save the Doctor, and the Doctor realizes throughout that story that he's misjudged him brutally, as he's inclined to, just because he gets wound up. He's a scientist adventurer who has a slight suspicion that he might be God himself, so he just gets really annoyed at that.

I think people are thinking I'm having a pot at armies and religion. I'm really not. It's the Doctor; he's just like that. I don't view them as straightforwardly bad people at all. Even in "A Good Man Goes To War," in fairness, the mission they're on is to try and stop the Doctor sparking an enormous war. They do so wrong, and it's brutal what they do, but their mission is not straightforwardly evil at all.

One of the most chilling elements of the new episode is Moffat's decision to have the AI ambulances use the phrase, "thoughts and prayers," after killing soldiers. This phrase is often used in the real world after tragedy strikes, but this episode of Doctor Who shows how empty those words can be. Moffat broke down why he included this detail and how he hopes it changes the conversation around this phrase.

Steven Moffat: Because I want people to stop saying it. It is witless; it is appalling that in the face of people's genuine tragedy and traumatic loss, you trot out a stock phrase. What is the matter with you? "Thoughts and prayers?" How about you send money? I mean, how about you send some help? How about you do something? "Thoughts and prayers" is, "Nevermind. Oh, well."

I thought that if I can just get it in there like, "Exterminate," as what evil robots say, then maybe people will stop saying that idiotic phrase.

Steven Moffat Explains How This Episode Grounds Ncuti Gatwa As The Doctor

"Capaldi's Still In There. Tom Baker's Still In There. William Hartnell's Still In There."

Gatwa's Doctor has brought his companion on a few very fun yet dangerous adventures, but can always rely on his usual tricks, running, the sonic screwdriver, and his excitability to get them out of trouble. "Boom" strips him of these tools and forces him to stand still trusting those around him. While Gatwa has done a fantastic job of establishing himself and his Doctor, this is the episode where he becomes the Doctor with intensity, fear, mourning, celebration, and humor.

Steven Moffat: Well, I think one of the things about the Doctor is you need to be reminded at some point that, despite all the newness - because the Doctor always seems very new at first, you hit the audience with, "No, it's still him."

I think once he's on the landmine, and he's trying to give orders, and he's getting scared and he's getting quite scathing? You realize, "No, Capaldi's still in there. Tom Baker's still in there. William Hartnell's still in there." It's still the same ancient beast looking out of those brand-new eyes. I think it's important to see that.

But also, I had great faith in Ncuti as an actor, and I thought, "We can't confine him to just running around." You have to do that at the beginning. You really do. It's great fun to travel with Doctor Who in his magic box, and then you've got to have the reality hit. Ruby realizes he's completely insane and not reliable. He's dangerous - I mean, all heroes are dangerous.

They just try to be dangerous in the right direction. And traveling with the Doctor can be lethal. Had his foot landed a moment harder on that mine, she'd have been abandoned in the middle of a war. So, it is the lesson. This is not just for fun, and he's crazy. He's crazy.

Each of the Doctor's companions stand out as intriguing characters in their own right with unique relationships to the Doctor. Ruby Sunday in some ways, feels reminiscent of Rose Tyler and Amy Pond as a young woman swept up in amazement and adventure. Moffat explained how he approached writing Ruby with this episode forcing her to see the realities of the situation she is in now. He also declared that "Jackie Tyler was right back in the day" regarding her feelings about the Doctor and the dangers he poses.

Steven Moffat: Well, I will leave matters of snow and all that to Russell because I must be careful not to divulge anything or get anything wrong.

I think you have to remember she's younger. She's about Amy's age, actually, so I would agree with that comparison with Amy and Rose. She's very smart, but like anyone of that age, does not fully appreciate just how dangerous a minefield she's now running through. Any parent would take her aside and say, "Stay away from that guy. Do not go anywhere near that guy."

I always say about Doctor Who, "Jackie Tyler was right back in the day." In real life, if a friend you knew of 19 was saying, "I'm going to run off of the guy who's got his own camper van, and he likes to go into the middle of wars and sort them out." You'd say, "No, don't go there. Don't do that!" I think you have to keep in mind that she's young, she's smart, but she is not wise. You don't get wisdom till much later. So, that is useful and exciting. I think she does a fantastic job, Millie.

Steven Moffat Weighs In On Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor Who Team-Up Desires

Gatwa, Matt Smith & Peter Capaldi Would "Start A Boy Band"

During Screen Rant's last interview with Gatwa, he revealed which past Doctors he'd like to team up with for a multi-Doctor adventure. Two of his picks were Smith and Capaldi. Moffat revealed what he believes Smith and Capaldi's Doctors would think of this regeneration and what the dynamic could be between the three of them.

Steven Moffat: What would they think? The David and the Matt Doctors always got on really well. They just liked each other. I think Capaldi would be grumpy about the other two not being proper Doctors like him. I think Matt and Ncuti's Doctors would just have a giggle together and run around and say, "This is cool. You change your clothes all the time. I'm going to do that now!" I think that would be funny.

That would actually be quite a funny threesome. Ncuti and Matt would be the naughty school kids, and Capaldi would be the grumpy school teacher who's actually even naughtier than they are, and they'd all play the guitar. They'd start a boy band.

Moffat has talked about how he was excited to return with "Boom" because it was an opportunity to explore an element that he never truly had with Doctor Who before: suspense with the Doctor forced to stand still. When asked if he wanted to return for the Christmas Special in order to do something else he'd never done before with Doctor Who, he remained tight-lipped. However, he did discuss how he has approached the Christmas Specials in the past, noting that they are often more Doctor-centric, but said Whovians will just have to wait until Christmas.

Steven Moffat: I can't reveal anything at all, so I can't tell you that either. I think every time I write a Doctor Who story, especially now that any given one could be my last one ever, you always want to find something.

If the Doctor is traveling alone, as he does at Christmas, or if he's with someone else at Christmas, or he's got a different character there? You have a different dynamic with him; a different world with him, and so you want to see him more. Sometimes the Christmas special seems a bit more Doctor-centric than the other ones, but I can't really say anything about it. You'll see! Christmas presents stay wrapped till Christmas Day.

About Doctor Who Season 14

The Doctor and Ruby travel through time and space on adventures to unknown lands, to the Regency era in England, to outer space worlds and the Sixties.

Check out our other Doctor Who series 14 interviews:

• Ncuti Gatwa
• Nucti Gatwa & Millie Gibson
• Russel T Davies
• Jinkx Monsoon

The first three episodes of Doctor Who series 14 are available on Disney+ now with new episodes every Friday and on BBC the following day.