"Boom" Pays Off A Doctor Who Story From Steven Moffat's Very First Episode 19 Years Ago

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 14, episode 3, "Boom."

Summary New viewers can enjoy "Boom" as a standalone episode, despite its ties to the show's history from almost two decades ago.

Steven Moffat's return in "Boom" to write for Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor completes a 19-year arc with Villengard at the center.

"Boom" leaves Villengard as an ominous corporation, hinting at potential future conflicts for the Doctor to unravel.

Doctor Who season 14, episode 3, "Boom," revolves around a story element with which newer viewers may be unfamiliar, but it's actually a reference to an introduction to the show from almost two decades ago. The Disney era of Doctor Who has been produced in such a way that those who have never watched the show can start viewing and enjoy it right away - despite the immense amount of lore connected with the franchise. However, the new episodes do tie directly into the rest of the Doctor Who universe, and "Boom" is the latest piece of evidence that proves this.

"Boom" is written by Steven Moffat, a former Doctor Who showrunner. Before taking over as the show's leader ahead of the Matt Smith era, Moffat also wrote for Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor and David Tennant's Tenth. When Peter Capaldi is also taken into account, Ncuti Gatwa becomes the fifth main Doctor actor that Moffat has written for. Interestingly, his latest Doctor Who story, "Boom," borrows heavily from his first - at least, in one specific area. So, while penning a script for the Doctor Who season 14 cast, he's able to pay tribute to his earliest work with the show.

Related 20 Greatest Doctor Who Stories Of All Time, Ranked Doctor Who has been a fixture on TV screens for 60 years, meaning there are plenty of stories to choose from when picking out the Time Lord's best.

Doctor Who Season 14, Episode 3 Brings Back Villengard

Villengard debuted during Christopher Eccleston's time as the Ninth Doctor

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Villengard is at the heart of all the events of "Boom." The enormous weapons manufacturer received its first mention in Doctor Who season 1, episode 10, "The Doctor Dances." This episode, also written by Steven Moffat, briefly references Villengard. However, it's nowhere near as pivotal to the narrative as it is in "Boom." So, Gatwa's era may be partially aimed at newcomers, but Villengard is a great example of how Doctor Who hasn't forgotten its history.

Villengard's scant mention in "The Doctor Dances" is limited to John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness declaring his sonic blaster comes from Villengard.

Villengard's scant mention in "The Doctor Dances" is limited to John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness declaring his sonic blaster comes from Villengard. The device is an offensive weapon but also has abilities similar to that of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver. As proof, the Doctor uses the device to open a locked door - albeit in a slightly different way than how the screwdriver would achieve the task.

"Boom" leaves Villengard as a faceless corporation, with only its weapons being present, rather than any kind of figure or name with which the Doctor or the episode's other characters can communicate. This maintains the company's ominous reputation as soulless warmongers, with the Doctor's discovery of the ambulances' weighted survival-rate algorithm highlighting Villengard's soulless emphasis on profit at all costs. Despite his lengthy absense from the show, "Boom" has quickly become one of the best Doctor Who episodes written by Steven Moffat.

"Boom" Is Doctor Who's Biggest Use Of Villengard Yet

Steven Moffat brings Villengard to the forefront of the action

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Although Villengard has been referenced in other corners of the Doctor Who franchise, its use in the show has been very scarce. "Boom" greatly elaborates upon existing Villengard lore and adds fresh new angles to the villainous corporation. The weapon forges of Villengard have been mentioned in several areas of the franchise, but for the company itself to sit so squarely in the spotlight in "Boom" is the first time all the teases have really paid off in any meaningful way.

In the Doctor Who comics, the War Doctor destroys the Villengard factories during the closing months of the Time War. Using a "molecular fruit bomb," the War Doctor transforms the facility into a banana grove. Although this comic story was written after the Ninth Doctor's run on the show, it's referenced by Eccleston's version of the Time Lord switching out Jack's sonic blaster for a banana in "The Doctor Dances." However, the nebulous nature of Doctor Who's canon outside the show makes it unclear if the War Doctor's banana-based tactic was actually carried out.

Steven Moffat's Era Has Now Come Full Circle After Doctor Who Season 14

"Boom" could be the end of a 19-year arc for Moffat

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With Steven Moffat introducing Villengard to Doctor Who during his pre-showrunner years in 2005, then returning during his post-showrunner years in 2024 to write a completely Villengard-centric story for Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor, the writer has made for himself a kind of self-closing loop. Moffat's ties to Doctor Who are arguably stronger than those of the current showrunner, Russell T Davies. Moffat has now written for the show before, during, and after his time in the showrunner's chair. However, Davies' creative input has been limited to his spells in charge.

While "Boom" is the most recent Doctor Who episode written by Moffat that's aired, his time with the show isn't over yet.

While "Boom" is the most recent Doctor Who episode written by Moffat that's aired, his time with the show isn't over yet. Speaking with Radio Times, Moffat confirmed he has written the 2024 Doctor Who Christmas special too. Titled, "Joy to the World," Moffat has teased he "Might never write for Doctor Who again" after the festive installment. While it's currently unclear whether "Joy to the World" will also revolve around Villengard, it will be the 50th Doctor Who episode Moffat has written, so it would be a fitting time for him to bow out.

Doctor Who is built on change, with figures returning to the show often only being temporary additions. For example, David Tennant has reprised his role as the Doctor for the 50th and 60th-anniversary specials. Moffat coming back to Doctor Who needs to be handled in much the same way, as while it's important the show continues to acknowledge the important creatives from its past, it also needs to have one eye on the future. On the other hand, Russell T Davies' return as full-time showrunner seems to be going well - so perhaps there's room for more input from Moffat too.

Villengard Should Return Again After Doctor Who's "Boom"

Doctor Who can reveal so much more about Villengard

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While the Doctor manages to end the one-sided conflict on Kastarion 3, there's no telling how many other similar scenarios are unfolding throughout the universe. Villengard's stranglehold on the weapons industry makes them a profit-hungry conglomerate that can do more damage than good. Kastarion 3 may not even be the worst situation for which Villengard is responsible. This gives the corporation a huge amount of potential to be one of Doctor Who's biggest bad guys going forward. However, while the main focus is currently on Doctor Who's Pantheon, Villengard may not come to the forefront again anytime soon.

Related Doctor Who Season 14 Beautifully Pays Tribute To Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor is remembered for an iconic trait, and Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor artfully makes reference to it in "Boom."

While a good idea may be to include another episode or two in a similar vein as "Boom," where Villengard is the physically absent antagonist, a natural conclusion to the story would be to take the Doctor to Villengard. This way, he could render the factories insert, putting an end to Villengard once and for all. While this wouldn't be likely to cause all conflict to cease overnight, it could lead to some compelling Doctor Who stories, such as exploring who would rush in to fill the power vacuum left behind by Villengard's absence.

Episode Disney+ Release Date "Space Babies" & "The Devil's Chord" May 10 "Boom" May 17 "73 Yards" May 24 "Dot & Bubble" May 31 "Rogue" June 7 "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" June 14 "Empire of Death" June 21

Source: Radio Times