Dr. Who Season 6 Episode 11 ‘God Complex’ Review

Going into the latest Doctor Who season 6 episode ‘God Complex,’ I didn’t know what to expect. ‘Night Terrors‘ and ‘The Girl Who Waited‘ were near perfection in their own right and total emotional roller coasters, so how could they top that? There had to be a letdown at some point, right? Nope, not today.

In ‘God Complex,’ The Doctor, Amy, and Rory find themselves in something made to resemble an 80’s-style hotel, right down to the music playing on cassette. From the start there is something eerily amiss here (the beginning bit about a cop named Laura repeating “Praise Him, Praise Him, Praise Him” is definitely a tip-off that something was off, but until our trio shows up you never really know how things are going to shakeup). Soon after their arrival, they encounter a female doctor with serious father issues, a conspiracy obsessed socially awkward nerd, and an alien whose race is constantly invaded to the point that his high school motto is “Resistance is Exhausting.”


The group learns from their new “friends” that within the hotel there are rooms that house various fears and thoughts. Everyone has a room just for them. When The Doctor comes upon Room 11 and opens the door, all you here is a cloister bell tolling over and over. The Doctor’s response to whoever is inside is both chilling and haunting. For kicks, there’s a huge minotaur that hunts you down and devours you, but only when you’re “ripe.”

There are a lot of hints towards what is fast becoming the most highly anticipated Who finale since the rebirth of the show back in 2005. Rory refers to his travels with The Doctor in the past tense which doesn’t go unnoticed by the 900+ Gallifreyan. In fact, it is Rory that delivers one of the best lines I’ve seen come out of a companion in a long time:

“You know, Howie had been in speech therapy. He’d just got over this massive stammer. Quite an achievement. I mean, can you imagine? I’d forgotten not all victories are about saving the universe.”

‘God Complex’ is definitely a Doctor episode. The ending is incredibly emotional and really opens up everything that has gone on since The Doctor first met little Amelia Jessica Pond. His speech to her at the end of their time in the hotel brings openness and vulnerability to the character that knowing what is on the horizon for him makes it all the more heart-wrenching.

Here are a couple of things to keep an eye out for that may help those playing the Whovian What If? Game: the bowtie and the Rubik’s cube. The Doctor not only starts to look like the one who meets his fate at Lake Silencio, but also is now dressed in the same clothes (blue bowtie). As for the Cube, if you remember in ‘Night Terrors,’ The Doctor holds Georgie’s Rubik’s Cube in his hand and can’t complete it. He gets frustrated with it and tosses it briefly aside. Here, he pulls one out and it is completed.

– James Zappie

TheHDRoom may be paid a small commission for any services or products ordered through select links on this page.

TheHDRoom