EntertainmentTVSci-Fi ShowsDoctor WhoDoctor Who Empire of Death ending explained: Sutekh, Mrs. Flood, and the answer to the question everyone was askingWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentTVSci-Fi ShowsDoctor WhoDoctor Who Empire of Death ending explained: Sutekh, Mrs. Flood, and the answer to the question everyone was askingWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: BBC)
Doctor Who season 1has come to an end, with ‘Empire of Death’ andSutekhmaking good on its promise of a significant kill count.
The finale also answered some of the big, burning questions fans have had all year, as well as posing a few new ones in its final moments. All told, there was a lot to unpick and unravel as Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor raced to save all of time and space.
Below, you’ll find our guide to the Empire of Death ending, including a recap of what just went down, as well as zeroing in on the big story beats and talking points before the TARDIS flies off once more.
But, first, a warning:MAJOR Doctor Who spoilers follow. This is your final chance to click away.
Empire of Death ending explained: What happened in the Doctor Who season 1 finale?
(Image credit: BBC)
Empire of Death begins with Sutekh winning and the Doctor losing. No fakeout here: the god’s Dust of Death spreads across the Earth, killing everyone – including the likes of Kate, Carla, and those at UNIT.
As he makes his escape in the Remembered TARDIS (a TARDIS made up of bits and pieces from its history, as previously seen in the Tales of the TARDIS spin-off) the Doctor also discovers something altogether more sinister: Sutekh has latched on to his TARDIS and rolled out versions of Susan Triad on every planet he has ever visited.
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So not only is everyone on Earth dead, but also the people and creatures on every world he has visited – including Skaro, the home of the Daleks.
The Doctor uses a whistle to control his own TARDIS, firing a laser that destroys Sutekh’s herald, Harriet Arbinger. He then ties Sutekh to the console and drags him into the time vortex.
That action brings ‘death to death’, reversing the effects of the dust and bringing everyone, everywhere back to life all at once.
(Image credit: BBC Studios)
In one final tease, Mrs. Flood is shown on the roof where she breaks the fourth wall once more, turning to the camera and warning us that the Doctor’s story “ends in absolute terror.”
Who dies in ‘Empire of Death’?
(Image credit: BBC)
However, they are eventually brought back to life after Sutekh is dragged through the time vortex and ‘brings death to death.’ That reverses the effects of the dust, meaning only Sutekh (and, earlier, Harriet) are the main permanent casualties in ‘Empire of Death’.
How was Sutekh defeated?
(Image credit: BBC)
Never underestimate the Doctor’s ability to bring down gods with little more than a few ordinary items. In this case, a whistle, a bungee-like cord, and the Doctor’s intelligent glove - first seen in the Christmas special.
(Image credit: BBC)
(Image credit: BBC)
Who is Mrs. Flood?
(Image credit: BBC)
Right now, Mrs. Flood (Anita Dobson) remains an enigma. We can confidently predict she will be a villain in the years to come, though, given her words during Empire of Death.
She proclaims The Doctor’s story “ends in absolute terror” but for the moment we have no idea what that looks like.
Mrs. Flood also said earlier in the episode: “Tell your maker I will come to storm down the gates of gold and seize his kingdom in my true name.”
Her ‘true name’, then, remains a mystery. Expect her to crop up again and reveal herself in Doctor Who season 2. Speaking of which…
What next for The Doctor and Doctor Who?
(Image credit: BBC)
Yes, as the credits message reads: ‘Doctor Who will return’ – in case there was ever any doubt. In actuality, the second season of Doctor Who, once again starring Ncuti Gatwa, has already finished filming.
Doctor Who has now wrapped up onDisneyPlus and BBC iPlayer. For more, check out the latest on 2024’snew TV shows.
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Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa reflects on the one year anniversary of his debut as the Doctor admitting “I didn’t quite realize the magnitude of what I was taking on"Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies teases season 2’s “scariest episode” and a “big surprise” from the mysterious Mrs Flood
Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa reflects on the one year anniversary of his debut as the Doctor admitting “I didn’t quite realize the magnitude of what I was taking on”
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Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies teases season 2’s “scariest episode” and a “big surprise” from the mysterious Mrs Flood
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Master Chief’s absence from Halo Wars wasn’t Bungie’s fault, it was a move to make players “care about everybody else” in the RTS
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