Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 2, “Lux.“The God of Death’s exit inDoctor Whoseason 14’s finale could be interpreted as a temporary setback given the character’s history, but season 15, episode 2,“Lux,” teases the fact that Sutekh (Gabriel Woolf) is gone for good.The One Who Waits' true identity being revealed as Sutekhwas one of season 14’s biggest twists, as the villain hadn’t appeared in the show since the 1975 “Pyramids of Mars” serial starring Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor.Alan Cumming’s Mr. Ring-a-Ding/Lux Imperator, the God of Light, mentions Sutekh in “Lux,” and it doesn’t sound good for Woolf’s character.
As a member ofDoctor Who’s Pantheon, Sutekh has been retconned into being part of a larger collective of villains. He was strongly implied to have been at the top of the hierarchy, which suggests his supremacy. With Sutekh defeated, it remains to be seen if anyone will rush in to fill the void, or if the Pantheon even has that kind of structure. Lux is also a very powerful being, but was similarly dispensed with by Fifteen (Ncuti Gatwa) in season 15’s second installment - but not beforethe God of Light provided a cryptic clue about Sutekh’s future.
The God of Light uses an interesting word to describe the Doctor’s second defeat of Sutekh
Once Lux identifies the Doctor,the God of Light goes on to monologue about the Time Lord’s various victoriesover other Pantheon members. Although Lux largely avoids words that imply the Doctor actually killed any of the other Gods, he doesn’t make the same omission when it comes to Sutekh. Cumming’s character calls the Doctor the “enemy” of theToymaker (Neil Patrick Harris), the “decomposer” ofMaestro (Jinkx Monsoon), but calls him the “killer” of the God of Death - who is Sutekh.
Of course,Lux could simply be turning a phrase, but it feels especially salient that he uses such a final word to describe the Doctor’s defeat of season 14’s biggest villain. If anyone would know whether Sutekh is gone for good, it would be someone like Lux, who also belongs to the Pantheon. What makes it difficult to tell whether Lux is speaking literally is his penchant for showmanship, so he could have been exaggerating or embellishing the truth.
If Sutekh Returned Once, Don’t Rule Out His Future Doctor Who Comeback
The God of Death has already fooled the Doctor once
When Baker’s Doctor defeated Sutekh the first time around, that also seemed like a permanent solution. However, Sutekh wasn’t banished at all, but had rather hitched himself to the TARDIS and waited for centuries to resurface as the God of Death. Therefore, it’s possible that his final scene inDoctor Whoseason 14, episode 8, “Empire of Death,” was just as deceptive as his 1975 exit. If so, he could return yet again inDoctor Who’s near or distant future.
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“The Story and the Engine”
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