Former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat has apologized for spoiling the presence of the Weeping Angels in the upcoming Doctor Who: Flux. Flux is the title of season 13 of the long-running British science fiction series. Doctor Who follows the adventures of a Time Lord with the ability to regenerate their form while traveling through time and space with a variety of companions. It originally ran from 1963 to 1989 before Russell T. Davies brought the series back to life in 2005, casting Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor.
Doctor Who: Flux has already wrapped filming and is set to premiere on October 31 with an episode titled "The Halloween Apocalypse." It will be the final outing for the Thirteenth Doctor, played by first-ever female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker. Flux will follow the Doctor and her companions Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Dan (John Bishop) as they face the emergence of a deadly threat called the Flux, which will also herald the return of classic villains like the Sontarans, the Ood, and the Weeping Angels, as well as new creatures like Ravages and a Chewbacca-esque dog alien called Karvanista.
Back in July, former showrunner Steven Moffat accidentally spoiled that the Weeping Angels would be appearing on season 13 in an ill-thought-out Instagram post. Now, in a clip shared to Twitter, Moffat is shown apologizing for this gaffe. The video sees Moffat praise the Doctor Who: Flux trailer, saying that he's watched it "413 times," before sending out his mea culpa. Moffat says he is "tremendously sorry" about the reveal, and admits that current showrunner Chris Chibnall threatened to send "the boys round" to take him down. If the ending of the video is anything to go by, Chris came through. Watch the full short clip below:
Weeping Angels are recurring Doctor Who villains. They first appeared in the notorious Moffat-era episode "Blink" in 2007. The terrifying creatures take the form of statues covering their faces, and only move when they aren't being observed. More specifically, they are quantum-locked humanoids who cover their faces because of their ability to petrify one another with their gazes, much like Medusa from Greek myth. The Weeping Angels have appeared on the show a total of six times, though they haven't been seen since the 2013 Christmas special.
Doctor Who: Flux is going to be a very transitional season for the series, and the presence of the Weeping Angels is rather representative of that fact. Season 14 will see the return of original reboot showrunner Russell T. Davies as well as a new Doctor, so involving Moffat creatures in the victory lap for Chibhall and Whitaker feels like a very symbolic moment. Moffat himself participating in the buildup to season 13, which will be a truncated six episodes, certainly adds to that overall feeling. Loyal Doctor Who fans will no doubt be watching closely to see what the former showrunner thinks of the new episodes when they air.
Source: @SWmoff/Twitter