November 10, 2018
SPOILER WARNING! This article contains information about the plot of Demons Of The Punjab. If you haven’t seen it yet, go and watch it and then come back here. To find out where to catch up on Doctor Who in your territory, visit the Watch section.
In the sixth episode of the new series of Doctor Who, Demons Of The Punjab (written by Vinay Patel, directed by Jamie Childs and guest starring Shane Zaza, Amita Suman and Hamza Jeetooa), the Doctor and her friends nip back in time to India, 1947 and meet Yaz’s grandmother when she was younger. However, they also arrive in the Punjab on the day of the Partition of India, when the country split into India and Pakistan.
Yaz attempts to discover her grandmother Umbreen's hidden history and is taken aback when she finds out Umbreen was originally engaged to an Indian man called Prem who wasn’t her grandfather. Meanwhile, the Doctor discovers that a race of aliens known as the Thijarians (or ‘demons’ as the Punjabi people call them) have been haunting the region. On further investigation, the creatures reveal they are only there to witness the deaths of those who die alone, and that Umbreen’s fiancé is destined to die this way. With a heavy heart, the Doctor and her friends have no choice but to walk away as Prem is shot and killed by his younger brother to keep history on course.
Viewers could not hold back the tears after the episode’s moving and dark story:
And here’s what the writer of the episode tweeted after it finished:
The seventh episode of the new series Kerblam! will air Sunday 18th November at 19:00 GMT (20:00 EDT). Release date varies by country - check local listings in the Watch section.
And if you missed Demons of the Punjab or would like to watch it again, you can catch up with the current series On Demand at BBC iPlayer (UK) or BBC America (US). For other regions, visit the Watch page to find out where to catch up in your territory.