Doctor Who: Series 13 Trailer Breakdown - 20 Things You Must See

20. Sonic Screwdriver Blast - Signal Or Attack?

The trailer kicks off with a stunning shot of the Doctor firing off a blast with her sonic screwdriver.

We've seen the Doctor use the sonic in a manner like this before - for example, in The Eleventh Hour, when he points it into the sky to create a loud noise for the Atraxi to notice - but it's unclear what exactly Thirteen is doing here.

Since going on the offensive isn't really the Doctor's style, it's likely that she's doing something a bit more passive, like shooting out a signal to attract someone. Or maybe she's recalling the TARDIS? Or, considering that the sonic is basically a cure-all plot device at this point, it could be doing literally anything Chibnall wants it to.

BBC

Either way, this scene (especially the wide shot) gives us "Harry Potter in the forest yelling EXPECTO PATRONUM" vibes. Those sonic screwdriver effects have clearly been given an upgrade, and it almost looks like the Doctor is casting some sort of spell.

Authored by Danny Meegan

Contributor

Danny has been with WhatCulture for almost nine years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. He has been writing and video editing for 10+ years, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers and uploading them to YouTube (they're admittedly a bit rusty by today's standards). If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order or to tell you about the making of 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, Danny is the person to ask.

Posted On: 17th Oct 2021

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