The second season of Mysteriet Doktorn had been initially planned out way back in 2018, when Season 1 was also being planned out. Filming was due to start in April 2020, to hit a November 2020 release but a worldwide pandemic got in the way. When pre-production started back up again towards the end of 2020, Hans Rosenfeldt decided to keep pretty much what had been planned out two years earlier, as he didn’t seen any reason to change much due to COVID.
Therefore, the biggest change following the first season was simply that Rosenfeldt decided, for the second run of episodes, to move further away from the Pertwee era, still keeping it’s DNA, but adapting a bigger range of stories and including a completely original mid-season two parter.
The rest of the crew and the cast stayed the same, with production eventually beginning in February 2021 and with the transmission of the series beginning from the 17 September 2021 in Sweden, and the following day in the UK for the English Dub. Once again, the BBC tucked the English dub away on BBC Four, this time up against prime-time hit Strictly Come Dancing, decimating any live viewers the show may have managed to generate. The English Dub was released on Paramount+ at 00:01 on Saturdays.
Sjöens Spöken I
Season 2, Episode 1
Written by Hans Rosenfeldt
Directed by Anders Engström
TX Date – 17 September 2021
We begin the season with the Doktorn, Hans and the Brigadgeneral going to visit the Bemästra at her prison, on a high security facility in a huge forgotten lake in the middle of nowhere, which is so big, to the untrained eye it looks like it could even be out at say. Shenanigans ensue and the Bemästra manages to escape. After interrogating the Warden in charge of the facility, the Doktorn finds out that there’s a secret tunnel to an underwater base at the bottom of the lake, the only place the Bemästra could’ve gone but back onto FARA’s boat, which is still there. The three then journey through this tunnel into the underwater base to find it deserted, before finding all of the crew inside the base’s faraday cage – the Bemästra still nowhere to be seen.
And you’ve guessed it, this two parter is an adaptation of the Season 50 serial Under the Lake. The rest of the first episode is pretty similar with a few minor differences, we get some cut scenes with the Bemästra lurking around the base, hiding from the Doktorn and everyone else, we also get the Brigadgeneral inclusion in the story, who essentially replaces the role of the original character of O’Donnell, expect obviously the personality is entirely different as it’s the character of the Brigadgeneral, just fulling that story role. As we get closer to the end and the cliffhanger, the Doktorn gets separated from the Brigadgeneral, alone with just Frans and Bergen, and the three return to the main hanger in order to work out what to do. There they find the Bemästra, standing next to her spaceship. We then cut to the Brigadgeneral, in the main mess hall area, with the others as they look outside and see a new ghost, the Doktorn, as we cut to the end credits.
Sjöens Spöken II
Season 2, Episode 2
Written by Hans Rosenfeldt
Directed by Anders Engström
TX Date – 24 September 2021
The episode begins with the Doktorn, Frans and Bergen entering the Bemästra’s spaceship, what we’d recognise as a TARDIS, bigger on the inside. The Doktorn asks her how she got it working, but she says that it barely works. The Bemästra says the most important thing is getting out of this ghost infected base, but the Doktorn intervenes and says that they need to rescue the others. Just then, the Doktorn gets a call from the Brigadgeneral who tells her what they’ve seen, her ghost, outside. The Doktorn then tells Frans to restrain the Bemästra, before she sets the controls, dematerialising the ship.
Again, from here on out, a lot of this stays the same. The notable difference is that the Bemästra is present, in an uneasy alliance with the Doktorn, for the sake of her own survival. When O’Donnell originally died (a character not in this version) the character of Bergen dies, while for the rest of O’Donnell’s story, before her death, Frans takes her role in the story. Unlike the original, which featured Raleigh, there’s a much bigger emphasis on the Brigadgeneral’s worry and concern for the Doktorn, while she’s in the past, and while they have her ghost on the base. We clearly see just how much he cares for the Doktorn, but has been unable to express this since the kiss in the Season 1 finale, and we find out that they literally haven’t spoken about it since.
At the end of the story, once the day is saved, the Bemästra manages to escape in her spaceship, before FARA rescue everyone else. We end with a short moment between just the Doktorn and the Brigadgeneral, where the Brigadgeneral says that he thought he was going to lose her and that he really loves her. The Doktorn, without saying anything, just puts her hand on top of his.
Robotarna
Season 2, Episode 3
Written by Alexander Kantsjö
Directed by Jakob Ström
TX Date – 1 October 2021
The third episode takes us into an adaptation of the Fourth Doctor serial, the Android Invasion. The biggest differences are the fact that Frans takes Sarah’s role in the story, and despite the fact Frans is based upon Harry, the Brigadgeneral actually takes Harry’s role in the story, serving in a more removed fashion to the main plot. Instead of being set in an English village, Robotarna, is set in rural northern Sweden. Additionally, the Doktorn and her companions don’t come into the story through them simply landing the TARDIS, and instead, like all other Mysteriet Doktorn episode, they are dispatched from FARA to investigate events. Apart from that, and a whole lot of cutting down of the plot, to half of its original length, it’s essentially the same.
As for the ongoing arcs, the Bemästra isn’t present, but the Doktorn, Frans and the Brigadgeneral do discuss her at the beginning of the episode, reporting that it’s been over a week since she took off from the underwater base. The Doktorn emphasises during these scenes how vital it is she is separated from her spaceship before she causes real damage, but the Doktorn does say she fears it is too late. Additionally, the romance between the Doktorn and the Brigadgeneral is brought up, but only through passing looks from the Brigadgeneral to the Doktorn, until the end of the story, where the two become reunited and the Brigadgeneral kisses the Doktorn, pleased that she is alright and safe.
Tidsfönstret
Season 2, Episode 4
Written by Jan Arnald
Directed by Jakob Ström
TX Date – 8 October 2021
This episode acts as a pseudo second-part to the previous episode, as it begins as FARA journey back from the village, through the length of the country back to Stockholm in the South. On the way back, they stop in the village of Sävar in Västerbotten, but they soon become locked in by one of the locals, riding on horseback – as the rest of the episode becomes an adaptation of the Fifth Doctor story, The Awakening.
The key difference is that instead of the locals reenacting a battle in the English Civil War, here the locals are reenacting the battle of Sävar which took place in 1809 during the Finnish War, between Sweden and Russia. Most of the story is the same, a few changes are made such as a higher interest on the time portal in the church, than the original, with more people and soldiers coming through, and obviously all of the stuff with Tegan’s grandfather is entirely removed.
The story also continues some of it’s themes with the Brigadgeneral’s affection towards the Doktorn, including the fact that during one very heated scene where the Doktorn tries to instruct the Brigadgeneral to go elsewhere, the Doktorn tells him to behave more professionally, and that she doesn’t want to pursue at relationship. This makes the dynamic of the two of them more severe and trying throughout the rest of the episode. At the end, FARA make it back to Headquarters in Stockholm, after a long journey.
Konspiration I
Season 2, Episode 5
Written by Hans Rosenfeldt
Directed by Daniel di Grado
TX Date – 15 October 2021
Mysteriet Doktorn’s first original story started off life as an adaptation. Back in 2019, when Doctor Who VII was in development, Jane Espenson, then Franchise Executive, showed Hans Rosenfeldt an early draft of the film’s script, as the second season was due to air around the time that the film was going to come out, and Espenson thought it’d be cool to tie it in somehow. After Doctor Who VII was delayed, this was dropped, and the film went through several changes which were all detailed in its original post. However, the core idea from the early drafts of that film remained, which formed the basis for this plot. It’s an original story, but uses early ideas from Doctor Who VII’s earlier drafts, as inspiration.
So the story follows the Doktorn as she discovers something very odd going on inside FARA. It begins with reports of certain missions being pushed aside and hidden away, before the Doktorn, alongside Frans, discovers that FARA have been purposely ignoring any missions which in anyway affect the Government and their integrity. This all leads to the Doktorn meeting with the Satsminister (Prime Minister), Birgit Schauman, who essentially tells the Doktorn to watch her back and leave well alone. Things get worse as she and Frans uncovers FARA engaging in something very peculiar, the funding of a strange research company. They visit the company whereby they find, the Brigadgeneral talking to many other people, including other FARA officers, Birgit Schauman and… the Bemästra. \
Konspiration II
Season 2, Episode 6
Written by Hans Rosenfeldt
Directed by Daniel di Grado
TX Date – 22 October 2021
After a previously recap, the second episode begins as we see the Doktorn interrupt the meeting telling the Brigadgeneral that she’s really disappointed in him, but the Brigadgeneral tells the Doktorn to be quiet and that her services are no longer required, as he introduces her to FARA’s new scientific advisor, the Bemästra. Frans is not happy about this and tells the Brigadgeneral that he can take his resignation in protest, but the Brigadgeneral says it’ll save him from firing him.
After a scene of the Doktorn and Frans packing their stuff away, we see FARA in action, as we get a montage of numerous invasions happening, with the Bemästra leading them and saving the day. We also see the Brigadgeneral and the Bemästra kissing throughout.
The Doktorn manages to get her ship to function to some degree, with the help of Frans, whereby they travel into the past and see the Bemästra hypnotising the Brigadgeneral. Frans records this on a video camera, before they travel back and show this to the Brigadgeneral. The Brigadgeneral realises what an idiot he’s been and apologises, however the Bemästra enters the room, at that time, and takes the Brigadgeneral back under her control. A showdown then takes place between the Doktorn and the Bemästra, which results in the Bemästra being defeated, imprisoned once again, and the Doktorn getting her job back.
However, the episode finishes with Birgit Schauman visiting the Bemästra in prison.
Minnen Från Tiden
Season 2, Episode 7
Written by Alexander Kantsjö
Directed by Jakob Ström
TX Date – 29 October 2021
This episode marks another break away, adaptation wise, for Mysteriet Doktorn, as for the first time, a non-Doctor Who story was adapted, with this episode instead coming from Leftover, Doctor Who’s earth-based spinoff from the 2000s, which seemed to have a lot more in common with Mysteriet Doktorn than the actual show itself, so it was basically a no-brainer that at some point Leftover stories would begin to be adapted. The story chosen for adaptation was Series 1’s The Memory Sphere, mainly, according to Rosenfeldt, because he knew he could use the concept of the original episode to further the story arc he’d layered across the season.
So, the episode begins with FARA being called in when a meteorite lands on the outskirts of Stockholm. Inside it, they find a very clean, almost detailess, silver spherical orb, which the Doktorn touches and we suddenly see her transported into a scene from her past (I cover more of this in a bit). Anyway, as that happened in Leftover, the effect eventually moves onto all our main characters and we learn more of their backstories – some of vital plot importance. However, over the course of the episode, the characters seem to become trapped for longer and longer, as it turns out the Sphere feeds on their traumatic memories, draining them of their life-force. They all work this out and together they break out and destroy the sphere.
So, the Doktorn’s memories see her on am alien planet – it’s not explicitly stated that it’s Gallifrey, but as a Doctor Who fan, you can infer this. She’s with an older man, who you could assume to be her father or a teacher or someone in a position of authority who has a close connection with her, and next to her two other women… The Bemästra and another, who we don’t recognise. The man tells the Doktorn that she is no longer welcome here, no longer has the birthright and no longer deserves their respect. We then get several scenes of the Doktorn taking with the Bemästra, pleading with her for help, but the Bemästra coldly tells her no. Then we see the Doktorn with this other woman, but this time it works and she helps the Doktorn. We see them working together to achieve something (that we aren’t aware of), but then we see this woman betray the Doktorn, just as they are about to achieve their goal. The guards arrest the Doktorn. We then see flashes of some sort of trial, with several tall domineering men overlooking the Doktorn, and then we see both the Bemästra and this other woman, who is referred here, for the first time, to as the Rogue, give evidence against the Doktorn (unlike the Doktorn and the Bemästra, the English name was used in the English dub, whereas in the Swedish version the character is known as Förrädare.)
We get similar scenes with Frans and the Brigadgeneral, exploring their backstory, showing Frans’ experience of his first patient dying on him, and his guilt around that, and the Brigadgeneral experience of killing his first other human, and his guilt around that.
Jordprojek
Season 2, Episode 8
Written by Fredrik T Olsson
Directed by Jakob Ström
TX Date – 5 November 2021
This episode is an adaptation of the Third Doctor serial Inferno, but not quite an adaptation of what most people see as the story of Inferno, as it completely cuts out the entire story set in the parallel universe, just telling the story of the Earth Project, as it’s called in this story, and the near destruction of the planet, due to the crazed Professor Stahlman.
Apart from the removal of the parallel universe story, as that still leaves us with the equivalent of four parter, there’s still a major set of cuts to the story, much like every story adapted for Mysteriet Doktorn. In addition, we further explore tension between the Doktorn and the Brigadgeneral as their working relationship becomes very strained from the beginning of the story and only continues throughout. As the story climaxes, the Doktorn saves the Brigadgeneral’s life, and in a moment of utter instinct the two kiss again. The final scene sees the Doktorn, the Brigadgeneral and Frans in the back of a van on the way back, with the Doktorn and the Brigadgeneral avoiding eye contact.
Kämpa för TideN I
Season 2, Episode 9
Written by Hans Rosenfeldt
Directed by Anders Engström
TX Date – 12 November 2021
The finale of Mysteriet Doktorn Season 2, was originally going to be the Season 1 finale, before Jane Espenson vetoed the idea, due to it’s heavy inclusion of the Daleks, this time however, Maggy Chan had no objections, so Rosenfeldt went ahead and adapted Day of the Daleks.
The episode follows the same basis as the first half of Day of the Daleks, with FARA providing security for a World Peace conference, in Stockholm, and a guerrilla group from the future coming back in time in an attempt to change the events of the conference. Like the original, the Ogrons appear (in newly redesigned makeup) and hunt down the guerrilla fighters, for their ‘masters’.
Thrown into the mix are continuing storylines from Mysteriet Doktorn with Birgit Schauman representing Sweden at the conference, and the Doktorn still being increasingly cautious of her. As well as this, more tension is built up around the Doktorn and the Brigadgeneral, as they both try to keep out of each other’s way. In the second half of the episode, the Brigadgeneral corners the Doktorn and tells her that they need to talk but the Doktorn says she’s not interested and that he needs to get over himself.
Part way through the story, Frans is propelled accidentally, using the guerrillas time travel technology, hundreds of years into the future, whereby he finds a world controlled by evil killing machines, called the Daleks. The Daleks themselves are given a drastic redesign for Mysteriet Doktorn appearing as floating CGI creatures, which are small and compact. They retain the eyestalk but feature just a single gun arm, which extends out of the casing when needed to be used. When this happens, the Dalek’s casing opens up as well, exposing the mutant, behind a glass enclosure. The voices are pretty much the same.
In the future, Frans is captured and interrogated, as the Daleks want to know everything about the guerrillas and what they’re up to. The Daleks keep talking about a figure called the Controller, who they seem to be working for.
In the present day, the Doktorn comes across the guerrillas and finds out what they’re up to, whereby she gives them a lecture about meddling with history, but they explain that it’s this conference which leads to the Daleks invading earth. The Doktorn is unaware of what a Dalek is, so doesn’t realise the severity of the situation.
The cliffhanger comes as in the future, Frans meets the controller who is the Rogue, while the Daleks arrive in the 21st Century at the Conference, ready to fight the guerrillas and prevent tampering in the events of the conference. The end credits begin just as a Dalek is about to exterminate the Doktorn.
Kämpa för Tiden II
Season 2, Episode 10
Written by Hans Rosenfeldt
Directed by Anders Engström
TX Date – 19 November 2021
After a previously recap, the final episode of Season 2 begins, as the Doktorn manages to escape from the Dalek and the general plot of the rest of Day of the Daleks ensues. The biggest difference is that the Controller, the leader of the Dalek puppet government, is instead the Rogue, who is working with the Daleks in the future. Also, the Daleks don’t exterminate the Rogue either, but she does realise the error of her ways and allow the Doktorn and Frans to escape, like in the original.
On Earth, the plot pulls in the Bemästra, as Schauman releases her from prison, asking for her help with dealing with the Daleks. In short the Bemästra betrays her which leads to the Daleks exterminating Schauman and the Bemästra becoming an unstoppable force, alongside the Daleks, for the Doktorn and FARA to fight against.
Eventually, with help of the Guerrilla forces, as with the original, the conference centre is blown up, with all the Daleks and Ogrons inside, as well as the Bemästra, who is seemingly dead.
The ongoing character arcs, see the Doktorn and the Brigadgeneral make it up, getting onto good terms with each other, as friends. Frans is initially lured by the Rogue’s femininity and here it’s revealed that Frans is also attracted to the Doktorn, but he has never said or done anything about it. We also find out that the Rogue and the Bemästra were previously in a relationship… in another ‘life’.
The season ends with the Brigadgeneral taking his entire team out to dinner: Frans, the Doktorn, Ståhl and Åsblom. They discuss their time together, as the Brigadgeneral announces that HQ have ordered a restructuring of the team. He announces that, because he’s been blamed for the Prime Minister’s death, he’s been transferred away to a FARA division in Copenhagen and their new Brigadgeneral will be arriving the next day, to introduce themselves. He says, for now, they shall eat and celebrate. Frans raises a toast to “Brigadgeneral Långström”, interestingly the Doktorn says “Erik”.
The next day, the group (without Långström) converge in the main meeting room, whereby Brigadgeneral Forsberg enters… and it’s the Bemästra in a FARA Brigadgeneral’s uniform. The Doktorn speaks out, but the others think she’s crazy. They say to her “That’s not the Bemästra, she’s just a blonde! The Bemästra is dead!”. Somehow, everyone but the Doktorn, sees her differently and do not see her as the Bemästra. The season ends as the Bemästra gives the Doktorn a sly smile.
And that was the second season of Mysteriet Doktorn. Brigadgeneral Långström leaving at the end of the season was due to Peter Haber’s desire to leave the series in a regular capacity. It was confirmed, shortly after, that Haber would be back in Season 3, but only as a recurring character.
It was also confirmed that the show would be commissioned for a fourth season, shortly after the broadcast of the final episode.
WIDWWA 