In Doctor Who’s episode “The Pandorica Opens,” the ancient object discovered beneath Stonehenge is the Pandorica. The episode is the first part of the programme’s 2010 Series 5 finale.
The Pandorica is presented as a legendary prison containing an unidentified and supposedly dangerous occupant. Its discovery attracts enemies from across the Doctor’s history, who form an alliance because they believe the object represents an ultimate threat. The mystery drives the episode’s cliffhanger ending.
The episode was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Toby Haynes. Matt Smith stars as the Eleventh Doctor, with Karen Gillan as Amy Pond and Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams. The narrative continues in “The Big Bang,” the following episode.
The name deliberately echoes Pandora’s box, but the Doctor Who object is not the jar from Greek mythology. “Pandorica” is a science-fiction invention whose function and contents belong to the show’s time-travel plot.