Yes, it's that time again, where those not interested in Whovian-tendencies may want to pass on by, but fellow Whovians and interested parties - come along with me as I offer my take and as we take another quick look back at the latest outings and adventures of Doctor Who!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
THE MAGICIAN'S APPRENTICE
Wow! Just...wow. Slightly off-putting title aside, this was an absolute belter of a series opener! Mystery, intrigue, fast pace, shocking moments, with classic characters and imagery re-vamped and thrown on its head - and that was just the first five minutes! We had the return of the delicious Missy, played by the equally so Michelle Gomez, Clara returned more assured than ever, as did UNIT, the Daleks and a still epically chilling Davros, played by the masterful Julian Bleach.
That's not forgetting the return of Peter Capaldi's bordering-on-perfect Doctor. We got a more soulful, perhaps slightly edgier Doctor, but also with great heaps of fun thrown in (THAT entrance with THAT music atop THAT tank is the image of the series for me).
All of this building into plenty of drama, cheeky innuendo, adventure and quite a powerful (if a bit predictable) cliffhanger made this for a very solid, nay great first episode.
THE WITCH'S FAMILIAR
Rather fittingly for the second in a two-parter, we got more of the same in the second episode. Michelle Gomez' Missy exuded even more sass and brilliant one-liners. The Dalek mythology and backstory was analyzed even more so, as was the Doctor's history with Gallifrey (setting up for what was to come at series' end).
Yet the major factor for me that took this episode to new heights was the stunning scenes and sequences that made up the Doctor's showdown with Davros. The entire plethora of emotion was brought forth here for both parties - and the result was two absolutely amazing performances that never failed to resonate and knock your socks off as a viewer. Capaldi and Bleach played off each other brilliantly right to the end - making this in my opinion, one of the greatest Doctor/Davros/Dalek episodes of all time.
UNDER THE LAKE
After a stonking series opener, the momentum had to come down at some point. With a new change of direction into the supernatural, tense, layering under-water thriller came Under The Lake.
For me this plot didn't deliver as best it could to a degree. A few chills and thrills but the human nature was definitely lost, as was the true sense of adventure. For me the only saving graces were the impressive special effects used, and the pleasure of watching Capaldi's Doctor in yet another completely new setting (and once again rocking that guitar!).
BEFORE THE FLOOD
The subsequent second part to this story was improved as it definitely ramped up the pace after quite a stale initial outing. Also the few positive elements of the previous episode, such as the time-travel twists and turns and Capaldi's Doctor in new territory were picked up, dusted off and embellished too. Jenna Coleman as Clara did hint at development here but to me she was definitely second string in this one.Nevertheless in the end we got a satisfactory, if slightly cold conclusion.
THE GIRL WHO DIED
To me this was classic Doctor Who with a few added bonuses. Vikings vs. aliens, drama, battles, CGI, great performances and the addition of a new compelling character. Maisie Williams as Ashildr was joyous from minute one. Fragile yet powerful, she was more than a match for the Doctor and Clara on screen and we just knew she'd be one to watch. Oh and we also got the added bonus of the resolution to the 12th Doctor/Caecilius face conundrum, which was slightly convoluted but powerful all the same.
THE WOMAN WHO LIVED
Whilst it was a joy to see Williams as the now immortal Ashildr/Me return so soon, and whilst I approve of just having the Doctor interact with her for an episode, I feel this story could have had a bit more to give. Yes Williams' performance is powerful, and the chemistry with Capaldi tangible, yet I feel the writers gave her a bit too much new "history" to try and fit into one episode. That plus a slightly ridiculous storyline didn't make for the most compelling Who tale, but solid enough, plus seeing major Whovian Rufus Hound involved was great too.
THE ZYGON INVASION
Picking up on a rather intriguing concept that started off back in the epic Who 50th, this episode looked at the potential consequences of an entire alien race living amongst humanity. Again, this felt to me like a classic slice of Doctor Who in many ways. Action packed, philosophically posing, and some very good performances.
Though slightly too swift to get too involved in big moments, and obviously setting up for a second part from the start instead of trying to tell its own story, this episode's new look at the Zygons was definitely one to watch, with brilliantly pitched performances from Ingrid Oliver and Jemma Redgrave to rival that of Capaldi as the Doctor.
THE ZYGON INVERSION
As seems to be a trend with this series, this next episode took the positive elements of its predecessor and added more. We got the same great Zygon/human interplay plus those great philosophical elements and questions too.
Action abound, some nice new geek elements of Who legend, and some truly inspired banter. However there were two unique aspects to this one that made it stand out for me. I didn't think giving Jenna Coleman a dual Clara/Bonnie, human/Zygon role would work, but I was wrong. Proving how far her character and her acting ability has come, Coleman gave a scintillating turn as a heroic companion and villain of the piece.
Couple that with yet another barnstorming performance from Capaldi (including an epic monologue) and this one was definitely a highlight.
SLEEP NO MORE
Sadly this is the one true time where I felt this series of Who fell quite flat. I usually love pretty much all aspects of Mark Gatiss' work, and his pitch for the script and concept of this episode was certainly different, but just didn't come off in the end. Monsters made out of sleep in your eye...the horror version of Big Brother on an abandoned space station...the weird ragtag army rescue op...Reece Shearsmith (who again I normally approve of in most things) and his self-absorbed, monologue-firing villain. It all just felt horribly disjointed, poorly executed and lackluster to me I'm afraid.
The only saving grace was the clearly growing chemistry and ever-evolving relationship between the Doctor and Clara which was constant, but as an episode with something different to offer - I'm afraid this one just did not hit home.
FACE THE RAVEN
Fortunately we got an almost immediate bounce back to form with quite an important episode. Clara's fate seemed sealed, and we saw the growing bond between her and the Doctor reach its head. As in last series, the character of Rigsy and the actor behind him did absolutely nothing for me, either in terms of plot or performance. Also, despite her blistering run of form, I felt Jenna Coleman nearly tipped this ep over the edge by being too cavalier and self-indulgent in Clara's actions (though that is also probably down to certain writing decisions too) and their importance. Thankfully, she just pulled it off, making Clara's death just as impactful as it should be. Add to this Ashildr/Me's timely resurgence and another pitch-perfect performance from Peter Capaldi and this one wasn't too bad at all. If this had been the final episode then its true importance might have either flopped or soared, we may never know. But of course, it was not and as a set up for what was to come it just got away with it in terms of the right feel to proceedings, and still a very good watch.
HEAVEN SENT
If you thought Peter Capaldi had some brilliant moments throughout the series up until this point...then you hadn't seen anything yet. Alone, TARDIS-less, Sonic-less, this is as raw, as witty, as and as powerfully emotive as Capaldi's Doctor gets. Still reeling from Clara's death and enraged at those possibly responsible, instead of the inevitable dramatic showdown we first get a pause and reflection, as we see the Doctor spend millennia in his own tailored torture chamber. Chilling, thrilling, beautifully shot, written and more importantly perfectly performed by Peter Capaldi.
We not only got to delight and revel in Capaldi's performance, but at how wonderful a character his Doctor is; truly it was a joy to behold.
I would say this was an almost perfect episode, I even praise Moffat's writing. Yet I just feel that right at the last minute they stretched believability and fell into the usual Moffat traps of over-complicating. By making the Doctor's stay in his confession dial a bit too long, and more importantly by almost trivializing the whole "hybrid" thread of the series (again a common Moffat trait) then this episode lost a bit of its shine for me. Take nothing away though - a superb episode nonetheless.
HELL BENT
The superb Capaldi moments kept on coming as he powered his way through this belter of a series finale. The Time Lords were back! Fully fledged and causing trouble for the Doctor again. This I feel was an almost perfect series ending. Great action, great adventure, superb forays into Time Lord/Doctor Who mythology and superb character moments and performances. We got the (predictable) return of Jenna Coleman as Clara, and whilst it was nice to see her run with the Doctor again, her eventual exit did get quite convoluted. Again a great performance from Coleman, but Steven Moffat's infernal fettling with comings, goings, deaths and rebirths just got infuriating in the end. It was nice to see Clara get a semi-happy ending (alongside Ashildr/Me who I certainly hope to see more of) but it was incredibly cheap and none too consistent with her character development up to that point; to me Clara and Coleman deserved so much better, and Moffat should have provided it.
Nevertheless - a brilliant concluding episode that ended (alongside Clara's eventual odd departure) with Capaldi's Doctor back in his TARDIS and reveling in it. Like the end of the last series, we were given further conformation (as if we needed it) that Peter Capaldi was born to be the Doctor, and that this mad man in a blue box never ceases to amaze audiences.
THE HUSBANDS OF RIVER SONG
(CHRISTMAS SPECIAL)
Now a quick final word on this year's Christmas special. I'm not entirely sure if its a part of this series, but there ya go. After all the threads, second-guessing, whirlwinds and wild rides of Series 9, it was good to just enjoy a one-off festive jaunt with the Doctor.
And what a jaunt it was! Matt Lucas, Greg Davies, headless robots, the Doctor in antlers...but better than all of this - the return of the sublime Alex Kingston as River Song! And she got to play with Capaldi's Doctor!
This truly was a joyous festive episode full of Christmas cheer (albeit a bit begrudgingly) but overriding this was River's return and getting to see her with the 12th Doctor for the first time. Saucy, sassy, sexy and superb; it was almost as if Alex Kingston had never been away. To see the Doctor re-meet her for the first time was joyous, and the chemistry between the pair sizzled from the start.
We got a belter of a story too, full of legendary Doctor/River moments that fans had been waiting years to see. My one major criticism with this is that again it felt rushed, to the point of nearly trivializing such important factors. I'm glad we got to see the Doctor and River go through these specific adventures (though you could see it coming I beamed at that sonic reveal!) but I do think some more time could be taken to invest in this great relationship.
Regardless, a suitably great epilogue to series 9...roll on series 10 for more cracking adventures throughout time and space!
No comments:
Post a Comment