Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Series 8 Original Television Soundtrack (Music CD)
Available 18 May 2015

With just a few months left before Series 9 of Doctor Who hits our screens in Britain and across the globe, there is a new soundtrack release once again from musician-veteran Murray Gold. This covers the many exciting stories of Series 8 (along with the last Christmas special).This release certainly offers quantity, with 68 tracks spread out on the  3 CDs, and for the very most part also is one of quality.

Having enjoyed Matt Smith's tenure for the most part - but finding it a small step down from the days of David Tennant - I often found myself tapping my feet to the pleasant harmonies Gold would come up with, but wondering if more scope could have been employed. This new collection certainly offers quite a bit more variety and is a great barometer of just how eclectic Series 8 has been. 'A Good Man?' is the new theme for the latest Doctor and is ebullient; seeming to represent the phase that 'Twelve' is going through as he comes to terms with his new identity and markedly older look for many a regeneration. It recurs throughout various other tracks in the collection and always feels like a 'punch-the-air' moment. My personal favourite variation on the theme is the shrill 'Free Fall' which reaffirms the Doctor's bond with the TARDIS and also has him performing a Superman-eque fall without batting an eye.

There is a generous allotment of music for the Series 8 premiere Deep Breath - an episode which I found watchable but forgettable compared to its bedfellows in the first third of the television run. However as we all now know the identity of the antagonist who presided over a surreal 'heaven' domain, it is quite rewarding to have her theme be established, then somewhat cast aside, only to be authoritively echoed much later on. Clearly Gold was clued into the Moffat Masterplan and such bonds amongst the production team are part of the reason Capaldi's debut worked so well.

Several episodes well enough but don't stand out from their music - perhaps the sign of a smooth integration, which was actually intended -- including Into the Dalek and Flatline. For the most part though each section of tracks has something to offer, and can go from the darkest of moods to the most frivolous. As regards the latter, I particularly enjoyed the Robin Hood escapade themes again on their own. That episode will never go down in the Who hall of fame, but it stands up better than I thought it would, so all credit to Gold and his associates there.

Listen is probably the most cerebral of all the episodes Moffat was credite with writing onscreen, and often had some eerie silences and a bleak sense of foreboding. But once again Gold knew just when to flip the switch and give some more immediate atmosphere with gentle instrumental pieces. But when a bit of bombast and sheer electricity is the order of the day, then look no further than the music for Mummy On The Orient Express and the Series 8 multi-part finale. As for the Last Christmas sections - representing a Yuletide episode I much preferred to the 2012 and 2013 efforts - then Gold is very much at his peak level, relishing the twisty-turny narrative and disturbing themes that story so adeptly conveyed. As a result the third CD contains almost all the 'top 10' of the sixty-and-eight total.

Almost all the tracks deserve multiple listens to do them justice and they are easily recalled in a person's 'inner ear' without straying into the irritatingly catchy type of music.

This whole awareness and care/attention is commendable indeed, but probably no less than one would expect given the composer's pedigree and substantial experience on Doctor Who, a show so full of versatility nowadays, that I myself hesitate to use sc-fi/fantasy to label it.  

I would hazard a guess that the many Who aficionados out there confidently expect more excellence from team 'Moffat-and-co', as they to add more layers to the onion that is Capaldi's Time Lord. The soundtrack once again will likely rise to the occasion. .

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Death in Heaven Written by Steven Moffat Directed by Rachel Talalay Starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Samuel Anderson, Michelle Gomez, Chris Addison, Ingrid Oliver, Jemma Redgrave, Sanjeev Bhaskar Premiere 8 November, BBC One

This review contains plot spoilers.

Although not short on giddy action and a twist or two, this concluding episode to both the Missy/Cybermen double-header and Series 8 proper is fundamentally one about characterisation and interpersonal drama. It is not afraid to take risks, and manages to be distinctly memorable - if not the out-and-out classic that the best of modern Doctor Who has to offer the viewer.

Steven Moffat was emphatic in interviews that he and his team would make good use of the Cybermen on this occasion. The creepiness factor for the silver giants was dialled up very high in 'Dark Water', to the extent that many viewers were left quite upset and some even complained to the BBC. The tone alters somewhat here, and it is arguable that the use of some (re-done) voices for these creatures may take just a little edge away. But since Doctor Who was reborn 9 years ago, I cannot name a more solid outing for the Cybermen than this. They are not shown to be overcome by anything mundane or commonplace, and there is a good sense of poetic justice when cyber-converted-Danny commands his troops to end the crisis once and for all. Moffat believes in having these emotionless aliens as a persistent threat but economical in terms of screen-time, and this approach is pretty succesful.

And after all we have another villain who has plenty to offer, and every scene featuring her is an absolute triumph. I was left rather underwhelmed by Missy's previous cameos in Series 8 and felt the arc was not the most intriguing; now I want to go back to earlier stories to try and pick up on the clues that were set in place. Michelle Gomez is someone I myself have seen little of before, but once again casting an actress better known for comedy really works - much as was the case with Catherine Tate.

The main talking point with the audience is the sheer audacity of re-gendering the Master. Yet somehow this fully fledged appearance of a new and very different incarnation is right up there with all the best debut outings for the Doctor himself. Moffat is prepared to stray close to pantomime - especially evident when she channels 'Mary Poppins' by teleporting into a graveyard and falling gently to the ground with her black umbrella - and yet Gomez is able to convince us that there is something very sinister bubbling away underneath the kookiness and spectacle. But most crucially the inter-personal chemistry between Peter Capaldi and Gomez is unquestionable and leaves the strongest after-impression once the final credits flash on the screen.

And in general 'Death In Heaven' works pretty well, even with flaws like 'telling - not showing' - namely when the Doctor is briefed by UNIT on the global situation. Also the 'President' title given to a reluctant Doctor may be a deliberate nod towards long-term fan-favourite 'The Five Doctors', but somehow ends up falling flat. The choice of killing off Osgood conclusively is perhaps a little disappointing, as she has more facets to her than the rather dour Kate Stewart. And further to that, the way Kate is shown to survive is memorable for the wrong reasons entirely; her late father has been converted to a Cyberman, but then breaks free from Missy's control and catches her in mid-air. I do like the intention behind the Doctor's salute to the former Brigadier regardless.

Another talking point, but one that I myself find amusing is the glaring tease over whether Clara is not only a Time Lady, but in fact the show's lead after all. Maybe more humdrum is her fooling of the Cybermen when facing certain death if she were to say the wrong thing. Jenna Coleman is as reliable as ever though - clearly putting in that extra bit of intensity that is needed for a big finish to a year's worth of episodes. Once Clara gets to interact with Danny, the Doctor and Missy, then it becomes abundantly clear just how much of a personal journey this initially plot-oriented lead character has been through. And as of this date it appears there is still some more of her story to be told.

Danny Pink is given some of the strongest material in the script, building on all the foundations laid in place since the beginning of this season. His guilt over his accidental killing of a small boy is a bold theme to tackle for Doctor Who - but given how topical Britain's military presence abroad is, this is a commendable storytelling decision. It also is notable that we last met Danny when he was showing all sorts of panic, fear and apprehension. Now he feels emptiness but appreciates the sacrifice he (and Clara) need to make.
Although I found the Torchwood episode 'Cyberwoman' to be pretty unwatchable, this particular use of Cyber-conversion is both poignant and disturbing. Samuel Anderson seems to be written out now rather conclusively, but he really has made the most of his character's arc in the last cluster of stories. In the end my overall feelings toward this character are positive.

A further big highlight is Clara's brave pretence to her friend that she she has used Missy's techno-bracelet to have the 'normal' Danny restored to her. This scene of two people talking in an unremarkable cafe setting may seem low-key, but is acutely moving. The added dimension of the Doctor also covering his loss by lying that the Master for once told the truth is brilliant. I really doubt that Doctor Twelve will mellow out too much when he still has so much angst and loneliness to process.


Series 8 has been a sound season when taken as a whole, and there have been mostly winning individual entries. Peter Capaldi has proven virtually all doubters wrong and looks ready to raise his average performance yet higher. As fans of the classic series will attest, an actor with a good number of years under his belt is more than compelling enough. Lastly, the 'Santa' epilogue was amusing enough and brought an utterly hilarious bemused reaction from the Doctor. First Robin Hood, and now this? Let's hope the traditional Christmas episode will make strong use of the North Pole setting..

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Death in Heaven
Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Rachel Talalay
Starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman,
Samuel Anderson, Michelle Gomez,
Chris Addison, Ingrid Oliver,
Jemma Redgrave, Sanjeev Bhaskar
Premiere 8 November, BBC One

This review contains plot spoilers.

Death in Heaven’s pre-credits sequence plays with the idea of a female Doctor; it’s a notion which hangs over this finale. The cheekily modified title sequence lends unexpected credence to Clara’s assertion as to who she really is, deftly borrowing a trick from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, although in the end all of this proves to be little more than a diversionary tactic.

There can be no doubting Steven Moffat’s ambition – this episode caps a story that has taken Doctor Who to some pretty dark places for a ‘family’ show, and concludes a series that has combined romps and dead-ahead monster stories with experimental, unusual and outright fantasy-driven tales. There’s a sense of the showrunner cutting loose and ditching tried-and-tested timey wimey devices in this episode; Moffat clearly relishes writing for a “bananas” Master, and takes care to show us the danger and potency of the character, particularly by killing off a returning friend of the Doctor’s. It's a version of the Master that seems indebted to Big Finish’s explorations of the Doctor-Master relationship, specifically framing this archest of arch enemies as a “childhood friend”. Moffat makes Missy’s agenda more personal than ever before: what she wants isn’t simply world domination, but rather full recognition of the fact – as she sees it – that the Doctor is her mirror image (it’s almost as if she’s read a scriptwriting manual on how to represent heroes and villains in the contemporary screenplay). This partly replays tropes from the tenth Doctor’s showdown with Davros in series 4. And it further develops Moffat’s thematic interest in the implications, or possibilities, of a warrior-like Doctor, something that's chillingly explored via the Doctor's use of any tactical advantage he can lay his hands on.

More than anything, though, this finale integrates the series that has come before: flashbacks to a range of episodes including Deep Breath and Robot of Sherwood pull series eight together impressively, representing a satisfying rather than gimmicky story arc. I’m tempted to suggest that this is Moffat’s finest series finale yet, as he riffs shamelessly on the “tomb of the Cybermen” image and idea, seeking to make the Cybermen as terrifying as possible (and delivering in spades).

Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman and Samuel Anderson all put in impressive performances – something enhanced by Rachel Talalay’s smart and assured direction – but the episode belongs to Michelle Gomez as well as her channeling of John Simm in the role. I realize that many of us would have liked a regeneration scene, but what we get is, in a way, more substantive than that. Gomez’s heightened and exaggerated performance consistently calls her predecessor to mind. Her mocking lip-biting is a joy to behold, as is her choice of pop music (even more narcissistically self-centred than the Simm-Master). And the child-like way that Gomez chooses to interpret a line about playing with more of the Doctor’s friends is also spot on. I very much hope she will return in the role, as there’s real scope to further explore this somewhat retooled relationship between Time Lord/Lady peers.

Death in Heaven offers another terrific piece of narrative trickery from Moffat. Having directed audiences to consider how the Doctor and the Master are the same (or not), we instead end up with a very different mirror image, as Clara and the Doctor face each other across a gulf of mutual deceit, both of them seeking to protect and release the other. And, most wonderfully of all, Moffat transforms what has up until now looked like a bit of mildly flailing comedic business – the Doctor’s aversion to hugging – into an emotional sucker punch, as the Time Lord explains why he doesn’t trust a hug. That instantaneous shift from slapstick froth to brutal truth might just be the darkest moment in the episode – it’s not a fantastical scenario of uploaded minds and upgraded bodies, just the simple, stark recognition that even those we most care about, and deeply trust, might nevertheless choose to lie to us about matters of life and death.

As well as lacking full-on time travel shenanigans (bar Missy’s acknowledgement that she’s been patrolling up and down the Doctor’s timeline, by way of explaining her earlier episodic appearances), this finale also plays out like a fairly linear continuation of Dark Water. Other Moffat two-parters have sometimes taken off in a whole new direction. Here, we get the shifting perspective of UNIT’s involvement, and the Doctor’s unexpected rise to mastery of Earth, but there’s still very much a sense of organically developing ideas from episode eleven. And if some of Dark Water’s darkness is backed away from, the Master’s made-over identity is nonetheless firmly embraced (though we are deprived of seeing Missy’s TARDIS, unless one counts Saint Paul’s as occupying the role). Unfortunately, I think Seb represents a slightly miss(y)ed opportunity, despite offering a pay-off to Missy’s initial explanation of her status. And although Seb’s final word offers a moment of fan referentiality (only someone as black-hearted as the Master could possibly be opposed to a good squee), it would have been interesting to see Chris Addison properly facing off against his The Thick of It co-star Capaldi.

This is an episode sprinkled with special, fan-pleasing moments, not least of which is the manner in which a much-loved classic series character is cleverly and poignantly featured. And it is an episode which, for me, integrates sentiment and intellect more thoroughly than, say, The Angels Take Manhattan, and in which the graveyard setting feels thematically relevant and earned rather than a case of set dressing or overt emotional manipulation. Clara’s (latest) story really feels as if it’s been completed here, although the cunning false ending, and Nick Frost's eyebrow-raising debut, both promise further adventures (and these moments were omitted from an advance screening of the episode, as well as from its BBC preview for journalists).  

Is the Doctor a “good man”? Did you ever really, truly doubt it? And has series eight offered a good run of episodes? More than that, it’s been startlingly great in its overall consistency, its risk-taking, its freshness and its vision. Much of this series, and Capaldi’s effortless, bravura inhabitation of the role, is surely up there with the very best of Doctor Who times past. Steven Moffat, Brian Minchin and the many other prime movers behind this run of episodes all deserve hearty recognition.

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Reviewed by Martin Ruddock

Dark Water
Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Rachel Talalay
Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Samuel Anderson, Michelle Gomez, Chris Addison
Premiere 25 October, BBC One

This review contains plot spoilers.

Poor Danny Pink. It was looking fairly inevitable that he'd end up paying the Nethersphere a visit at some point, but who would have thought he'd get there for not observing the Green Cross Code? Clara herself remarks on what a boring demise it is, in her numbed, traumatised state - even if 'death is not an end'.

These early scenes see Doctor Who handle death and grief in a very grown-up fashion, perhaps influenced by Broadchurch. Indeed, the whole episode deals with various facets of death, and is set to challenge one or two belief systems. One bit of blackmail-related plot misdirection involving lava and a dressing-down from the Doctor later, and it's time to go and rescue Mr Pink from his new home in the Nethersphere.

Speaking of the Nethersphere, we get our first proper glimpse here. Not only do we get a look at its impossible vistas and see how it works, but we finally get to the bottom of what's eating Danny.

Boldly, he's brought face to face with the young victim of his tour of duty in the Nethersphere, and we see his 'really bad day' in flashback. After weeks of treading water whilst Clara's story continues bounding forward, Samuel Anderson finally earns his stripes, as he finds out that 'death is not an end' via administrator-from-hell Seb (Chris Addison), and is left contemplating his own final end, as he tearfully manoeuvres Clara into hanging up on him.

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Clara make their way to the mysterious 3W institute. Here we meet Doctor Chang, who is pressed and pressed until he finally reveals the full horror of what happens after 'death', and the TARDIS crew finally get to meet Missy - who terrifies the Doctor with her unorthodox and highly invasive method of introduction.

After lurking on the sidelines since Deep Breath, Michelle Gomez gives a superb, playful, unsettling performance once given a bit of space to move. The terrified Chang is asked to 'say something nice' before she executes him. We still don't have the full lowdown on what she's about, but unsurprisingly, given the familiar publicity shots - Missy is in league with the Cybermen. The Nethersphere gets the minds, our friends from Telos get the bodies. There's some neat foreshadowing with the Cyber-eye motifs used on doors and the 'water tombs'. This is even used to alert the viewer ahead of the Doctor as to what's coming. The title itself is a plot point, and it becomes very apparent that it's there as Cyber-camouflage. It's good to finally have confirmation that these Cybermen are of organic origin, and not the RTD-era brain-cases though.

In another bit of misdirection, Moffat pulls the rug to reveal that the Nethersphere exists on a different plane to the institute, and the Doctor and Clara are actually in central London all along - as Missy puts things into motion, and Cybermen once again march down those St Paul's steps.

Interestingly, for a change, the Doctor has no inkling of the series arc, he blunders into it by accident while attempting to rescue a man he doesn't much like. Despite his 'so what' reaction to Clara's news, we know whether he's a good man now.

As ever, Capaldi and Coleman are excellent, and their relationship is key. The Doctor gets some good moments, be it his disbelief and horror at Missy's revelation, or tersely telling Clara how much she means to him when she attempts volcanic blackmail. Coleman meanwhile channels grief, deviousness, and pluck throughout, with the underlying unsaid note that her phone call caused Danny's death. The chemistry between the two leads is electric as ever.

Dark Water is a brilliant part one, how part two pans out is anyone's guess, but hopefully our questions will be answered next week, and it'll be worth the wait.

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In The Forest Of The Night
Written by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Directed by Sheree Folkson
Starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman,
Samuel Anderson
Premiere 25 October, BBC One

This review contains plot spoilers.

A few weeks ago, 'Kill the Moon' sparked debates about whether Doctor Who needed to get its science right: was it science fiction or fantasy? This week there seems little room for debate: this is surely outright fantasy, from its fairytale roots through to its magical branches and leaves. Rather than gothic monsters there are glowing motes of sentience; in the place of technobabble there are “voices” that children can hear. Writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce is, of course, not only a Carnegie Medal winner for children’s fiction, he was also the writer of the 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony, where a gigantic tree was uprooted in order to symbolize the industrial revolution’s onset. In short, Cottrell-Boyce is no stranger to the dense symbolism of trees, woods and forests, and here again he tackles nature versus technology, with the Doctor and his sonic screwdriver appearing powerless to turn back an invasion of the trees.

Almost lifting his title from a William Blake poem, Cottrell-Boyce is clearly committed to Doctor Who as an educational show. Indeed, writing in The Telegraph on Saturday August 23rd he also compared the many Doctors of the show’s history to Philip Larkin’s poem ‘The Trees’:

Perhaps part of the show’s deep appeal is that it offers this possibility of renewal, of starting again. The Doctors are like the trees in Philip Larkin’s poem, which “die too” but whose “yearly trick of looking new / Is written down in rings of grain”. “Last year is dead, they seem to say / Begin afresh, afresh, afresh."

And there’s certainly a freshness to this rather unusual Who. The episode fizzes with ideas, especially when Cottrell-Boyce comes up with his own explanation of “bigger on the inside”. It’s a moment that’s sold wonderfully by Sheree Folkson’s direction. Rarely has the TARDIS console room felt as awe-inspiring as when Folkson has the camera track Peter Capaldi’s walk up the stairs and around the outer wall, effectively seeing it all through the dazzled eyes of young Maebh (Abigail Eames).

There’s also more than a touch of Malcolm Hulke’s old-school storytelling to this adventure, with the Doctor and humankind confronting a power that’s always been there – though these ‘tree devils’ aren’t quite what they seem. Meanwhile, the beautifully unsettling image of a green earth hits home with an ecological message that’s far from subtle. This authorial vision of Doctor Who is probably the closest thing to James Lovelock’s Gaia theory that TV drama has ever sustained, even edging out the classic BBC thriller, Edge of Darkness.

In some ways, though, this is anti-Doctor Who: the Doctor and Clara are ultimately on-lookers, and Missy is similarly reduced to doing little more than watching the outcome of events, albeit with surprise. The Doctor’s role in the story is definitely trimmed back: although he works out what’s going on, and helps Maebh get word out to the authorities, he still ultimately watches the trees in action with a degree of uncertainty. In contrast, Danny Pink gets much more to do than usual, showing his mettle as a leader; Cottrell-Boyce perhaps wants to demonstrate ‘ordinary’ human powers at work, whilst minimizing or cutting back on the conventional fantasy-hero’s role. And what John Tulloch and Manuel Alvarado, writing in The Unfolding Text, call one “of the recurrent motifs of Doctor Who” (p.94) is also inverted. In place of “organic” nature threatened by bad or mad scientists, science is alternatively trumped by nature’s fantastical potency. These trees run rings around both Time Lord and humankind.

But Doctor Who reimagined with a type of fairytale ambience – far more so than ever before in the Moffat era, despite previous attempts to position the show in these terms – also has certain limits. The script is sometimes in danger of becoming a touch twee, and its ending is arguably slightly weak. The brief final scene feels forced and tacked-on – there simply because another moment of emotional closure is needed. For a screenplay that has otherwise refused to play by a number of Doctor Who’s ‘rules’, this final capitulation to yet another happy ending doesn’t quite ring true.

'In the Forest of the Night' wants to revalue fairytales at the same time as reinforcing its ecological thesis. At one point, it’s suggested that forests represent a primal symbol of fear (“the forest is mankind’s nightmare”, says the Doctor), and it would have been interesting if the episode had taken more time to tease out and develop this possibility. But psycho-drama is rapidly displaced by eco-lecture. And so instead forgetting is identified as “the human superpower” (did Moffat’s ‘Listen’ riff on Cottrell-Boyce’s ‘Forest’, or was this an arboreal coincidence?). Fairy stories are shown to be less strange than the episode’s 'real' events. In this reversal, fairytales are an echo of magical reality and not just a mode of childhood fiction. Despite appearances, 'In the Forest of the Night' doesn’t merely reference fairytale archetypes; it’s an argument for the uses of enchantment and the values of the fairytale, not just in terms of making readers and audiences feel safely thrilled, but in reminding us – children and adults – of the strangeness and wonders that can exist all around us, before us and after us.

Having a Carnegie-winning writer of children’s fiction contribute to series eight was undoubtedly a press release-worthy event. But following two impressive episodes from Jamie Mathieson, especially the visually stunning and tightly coherent 'Flatline', 'In the Forest of the Night' doesn’t stand out quite as much as may have been anticipated. It is very much ‘Frank Cottrell-Boyce does Doctor Who’, and as such has a far stronger authorial voice than the show sometimes permits guest writers. Yet by reducing Clara, the Doctor and Missy to spectators gazing with wonder at a global spectacle, this story felt more reminiscent of the London 2012 Opening Ceremony than I would ever have imagined.

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Reviewed by Martin Ruddock

Flatline
Written by Jamie Mathieson
Directed by Paul Wilmshurst
Starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Joivan Wade, Christopher Fairbank
Premiere 18 October, BBC One

This review contains plot spoilers.

Nine weeks in, and it's time for a 'Doctor-lite' episode, as Clara Oswald's journey continues. Last week, in Mummy on the Orient Express, we saw her consider her role as the Doctor's companion post-wobble. This week, she's had a shock promotion - it's her turn to be the Doctor.

Arriving on present-day Earth, we're immediately in uncharted territory for Doctor Who - Bristol. They should have taken the time to look up Chris Parsons, and see if he moved back to the area after all that business with Skagra and that sphere in Cambridge. Hopefully he'd live in the nicer part of Bristol, which we don't see here. The TARDIS arrives on a wasteground, and the first place Clara visits after that is a dingy underpass. Other locations include a warehouse and a railway tunnel. It's not doing Bristol's tourism industry any favours.

After a brief, creepy teaser, the story quickly gets down to business - the TARDIS is rapidly shrinking with the Doctor trapped inside, and lunch with Danny Pink is off. Clara is left to investigate, with the trapped Doctor as backseat driver - giving her the sonic, an earpiece and hacking her optic nerve.

Clara soon happens upon a Community Service team led by nasty-piece-of-work Fenton (Christopher Fairbank), and teams up with one of the group - Rigsy (Joivan Wade), a likeable young man with a penchant for street art. From the start Rigsy is portrayed as a good sort, while Fenton is an unrepentant bigot and bully throughout, and nearly gets everyone killed. Even the Doctor's moved to say that not all the right people were saved at the end.

Fenton's crew are tasked with painting over murals that have appeared alongside tributes to recently disappeared locals. The murals are of people with their backs turned. It soon transpires that they're not murals. A sinister alien force is at work - one that exists only in two dimensions. It's dissecting and analysing us, a slow-dawning realisation that hits when the Doctor twigs that the strange decor on the walls of the flat of one of the missing people is actually a flattened out human nervous system.

The alien threat is unnamed, doesn't speak, and has unknowable, yet nasty motives. We never learn anything about it - even whether it's a single entity or a race - but its theft of our dimensions, and our image is a disturbing concept. The concept of people turning into drawings was of course done way back in Fear Her, but there's no upbeat reversal of the situation here. The Doctor is briefly given pause to ponder whether the aliens' (or alien's - we don't know for sure) M.O. isn't necessarily bad, but his mind is made up by the end, and his fury is something to behold. The stop-motion-styled flowing effect as people are absorbed into the walls and floors is creepy, as is the jerky, misshapen movement of the painted figures chasing down the railway tunnel. Once upon a time Doctor Who made kids afraid of shop window dummies, telephone flexes, and statues. It recently branched out to bedsheets. Now it's moved on to walls, and floors.

Douglas MacKinnon does an excellent job of directing as ever, all long shadows and atmosphere, with some excellent camera trickery and physical comedy - as the Doctor's hands and face portrude impossibly from the shrunken TARDIS. Clara even pulls a sledgehammer from her handbag. Jamie Mathieson delivers his second cracking episode in a row - more from him please.

Danny Pink appears again, in another cameo - the third in a row since his last full appearance in The Caretaker. It's hard to see where his character is going from this, and Samuel Anderson's a bit wasted here - hopefully his story will finally pay off in the next few weeks.

For a Doctor-lite episode, the Doctor is much more present than usual, albeit trapped in an ever-diminishing TARDIS. Capaldi and Coleman continue to impress. Both get some great lines, and the Doctor and Clara's relationship is now in a very interesting place. She's thoroughly pleased with herself about how well she handled standing in for the Doctor. She wants his approval. He eventually compliments her, but seems a little troubled at how well she did at 'being' him, and also at how easily she lies to Danny about still travelling with him. Perhaps his influence isn't healthy, and he seems to acknowledge this.

We end by cutting to Missy, watching Clara (somehow - how does she do that?) on her white iPad, remarking how glad she was to have chosen her. We'll find out what for in a fortnight, but it's unlikely to end well.

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Mummy On The Orient Express
Written by Jamie Mathieson
Directed by Paul Wilmshurst
Starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Frank Skinner, David Bamber Christopher Villiers, Daisy Beaumont, John Sessions, Foxes Samuel Anderson,
Premiere 11 October, BBC One

This review contains plot spoilers.

"You know Doctor, I can't tell if you are a genius or incredibly arrogant',.. "On a good day I'm both". - Perkins to the Doctor

What a romp and what a showcase for Capaldi. This was always the breed of story I hoped to get when Steven Moffat was first confirmed as showrunner. It has the heart of Doctor Who's golden period from 1974 to 1977 when Tom Baker was at his peak but also slots in very comfortably with a 2014 autumn schedule on a Saturday night. Doctor Who has often borrowed its own past successes and done something new, often to great effect. Thanks to a very capable director in Paul Wilmshurst (who continues to impress after 'Kill the Moon') and a more than competent script this is definitely one of those winners.

The story is remarkably simple without being too predictable. Various passengers from all walks of life on the Orient Express are being targeted by a remorseless creature that only they can see and feel. Despite their understandable panic there is only confusion from the people around them and nothing can be done within the span of Sixty-Six Seconds. And the Doctor realises that he is facing a stern test of his ability to come up with a solution. This is not a murder mystery for a Poirot or Marple and not everyone is playing by the rules..

The haunting killer of classic Who's 'Mind of Evil' is subtly referenced in the threat the Mummy presents - only the victims can see it . The way that it can move anywhere and not be stopped by physical items like bullets or locked doors is a perfect way to scare the junior members of the audience. The gimmick of having there be a visible counter remorselessly marking the moment of demise on-screen is somewhat odd but does come off - at least until Gallifrey's favourite son pulls off a beautiful trick (which doubles as an homage to Moffat's very first televised story).

The Orient Express is one of many in the cosmos and history, but this particular one rattles through the vacuum of space relentlessly, caring little for its appearance compared to other vessels that normally occupy this zone. It also used to be a tour through an area of the galaxy that had many a remarkable planet. However although this appears to be just another one of many journeys, there is a real twist when the whole vehicle is shown up as nothing more than a laboratory for testing a sample group. Although it is perhaps not totally watertight as the TARDIS has clearly broken into the environment!

What is clever is that quite a few of the victims are not all that likeable, or perhaps we catch them on a bad day. This is very welcome as it means that what normally is just monster fodder is something else and links in smoothly with the whole amoral presentation of this new Doctor which has fascinated many viewers since the season premiere. Also commendable is how the Doctor gets caught out several times - once when he casually mentions knowing a particularly memorable planet, now long-gone. This is put to effect later with an impact on the overall drama when the psychic paper turns out as not a simple plot short cut after all. The Doctor is realistically challenged, but such is his ego he will have none of it, and as bodies pile up his hubris and ruthlessness only seem to magnify.

When it comes to actually saving the day, it turns out to be a pyrrhic victory. A good number of people get back home unscratched. Some of the apparently threatened passengers were only hard light holograms and so were never really at risk. But lives are lost and not just to the sinister bandaged antagonist. Other carriages with real living people are broken into and the bodies are left to float in space, most likely forever. And this is a direct consequence of the Doctor's efforts: he does get the right end result, but only after a fatal trial-and-error procedure. The Twelfth Doctor may not react too overtly to this disturbing turn of events but he surely knows he could have done something different.

Guest stars are all up to the standards the better episodes have set previously, with a welcome cameo from talented singer Foxes and a nicely balanced guest role for Frank Skinner as Perkins. When he first appears there is ever so slightly an element of creepiness as appears rather indifferent to an old woman's death; but then perhaps he didn't take kindly to being looked down upon as was implied by what little we saw of her. I won't claim Skinner is as good an actor as he is a comedian but he still fits the particular role quite handily. Having Capaldi around certainly helps too as he effectively assumes the role of guest companion. His eventual moment in the TARDIS is also wonderful. The sheer exuberance that someone experiences from seeing dimensional transcendence is a trope I will never tire of. Meanwhile Clara is forced into another section of the train and interacts quite significantly with Maisie - herself a fine one-off character that very much needs saving by the Doctor.

Yes, she did not storm off after all, despite all the signs being there. Clara perhaps more predictably is the voice of morality again; with her friend admitting he could not do anything until he had all the facts at hand. That they are still together is a result of their deeply held admiration and respect. Purely liking one another as most platonic friends doesn't come into it, but then how many friends are there who are come from different planets and have such contrasting life spans?

Danny once again takes a backseat role the second week running, but the arc is still being explored in interesting ways. His seeming acceptance of Clara's hectic lifestyle and how the Doctor really cares on some level despite all his harmlessness is interesting if perhaps a little forced. I do welcome character development for this year's new star of Doctor Who and I am being won over gradually. However in all honesty I still find Samuel Anderson somewhat underwhelming in relative terms, especially if I were to compare him to Arthur Darvill who was rather similar in function.

Although the resolution sees the doctor disable the Foretold and use part of its core to save everyone remaining on the train, there is still no sign of the real threat who caused the crisis in the first place. This is a good idea and knowing Moffat there is as much chance that the answers come next season as they do by the closing twelfth episode of this present run of episodes. So we are left with a rock solid story that can stand up on its own and reward many a viewer's time, but also is well-woven into Series 8. I eagerly await the next Jamie Mathieson effort; conveniently enough it is scheduled for next Saturday evening.

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Reviewed by Martin Ruddock

Kill The Moon
Written by Peter Harness
Directed by Paul Wilmshurst
Starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Ellis George, Samuel Anderson, Hermione Norris, Tony Osoba
Premiere 4 October, BBC One

This review contains plot spoilers.

Every now and again, an episode of Doctor Who comes along that divides and conquers at the same time. Kill the Moon could be that episode. It subverts expectations, and not just those of the viewer - nobody in this story gets what they expected either.

The episode begins with a quick scene-setting moment of Clara and 'disruptive influence' Courtney Woods on the Moon in the year 2049, broadcasting a message - they have a terrible decision to make. We then flash back to the present day at Coal Hill School, where Clara is giving the Doctor a piece of her mind for taking Courtney for a spin in the TARDIS at the end of The Caretaker, then telling her (off-screen) that she's "nothing special". Suddenly faced with an unhappy companion and a clearly distressed teenager, the Doctor makes the snap decision to take Courtney to the moon to try and make up for it, with Clara still on board. They arrive, not on the Moon, but on a dilapidated space shuttle heading very rapidly for it. A space shuttle full of nuclear bombs.

They are confronted by Captain Lundvik (Hermione Norris), and her two crewmates Duke (Tony Osoba) and Henry (Phil Nice). Lundvik's crew are on a desperate mission. The Moon has put on weight, and the Earth is being crushed under the pressure. Humanity is at the brink of extinction. Space travel at this point is in the doldrums, the last mission to investigate was ten years previously, and the Mexican crew disappeared without trace. Lundvik's crew have liberated a shuttle from a museum and are there to destroy the Moon. Norris is good as Lundvik, who comes across as cold and calculating, but in reality is a desperate, numbed woman on a suicide mission. Her cohorts, sadly don't get much to say or do. If this was Star Trek, they'd be wearing red shirts.

The Doctor is instantly on the case, noting that there is gravity where there should be none, and that the Moon is breaking up already. They investigate the base set up by the Mexicans, only to find it deserted except for cobwebbed and space-suited corpses. New Director Paul Wilmshurst wastes no time with the scares - there's something hiding in the shadows of the moodily-lit base, and in craters, some rather nasty spider-like creatures that make short work of Lundvik's crewmates. There's a brilliantly tense scene where the Doctor and co. attempt to escape a 'spider', and Courtney is trapped on the ceiling of a room with one when the gravity fails. The Doctor of course gets her back on the ground, and Courtney herself deals with the creature, but this is when the story starts to change from a straight scare-fest into a very different beast, from Philip Hinchcliffe scares to Malcolm Hulke moral grey areas.

It's all getting a little too real for the clearly scared Courtney, who asks to go home. The Doctor doesn't put up much of a fight, but locks her in the safety of the TARDIS while he continues his investigation. Ellis George is very good as Courtney. A whole episode of a teenager snarking in this scenario would be annoying and unrealistic - she shows that she's scared and cares enough about the situation to want to help, but even in the face of armageddon the shields are up, and she prefers to call Clara 'Miss'.

Paul Wilmshurst's direction is exemplary. He makes stunning use of the Lanzarote location as the lunar surface, and will doubtless traumatise a fair few youngsters with those vicious, screaming spiders. More from him please. New writer Peter Harness is also a real find, deftly handling scary and weighty with enough room for a joke about tumblr which other writers may have made into purest driven cheese.

The spiders are actually a form of bacteria, and the Doctor soon realises that the Moon isn't just a pile of rock orbiting the Earth. It's an egg, an egg with a very long gestation period - and it's hatching. A unique baby is about to be born.

Lundvik still wants to know how to kill it. Humanity is still at risk. Clara and Courtney insist that it's wrong to kill a baby. Clara turns to the Doctor to make a decision. And he walks away, disgusted with Lundvik who has primed the bombs, but adamant that this isn't his decision to make, snapping that it's time to take the stabilisers off the bike, and leaving the three women forty-five minutes to make a decision. Doctor Who is tackling abortion, and the Doctor has abdicated his responsibilities.

Clara puts it to the public vote. Humanity predictably chooses itself, but at the last moment she hits the abort button, and the Doctor reappears and whisks them back to Earth, where they witness the creature's birth from afar. You don't quite get a good look at it, which leaves something to the imagination. It lays a new egg to replace the old one before it flies away in peace.

Wrap up time.The Doctor makes a stirring speech about today being a turning point for humanity. Lundvik thanks Clara for stopping her from destroying an innocent life. Courtney heads for double Geography in the knowledge that she was the first woman on the Moon. All's well that ends well. Except when it doesn't.

Clara has been fairly subdued throughout, but is furious with the Doctor for leaving her with such a huge decision that she could so easily have got wrong. He gently tries to convince her that he knew she would always make the right decision, but it doesn't wash with her. He's patronised her and scared her out of her wits, and she makes a good point - he walks our world and breathes our air, so when we need him he bloody well needs to be there for us. The exchange ends with Clara telling the Doctor to go away and stay away.

Capaldi and Coleman are both excellent. The Doctor is still blunt, rude, and difficult, but he shows a slightly softer side towards Courtney and shows no hesitation in rescuing her, and a certain manic glee as he rushes around investigating. Likewise, he's warmer than usual towards Clara and clearly trusts her to make the right choice based on her character and his bluffing about history, despite how it backfires for him. The fangs are out however, when he makes his comment about the bike stabilisers. This Doctor feels he was in the right to step back and let history decide itself, and feels vindicated when the creature swoops off and the crisis is over. It's a bold choice to let the Doctor do this, clearly the 'Am I a good man?' arc is heading somewhere. How much of this he'll take on board is anyone's guess, but I'd imagine his mind will be well and truly made up by episode twelve.

Coleman, meanwhile, is notably less bubbly than usual for the bulk of the story, but is startling at the end. We've seen a tearful Tegan Jovanka say that it's not fun anymore, and a brave-but-upset Martha Jones leave the TARDIS to be there for her traumatised family - but Clara's scathing fury at the Doctor is something new. Leaving was never like this before. And it really feels like goodbye.

A brief coda follows, with Clara pouring her heart out to Danny, who tells her that if she was really done with the Doctor, she wouldn't be so angry. This feels tacked-on, doubtless to give a note of hope that Clara will reconcile with the Doctor, (of course she will) and to give a little hint to the continuing mystery of Mr Pink's army days - but personally I feel this takes away from the brilliant scene that precedes it.

Anyway, this quibble aside, this is an excellent, thought-provoking, and very grown-up piece of Doctor Who. It's not a comfy ride - and it's sure to prove divisive from its themes and the Doctor's vanishing act, but it's fair to say the stabilisers are off for this one.

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Reviewed by Tim Hunter

Before we get to Peter Capaldi’s seventh episode as the Doctor, Kill the Moon, halfway through the season would seem a good time to see what we’ve learnt about the Doctor. Not surprisingly, nothing is cut-and-dried. If anything, every episode thus far has shown a different side to the Doctor, and a different mood, not all of them pleasant. In fact, they’re mostly bad moods, but that’s not necessarily a negative thing. Let’s have a look at the first six episodes, and the moods the Doctor displays.

Deep Breath: Angry Doctor
In his first story, the Doctor is angry for a number of reasons: he’s just regenerated, he’s confused, and he’s not happy with an older face – especially those eyebrows (but he quite likes the new accent). He’s experienced some memory loss, he’s not sure how to relate to people, most importantly Clara, but by the end of the episode, he’s calmed down enough to know he needs Clara’s friendship – and he asks her for it too, with a little help from his previous self’s phone call.

Into the Dalek: Cold Doctor
While the Doctor finds the thought of a good Dalek confronting and challenging, his focus on the mission to go inside Rusty and ‘fix’ it is very tight, and he can’t spend time showing compassion or grief when Ross is killed by the Dalek antibodies. He’s removed, emotionally distant, and even he isn’t sure if he’s a good man. It’s all a mask, of course, to protect him, in the same way his previous selves used bravado and gleeful excitement as masks, but not as endearing.

Robot of Sherwood: Grumpy Doctor
This less-than-endearing Doctor continues here. He’s disappointed that Clara wants to meet a legend rather than a real historical figure, and he’s irritated by Robin Hood, his merry men and their laughter and banter – maybe it reminds him of his previous selves’ modus operandi. And he’s annoyed that he’s proved wrong about Robin Hood. But then at the end, he drops the pretence, and we see the unwilling hero behind the mask.

Listen: Scared Doctor
The mask drops further here. There is something under the bed, it scares the Doctor because he doesn’t know what it is, and he doesn’t like that. So he sets out to find out what it is. Rather than putting himself on the line, he uses Clara to explore this universal dream. Thanks to her distraction though, it’s Danny Pink who’s the unwitting subject, until Clara is taken to the Doctor’s own childhood and his own fears.

Time Heist: Driven Doctor
In the same way the Doctor did in the Dalek mission, he takes control of the bank heist and assumes command, seemingly unconcerned by the other team members’ feelings. He’s not sure who the Architect is, and why they’re breaking into the bank, but he knows they’ll only find out by completing the impossible mission at any cost. Luckily the actual cost isn’t that dire – something that he himself set up, and once again, showing that under his brittle exterior two very compassionate hearts still beat.

The Caretaker: Jealous Doctor
While he goes undercover at Coal Hill Secondary School, ostensibly to see k out the deadly Skovox Blitzer, the Doctor is secretly investigating Clara’s private life, specifically her ‘boyfriend’. And he gets that wrong too. He knows, despite the feelings he still has (and can’t quite express) for Clara, regardless of his regeneration, he’s not her boyfriend, and won’t ever be. But he still wants her to be happy. That’s why he looks at Adrian and sees something of his previous self, and assumes that this is Clara’s love interest. He’s not happy when he discovers Danny is her actual boyfriend, and he’s jealous. Because he doesn’t like military men and takes an immediate dislike to Danny, and because he believes Danny’s not good enough for Clara – something that Danny challenges him on.

The Impossible Girl
But enough about the Doctor. Let’s talk about Clara. What does she think of the Doctor? Because she really is the voice of the audience, whether they are hardcore fans or just casual viewers. In Deep Breath, not only do we see her struggling to accept this new/old face of her friend, but it’s addressed overtly, specifically in the conversation she has with Madame Vastra about veils and perceptions. In subsequent episodes it’s obvious that she still enjoys travelling with the Doctor – with reservations – but she’s not yet ready to let Danny in on the secret, at least until she is forced to in The Caretaker. She is, like the audience, slowly getting used to this new Doctor and his moods. She may not like everything he says or does, but she remains faithful to him and is willing to give him a go. And that too is made obvious in Time Heist, when Psi notes how often she excuses his bad behaviour. And with Danny in the picture now, we’re seeing a more complex Clara. She’s not just the perky cheeky Impossible Girl – she too has her secrets and faults.

In the Pink
As for Danny Pink, he’s a character that’s developing quite nicely. Cast from the same mould as Mickey and even Rory, but with more baggage and backstory, it didn’t take him long to work out the Doctor, and seeing that develop will be quite the treat. So bring on the next six episodes and let’s see what else we learn about the Doctor, Clara, Danny – oh, and Missy too…

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Reviewed by Martin Ruddock

Written by Gareth Roberts and Steven Moffat

Directed by Paul Murphy
Starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Samuel Anderson, Ellis George
Premiere 27 September 2014, BBC One

Clara Oswald had been doing a good job of leading a triple life lately, but something had to give.
She was already a teacher of unruly teenagers at Coal Hill, and assistant/carer/conscience to a newly unpredictable Time Lord to start with. As if those two factors weren't enough to contend with, now she's in a new relationship too, with Danny Pink. She's struggling to keep them separate, as she careers breathlessly between adventures and dates. She's eating two dinners in a row, going for a run after running down corridors, fishing seaweed from her hair. She's flagging. The control freak in her is working overtime trying to keep her worlds from overlapping. She seems slightly uncomfortable that the kids all know about her and Danny. She really doesn't want the Doctor and Danny even knowing about each other. So, when a very familiar looking relief Caretaker shows up in the Coal Hill staff room, she's appalled, and Danny instantly suspects that Clara already knows this man...

The Doctor is being proactive again, and has decided to go 'deep cover' to sniff out the threat. His version of deep cover is to basically put on an overcoat. His latest incarnation can't be bothered to try and fit in with the natives, particularly the P.E. Teachers. He makes angry signs, disrupts lessons, and even breezily shows pupil-with-attitude Courtney the TARDIS interior. Imagine if this incarnation had been the one exiled to Earth, he would have gone stir crazy. The Brigadier would probably have had him locked up next to the Master.

The threat is the deadly robotic Skovox Blitzer, drawn to the area by decades-worth of artron energy. It's a curious thing, another lone-gunman, a diminutive metallic soldier awaiting orders - scurrying around like a toy Racnoss. It's certainly very good at blowing things up - and people, like that poor Policeman, who meets a grisly end.

It's not a great villain, and although the design is novel, it's hard to believe that this critter could really take out the entire world. This series is getting quite robot-heavy. That said, this story isn't about the Skovox Blitzer. It's about the Doctor and Danny's relationships with Clara, and how they meet and reluctantly reach a grudging respect for each other, despite this Doctor's pronounced dislike of soldiers, a theme that has been prominent in this series, and looks to continue. 

The Doctor and Danny predictably clash, it's an interesting clash too, as normally when presented with a boyfriend figure it's not so much of a fair fight. Danny, being more of an alpha male, gives as good as he gets. Clara, meanwhile, doesn't end up having to choose between the men in her life, but does blurt out that she loves Danny. This, and Danny's inevitable role in the resolution help his case with the Doctor, who wants to know she's with someone good enough for her. Danny, meanwhile, wants to know Clara is safe. Although all three are at peace at the end of the episode, there's clearly something building, and we're probably due some turbulence and heartbreak soon.

Capaldi, Coleman, and Anderson are all excellent in this. Capaldi gets some zingers from Gareth Roberts and Steven Moffat's very funny script, and also the chance to run the gamut from boredom, rage, and a knowing little moment of vanity when he mistakes another teacher for Clara's boyfriend. His Doctor also gets to bond with the equally bolshy Courtney, who's back next week for a trip to the Moon, where bad things are likely to happen. Jenna Coleman gets better and better every episode, Clara continues to come into her own, and her chemistry with Capaldi is a joy to watch. She's equally good in a quieter way with Anderson, who continues to knock it out of the park with a subtle, well-judged performance.

The only criticism? More threat next time please. Although, looking at the teaser for next week, there's unlikely to be a shortage of that. See you on the Moon.

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Time Heist
Written by Steve Thompson and Steven Moffat
Directed by Douglas Mackinnon
Premiere, 20 September 2014, BBC One

The Doctor and Clara are drafted in by a mysterious figure called the 'Architect' to rob the bank of Karabraxos - one of the most secure and dangerous monetary institutions in all the universe. Along with a cyborg /human hybrid named Psi (Broadchurch’s Jonathan Bailey) and a mutant shape-changer called Saibra (The Smoke's Pippa Bennett-Warne) the chase is on to secure something of great value. And just as vitally: to understand why all four of them have had their recent memories erased by their own volition!

Once again events are set in motion by a telephone call made to the Doctor's Tardis. Clara is thinking of her next meeting with Danny, but a normal life with romance is not that simple for someone who assists the Doctor in his adventures.

A clever edit is made to a later point in time, with amnesia being deliberately chosen by the four bank robbers. All of this comes together to form a very snappy and enticing pre credits sequence. Steven Moffat knew this opening would be a cut above the average and has gone on record as saying as much. It would be a real shame were the casual viewer to miss the start time by five minutes and be left to wander what is going on a little too much.

The two 'extra' companions on this mission both are easily distinguished. Psi is a die-hard gamer with a somewhat shaky record in staying on the straight and narrow. Rather endearingly his half-computer status results in his voice being prone to switching to a robotic tone under stress. His record of theft plays into a big crescendo of decision making as the episode really clicks into top gear. And shape shifter Salibra has some back-story she'd rather keep to herself. Despite a kindly persona she is rather unsettling in being so conversant with assuming others' visual identities. All the same, her special ability is crucial in order for the Doctor's party to casually walk into the Bank with their express aim of pulling off the 'heist'.

Alien creatures stand out in this colourful instalments. Memory worms are an unsettling but actually benign 'cameo' monster, whose function is actually to introduce the conceit of a gang of four who must figure out why they are suddenly together. The main alien creature, the Teller is a more important new addition to Doctor Who's huge menagerie, and has something of a minotaur aspect to its design. Although in some ways this foe is similar to the entity from 'The God Complex' it is also very different at the same time. The sequence in which an apparently dodgy businessman pays a heavy price for his misdemeanours relating to the Bank is a very effective 'behind the sofa' sequence. Although little is known about this somewhat unfortunate victim the scene ends up being simultaneously dark satire and sheer horror. There is also an uttering by the Doctor of the word 'soup' which will stick in viewers' minds. Peter Capaldi certainly knows how to make the most mundane sounding sentences have an edge to them.

The Teller's main role as a brain eater is sufficiently scary and memorable. However there is no question that the most malicious and cruel antagonist is villainess Miss Delphox - played by Keeley Hawes (Ashes to Ashes). We are even led to have sympathy for the monster, as it is harnessed to cause damage to enemies of the Bank, by being kept in either chains or in a form of cocoon. Furthermore Delphox manipulates the Teller to dispose of a nuisance individual or two and describes the action as 'account deleted' and generally struts about the Bank giving out orders in a nonchalant way. Evidently the Doctor will have to use his keenest wits to come up with a solution against such an antagonist.. except the finale has a twist where our Time Lord icon gets help from the most unlikely of sources.

Given the title of the episode the actual 'Mission Impossible' material is given suitably sufficient screen time to build up, and then pays off in a fluid and engaging way. The uncertainty over the Architect's identity and whether he is someone to dislike is well done and the eventual twist over his motives is certainly one which may surprise the viewer; although I would imagine a certain number can perhaps be ahead of where Moffat and Thompson had imagined the general viewer to be.

The regulars are once again very enjoyable to watch. Capaldi is still growing from episode to episode, and I sincerely hope he will stay the standard three years in the title role if not substantially longer. He can go from being icy-cold to bubbly and optimistic in a heartbeat, and he is so definitively alien. Even with a cyborg and shape shifter for company, he stands out like a mega-watt light bulb. Many lines of dialogue feel so well-suited to him, and he gets to emphasise why his distinctive eyebrows should afford him 'authority'.

Clara is now somewhat back to traditional companion territory like a number of her episodes in 2013, but still the after-effects of episodes like Deep Breath and Listen are here to stay. The Doctor's expression makes clear that sees her as someone not to talk down to although he very much wants to be the leader and the one to inspire others to greater heights. And yet the emotions conveyed in the Robin Hood episode are also on show - right at the end of the story, as the Twelth Doctor displays a fit of pique and childishness. Overall both leads' performances make clear the various levels upon which The TARDIS crew dynamic works on.

I did think on seeing the name of Steven Thompson that this could be a somewhat flat episode like 'The Curse of the Black Spot' and 'Journey to the Centre of The Tardis' were. Instead this is perfectly solid and engaging and feels just right in its one-part/ 45 minute format. One nitpick I have is that the Doctor tells Clara not to 'think' in a manner reminiscent to combating the Weeping Angels. More importantly the main humanoid villainess just doesn't make a strong impression. Keeley Hawes is a stellar performer normally yet seems to have been landed with a poorly sketched character and doesn't really get out of second gear given her enormous talent. "Intruders are most welcome" is one example of a quip from Delphox - it just would have been good to have an actual story behind her as well as some malicious wit.

But nonetheless there is a very good final confrontation with the Doctor meeting 'the Director'. Belated exposition plays its part, even as the surrounding location becomes a threat in itself. The urgency of the Doctor's assertion of full knowledge - and determination to end the problem - makes this a very well paced and fulfilling final act to the episode. And the revelation behind the Teller is a fine scene, both poignant and logical given the other information from earlier.

Overall then this is a solid joint writing effort from Stephen Thompson and Steven Moffat; with perhaps their prior collaboration on 'Sherlock' allowing for a keen sense of what to bring out from one another. With frenetic action, satire, a surprise twist or two, and good lively direction this episode is to be enjoyed much in the same manner as those that preceded it in Series 8.

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Listen
Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Douglas Mackinnon
Premiere, 13 September 2014, BBC One

Occasionally an episode of Doctor Who comes along that makes you think differently about the show’s parameters: what it can do, what it can be, and what it can mean. Described by Steven Moffat as a “chamber piece”, this looks like a money-saving installment, focusing predominantly on the main cast of regulars, with no guest stars to speak of and no (visible) monsters. On paper, it's an odd idea. In fact, this doesn’t sound much like Doctor Who at all (even if it has a kind of precedent going back to 1964’s ‘The Edge of Destruction’).

Yet 'Listen' is a strong candidate for the most intricately structured 50 minutes of Who ever. Near the episode's beginning we see the Doctor in Clara’s mirror, reflected three times over, and it’s an image that prefigures three journeys into characters’ pasts and futures, along with three fragments of childhood or child-like fear. 'Listen' is rammed full of Moffatisms: there are fairytale rhymes, things you can’t look at but can only sense or glimpse, child characters who are given prominent roles, and non-linear storytelling with timelines jumbling, jumping and stuttering. But 'Listen' is much more than a showrunner’s reprise: it isn’t simply this year’s ‘Blink’, for example. For one thing, it doesn’t (quite) deliver a new monster – instead it questions what monsters do, and what functions they can serve, for those who pursue them. Very often in Doctor Who, monsters represent something; they’re allegories or symbols for a range of anxieties. 'Listen' purifies that strategy, boiling Who’s monsters down to their simplest, starkest essence: an experience of fear and a desire for knowledge.

Of course, it’s tempting to see ‘Listen’ as a meditation on childhood; a piece of pop psychoanalysis where our favourite Time Lord can be understood though a very briefly sketched childhood trauma, and where the child is all too obviously the father of the man. But at its crucial moments, ‘Listen’ isn’t about childhood at all: it’s more about parenting. The Doctor shouts at Clara, ordering her to safety as he prepares to confront his own fear and his own need to know: he asserts tough patriarchal authority, positioning Clara as a child who can't evaluate own best interests. But the ‘impossible girl’ is also given a maternal if not matriarchal role, later informing the Doctor that he must do as he is told (something he recognizes and submits to). 'Listen' is, at least partly, about knowing when to heed authority and when to listen to a parent’s protective voice. It is, finally, not the Doctor who’s given an omniscient voice-over; it's Clara who watches over him, as if parentally, and Clara who ties together the episode’s themes as one culminating object is threaded through two different childhoods and a family inheritance. The same image, the same material artefact, seemingly gives rise to “Dan the soldier man” and the Doctor that we know; each becomes a distorted mirror image of the other. Scared may be "a superpower", but that superpower is both metaphorical and literal in the current Doctor Who universe, refracted in different ways through Danny Pink and the Doctor.

Fear and the unseen monster – the “figure”, as closing credits dub it – are equated; each stands as a sort of constant companion. But there are other equations that are more subtle and even more intriguing. What are the two things that this episode refuses to show us clearly? The monsters that must never be seen… and the young Doctor, reduced to a silhouette and a curl of hair. Neither the monsters nor the child-Doctor can be clearly apprehended. The monster’s power – its hold over the imagination – stems from remaining invisible; it is an empty space, a blank Rorschach test onto which anything can be projected. But the proto-Doctor is equally withheld; for all that this story seems to stretch the show’s boundaries and format, it refuses to convert the unseen Doctor into a prosaic face and figure. Resisting realism and refusing representation, the young Doctor is just as mysterious as the perfectly hidden creatures, and hence he remains just as much a space for projection, imagination and fantasy. The Doctor and the monster: both are rendered dream-like and oneiric, shimmering at the edges of perception.

Douglas Mackinnon directs this evocative material with aplomb, having recently been responsible for half of Line of Duty 2, which itself featured a stellar performance from Keeley Hawes (gracing the ‘Next Time’ trailer here). Jenna Coleman and Samuel Anderson both shine in their Coupling-style flashforwards/flashbackwards romance, with Anderson also convincing in the dual role of Danny/Orson Pink. But for me this episode belongs to Peter Capaldi. He’s mesmerizing when speaking out loud to himself, and looks alarmingly demented at moments, as he seeks to uncover what’s “under your bed”. This is cerebral, provocative Doctor Who at its very finest (where provocative is probably ‘scary’ for deep people). And it features one of the most unusual missions in the series’ long history: this Doctor isn't seeking to overthrow an oppressive regime or repel an alien invasion. No, he wants to engage in the interpretation of dreams, unusually allowing the TARDIS to travel via 'subconscious' means.

To worry about continuity seems to miss all the poetry of this episode. Perhaps some devotees will feel that the Doctor’s early years should have stayed firmly off-screen, or that Clara is being given too much sway over the Doctor’s identity here – she seems to symbolically create “Dan” and the Time Lord: soldiers whose power to protect is rooted in fear. Perhaps others will worry about how the TARDIS can so easily find its way to that barn, and that tearful child. But if 'Listen' plays on certain fan fears (of a Doctor that isn’t quite heroic or mysterious enough), then it does so in order to find new possibilities in the programme’s storytelling engines, and to worry away at fixed images of 'the hero'. In The Inner World of Doctor Who, Iain MacRury and Michael Rustin suggest that the Doctor can often be interpreted as a kind of “inadvertent therapist” (p.290), listening to others and helping them remake and re-order their lives. Here, though, it is the Doctor who is analysed by a script that ranks among the show’s most experimental explorations. What really lurks under the Doctor's bed? This is Doctor Who that demands to be thought about. It’s the programme’s format rewritten and yet perfectly encapsulated at one and the same time. And it leaves us with a beautiful image: the good enough hero as a kind of broken soldier.

The economical, sparse and interlocking structures of 'Listen' – treating continuity as a space for creative play – potentially make this Steven Moffat’s best Who script to date. It’s about striking images rather than spectacular effects; it’s about what it means to be scared, rather than cool and merchandisable monsters; it’s about “real, inter-human” date stuff just as much as the end of time, and it’s about the productive, transformative work that dreaming can sometimes perform. Rupert’s dream which gives rise to his new self may be implanted by the Doctor, in a sense, just as the Doctor’s own 'dream' of himself is seeded by Clara, but these science-fictional suggestions nevertheless stress the importance of our interior lives and dreamscapes. The Doctor’s interest in a seemingly universal dream (and its interpretation) ultimately gives way to dreams of a better self.

On paper, this might not sound quite like Doctor Who. Perhaps this ‘Fear & Monsters’ riff amounts to Moffat’s ‘Love & Monsters’ moment, and may be it’ll prove to be just as divisive. But watch ‘Listen’ without prejudice, and you’ll find series eight of Doctor Who humming with a darkly glittering and serious brilliance. We’re past the fiftieth anniversary, but there are still new things, as raw and energising as childhood fears, to be said and heard through the medium of Who.

There can't really be an 'instant classic': classics take time to settle into fan consensus. But if such an entity existed, and if it could be glimpsed, then 'Listen' would surely deserve the title.

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Reviewed by Martin Hudecek

Robot of Sherwood
Written by Mark Gatiss
Directed by Paul Murphy
Premiere 6 September 2014 BBC One

Back when Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves was bringing in the punters at cinema screens, Doctor Who was looking like a completely finished tv franchise. Few loyal viewers or die-hard fans could imagine it coming back stronger than ever and being confident enough to be more varied in tone and subject matter on a weekly basis than the original run generally aspired to. Time has perhaps not been kind to the blockbuster epic which featured Kevin Costner sound distinctly American, yet the film has also managed to enter the public’s consciousness on quite a deep level. Certainly many adult viewers of this latest episode will almost find it surreally familiar in that special way that Doctor Who can be. Perhaps it is a surprise that our great TV show has never directly featured the heroic outlaw and his ‘merry’ band of men.

This episode from the pen of Mark Gatiss is in some respects refreshingly linear – there is little that requires the viewer to connect the dots on their own initiative, and each scene builds on the next in a straightforward if predictable fashion. Of course there are some revelations as not all is as it appears to be, and notably the Doctor ends up not being proved totally correct, and that is in part due to his rather protective stance towards Clara. A good tribute to the river fight featured in the celebrated story sees the Doctor takes on Robin on a narrow bridge over the river. It is a nice moment that exposes some of the Doctor’s vanity and pride. However much later in the episode it is emulated in a manner that takes away the crucial drama and also feels self-indulgent.

The direction, design, music and acting is mostly solid – although the key role of Robin Hood is just a little under-cooked both in script and performance - if by no means badly done. Although Robin sounds authentic enough, there is perhaps too much obvious effort of him conveying energy and roguish charm, rather than just embodying those qualities. Right from his first appearance where he declares that he has answered the Doctor’s call with a pronounced wink the viewer will not be bored by this Robin, but perhaps will also not focus on what makes him tick either. On the plus side, anytime that Tom Riley interacts with Jenna Coleman, there is a definite sense of chemistry and Robin is more believable. For the most part though he feels like having just one persona of ‘gung ho’, ‘flippant’, ‘romantic’ or ‘agitated’ and there is little complexity that the best guest characters have had in modern Doctor Who.

Peter Capaldi has many of the best lines from Gatiss’ script and at this point in series 8 I have now been able to adjust to his rapid fire diction (that contrasts with Matt Smith's more deliberate manner). He has so many ways to convey emotion and like all strong Doctors has the right bland of humanity and alien detachment. Notably he is somewhat less cold than the preceding week’s adventure with the Daleks but then this story is a decidedly jolly romp and has little pretentions to be something else underneath the surface. There is even some modesty in the early scenes when Clara again reaffirms her belief in the Doctor as the definitive well-meaning person to which he responds that he is just ‘passing the time’ – a nice little pun which is played straight. The Doctor’s cynicism over this forest/castle environment actually being the late 12th century and perhaps something rather more artificial is a brave move and yet just what the new season has been putting forward so far with the lead character. Clearly Steven Moffatt and Peter Capaldi have put a lot of work into making this latest incarnation stand out distinctly from Doctors 10 and 11.

Rather fittingly the gloriously wicked Sheriff of Nottingham also has feelings towards Clara and probably appreciates her more for who she is – a thoroughly capable independent woman who knows her abilities and doesn’t talk around subjects. The way that Ben Miller comes across as a despicable and yet thoroughly charismatic and engaging character is a big plus for this episode, but certainly no surprise given how strong a career this versatile performer has had thus far. The episode also has a very clever variant on the usual background to the Sheriff – his ambitions in general are revealed to be rather bigger than scale than many previous portrayals of the character in yesteryear.The only drawback is that Miller is so strong that when he eventually faces Robin in a key battle towards the end all the attention and excitement seems to centre around him. Of course many villains in film and tv steal the show, but it still feels jarringly lopsided – given how much screen time Robin has as well.

The episode has a lot of snappy elements to enjoy. One of the really funny moments involves a contest to find the best archer in land. The Doctor's marksmanship being top-notch somehow feels right for the Twelfth Doctor, and it is good to see him with a weapon other than sonic screwdriver .. for a few moments anyway. The prize of the golden arrow is tied into plot well, making this sequence not only entertaining but also key to the story. Less positively some dialogue comes off as cod-mediaeval, reminding me of 'The King's Demons' from the early 1980s. Despite the deliberate choice to set the story in the time of King John, I feel that the writer did not mean to pay tribute to a rather mediocre Peter Davison adventure. However the finale to the main story has some sharp dialogue and sharp combat which perhaps ends in a slightly slapstick way but is shot stylishly all the same. The Doctors involvement in final resolution is well done and quite a heart-warming moment that will resonate with many viewers perhaps unused to an older looking Doctor. Following that is a clever coda which pays off the viewer looking for clues over the identity of a supporting character with fairly limited screen time.

The biggest compliment I can give the episode ultimately is that it sets out to achieve its key objectives and it firmly establishes the Doctor/ Clara dynamic as something with a lot of substance. As much as I liked Jenna Coleman’s work from day one, she has really progressed now and Moffatt and his writing team now seem to know how to maximise the character’s effectiveness; something that was not always apparent in episodes like Nightmare of Silver for instance. Also the Doctor's arrogance is skilfully measure by Gatiss and it is also good to see him clearly concerned for Clara's safety having been rather casual about her in the second episode.

Finally -all fans of classic make sure you don't miss the ship's database scene as a clever cameo by one of the early Doctors ties in neatly with the main story.

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Catherine Tate has said that before she joined the series that she thought the Daleks were in every episode of Doctor Who; viewers who have joined the show since the 50th Anniversary might well think the same, as the Doctor's greatest foe return for their third appearance in four episodes! I've never been a great fan of the ranting exterminators so yet another encounter so early in the series was not on my priority list of things to look forward to; it would need a good 'gimmick' to draw me in, which in this case was the Doctor encountering a lone, 'good' Dalek.

The story already has one good thing going for it, of course, Peter Capaldi. His portrayal of this plain-spoken, focussed but also easily side-tracked Doctor never ceases to be fascinating on screen; his coffee-run has a diversion in saving a life, yet having no other interest until there's something less 'boring' to get involved in; his practical but insensitive solution to escaping the Dalek antibodies (not to mention tasteless comments a little later), but then followed by an impassioned argument to regain Rusty's sense of 'goodness' once more; and of course his final 'dismissal' of Journey as a soldier when he departs. Donna had pointed out to the Doctor that he needed someone to temper him over a thousand years before, and this new 'reset' Doctor certainly needs a moral compass to guide him, the job of which of course falls to Clara. This possibly does weigh on his mind, and as the pre-publicity forewarned us, he asks her if he is a good man, to which she replies that she honestly doesn't know. He is aware that he isn't so "feely" as in previous lives, as the (also heavily publicised) "She's my carer - she cares so I don't have to" comment re-iterates. I'm not entirely sure how long this 'alien' Doctor can continue throughout the twelve episodes before a lack of softening becomes mundane to watch, but I somehow suspect that with someone like Capaldi in command of the character this isn't something we need worry about.

So, that 'good' Dalek, what's that all about? It seems that the captured survivor from a battle can see the Daleks for what they really are, and doesn't like what it sees; however, it has also been badly damaged and thus piques the Doctor's interest to help 'heal' it. It was probably pretty obvious that by doing so the Doctor would also restore the its "Dalek Factor", too, but I was sufficiently drawn into the tale not to think of that, beforehand. For a long-term fan such as myself there are the parallels with The Evil of the Daleks to draw upon, and the memory conditioning sits neatly with that former story's realisation - not that this is important to the casual viewer, and it seems the Doctor had forgotten too as he seems to feel vindicated when Rusty reverts to type once repaired. However, this is his prejudice for the Dalek race coming through, and that ultimately bites him on the bum when Rusty perceives and draws upon that hatred as its emotions are re-enabled by Clara.

It's probably safe to say that Rusty is a balanced individual, unlike our previous Dalek-turning-good that was so excellently realised in Dalek back in 2005. In that story the Dalek saw itself as impure and so sought self-destruction; no such sign from Rusty, and as it heads off to rejoin the Dalek fleet it seems very likely that we will see the repurcusions of this 'infiltration' at a later date. There's also the other hark back to that former episode too: there, the (then) lone survivor from the Time War suggests that the Doctor would make a good Dalek; here, Rusty informs the Doctor that he isn't a good Dalek, the Time Lord is himself - maybe Clara won't be the sole source of guidance to the Doctor as he subconsciously struggles out of darkness...

Being this is modern Doctor Who, as well as the 'sci-fi' excitement there's also the back-on-Earth 'domestic' to consider, too. Where would we be without some form of love interest in Doctor Who (shh!), and in this series this takes the form of new teacher at Clara's school, Danny Pink. Being that we only have a few minutes to set-up a new character, so in moments we know he's an ex-soldier whose had a bad encounter that continues to cast a shadow over him, and it's also pretty obvious that this will be a cause of friction with the Doctor after another not-too-subtle signpost from the Doctor's comment to Journey about her profession. Considering his 'crash-entry' into the series, Samuel Anderson does a good job of introducing the conflicted Danny, and it'll be interesting to see how he develops over the next few weeks.

The big Dalek battle at the end was okay, but the plethora of explosions didn't hide their inability to hit targets (maybe they just feel that overwhelming numbers win out extermination-wise rather than being more accurate). The battle cries were fun to hear, though a little frustrating in not being quite the same as those from the classic era they were mimicking (or is that just the memory cheating again?!!). The spaceship crew were pretty unmemorable though, and main girl Journey was herself a bit bland (but why do I get the feeling we haven't seen the last of her, either?). The internals of Rusty were handled well, though I wasn't too sure of the miniturisation scale at times (not to mention them having a handy minituriser to hand, too, shades of The Invisible Enemy come to mind).

Looking at the story as whole, Into The Dalek was a reasonable tale, and certainly more watch-worthy than the ratings juggernaut on ITV, but I think it safely falls into the "average" category of story. Capaldi, excepted!

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Series openers have always got a lot to contend with; they have to balance between welcoming back older viewers who are expecting more of what they watched the show previously for, and also welcoming new viewers to the fold who may not know what the show is about. With Doctor Who that can be even harder, with nigh on ten years of new adventures continuing a show now literally in its golden years, under unabated media scrutiny and audience expectation. Then, throw a new Doctor into the mix ...

Unlike the arrival of Christopher Eccleston's version, which the production team took great care to identify as a continuation of the 20th Century series in naming him the - ahem - ninth incarnation, at Christmas The Time of the Doctor actually pulled the reset switch in 'killing' off the Doctor as he reached the end of his final regeneration ... and then like a phoenix rising from the ashes brought forth a renewed Doctor as he is granted a whole new life cycle by the Time Lords. In doing so, it also gave the production team carte-blanche to radically change the Doctor's personality, unburdened by his previous forms, and take the show in a new direction. But would they take that chance to potentially alienate an audience?

Well, of course not. After the disaster that was the sixth Doctor's introduction back in 1984, such a radical alteration was never going to be on the cards. However, as demonstrated in last night's Deep Breath, the character can certainly be massaged into a much more ambigious personality who the audience themselves are unsure of, let alone those on screen. We have the moment where the Doctor apparently abandons Clara to the "Half Face Man" ("no point in catching us both"), and then later his look from the restaurant-turned-balloon after the aforementioned robot falls to its (his?) impalation on the top of St Stephens Tower (this is a Victorian story, pedants (grin)) leaves us in total doubt as to whether he pushed or not. However, considering the way the (original) first Doctor behaved over his first adventures we aren't exactly in virgin territory, and he is essentially still the same being that we've known over the last 2000+ years - as hammered home rather unsubtly during the course of the story by Vastra and the Doctor himself.

Pulling it off is a skill, both in performance and direction, and as the new Doctor Peter Capaldi easily succeeds, ably introduced by Ben Wheatley, whose horror credentials certainly are in play in a number of scenes in the latter half of the story. However, it is the latter half where things properly kick off, with the earlier scenes are perhaps being a little too lengthy and slowing the story down somewhat. This is of course one of the problems with exposition, and as I mentioned when starting this review, there's a fair bit to expose! Writer Steven Moffat allowing some 80 minutes for the plot threads to 'breathe' (sorry!) was a good move, but perhaps it could have been shaved down a little just to make it a little pacier.

Anyway, to the story itself!

Prehistoric creatures have come a long way with Walking with Dinosaurs, and our inadvertent visitor to Victorian London was a remarkable creation (please give Invasion of the Dinosaurs a special edition...). Of course real science might not be in play here (see the New Scientist review) but it is catered for in the story universe (thanks, Vastra). It's a shame that it was a macguffin rather than anything more important in the story, but strangely you do feel empathy for it, courtesy of the Doctor (amazing how the TARDIS selectively translates language for its prefered inhabitants) and its sad demise does contribute to moving the story along - though the indication that the robots have been around since the creature's own era in time is an area of plot that, like the ship's location underground, shouldn't be dug into too deeply! Come to think of it, why bring back clockwork droids at all, their inclusion felt a bit like the Autons back in Rose, feeling more of a "historical" enemy's return for its own sake rather than serving the narrative. Mind you, Wheatley skillfully creates some genuinely disturbing moments that eclipse their previous appearance in The Girl in the Fireplace, so I'm not going to worry about that so much!

Jenna Coleman, Neve McIntosh, Catrin Stewart and Dan Starkey continue to perform strongly, with the latter's portrayal one of the highlights of the episode. The fan in me frowns a bit at how Moffat has seemingly turned the Sontarans into the Ferengi of Doctor Who, but he does get some of the best lines and Starkey never quites takes his performance into farce, so I end up looking forward to his scenes. ("The Doctor is still missing, but he will always come looking for his box. By bringing it here, he will be lured from the dangers of London into this place of safety and we will melt him with acid ... We will not melt him with acid.", followed by his 'special' delivery of the Times to Clara win the prize!). Peter Ferdinando was especially chilling with his portrayal of the "Half Face Man", and again the effects did not let down in animating his clockwork half. Whether we've actually seen the last of him remains to be seen after that ending, and like with Rose in Partners in Crime, the appearance of Michelle Gomez's Missy was delightfully unexpected - I really hope the Gatekeeper of the Nethersphere isn't going to turn out to be the Rani or a female Master as quite a few have speculated and that she is a new original character for us to enjoy in the same way as Madame Kovarian in the 2011 series.

As for that other cameo, I did know it was coming from filming reports but fortunately had forgotten about it until the phone rang. Watching it live evoked the same kind of nostalgic emotion that the final scenes of The End of Time did, though in hindsight I'm not so sure it really served the story so well - it might have been nicer as one of those online/red button extras to enjoy separately rather than in the story proper. Still, its purpose was to remind us (again) that we are watching a continuation of a fifty year tradition!

I can't finish without mentioning the new titles of course. The graphics looked great, and the reflection of the 'clock' theme within the opening bars of the theme was a nice touch (presumably weekly and not just for this clockwork-themed episode), but the main theme sounded very tinny, at least in a non-5.1 environment - I almost had a "Delaware" moment listening to it again! It doesn't seem to quite provide the majesty that I've come to expect from the series theme tune, but I suppose it'll grow on me in time!

All-in-all, Capaldi's debut story was enjoyable, if perhaps a little longer than it needed to be (though it certainly wasn't a clock-watching episode). There was nothing that made me tut at the screen either, so that is always a good sign. It will be interesting to see if this Doctor continues to be 'alien' or becomes more 'human' as with the first Doctor over the next eleven weeks.

Finally, Capaldi himself delivered all my expectations of him as the Doctor, so I'm looking forward to the next 7+ years of him in the role (grin).

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