I'm not Scottish. I'm just cross." Following Frank-Cottrell Boyce's last contribution to Doctor Who, I was not feeling entirely optimistic about his second outing. In the Forest of the Night could have been an instant gem, but it was weighed down and practically ruined by some major, gaping plot holes. Smile, however, tells another story.
Set on another world (in the Gliese 581 planetary system, I might add, which has been discovered in the last decade by astronomers as an exoplanet) where the robotic Vardies teem the skies as the perfect architects for a new colony. Except when the Doctor and Bill arrive, there are no colonists, except for a vast number of robots that speak using emoji. It seems a typical Who scenario in which the Doctor finds a mystery and gradually, amongst being captured and running away, he solves it by some metaphysical means. This is essentially the core of the episode, but it is also much more than that. Boyce succeeds in juggling a number of jobs in the episode, primarily continuing the introduction of new companion Bill. On her first adventure in the TARDIS (bar last week's brief time-hopping), Bill has now been put in a place where she can appreciate the Doctor's capabilities as a pilot through time and space. Their interactions while searching the empty colony city are wonderful - they're like chalk and cheese. Whilst Bill may not be experienced in the way of life, she asks the right questions, and has the ability to get the best out of the Doctor, even if he attempts to protect her by leaving her in the TARDIS or telling her to stand by a map. Ultimately, however, she sees through his, albeit caring, trickery. She is a determined woman who does not want to be left out, and the Doctor finds it difficult to stop her, though I believe he doesn't mind. The story, on the other hand, is rather simplistic. The idea that the robot Vardies have developed sentient capabilities is interesting, but the execution of the conclusion was haphazard. As usual, the Doctor stands as a negotiator for proceedings, but it's all too simple after he's pressed a reset button (turned it off and on again). The main problem I found with this story is it is incredibly derivative, perhaps unintentionally, but unquestionably so. There are hints of The Girl Who Waited, The Girl in the Fireplace, The Doctor's Daughter, The Beast Below, Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead - even 42. The references towards The Ark in Space and The Beast Below are justified, but for the rest of the stories, it appears to be an amalgamation of past Doctor Who stories. Nevertheless, this doesn't hide the fact that this has an original quality to it - far more dystopian that Doctor Who has been in a long time. On the plus side, I had some really great Classic vibes - it reminded me of the slow, contemplative episodes of Hartnell's era as they scour a new location with curious eyes. The Keys of Marinus comes to mind as one that has this type of adventurous tone, but still quiet all the same. Regarding the new overarching story, we get a little bit more information, albeit a bit vague. But there's clearly something massive (figurative) in that Vault, and whatever it may be will have vast consequences for the duration of this season, I can guarantee. With Smile, though, we had a really fun, meandering story that had strong character development, and a fascinating, if simplistic, world to explore. Even ten series on, Doctor Who is still top notch TV. 7.5/10
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Imagine if time happened all at once. Every moment of your life laid out around you... like a city. Streets full of buildings made of days. The day you were born. The day you die. The day you fall in love. The day that love ends. A whole city built from triumph and heartbreak and boredom and laughter and cutting your toenails. It's the best place you will ever be. Time is a structure relative to ourselves. Time is the space made by our lives. Where we stand together forever. Time and relative dimension in space. It means life." After an empty and debilitating hiatus, Doctor Who returns to our screens for another season's run. With the departure of both Peter Capaldi and Steven Moffat looming, Series 10 has been widely anticipated on all fronts - not to mention the introduction of a new face, Bill Potts. Series 9 was possibly one of my favourite seasons of the show so far, thus Series 10 has a lot to live up to. But I've never doubted Doctor Who before...why should I know?
Closer to Rose than The Eleventh Hour, the episode sets up the show in a new and versatile way. For those only just joining the series, they hopefully won't find many problems understanding the events depicted. Equally, there are numerous continuity references to the Doctor's past peppered throughout to give long-time fans such as myself something to look out for. References to Susan Foreman, River Song, Clara Oswald, An Unearthly Child and Destiny of the Daleks, are just a few of them that caught my eye, but it's great to see this gargantuan series respect its past endeavours so effortlessly. The Pilot is the definition of "light". It doesn't weigh heavily on a new alien invasion of Earth, but instead introduces a mild threat - sentient oil. It's just another monster in the pantheon of Moffat's mind, that works really well as a simple idea. I mean, having a resource be sentient is an intriguing idea, that whilst under-developed in this episode, could be rediscovered later on (and I hope it is). Taking possession of a "pilot" known as Heather, this being spends most of the episode chasing after the Doctor, Nardole and Bill as they travel through space and time. It's an ingenious idea to have the new companion be introduced to the TARDIS in this rapid, unforgiving manner. It keeps the show feeling original and refreshing. Speaking of refreshing, Pearl Mackie is brilliant. She plays Bill with a dexterity that seems as though she's been playing her since birth. Not to mention the interaction she has with the Doctor; this new, relentless character is a great addition to the Whovian Universe, and despite only being with us for one season, she will be fun to watch for twelve or so weeks. Scenes in the TARDIS and in the Dalek-Movellan war time-zone are particularly good and show her depth and emotion. As someone who's not afraid to believe the unbelievable, Bill could be a great asset to the TARDIS team, and the Doctor seems to think so too. Concerning Peter Capaldi, I don't know what to say. He embodies the Twelfth Doctor with such devotion that it is going to be bloody hard to say goodbye to him. Certainly it's good to have change regularly, but this is always the difficult part. Seeing as Capaldi is a huge fan of the show as well, he will find it difficult too. Let's just hope the following weeks are a suitable showcase for his exquisite skill of balancing arrogant wiseman and caring teacher. He has brought Doctor Who to so many new heights. Light, fluffy and comedic, the Pilot is a quiet consideration for Doctor Who's emotional side. Fun to watch yes, but also contemplative. Shame the alien distraction wasn't fleshed out a bit more, and even more of a shame the Dalek-Movellan war wasn't given extra screen time. Nevertheless, Moffat's latest episode sets the scene for his anticipated magnum opus, which has already shown a few hints and teasers (*cough*Vault*cough*). An amiable start and the introduction of a fascinating new companion. 8/10 |
AuthorA very passionate Welsh nerd... Archives
October 2017
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