Let me tell you about the Romans. They are the robbers of this world. When they've thieved everything on land, they'll rob the sea. If their enemies are rich, they'll take all they have. If their enemies are poor, they'll make slaves of them. Their work is robbery, slaughter, plunder. They do this work and they call it empire. They make deserts and they call it peace." A very light and low-key episode with a simple message and a neat, if dumbed-down, story. The Doctor and Bill argue over the fate of the Ninth Roman Legion, and decide to use their handy time machine to end it. Little do they know that they've stumbled on a alien race that has the capability of eating light, and has destroyed pretty much all the Roman army that entered Scotland. The most awe-inspiring thing about this episode is the capabilities of these monsters - the fact that as a species they could devour entire stars just for their lunch.
The story itself is tidy - I liked the opening and final sequences involving the two kids who visited the cairn in present day. It provided great closure for the story and the characters involved. However, the plot itself was simple and unoriginal. The Doctor, as usual, saves the day be managing to force two armies to cooperate to fight a greater threat. Also as usual, the Doctor is prepared to sacrifice himself for the sake of the Romans and Picts, but this is quickly rectified, when the supporting characters (especially the Romans) discover they have a backbone. It's just a shame that we didn't get a chance to see more of the creatures, as CGI-wise they were very well done, and their general concept was fascinating. Pearl Mackie played a very strong Bill this week, she has really shown her mettle, especially since the Monk trilogy. Apart from another quip about her sexual orientation, her character finds it easy to take charge and make decisions. Though the people she worked with, less so. The Romans were pretty unconvincing Romans, despite them portraying cowards who deserted the crux of the Ninth Legion. The acting was fine, it was just the actual writing for the Romans nullified their reputation as a war machine that conquered Europe. Nardole was brilliant this week, adding a layer of comedy that suited his demeanour. He certainly rocked the dressing gown and exclaimed his ability to make spag bol. One of my favourite scenes was possibly his interaction with a crow, and realising that it was sometimes saying "Doctor" and other times "Master" - a hint to the denouement of the episode. Elsewhere, the episode suffers from being too light - it could have benefitted from more chases through the dark forest and a lot more of the monsters to up the scare factor. My feeling towards the conclusion of the cairn lacked the emotional punch and relied too much on the audience caring about the two separate tribes. The highlight therefore, unfortunately, overshadowed the rest of the episode - Missy in the TARDIS, again. As the overall arc continues, Missy's appears to be more and more genial towards the people around her, despite Bill and Nardole's outrageous towards the Doctor for allowing her to be out of the Vault. But, there's a wonderful scene between the Doctor and Missy at the end that is astoundingly emotional, and proves how powerful a dynamic Peter Capaldi and Michele Gomez are. It also promises some incredible things to come in the two-part finale. If the trailer is anything to go by, it's going to be a rollercoaster ride of epic proportions, involving a massive spaceship falling into a black hole. 7/10
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AuthorA very passionate Welsh nerd... Archives
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