Queen VICTORIA

Article first published as VICTORIA Review on Seat42F.

PBS’ Masterpiece presents a new drama this week called VICTORIA. Centered around the long-reining British queen of that name, the show originally aired in the UK, and is now coming to the states, the first two hours premiering this Sunday. The initial offering deals with Victoria taking the throne, befriending the prime minister, and her struggles between what she wants personally and what the politics of the country demand.

Although not a fan of Jenna Coleman’s Clara in the series Doctor Who, I do like her better as Victoria. She does a fine job portraying the young, short queen (only eighteen when she took the throne, and under five feet tall) as she comes into her own.

Victoria has a very sheltered childhood, controlled as she is by her mother (Catherine Flemming, Simones Labryinth) and her mother’s close pal, Sir John Conroy (Paul Rhys, Da Vinci’s Demons). When she gets that first taste of being in charge, it goes to her a head a little bit. Coleman keeps her sympathetic through those bits, helping us understand why Victoria makes the decisions she does, and rationalizing the more selfish ones.

I also like Rufus Sewell (The Man in the High Castle) as Lord Melbourne. He and Victoria had a special relationship, and while the way it is shown in VICTORIA isn’t wholly accurate, I like this chemistry, too. It avoids being romantic, which is certainly a good thing, but I do get that Melbourne really cares for her, and that’s important as Victoria transitions into power.

Other than that, though, this series, while interesting, isn’t overly compelling. Some of what is portrayed is relatively factual, historically speaking, but other parts are dramatized to try to add more excitement. This seems unnecessary, and feels forced, especially in making Melbourne so attractive. What happens with Victoria’s birthday cake is a good example of something that didn’t need added in, as is the scheming of relations behind her back. The show could have focused more on the real things, such as the possible scandal with Sir John, which is gotten through pretty quickly, rather than adding excess drama.

I would point to The Crown on Netflix as an example of how to do things better. It doesn’t help VICTORIA that its U.S. release comes just after The Crown has gained steam and awards. (It hadn’t yet premiered when VICTORIA aired across the pond.) The Crown keeps things more grounded, less episodic, and that makes it stronger overall. VICTORIA should take note of that as it develops season two, changing course to feel more like a docudrama and less like a soap. I doubt it will, but that would be the smart move.

The other comparison VICTORIA is sure to rate is to Downton Abbey, mainly because there are plenty of scenes for the servants, including the queen’s German baroness, Lehzen (Daniela Holtz, Phoenix), Mrs. Jenkins (Eve Myles, Torchwood), and the young Skerrett (Nell Hudson, Outlander). I feel like this is a bit of an odd choice because the household of a queen would have a LOT more servants than Downton Abbey, and yet it doesn’t feel like it does because VICTORIA focuses on such a small group. Which again, takes me a bit out of the story, and feels like an odd choice for a show about the queen herself.

Neither comparison, to Downton Abbey or to The Crown, leave VICTORIA the better for it. Taken on its own, I found it entertaining and beautifully produced. By comparison to its peers, it feels trite and superficial, as well as more soapy than it should be. For that reason, I can’t see continuing to watch it, even though it has been renewed for a second series overseas.

VICTORIA premieres this Sunday, January 15^th, at 9/8c.

"The Woman" Should "Live" On in DOCTOR WHO

Article first published as TV Review: 'Doctor Who' - 'The Woman Who Lived' on Blogcritics.

Picking up hundreds of years (per Earth’s time) after last week’s Doctor Who episode ends, “The Woman Who Lived” finds The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) in England, 1651, having a run-in with a highwayman known as The Nightmare. It doesn’t take long for The Nightmare to reveal herself to be none other than Ashildr (Maisie Williams), the Viking girl that The Doctor gave immortality to. What has happened to her and why is she robbing coaches?

Ashildr is a cautionary tale that is more about The Doctor than the girl herself, as least in “The Woman Who Lived.” It has long been known that The Doctor doesn’t function so well when he travels alone, without a human companion. Ashildr has shunned taking on someone like a companion, and instead lives a life of isolation. As such, she has lost sight of how meaningful life is, and no longer cares much for her fellow men, seeing them as disposable. It’s not a pretty outlook, and it’s one that The Doctor could share if he’s not careful.

The Doctor realizes pretty quickly what has happened. I guess an addict is always good at recognizing those traits in others, and that’s what loneliness is to The Doctor and Ashildr, an addiction, one that is very damaging to their health and those around them. The Doctor determines he must break Ashildr of this habit and help her see the value in life again. Essentially, he serves as her companion, giving her reasons to look past the surface and find the meaning of life.

Because of this, “The Woman Who Lived” is an excellent installment. The plot with the roguish Sam Swift (Rufus Hound, Hounded) is fun, and the monster-of-the-week is OK, though thankfully minimal. Instead, this is a character piece for Doctor Who that uses another person to reflect a characteristic back at The Doctor for further examination. In this, it succeeds quite well.

The consequences of “The Woman Who Lived” remain unknown. Near the close of the episode, Ashildr says she will make it her life’s work to clean up The Doctor’s messes that he leaves behind. Might this be early Torchwood or UNIT stuff? (Doubtfully the former, which has already been explored a bit.) Or might Ashildr mean something else, something more sinister? While The Doctor says positive things to her after this disclosure, there’s an edge to their exchange that feels like everything won’t be honky dory after this.

Stranger still is Ashildr appearance in the background Clara’s (Jenna-Louise Coleman) present day photograph. Ashildr is sporting a sly grin that doesn’t necessarily bode well. While this might be of comfort if the facial expression were more jovial or if Sam were with her, it instead, the way it is, raises the heckles on the back of one’s neck. Is Ashildr following Clara in order to make sure her life isn’t messed up by her travels with The Doctor? Or is Ashildr beginning to actively work against The Doctor, which she says she won’t do? It’s a question of how Ashildr sees things, as there is definitely an easy path here to put Ashildr and The Doctor at odds and have Ashildr sincerely believe she’s doing good.

Thus far, season nine of Doctor Who has consisted of two-parters, and the next two weeks look no different. Yet, I feel Ashildr’s story is not at an end, and we simply must see her again before this year comes to a close. She’s far too interesting a personality to allow to stay away, and allows the show to dig into the core of The Doctor. I’m sure Williams’ Game of Thrones commitments make her availability limited, but Ashildr has to return.

Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

DOCTOR WHO "Died"

Article originally published as TV Review: 'Doctor Who' - "The Girl Who Died" on Blogcritics.

In this week’s installment of Doctor Who, “The Girl Who Died,” The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) land on Earth in Viking times. The Doctor claims to be Odin, but is quickly exposed when another false-Odin shows up. When this alien creature kills all the able-bodied fighters in the local clan, a story-telling girl (Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones) declares war on them. Can The Doctor rescue a village from certain death?

Before I get into this episode, I would like to briefly mention the past two weeks, “Under the Lake” and “Before the Flood,” since this is a weekly column and I neglected to cover those installments individually. “Under the Lake” is a solid monster-of-the-week mystery with a number of clever lines, which makes it a good, but not great, hour. Thankfully, it is improved upon by the timey-wimey craziness of the second part, “Before the Flood,” which explores a known paradox concept and some cleverness. While not my favorite episodes of Doctor Who by any means, they are enjoyable, and it was only my own busy life that kept those columns from being written. They are both better than a lot of last season.

So, on to “The Girl Who Died,” which also starts as a monster-of-the-week installment, but evolves into something else near the end. The villain who appears is scary and the situation seems dire, but the plot is relatively straight forward. It doesn’t require a great deal of concentration to watch the hour, but it’s mostly uplifting and entertaining.

Ever since Capaldi took The Doctor’s face, he has struggled to care about life as much as previous incarnations have. The Doctor helps people, and this one continues to, but he’s now a little more cavalier about those he doesn’t save. The Doctor is alien and has bouts of time where he withdraws and stops caring as much about those around him. He has been going through one of the worst periods of this lately.

Then the girl at the center of the piece, Ashildr (Williams), dies and changes everything. The Doctor suddenly remembers what his purpose is, and what he does best. His drive to be a force of good is reignited. Even were this revelation not tied into Capaldi’s guest starring role in a season four episode, it would be great, but using this to explain The Doctor’s current look, expanding the mythology, is absolutely brilliant. The Doctor has let people die in the past, but it should always be as a last resort, never an acceptable sacrifice to let go. His current incarnation is crafted to remind him of that every day.

And it’s really cool to glimpse the tenth Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), even if only for a moment in flashback. Donna is my favorite companion of the modern rebooted Doctor Who, and I’d love to see her appear again some day.

So The Doctor revives Ashildr and gives her immortality. Even The Doctor isn’t immortal, as one day he will run out of lives and pass away (or so he believes; I don’t know if the BBC will allow it). This ‘gift’ might help Ashildr now and make her loved ones feel better, but next week’s preview, set nearly 1,000 years later from Ashildr’s perspective, promises consequences. The Doctor’s intentions here are noble, but are they right?

Being a time traveler, The Doctor always has to struggle to balance what he can do and what he should do. “The Girl Who Died” makes him face this head-on, and doesn’t give an easy answer. It is a masterful piece of a larger puzzle, one that gets to the essential core of the title character in Doctor Who. I look forward very much to the next part, and hope Ashildr’s story goes far beyond two hours, at least as far as it concerns The Doctor.

Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

DOCTOR WHO Not So "Familiar," But Great

Article originally published as TV Review: 'Doctor Who' - 'The Witch's Familiar' on Blogcritics.

BBC’s Doctor Who concluded its two-part season opener this weekend with “The Witch’s Familiar.” The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) is trapped in the heart of the Dalek home world, alone and without hope, especially after a hilarious failed escape attempt. Luckily, his friends aren’t as dead as he believes and are on their way to rescue him. He does need rescue, too, since his heart-to-heart with an old enemy doesn’t have the result it seems to.

The best part of “The Witch’s Familiar” is the interchange between The Doctor and Davros (Julian Bleach). Very old enemies who have fought war and seen genocide together, it seems their connection isn’t all negative in Davros’ final moments of life. They have shared something deep, and there are bound to be mixed emotions in that moment. Davros calls for The Doctor from his death bed and The Doctor, despite millennia of animosity, comes. That means something.

This scene becomes a teary goodbye in which Davros echoes The Doctor’s own question that he struggles with last season, “Am I a good man?” The Doctor can’t exactly say Davros is, nor does he, because Davros created a deadly race that exterminates people; he’s Hitler times a billion. But The Doctor gives him a sympathetic ear and proclaims “We’re on the same side now.” This illustrates The Doctor’s huge capacity for mercy and his dedication to all life, something he passes on in a small way to the Daleks, and he’s not able to kill his enemy when he has the chance.

Of course, Davros is just as evil as everyone thinks he is. There is no last minute turn of the heart, as it appears. This is a trap in which he steals some of The Doctor’s regeneration powers and renews his own life. When this twist comes about, it does feel surprising because Doctor Who has done such a good job in making Davros seem repentant. But it’s surprising that it surprises because the Daleks have always been The Doctor’s most clever and deadly enemy, so as soon as the initial shock wears off, this elicits an “Of course, it’s a trick!” Really, the whole thing is superior storytelling, playing on both emotions and expectations, and making use of a long history in order for a fantastic pay off.

In the meantime, Missy (Michelle Gomez) is able to explain to Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) how they’ve escaped what appears to be certain death (and the TARDIS is fine, too), negating the punch of the triple-homicide near the close of the previous episode. Missy then leads Clara through the sewers, where we learn something new about the Daleks, then traps The Doctor’s companion in a Dalek machine so they can break in. It’s a plan that works, but at what expense?

The way Missy continually plays Clara in “The Witch’s Familiar” is different from the way Davros manipulates The Doctor because Missy doesn’t commit to the her new leaf fully. Sure, she calls Clara clever, but she never ceases to taunt Clara or treat her as a lesser. Clara isn’t able to avoid Missy’s trap, but Missy is a lot, lot older and smarter than Clara, and really, being tricked by a Time Lord is nothing to be ashamed of. Missy’s actions just reinforce the fact that she can never be trusted.

The Doctor is furious with Missy when he sees what’s been done to Clara, and tells her to run. The Doctor’s relationship with Missy, like his with Davros, is mostly one of rivalry, but it’s interesting how The Doctor relates to his foes in these two installments. Missy is a more complex character, being one of The Doctor’s own people and not actively committing genocide, even if she cares little or none for others. The Doctor doesn’t feel the need to battle her unless she’s actively working to do harm. In this case, Missy messes with the wrong girl, but The Doctor allows her to leave and will probably cool down over time.

The Doctor manages to get Clara out of the Dalek, but this is a huge disappointment. I’m ready to be done with Clara, anyway, and this seems like such a perfect way to be rid of her. When Clara first meets The Doctor, before we even know her name, she does so from inside a Dalek. Now, with the way the timey-wimey nature of the show works, this might not be how Clara ends up, but it would be perfect symmetry if it is. Though, it occurs to me that perhaps Clara is still inside the Dalek, since Clara isn’t actually shown getting out, and whatever we witness at the end of “The Witch’s Familiar” with her running alongside The Doctor is a trick. One can only hope that will be a reveal in a future episode, the sooner the better.

I am super impressed and confused that The Doctor has traded in a sonic screwdriver for sonic sunglasses. The look Capaldi’s Doctor is sporting this year, the t-shirt with the stripped pants, makes him look like an aging rock star (an apt metaphor for the character at this point), and the sunglasses add nicely to that persona. They don’t seem as convenient as the screwdriver, such as when he puts them on in Davros’ dark chamber, but they’re usually less obvious to use. It’s something completely new for Doctor Who, and after fifty years, such big changes are few and far between, and very welcome.

My only complaint about “The Witch’s Familiar” is that the sound mixing seems very off. It is incredibly hard to understand Davros, and Missy and Clara’s conversations in the sewer get drowned out a lot, too. I don’t know if it is just BBC America’s broadcast of the episode or what, but it is difficult to follow the story in places. I don’t recall this happening before, and hopefully this will not continue in other episodes.

Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

DOCTOR WHO No "Apprentice" to Greatness

Article originally published as TV Review: 'Doctor Who' - 'The Magician's Apprentice' at Blogcritics.

O. M. G. That is my reaction to Doctor Who‘s ninth series premiere (of the modern run), “The Magician’s Apprentice,” which aired last night on BBC America. A fan of the franchise, old and new, I’ve had my share of complaints about the series this past year and a half, as regular readers of this column may know. Those complaints are nowhere to be found in this premiere, though, which is excellent! It ties the old Who into the new, answers a very old question, and provides for plenty of surprises, all while posing the most massive moral dilemma that The Doctor has ever faced – and that’s saying something!

First, a quick recap of events. The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) sees a boy trapped by hand mines (which are literally what they sound like). Back to the present, all the airplanes freeze in the sky over Earth. Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) and UNIT can’t find The Doctor, and so call Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) for help. Clara has no answers, but proposes they solve things on their own, which proves a bit complicated when the problem turns out to be Missy (Michelle Gomez). Nope, The Doctor’s Time Lord foe is not dead, but no time for that now; The Doctor believes he is about to die. Missy and Clara rush to his rescue, and all three fall into a trap laid by Davros (Julian Bleach, last appearing in 2008), the creator of the Daleks. The Daleks execute Missy, Clara, AND the Tardis, and now The Doctor is back with the child, who it turns out is Davros. Can The Doctor murder him and restore everyone he cares about?

That’s a lot, and there’s plenty to dissect. Let’s get started.

First, it is awesome to see Kate again, and I love the idea that UNIT is going to face a crisis on their own. Obviously, they probably do this all the time, but to see them bravely go up against Missy is thrilling. It’s heart-wrenching when they watch her kill two of their men and can’t kill her in return, but it makes sense, she being the key to finding The Doctor, who will likely be needed to save the entire world again in the future. Basically, this whole showdown gives me major thrills, and is moving as it compelling. I want more of UNIT please.

Second, Clara has dropped all pretense of her secret Earth identity. When the planes freeze in the sky, she recruits her class to help investigate. Then, Kate calls her at work, and Clara has no problem telling her boss she needs time off and rushing away, offering no excuses. It has been said in the press that this season finds Clara losing her connection to her planet and identity, and in “The Magician’s Apprentice,” she’s starting already pretty isolated.

Third, I love the idea that Missy, often known as The Master, is The Doctor’s best friend. Companions come and go over the years, but she is constant. They may try to kill one another, but in Missy’s twisted brain, that doesn’t take away from their deep connection. I do want to get back to why Missy is alive and still in this form, but I can wait for a future episode to find out. The current stakes are high enough to ask the audience to wait for an explanation, and witnessing Missy and The Doctor’s interchange is justification enough to bring her back.

Then, we lose Missy, Clara, and the Tardis. I’m not going to lie, I wouldn’t miss Clara if she died here. I’ve made no secret that I don’t like the character, and while it’s not entirely because of her, Doctor Who has been weaker ever since she became the companion (not counting her first appearance and initial Christmas episode). But issues with Clara aside, to make The Doctor bear witness to all this very personal loss is gut-wrenching. Davros could not strike a worse blow against his foe and he knows it. It’s his final offensive before his own death, and it’s super effective.

Getting the bit with the boy, whom The Doctor could rescue but abandons instead, rewrites all of Doctor Who history, in a good way. The Daleks show up extremely early in the original show, and have plagued The Doctor for years. They are the ones that destroy his people (well, with help from The Doctor himself), and they have always been a bit obsessed with The Doctor. Now we know why and it all makes sense. It feels really good to learn something that forces a change in perspective for fifty-plus years of television, and it’s brilliant to bring it up now. Plus, the glimpses of past doctors and a poignant line from Tom Baker’s version make this exchange extremely memorable.

But will The Doctor kill the boy, and what would that mean? The Doctor has been able to bring himself to murder an entire race before, so we know he has the dark capacity to kill. But having to stare a little boy in the face and pull the trigger could be another matter completely, no matter what’s at stake. It’s like asking someone to assassinate Hitler as a youth, great in theory, but hard to carry out in the moment for most of us. The boy hasn’t done anything yet. Can The Doctor really condemn him to death?

And what if The Doctor does kill him? That is the only logical way to bring Missy, Clara, and the Tardis back, the latter of which cannot possibly be left dead. But by slaying young Davros, what will that do to The Doctor’s history? What will it change? There’s no telling ahead of time because of the timey-wimey nature of time travel and this series. It could provider great story fodder for years to come.

“The Magician’s Apprentice” is awesome for all of these things and more. It makes one think, it provides a beautiful character moment for our lead, and it pays tribute to rich history. Doctor Who is an intricate series, with the twelve Doctors all interwoven, and never more so than right now. By beginning the season with such an important, seminal story that means so much, the series has proven it is worth watching again and deserving of its popularity. Waiting a week to see the resolution of this cliffhanger will be challenging, indeed.

Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

Blu-ray Review: ‘Doctor Who – Last Christmas'

Article originally published as Blu-ray Review: ‘Doctor Who’ – “Last Christmas” on Blogcritics.

A few months ago, as the BBC has often presented, Doctor Who aired a special on Christmas Day in both the United States and the UK. The latest holiday-themed episode is called “Last Christmas,” and it finds Santa Claus (Nick Frost, Shaun of the Dead, Mr. Sloane) dropping in on The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Clara (Jenna Coleman). This leads to an adventure at the North Pole with a group of scientists. But things get dreamy-weamy when a brain-sucking alien that can alter perception attacks them. This special is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.

Overall, I was quite disappointed with the most recent season, the eighth since the reboot, but “Last Christmas” is slightly better than those other installments. It is fun and scary and has a classic-type villain that poses a puzzle for our clever heroes, which is the good part about it. Sadly, it also flirts with character development without fully committing to it, teasing at some depth between the show’s leads, but failing to deliver a meaningful package, which is the main weakness of season eight. In short, it’s enjoyable, but also disappointing.

“Last Christmas” picks up after a long separation between our two protagonists, who lied to one another about their “happy endings.” Well, The Doctor lied, and Clara didn’t correct his assumptions about her, spelling an end to their time traveling together. Thrust back into adventure (which is explained adequately enough), they do have a brief screaming match to air the truth, but then they decide to resume their past arrangement with no discussion of the problems between them, minimizing what should be a really cool personal subplot.

I finally have a theory as to why the writers don’t deal with the underlying issues between this pairing. The Doctor is never one to dwell on his darkness when a companion is around, trying to present a cheery front. Normally, his companions help ground him, but Clara is also an avoider of reality, and between the two of them, a true confrontation and discussion just isn’t likely to spring. Which is why Clara needs to go. Part of why Doctor Who is so awesome is because of the complexity of its main Time Lord. With Clara by his side, The Doctor is allowed to ignore his issues, as she just wants to find the fun. The Doctor needs a companion that will stick challenge him to be his best self in a way that Clara does not.

That aside, the episode itself is mostly satisfying because it messes with the viewer’s brain. Some of the best installments of Doctor Who present something to fear and then outline why you cannot protect yourself from it. “Last Christmas” does that brilliantly with it’s Inception-like concept of dreams within dreams. Making Santa Claus, played by the always-terrific Nick Frost, a part of this makes a lot of sense. It’s not as mythology heavy as the previous two Christmas episodes, but it’s a fine stand-alone.

For extra meta-fun, there’s a guest turn by Michael Troughton, Second Doctor Patrick Troughton’s son, who plays one of the scientists, and Dan Starkey, who has a recurring role as Strax, pops up here as an elf.

On a side note, how did The Doctor and Clara encounter Danny Pink’s (Samuel Anderson) descendant in series eight when the later dies without having children? Danny’s cameo in “Last Christmas” makes me think his story may not quite be over, but I don’t see a way for it go forward from here, unless the show repeats itself with him as it did with Rory. I keep expecting Clara to be pregnant, but it doesn’t seem like Doctor Who is going that way, and Danny doesn’t seem to have coupled with anyone else, given his mental state. Will the series follow up and explain this?

The extras on this release are quite weak. We get a ten minute behind-the-scenes, which is pretty cool, as far as these things go, but that’s it for featurettes. There’s also an audio commentary track with the director, Paul Wilmhurst, and a producer, Paul Frift. Both are interesting enough, but I think fans would rather hear from the stars of the show, so it’s a bit disappointing. With only these two bonus features, I don’t think this release is worth it for the extras. If you already have a digital copy of the episode, that’ll surely be enough.

Doctor Who will return for a ninth series (since the reboot) sometime in 2015. Doctor Who: Last Christmas is available now.

Sadly, Not Clara's "Last Christmas" On DOCTOR WHO

Article firs published as TV Review: 'Doctor Who' - 'Last Christmas' on Blogcritics.

As it has many years in the past, the BBC presented a brand-new Doctor Who special on Christmas Day, which also aired on BBC America. Titled “Last Christmas,” The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Clara (Jenna Coleman) are visited by Santa Claus (Nick Frost, Shaun of the Dead, Mr. Sloane), and then head to the North Pole to help a group of scientists. But things get dreamy-weamy when a brain-sucking alien that can alter perception attacks them.

“Last Christmas” is better than most of this past fall’s eighth season, but also displays some of the weaknesses that have plagued Doctor Who this year. It is fun and scary and has a classic-type villain that poses a puzzle for our clever heroes. It also flirts with character development without fully committing to it, teasing at some depth between the show’s leads, but failing to deliver a meaningful package. In short, it’s enjoyable, but also disappointing.

When last we left them, The Doctor and Clara separated because they both lied. Well, The Doctor lied, and Clara didn’t correct his assumptions about her, spelling an end to their time traveling together. Thrust back into adventure (which is explained adequately enough), they do have a brief screaming match to air the truth, but then they decide to resume their past arrangement with no discussion of the problems between them.

I finally have a theory as to why this might be the case, as frustrating as it is that the writers don’t deal with the underlying issues between this pairing. The Doctor is never one to dwell on his darkness when a companion is around, trying to present a cheery front. Normally, his companions help ground him, but Clara is also an avoider of reality, and between the two of them, a true confrontation and discussion just isn’t likely to spring. Which is why Clara needs to go.

Part of why Doctor Who is so awesome is because of the complexity of its main Time Lord. With Clara by his side, The Doctor is allowed to ignore his issues, as she just wants to find the fun. But Capaldi’s version of The Doctor definitely has things to deal with, as the series has hinted that his older appearance is not merely selected by chance. Even Clara has gotten fed up with him at times, yet she always backs off before forcing anything from him, and in order to unlock this mystery, The Doctor needs a companion that will stick to their guns.

That aside, the episode itself is mostly satisfying because it messes with the viewer’s brain. Some of the best installments of Doctor Who present something to fear and then outline why you cannot protect yourself from it. “Last Christmas” does that brilliantly with it’s Inception-like concept of dreams within dreams. Making Santa Claus a part of this makes a lot of sense. It’s not as mythology heavy as the previous two Christmas episodes, but it’s a fine stand-alone.

Toss in Nick Frost, who is always terrific, a guest turn by Michael Troughton, Second Doctor Patrick Troughton’s son, as one of the scientists, and Dan Starkey, who plays recurring part Strax, as an elf, and there’s plenty for fans to get excited about.

On a side note, how did The Doctor and Clara encounter Danny Pink’s (Samuel Anderson) descendant in series eight when he later dies without having children? Danny’s cameo in “Last Christmas” makes me think his story may not quite be over, but I don’t see a way for it go forward from here, unless the show repeats itself with him as it did with Rory. I keep expecting Clara to be pregnant, but it doesn’t seem like Doctor Who is going that way, and Danny doesn’t seem to have coupled with anyone else, given his mental state. Will the series follow up and explain this?

Doctor Who will return for a ninth series (since the reboot) sometime in 2015.

DOCTOR WHO Finale Good, Not Great

Article first published as TV Review: 'Doctor Who' - Series Eight Finale on Blogcritics.

The BBC’s Doctor Who has been building to a big finale all season, as per usual. That ending is finally here in the two-part episode “Dark Water” and “Death in Heaven.” As expected, this adventure pays off much of the story from not just season eight, but ties itself into past mythology as well, and it almost makes up for the overall-mediocre year. Almost.

In “Dark Water,” The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) takes a devastated Clara (Jenna Coleman) to find her recently deceased boyfriend, Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson). What they stumble into is Missy’s (Michelle Gomez) plot, which involves turning all of the deceased of Earth into Cyberman which she can then use to conquer the planet, or multiple planets. Or just give them to The Doctor, as she does in “Death in Heaven,” to try to repair their friendship, as she’s actually old frenemy The Master reincarnated as a woman.

“Dark Water” and “Death in Heaven” are good episodes because they hit a lot of excellent notes. Any chance to see UNIT is delightful. Clara’s grief over losing Danny is palpable. Danny’s love overcoming the Cyberman programming is very moving. The Doctor finally giving a salute to old friend Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (played for many years by Nicholas Courtney, but seen here only as a Cyberman) is nothing short of amazing, giving long-time fans a much-deserved reward.

The goodbye between The Doctor and Clara is equally good. Neither gets what they want, and they each lie to the other to make it seem like things turned out OK. That’s a hanging thread begging to be explored, and it will be in the upcoming Christmas special. But for now, the scene in which Clara quits her travels, never really saying what she means to say to The Doctor, is terrific enough.

An unresolved mystery, that of where Galifrey is and how The Master found it, or if he/she really did, remains, tantalizing, sure to be picked up in season nine. We know The Master is a liar, of course, but since Galifrey is out there, somewhere, The Doctor needs to find it.

This finale explores the question posed earlier this year as to if The Doctor is a good man. He decides he’s not, but he’s not a bad man either. In doing so, he’s able to let go of some of his hangups and trust Danny Pink, a solider, something The Doctor detests. This is a beautiful, solid conclusion to the subplot, though The Doctor is far from done in his evolution as an individual, nor has he addressed why he now looks the way he does, surely connected to his internal turmoil.

Lastly, it’s no small thing that The Doctor is made President of Earth in “Death in Heaven.” He may not stay in the position full-time, but it means something, and since Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) survived, it will have to be dealt with again. It’s a post The Doctor doesn’t want, but it might be useful to him at some point. How much will he invest in the power and is his term finite?

Now, there are still quite a few holes, though, and that’s why “Dark Water” and “Death in Heaven” continue the trends of this season, rather than making up for them and fixing the series entirely. For one, Missy’s ability to capture the souls of deceased people and then transform their corpses into Cybermen is never adequately explained, nor is how she can control Cybermen in the first place dealt with. I do not understand her plot to win back The Doctor, either. She’s crazy, sure, but there has to be some reason she thinks her plan will work. We don’t know why she puts Clara and The Doctor together, not really. I doubt we’ve seen the last of The Master / Mistress, as Time Lords regenerate, and hopefully future glimpses will explain these things, but this two-parter doesn’t do a good job making itself cohesive here.

I also feel like Osgood’s (Ingrid Oliver) death is quick and cheap. Her presence is a memorable one, and I love how she references older versions of The Doctor in her wardrobe. Killing her should have affected someone and meant something, and instead, it’s just a throw-away moment, scary, but not worth it.

Doctor Who‘s season eight is, overall, the weakest since the show’s reincarnation in 2005. Yet, the season finale has enough wonderful tidbits to prove the magic is not dead, even if it skips over them too quickly instead of giving them the exploration they deserve. A refocus is in order, hopefully without Clara, playing on the strengths still running through the show and minimizing the inconsistencies and stand-alone tales that just don’t work. I’m cautiously optimistic season nine and a new companion can get the show back on track.

Doctor Who will next see a Christmas special on that holiday, and then (reportedly) return to the BBC and BBC America sometime in 2015 for season nine.

"Night" Is Near For DOCTOR WHO Season 8

Article first published as TV Review: 'Doctor Who' - 'In the Forest of the Night' on Blogcritics.

In the latest episode of the BBC’s Doctor Who, “In the Forest of the Night,” trees suddenly sprout all over the Earth, clogging major cities and seemingly taking over everything. Is this an alien invasion? The environment fighting back against human intrusion? An attempt to create chaos? Or something else entirely? The Doctor (Peter Capaldi), assisted by Clara (Jenna Coleman), Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson), and a group of schoolchildren, intends to find out.

The core mystery at the center of “In the Forest of the Night” is interesting. Like the Weeping Angels and the creatures that live under the bed, the trees are an ever-present, real thing made creepy. When The Doctor theorizes that fairytales paint the woods as haunted because the trees have long been a threat to mankind, it makes sense. Not only that, but the motivation for attacking us, who harm them, is sound. But when that idea is turned on its head, that the trees actually protect us, not hurt us, it’s a twist on a structure used often in Doctor Who, making it seem somewhat fresh.

It is also interesting that no one wants to be saved by The Doctor if their families will die. The kids need their parents, Danny needs to stay and stand his ground, and Clara doesn’t to be the last remaining human. There’s a theme of loneliness explored a bit, forcing a perspective that many compassionate humans can agree with and get behind.

The Doctor doesn’t understand this. The 12th Doctor, more than previous incarnations, is self-involved and doesn’t worry about others unless they’re among the few individuals he cares about. At one point, The Doctor considers leaving the Earth to its fate, everyone doomed to die, and I kind of wish the series had gone through with this. Not only would it irrevocably shift the dynamic between Clara and The Doctor, it would force the writers to deal with a callous part of The Doctor that has been festering all season. Instead, it’s hinted at and then dropped, disappointingly, as The Doctor reverts to form and figures out the puzzle.

Clara is in the opposite position from The Doctor, learning to care a lot about those around her. A year ago, while she would have continued to urge The Doctor to fight on, she might not have been so willing to die with everyone else. Now, she has Danny, understanding Danny who will forgive her lies about cutting off ties with The Doctor if she can figure out how to be true to herself. He gives his very good explanation of what he wants out of life, and it appeals to her. I think Danny will help Clara be who she should be, giving up her adventures and escapism to finally start living the life she’s meant to have.

It’s actually pretty ridiculous how the children fold into this story. Doctor Who has involved civilians in the past, but rarely on this magnitude. All of Clara and Danny’s charges (none among the recognizable ones from previous weeks) are in on the secret, present for the important parts. What’s more, it phases none of them to learn The Doctor’s secrets, which is tongue-in-cheekily dealt with, but certainly not in a satisfactory manner.

As has been usual this fall, “In the Forest of the Night” is mostly a stand-alone episode. There is barely a glimpse of Missy (Michelle Gomez), and character arcs are only touched upon, not explored. Doctor Who‘s large stories would lose nothing by leaving this episode out of the run, and that’s never a good sign. Where has the series, which used to be complex and convoluted, gone so wrong that most hours these days are forgettable?

So, as has happened a lot lately, “In the Forest of the Night” leaves one with an empty feeling. Good ideas are not realized as fully as they should, and the story does not sufficiently tie into the bigger picture. Where once there is a mythology-heavy must-see program, in the eighth season, those in charge have made the show more “normal,” more pedestrian, and far less appealing to discerning fans. I don’t know if this is meant to help the show continue to grow in its appeal to the masses, but it’s having the opposite effect on the fans, with viewing numbers shrinking greatly this year. This episode is not the way to fix that.

Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

DOCTOR WHO Barely Avoids "Flatline" This Season

Article first published as TV Review: 'Doctor Who' - 'The 48' on Blogcritics.

In last night’s episode of Doctor Who (BBC America), “Flatline,” the TARDIS begins shrinking and draining of power. Clara (Jenna Coleman) gets out to investigate, but The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) stays in, soon becoming trapped in a box that fits in Clara’s purse. This means, though The Doctor offers a bit of help, Clara must take on his normal role in the crisis at hand, involving the invasion of two-dimensional beings that are killing human beings, whether intentionally or not.

“Flatline” does not feel out of character for Clara because she steps up on a regular basis. While the crutch of The Doctor may be sort of gone here, she is on her own enough in other episodes that this isn’t all that novel a concept to see again. I like the idea presented, that Clara must become like The Doctor, but because of who she is, the execution is not all that impressive, as it doesn’t change her much, if any.

At least, that is, until the end of the hour. Saving the day, Clara takes a moment to gloat that she’s a good Doctor. The Doctor says she is an excellent Doctor, but not necessarily a good one. This echoes the debate playing out throughout this season as to whether The Doctor is good or not. It’s hard to know exactly the meaning of the dialogue in this scene, but there are many things to consider. Does The Doctor not see himself as good? Is he afraid that by forcing Clara to act like him this week, he’s making her take on the worst parts of him? Is his judgment of her related to the way she’s been lying to Danny (Samuel Anderson) about quitting her adventures, something The Doctor clearly does not approve of?

Strange, too, how we see Missy (Michelle Gomez) crowing over ‘picking’ Clara. Did she arrange for Clara to meet The Doctor in the first place? If so, there are a lot of implications to explore, given Clara’s importance, more so than any Companion in memory, to Doctor Who. She saves every incarnation of The Doctor and the entire universe itself. Why is Missy shown to be proud here, at a comparably small moment, rather than during the bigger ones? Does this scene mean something else entirely that just isn’t obvious in the presentation of this episode?

The Doctor himself is a bit uneven in “Flatline.” For most of the episode, he’s the same as he’s been in previous weeks of Doctor Who, a bit too callous and uncaring. Then, at the climax, he steps out triumphantly to expel the aliens and declares Earth under his protection, making a heroic speech. At first glance, this is an inspiring moment for him, but upon further reflection, it feels unearned. What has he done, really, besides the obvious and necessary? He’s still not The Doctor fans love, and has not been since the latest incarnation takes over; still a broken man who needs mending.

I know I’m complaining a bit about character inconsistencies, but “Flatline” is certainly a better episode than last week’s, and highly enjoyable. The guest cast may be a bit weak and flat, 3-D beings more so than the literally flat monsters, but the pacing is solid and the story builds suspense appropriately. There is a mystery that unfolds quite naturally, and the writing makes us think about who the aliens are and what their motivations could be. It’s an examination of a new species with a different framework from our own, and paired with some intense running and clever problem solving, it’s a pretty good hour. Plus, the sacrifice of a noble headband is quite moving.

The special effects are also mostly amazing. There are some weird things when the TARDIS first goes small (not to mention, why doesn’t it keep shrinking at a regular rate?), but the tiny TARDIS is cool and the creatures are really well designed. It’s easy to imagine what we’re seeing is exactly how a 2-D life form might manifest in three dimensions, not yet understanding the concept enough. The folding in of the art and graffiti is neat, and the design of “Flatline” leaves much to be revisited and appreciated.

With only one week left before the big, two-part finale, I’m still not confident this will all come together as well as it has in the past, but I’m getting excited to be done with the mundane cases and see what this season has been about. Will it make year eight worth it, or will the conclusion be as disappointing as certain weeks have been recently? And will River Song finally make a long-overdue appearance?

Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

DOCTOR WHO Taking "Express" Ride to Bad Season

Article first published as TV Review: 'Doctor Who' - 'Mummy on the Orient Express' on Blogcritics.

When last we left BBC’s Doctor Who, Clara (Jenna Coleman) tells off The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) in what looks like an end to their partnership. Viewers are further led to believe this because promos for the latest installment, “Mummy on the Orient Express,” don’t include Clara, a wise decision, given the cliffhanger. However, this week the twosome is back together, traveling on the Orient Express in space, which is being haunted by a mummy, as the episode title suggests. Have they repaired their broken bond? Not quite; they are on one last adventure together before Clara hangs up her traveling shoes for good.

“Mummy on the Orient Express” is extremely disappointing in how it treats the relationship between The Doctor and Clara. It makes sense that her anger will ebb eventually, and that they could possibly remain friends, but since The Doctor’s last change, the two have not gotten along. Why is Clara being so nice to him now? Their issues cannot just be ignored, and last mission or no, they are far too chummy as the episode begins.

Clara thinks that once she retires, The Doctor will still pop ’round to visit. She ought to know better. He lies and says he will, but longtime viewers of the show are smart enough not to believe him. That’s not to say The Doctor will never see Clara again once she stops being his companion, but they certainly won’t be getting together on a regular basis. At most, their paths may cross a few times by chance. The Doctor doesn’t keep friends in the manner a typical human would.

“Mummy on the Orient Express” does give an explanation for Clara’s about-face. She is addicted to the rush of the adventure, lying to both The Doctor and Danny (Samuel Anderson) to cover her destructive actions. Once she stops traveling with The Doctor, that part of her life, the adrenaline-fueled danger, goes away. That’s not something Clara is capable of quitting at this point, and that’s why she changes her mind about leaving by the end of the hour. Her decision has nothing to do with The Doctor and everything about her own compulsions.

This would be fine if the tension between Clara and The Doctor remained. Clara’s eruption last week isn’t a one-time occurrence; it’s the release of some long building emotions. As I said, she and the Twelfth Doctor have not seen eye-to-eye since his existence started. Clara and the Eleventh (Matt Smith) are good friends, but this doesn’t extend to the newest Doctor. Unfortunately, “Mummy on the Orient Express” is a return to status quo, rather than an examination of a complex dynamic, and thus squanders a chance at a really good, character-driven story. Even if future episodes attempt to rectify this, it can’t negate what is done this week.

Keeping to the wasted characters theme, there’s a charming, intelligent engineer named Perkins (Frank Skinner, Shane) introduced whom The Doctor takes a shine to. The Doctor likes Perkins so much he invites the man to join the TARDIS crew, but Perkins declines. Unfortunately, aside from quick peeks at his personality we don’t see why Perkins would get such an offer, nor why he would turn it down. He could have been very interesting, but wasn’t.

The case of the week is standard Doctor Who fare. The mummy is picking off passengers on the train one by one. Only the person about to die can see the monster, and they have only 66 seconds of life once they see it. The Doctor is dispassionate about losing victims, viewing their deaths primarily as a way to study the phenomena. (This is the exact thing Clara is frustrated with him about, by the way, making even less sense that they’re friends again). It’s sort of a murder mystery, and in the end, The Doctor saves the day, just as one expects him to.

There are some fun one-liners sprinkled throughout the hour. The Orient Express itself is pretty cool, inside and out. I like the futuristic setting mixed with a 1920s vibe, and the singer (experimental pop star Foxes) performing the Queen classic “Don’t Stop Me Now” in an older style is awesome. But these are not nearly enough to make up for a mediocre story and a lackluster handling of the main characters. In an uneven season, arguably the worst since the franchise’s reboot, “Mummy on the Orient Express” ranks low for what it lacks more than for what it presents.

Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

DOCTOR WHO Hits It to the "Moon"

Article first published as TV Review: 'Doctor Who' - 'Kill the Moon' on Blogcritics.

I mentioned in last week’s Doctor Who review  that I hoped The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) would wipe Courtney Woods’ (Ellis George) memory, rather than let her come on future TARDIS adventures. This definitely did not happen. I’ve also complained a lot recently about shows starting at the climax, then backing up and telling the story from an earlier period, working their way up to the opening. The latest episode of Doctor Who does exactly that. And yet, I can’t help but feel that this week’s installment, “Kill the Moon,” is an excellent hour of smart science fiction television.

The episode begins with Courtney upset when The Doctor tells her she isn’t special. Clara (Jenna Coleman) confronts The Doctor about this, and rather than give into Clara’s prompting that he say something he doesn’t believe, The Doctor whisks all three of them to the moon, circa 2049. There, Courtney becomes the first girl to set foot on the satellite, but this is quickly overshadowed by the fact that the moon is broken. A team of astronauts led by Captain Lundvik (MI-5‘s Hermione Norris) have arrived to blow up the thing before it wrecks more havoc on Earth. The decision to do this becomes complicated, though, when The Doctor reveals the moon is an egg about to hatch, then abandons the humans to figure out how to handle it themselves.

On its face, “Kill the Moon” is a grand adventure. Courtney is having a rollicking good time, no longer worried about being special, and indeed becomes very special. The writers take something everybody takes for granted, the moon, and makes us look at it in a new way. There are scary monsters that can be defeated and serious stakes and logical progressions. We get a little more info about The Doctor and what he can or can’t see of time. It’s a tightly crafted story that most viewers will surely appreciate.

The people of Earth voting to kill the innocent fetus is a powerful message. One can understand why the population feels this way, afraid for their own safety, for which they have cause. Yet, Clara and Courtney’s refusal to sacrifice an innocent for the good of the many, misguided though it may be, is wonderfully optimistic. Doctor Who shows us what people are like, but has hope for what they can be. Heart always beats brains, which certainly makes for feel-good television.

But there is readily apparent a deeper thread in “Kill the Moon.” Clara and The Doctor haven’t been all that chummy since his regeneration, she finding his new, more callous demeanor not to her liking, and he oblivious as to how to fix their relationship. The moment The Doctor leaves Clara, Courtney, and Lundvik to fend for themselves, the bond between the Time Lord and his Companion is broken, most likely permanently.

The Doctor makes a strong case, logistically speaking, as to why he leaves. This is a turning point for all of mankind, and it should be mankind that makes it. They have matured as a species enough to face such a test, and how they deal with it will chart their course forward. They can do this without him, and he trusts Clara to make the right decision. He isn’t necessary and he steps back, exercising his version of the Prime Directive, or a parent sending their child off to face the world alone, having given them the tools to do so.

But Clara’s position, while much more emotional, is equally valid. The Doctor she knew (Matt Smith) didn’t abandon people. After all, he went to Christmas and stayed for centuries. He acts in the name of protecting Clara and her species, and this Doctor doesn’t. Her Doctor had compassion, this one lacks such. Her Doctor understood her, this one cannot. She has lost her Doctor, and she’s been in denial about it, and can’t be any longer.

Which leads to an extremely tense breakup scene in which Clara basically tells The Doctor to leave and never come back. In the moment, she means it, and it’s impossible not to be moved by the tears streaming down her face, which, I’m not ashamed to say, were reflected on my own cheeks. This is beautifully telegraphed in the previous scene, in which The Doctor, Courtney, and Lundvik celebrate their triumph while Clara stands apart, barely keeping herself together. Then it is executed perfectly, a tour de force for Coleman, echoed by the clueless manner Capaldi uses for The Doctor here. It’s no one’s fault, really, but their union is dissolving before our eyes.

I do not think this is the last we’ll see of Clara, though a slightly different ending to the episode could have made it a really good departure. Instead, after she relays the story to Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson), he tells her to see how she feels when she calms down, then talk to The Doctor. While Clara does not appear in next week’s trailer, and is likely to sit out at least one episode, she’ll probably be back for the big finale of the season, if not before. But this does feel like the beginning of the end for her, choosing to discontinue being a Companion because it no longer feels right for her to serve in that capacity.

As much as I’ve been slow to warm to Clara, “Kill the Moon” is a stellar showcase for the character, and highlights Coleman’s considerable talent. I won’t exactly miss her, but she’ll definitely be well-remembered, justifiably, for her contribution to the series, especially if her departure is going to be this well done and so compelling! I don’t mean this to sound like an eulogy yet, but it sure seems like her end is coming, and fans should steel themselves for it to happen sometime in this season’s five remaining episodes.

Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

DOCTOR WHO Pretends To Be "The Caretaker"

Article first published as TV Review: 'Doctor Who' - 'The Caretaker' on Blogcritics.


The latest installment of the BBC’s Doctor Who is a pretty typical episode. There are actually several types of “typical” episodes in the long-running franchise, and this week’s entry, “The Caretaker,” is the one in which The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) inserts himself into his companion’s life to find out something about her or push her to do something, while also defeating a malevolent alien that coincidentally happens to be in the area. This happens approximately once per companion, so the story in “The Caretaker,” while feeling very familiar, probably won’t be repeated again for awhile.

The benefit of an episode in this mold is two-fold. One, we get to learn a bit more about the current companion, who is much more often seen flitting around the universe or through time with The Doctor, away from the main component of their life. And two, it puts The Doctor secondary in a situation, the rare instance where he is less familiar and comfortable with what’s going on around him than the companion is. Thus, “The Caretaker” and its ilk feel different from other Doctor Who episodes, even if this standard has been repeated many times.

Looking at “The Caretaker” specifically, The Doctor infiltrates Clara’s (Jenna Coleman) school by posing as the substitute caretaker (or custodian, for you American viewers). His stated intention is to stop a killer robot that may have already claimed at least one life, but he also wants to learn who Clara is dating and feel out the guy to see if he’s good enough for her. As one might expect, neither goes quite according to plan, but at the end of the day, all is pretty much right with the world.

We know The Doctor doesn’t approve of soldiers, and since Clara’s beau, Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson), was formerly a solider, he’s not someone The Doctor wants to see Clara with, or even expects her to go for. The Doctor can be somewhat forgiven, then, for assuming a bookish boy who loves literature is Clara’s dating partner, while dismissing Danny as a physical education ape, going by first impressions and prejudices. These impressions are mistaken, but there they are, and at least’s they’re humorous.

What’s interesting in “The Caretaker” is that The Doctor’s judgments on Clara’s man are as much about himself as they are about Danny. The Doctor sees himself as a studious observer of life primarily, not a fighter or defender at his core, though he may be called upon to do those things. He sees himself as that bookish type, identifying with the other teacher, and thinking Clara will go for someone like him. The truth is, Clara is attracted to many qualities of The Doctor, but she sees through him to the hardened soldier he is, not just the surface persona he tries to project. The Doctor despises this part of himself, hoping Clara won’t notice it, and so rejects Danny as he rejects the parts of his own personality he doesn’t approve of.

Danny sees this right away, more quickly than either Clara or The Doctor. He recognizes a kindred spirit in The Doctor, and also the loathing The Doctor has for himself. Danny doesn’t like the way The Doctor handles himself, but is willing to put up with The Doctor because Danny truly does care for Clara, and he feels she needs protecting in the Doctor’s presence. Danny may just be right.

The Doctor doesn’t intentionally harm others (Dalek War, aside), but his actions do sometimes have dire consequences. Just ask some of his past companions who didn’t make it home. Or those departed souls that are now with Missy (Michelle Gomez), whom we glimpse again in this episode, still without a clue as to her purpose. The Doctor has grown especially cold and callous as of late, and while he places more value on Clara than he does on most people, he could do something stupid, such as luring a dangerous robot into her school, that could end in pain and suffering. His presence also risks her job, distracting her and making trouble that she must deal with, which he doesn’t seem to care about. The Doctor isn’t cruel, but he can be careless.

Contrary to The Doctor’s wishes, this adventure actually brings Clara and Danny closer together. They can finally be honest with each other, and start to build a real relationship based on truth and trust. It is worrying that Danny sees Clara’s secret-keeping as selfish (she’s not the first companion to be so), and he may have a point; he’s turning out to be quite the perceptive individual. But they end up on the couch together, and things certainly look cozy between them for now. Plus, there’s that descendant we meet in an earlier episode that certainly implies Clara and Danny will have offspring together.

Besides Danny, another recurring character is introduced to The Doctor this week. He takes one of Clara’s students, mouthy Courtney Woods (Ellis George), up into space. Again, this shows The Doctor’s lack of consideration, as revealing himself to a student and allowing her to leave Earth, presumably without parental permission, isn’t a good thing. What if something happened to her? I do hope Courtney gets a quick memory wipe, though, and her subplot ends here, not because I don’t like her, but because I feel like her presence on the TARDIS could seriously complicate things for Clara and/or Danny, who are supposed to be responsible for her well-being, at least during part of the day. She makes a good comic relief bit part; I don’t see her as a traveling companion.

I enjoyed “The Caretaker” because it has some very interesting character revelations, even if the story isn’t particularly original. It serves as a season-filler better than most recent installments, and while it continues the trend of Doctor Who not quite meeting expectations this season, it isn’t half bad.

Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

"Time" For Better DOCTOR WHO

Article first published as TV Review: 'Doctor Who' - "Time Heist" on Blogcritics.

You may not have seen the latest Doctor Who episode, “Time Heist,” before it aired for the first time this weekend, but it sure feels like it’s a repeat! The plot is quite similar to other shows or films. The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Clara (Jenna Coleman) answer a mysterious phone call to the TARDIS, then wake up in a room with two other individuals, clueless about how they got there and why they’ve gathered. Before they’ve begun to digest their situation, though, law enforcement is upon them and they have no choice but to complete a mission given to them: break into the most secure bank in the universe.

It isn’t completely unbelievable that The Doctor and Clara would go along with the scenario, but it’s also not the most sensible thing, either. They both love adventure, and are liable to jump headlong into the unknown. They hear their own voices saying that their memories have been wiped at their own, freely-made choice, with the worms that erased the past hours or days sitting right in front of them. Being pursued, perhaps the only way to move is keep going forward. Yet, I question how not-suspicious the duo are in their participation.

If one can set that aside, “Time Heist” is not a bad episode, at least not for the action fans. It’s certainly fast-paced and quite a lot happens. It features our heroes running through tunnels pursued by dangerous enemies. There are mysteries and strange looking creatures. Viewers are transported to an alien world that feels very different from earth. These are all good things to have in a Doctor Who episode.

I also like the guest stars in “Time Heist” who play different variations on the human being. Psi (Jonathan Bailey, Broadchurch, Leonardo) has computer hardware embedded in his skull, allowing him to access his brain like a machine. However, he misses what’s been erased and wishes he could recover it. Saibra (Pippa Bennett-Warner, The Smoke) has a genetic mutation that makes her look like whomever she touches, making it impossible for anyone to get too close to her, as people don’t tend to trust someone who is staring back at them with their own eyes. This Scarecrow and Tin Woodsman, along for the adventure to get their brain and heart back, respectively, are interesting characters in their own right, and open up all kinds of ripe possibilities for the future of mankind, which I hope Doctor Who explores further someday, rather than just dropping the passing references to them it usually does.

The Teller (Ross Mullan, Bear Behaving Badly) is less well developed, but is a pretty cool looking alien.

But the way “Time Heist” skates over all of these things feels too quick. It’s like the writers only care about getting to the end of the hour with adrenaline still rushing, rather than exploring the potential of the story. From The Doctor’s callous reaction to Saibra and Psi’s deaths, an echo of his behavior in other recent episodes, but still not mulled over enough, to the incomplete explanation of how The Doctor and the central antagonist (Keeley Hawes, The Bank Job, Ashes to Ashes) set the whole thing up, something about the hour just doesn’t feel quite right. It’s an incomplete portrait, sketched in, but never fully realized.

“Time Heist” is not the worst episode of Doctor Who Season Eight so far; that distinction belongs to “Robot of Sherwood.” But it is the second-worst in my opinion, and with two such mediocre, uneven entries this early into the season, the year is not shaping up to be among Doctor Who‘s best. Hopefully, future weeks will salvage this and give us more stories along the lines of last week’s brilliant “Listen,” rather than another one like this, which isn’t bad, but isn’t great either.

Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

Children Will "Listen" To DOCTOR WHO

Article first published as 'Doctor Who' TV Review - 'Listen' on Blogcritics.

This week’s installment of the BBC’s Doctor Who is titled “Listen.” The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) has a theory that something lurks in the dark, the universe’s perfect race of hiders. Embarking on a quest with Clara (Jenna Coleman) to find them, the two are confronted with the pasts of a couple of individuals, including Clara’s new beau, Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson). But they never quite find out whether The Doctor is right.

“Listen” is probably the scariest Doctor Who episode since “Blink,” which introduced us to the Weeping Angels. Written by series creator Steven Moffat, it ruminates on what lurks just beneath everyone’s notice, making this creature-of-the-week hit home. The story The Doctor tells, of a dream featuring something under the bed, is something every person watching can relate to. When Moffat brings the terror right into our own bedrooms, it evokes a primal fear that lands in a way fighting monsters in space and on alien worlds just doesn’t do.

It’s also one of the best stand-alone episodes in recent memory. I use them ‘stand-alone’ label loosely because there are a lot of connections to other Doctor Who episodes and continuity within the hour. But it can be enjoyed without knowing all that other stuff, as a story unto itself. Personally, I prefer large arcs and serial tales over case-of-the-week stuff, but it’s hard to argue with quality as strong as “Listen” exhibits, and if Doctor Who should become completely procedural with every installment on par with this one, I would still count myself a loyal fan and viewer.

The way the threads of “Listen” are worked together is nothing short of brilliant. There are lots of aspects, Clara on her first date with Danny, The Doctor and Clara visiting Danny as a boy (Remi Gooding), The Doctor and Clara meeting Danny’s grandson, Orson Pink (also played by Anderson), at the end of the universe, Clara calming The Doctor as a child, but they all tie together well, even without the monster. “Listen” crafts a cohesive vision of these three players and their interactions, setting up Danny to play a larger role this season, and cementing Clara’s place as The Doctor’s most important companion ever.

I admit, I do not like Clara all that much, my least favorite companion since Martha Jones. However, there is no denying that she is vital to the entire lifetime of The Doctor, not just the current and previous incarnations. She has traveled through time and encountered all his versions. She now is shown to have influenced him before he really becomes a Time Lord, saying words to him that will be (were?) echoed by the First Doctor near the start of the series. When she eventually leaves The Doctor’s side, it will be the end of a huge era, even if she doesn’t stay much longer, and no one else is likely to fill those kind of shoes anytime soon.

I’m guessing the seeds for Clara’s departure are already being planted. Doctor Who pushes her towards Danny quite strongly this week. Their date is disastrous, yet they keep coming back together. She has an instant bond with both the young version of him and his grandson, who seems to be holding something back from her. Might Clara soon be staying with Danny and becoming Orson’s grandmother? I don’t think she and Danny could have kept coming back together, much as they were screwing up their conversation, if they didn’t have a very solid, unspeakable bond. Not all of The Doctor’s companions have left on such peaceful, happy terms of late, and I think it’s time one did. Clara has served well on the battlefield, and it might be time to take an early retirement.

The Doctor himself is examined this week. We know he doesn’t travel well alone, and his obsession with the ‘thing in the dark’ is an illustration of that. This is what he’s up to when no one else is around. It’s a weakness and a vulnerability that make the Time Lord all the more relatable and human. In his dire hour, we see his mettle and how important his companions are to him. They allow him to get past the fear and persistently looming insanity and do the good things that he does.

I am slightly disappointed that we don’t find out about the creature. Surely it’s real, given the scenes with the young Danny Pink. Yet, later, when Clara talks to the boy Doctor, it seems like it’s not. I could have used just a bit more clarification here, but the fact that Doctor Who doesn’t answer those questions only leaves the menace the monster poses greater and more relevant, scary in its lack of explanation.

The one unnecessary thing in “Listen” may be the glimpse of the War Doctor (John Hurt) returning to the barn where Clara meets the boy Doctor. Yet, that moment will surely make fans happy, providing even more connection to past events and faces.

“Listen” is an excellent script with as-usual compelling performances by the show’s leads. It’s a fine addition to the favorite Doctor Who episodes list, and one not soon forgotten.

Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

DOCTOR WHO Stops Off In "Sherwood"

Article first published as 'Doctor Who' Review - 'Robot of Sherwood' on Blogcritics.

In this week’s installment of the BBC’s Doctor Who, Clara (Jenna Coleman) asks The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) if she can meet Robin Hood. Despite The Doctor’s insistence that Robin is merely a legend, the TARDIS does manage to take the duo right to the mythological outlaw in Sherwood Forest, circa 1190-ish. The Doctor is immediately suspicious, and as they poke around this new world, soon discover that not all may be as it seems.

I have to admit, “Robot of Sherwood” disappoints me, primarily, because it goes beyond the conceivable. As The Doctor says, Robin Hood is a character, not a real person. Yet, they find him intact right where the story says he should be. Not only is Robin (Tom Riley, DaVinci’s Demons) present, but he’s accompanied by his pals Little John (Rusty Goffe, Stupid), Friar Tuck (Trevor Cooper), Alan-a-dale (Ian Hallard, An Adventure in Space and Time), and Will Scarlett (Joseph Kennedy, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll). They are the spitting image of the Merry Men in the novel, and their nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingtham (Ben Miller, Primeval), invites them to an archery contest that unfolds exactly as one familiar with Robin Hood remembers.

Now, Doctor Who frequently pushes the boundaries of reality, and that is part of its charm. That is, as long as the explanation fits, sticking to the rules of the franchise. My problem is that something matching the fictional work so well should not exist on its own. Either there should be significant differences, the legend distorted over the years, or an alien or technological explanation that might have created this world. Neither ends up being the case.

To rub salt in the wound, The Doctor is intent on proving exactly what I’ve stated in the preceding paragraph, and he does indeed find a robot army led by the Sheriff. These guys have the Robin Hood tale in their computer banks, and are mimicking the story. This would be fine if the robots were behind everything, but in the end, Robin and his fellows are completely real, even if the Sheriff’s men are not. That’s just too much to stomach, even for fans of the spacey-wacey, timey-wimey stuff.

There are a couple of cool parts in “Robot of Sherwood.” While flashing through the various Robin Hood incarnations within the robots’ computer, viewers may catch a glimpse of Patrick Troughton (the Second Doctor) among the images, as he once played Robin Hood. The computer also makes mention of Missy’s promised land, though the woman herself is nowhere to be seen. These references are neat for the sharp-eyed, but not nearly enough to distract from the bad plot.

I also enjoy some of the dialogue and jokes. The Doctor and Robin’s attempts to one-up each other are amusing, The Doctor clearly being jealous of the way Clara sees Robin. Robin and The Doctor’s sword / spoon duel is fun, and the bickering in the jail cell works well, too. If the story were a little better thought-out with a conclusion that makes sense, “Robot of Sherwood” could be a fun romp, even if it falls short of the greatness Doctor Who can be. But alas, without a good ending, it leaves the whole thing feeling flat and weak.

In the end, what we’re left with is a stand-alone fantasy that might please children, but will neither stand up to the test of time nor satisfy the fans looking for Doctor Who‘s next epic journey. The series is wont throw in episodes like this from time to time, and usually they are at least middling in quality, but this one borders on unwatchable. “Robot of Sherwood” is not unprecedented, but that isn’t exactly a point in its favor. Hopefully, the show will get back on track next week.

Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.

DOCTOR WHO's Introspective Trip "Into the Dalek"

Article first published as 'Doctor Who' Review - 'Into the Dalek' on Blogcritics.

Episode two of Doctor Who‘s eighth season is markedly better than the first. Now that The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) has settled into his new body, he can start to figure out who he is. This week, in “Into the Dalek,” The Doctor struggles with the question of whether he is a good man, after he encounters his most hated foe (a Dalek of course), who seems to be nice. Shrinking himself, he heads into the Dalek’s body to figure out the malfunction, and in the course of the story, there’s as much self-examination as external investigation.

It makes sense that The Doctor has chosen now to ponder whether he is good or not. He’s recently faced his greatest challenge, his various incarnations teaming up to commit genocide and possibly save trillions of lives. He’s also in a new form, head flooding with memories from the previous versions, some good, some bad. The Doctor is trying to process all of this to determine his way forward.

In the season premiere of Doctor Who, Clara (Jenna Coleman) wonders if something has gone wrong when the new Doctor appears old and wrinkled. Combined with the reflection in “Into the Dalek,” it seems he agrees with her. This Doctor regrets some of what he has done and wants to make up for it. He is just having trouble finding the way to do so. This turmoil is illustrated in his appearance.

It’s a good thing he has Clara, then, his ‘carer,’ as he calls her, so he doesn’t have to care. The Doctor can be quite cold, especially when traveling by himself, which we’ve seen in past personalities. The Twelfth Doctor spends only a few weeks alone before picking up Clara in “Into the Dalek,” but his emotional level is low in this installment, especially where the Daleks and human soldiers are concerned, having much trouble finding empathy, even for death. It takes Clara to make him think of others and do the right thing, thereby proving her importance.
 
Unfortunately, there is a setback when the Dalek looks into The Doctor’s soul and sees hate. No matter how much The Doctor tries to do good, which Clara says is the point, he can’t overcome his baser instincts. The result is that The Doctor unleashes a Dalek back among their race that will systematically kill his own people. This may be good news for the Daleks’ would-be victims, but it also is another thing for The Doctor to feel bad about.

He also refuses to take Journey Blue (Zaw Ashton, Fresh Meat) with him, away from the fighting, although she’s probably a good person, because she is a soldier. The Doctor is letting his petty hangups get in the way of someone else’s happiness. For every step forward, there’s another one back. But, oh, what a compelling journey!

The episode also explores the character of Clara. We see her as a teacher both in the classroom and out, helping The Doctor reach his own conclusions, rather than giving him the answers. This part of her personality is one that has not previously been played up to a huge extent, but now we see exactly the type of person she must be in her normal life, and it’s one that The Doctor needs right now. I still may not like Clara, but she is well used here, and the right woman for the moment.

We get glimpses of her flirting with a new teacher, Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson, Emmerdale, The History Boys). He is a soldier, which means The Doctor wouldn’t approve of him, but he is similar to The Doctor in that he regrets the violence he has done, making him worthy, perhaps even more so because he is in touch with his feelings. He’s sort of a simpler version of the title character in a younger, more attractive body, which makes him pretty much perfect for Clara, likely still missing her ‘hunky’ Eleventh.

I’m intrigued by the brief scene featuring Missy (Michelle Gomez) in “Into the Dalek.” Why did she only rescue one of the soldiers that died? What is her plan? How is she saving these people? ‘Heaven’ has to be code for something, but I can’t imagine what. I look forward to how Doctor Who unravels her mystery.

There are a few problems with “Into the Dalek.” I can’t believe Colonel Blue (Michael Smiley, Luther) would let The Doctor go get Clara before going into the Dalek when he is so concerned about security just moments before. The body itself is a bit cheesy, like in other movies that have a similar premise. But overall, there is so much great character stuff that I really enjoyed it. I love the way the Daleks are brought back, fresh yet again, and the peek at Clara’s ‘real’ life.

Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET on BBC America.