REVIEW - Doctor Who - S07E13

“The Doctor has a secret he will take to the grave.  It is discovered.”

While the Doctor did have a secret it certainly wasn’t what we thought – well those of us that managed to stay spoiler free after the Series 7 DVD’s were incorrectly shipped early. Spoilers drama aside there is so much to say about this episode and I have absolutely no idea where to start.

As the episode begins with Clara – the impossible girl – let’s start with her shall we. I haven’t been silent about my disappointment with Clara’s characterisation and while this episode didn’t make me fall in love with her it was definitely a satisfying conclusion to the only mystery worth solving. The way they inserted Clara into past Doctor Who adventures could have been gimmicky yet somehow it was practically flawless but that might be the nostalgia talking. So far, I have re-watched that scene 7 times and I’m sure I’ll watch it again before I finish writing this review; I’m in awe.

Then there was the inclusion of my favourite occasional guests Strax, Madam Vastra and her wife Jenny. And the fact that they interacted with the always-brilliant River Song was icing on the cake. While we’re on the topic of River Song, I have to say this is the first time since Series 5 that I felt her character was done the justice she deserves. Alex Kingston sizzles on screen and the chemistry between her and Matt Smith is electric.

Other notable aspects included the return of Richard E. Grant’s The Great Intelligence, some seriously scary looking monsters that can literally stop your heart and the fact that we never did learn the Doctor’s name (thank goodness). Of course Clara saved the day, as companions always do, and her sacrifice was actually rather emotional but that had more to do with Jenna-Louise Coleman’s performance than anything else. And I can’t praise Matt Smith enough because my words are inadequate, that man can act.

This episode was everything it needed to be, a fantastic final filled with near death experiences, tear-jerking goodbyes and mind-blowing revelations. It’s basically everything I wanted and it almost makes up for the fact that the last two Series lost some of their heart in order to set up this epic final, and the upcoming 50^th Anniversary Special.

We did not learn the Doctor’s name but this episode reminded me why I fell in love with this show in the first place. It’s somehow takes these complicated crazy storylines and makes them relatable. So while I was disappointed with this series as a whole – not that I hated it just didn’t live up to pervious expectations – “The Name of the Doctor” did enough to renew my excitement for not just the 50^th Anniversary Special but the next full series as well. Besides now that Clara’s finished her life as a plot device she might actually become a real person.

Well that’s it for Series 7, there is not much else to do now except try to survive the anticipation of Matt Smith and David Tennant teaming up in the 50^th Anniversary Special.

Review by Yvonne Popplewell

More of Yvonne’s work can be found at her blog.

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REVIEW - Doctor Who - S07E12

There was a lot of hype surround this episode as not only did it herald the return of one the Doctor’s most popular foes but it was penned by Neil Gaiman (who previously wrote the praised “The Doctor’s Wife”). The problem with hype is that it rarely lives up to the expectation. While “Nightmare in Silver” is not as good as “The Doctor’s Wife” it still manages to be one of the most entertaining episodes this year.

The Doctor takes the children Clara nanny’s for, Angie and Artie, to Hedgewick’s World Of Wonders, a popular theme park, only to find that it has long since closed down. The only people left are a small military troop, Webley (Jason Watkins) who runs a sideshow (including several deactivated Cybermen – remnants from the cyberwars), and a man who calls himself Porridge (Warwick Davis). They soon discover that the Cybermen are not as deactivated as they once thought and the park is currently over run by tiny mechanical bugs, cybermites.

These are not the Cyberman we know and love, these are the extreme version. It turns out the only way humans could defeat the Cybermen during the cyberwars was to destroy an entire galaxy. Angie and Artie are captured and the cybermites attach to the Doctor planning on uploading him (and all his knowledge) into their databases but the Doctor isn’t going to let go easily. He challenges the Cybermen inside his mind to a game of Chess. Meanwhile Clara is hanging out with the local military troop, whose mission was technically to search for the missing lecture but in the reality they are a punishment troop for the army’s failures.

The Doctor fights the Cybermen in a game of wits, Clara fights a trigger-happy platoon Captain who wants to blow up the planet and it turns out Porridge is actually the missing emperor. Ultimately the Doctor wins the battle, the children are saved, the planet gets destroyed taking the Cybermen along with it (after they escape of course) and the emperor proposed to Clara, she turns him down.

This episode was a little confusing at times but there was a lot to love starting with the fact that Gaiman has managed to make the well-loved but let’s face it, kind of laughable, Cybermen threatening again. Porridge’s plot-twist identity was fairly easy to guess but guest star Warwick Davis makes the predicable role incredibly likeable. The rest of the guest-cast are unmemorable but it’s over shadowed by a brilliant performance from Matt Smith.

Matt Smith spend much of the episode acting against himself, which is rather more interesting than when he’s acting against Jenna-Louise Coleman, and it’s amazing to watch. In fact every time the story left the Doctor’s inner battle to focus Clara’s military role I found myself getting increasingly frustrated. Had this episode focused solely on Smith’s performance it could have been fantastic but as is it felt rushed at times and loses some of it’s impact.

Next week it’s time to ask the question that must never be answered… also the conclusion to the mystery of Clara and the return of the always-wonderful River Song (Alex Kingston).

Review by Yvonne Popplewell

More of Yvonne’s work can be found at her blog.

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REVIEW - Doctor Who - S07E11

This week saw the return of the fierce, samurai sword wielding, Victorian, interspecies lesbians that fight crime and it’s almost as awesome as you’d imagine.

Back in 1893, Silurian Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh) and her wife, Jenny (Catrin Stewart), head north to investigate “The Crimson Horror” (with the help of their Sontaran butler Strax – Dan Starkey). Once in Yorkshire Jenny infiltrates the mysterious Sweetville community led by Mrs. Gillyflower (Diana Rigg) who preaches about the coming apocalypse. Jenny soon discovers the Doctor, chained up and bright red.

After a little bit of sonicing The Doctor’s back and it turns out while heading to London with Clara (no doubt to jog her memory) he got caught investigating the mysterious Yorkshire plagues. After mysteriously surviving rejection the Doctor was saved by Mrs. Gillyflower’s blind daughter Ada (if being chained up and called monster can be called a rescue).

The Doctor (Matt Smith) soon finds Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) and they continue their investigation. Madame Vastra recognizes the venom that is causing the deaths; it comes from a prehistoric red leech. Mrs. Gillyflower reveals that her silent partner, Mr Sweet is actually the red leech she’s keeping on her chest. Her plan is to launch a rocket with the venom killing the world’s population and allowing her to repopulate it with her perfect Adam-and-Eve’s. She also admits to experimenting on her daughter causing her blindness.

Mrs. Gillyflower launches the rocket my Jenny and Vastra reveal they have already removed the poison. Strax shoots Mrs. Gillyflower and Ada (Racheal Stirling) stabs the leech with her walking stick. The Doctor and Clara say goodbye and the Doctor refuses to answer Jenny and Vastra’s questions about Clara because he still doesn’t know the answer. It’s complicated.

While this episode was basically filler, it was a fun filler. Keeping the Doctor out of the action for the first fifteen minutes cut back on exposition increased the suspense and took advantage of the fantastic guest characters. I could watch an entire series about Vastra, Jenny and Strax they are that fantastic and because of their role in the Christmas episode their inclusion actually furthers the series mystery.

The mystery was complex but logical enough to follow. It was a tad over the top at times but that only added to the charm. Diana Rigg was perfect as the evil Mrs Gillyflower and there were great one-liners, especially from Sontaran butler Strax. Jenny stripping off her Victorian dress and kicking some ass was fantastically fun, albeit a little cliché. Clara is noticeably absent but I can’t say that harmed my enjoyment of the episode.

All in all it was a fun romp through Victorian Yorkshire and a nice break from the wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey mystery of Clara Oswald. Next week’s Neil Gaiman penned adventure features one of the Doctor’s biggest foes, the Cybermen.

Review by Yvonne Popplewell.

More of Yvonne’s work can be found at her blog.

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Review - Doctor Who - S07E10

Sometimes we forget that for small children (and those of us that are still small children at heart) Doctor Who can be truly terrifying. Then an episode like “Hide” comes along to remind us of the terrible things that go bump in the night.

In “Hide” the Doctor (Matt Smith) takes Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) back to 1974 where Professor Alec Palmer (Dougray Scott) and his assistant, Emma Grayling (Jessica Raine) are trying to collect photo evidence of a ghost known as the Witch of the Well. Both the Doctor and Clara are skeptical but there’s a specter and cold spots and psychic empath Emma Grayling is sure there is someone there. There is also something incredibly creepy hidden in the shadows.

To gather evidence the Doctor goes on a trip through time. Take a photo on the same spot throughout earth’s life cycle – upsetting Clara with his ambivalence to the decaying earth. The Doctor realizes that it is not a ghost but a timer traveler named Hila Tukurian (Kemi-Bo Jacobs) who is stuck in a pocket dimension. The Doctor uses Emma’s psychic ability to cross into the pocket dimension, Hila makes it back but the doorway closes leaving the Doctor trapped.

Emma risks death to open the gateway again and Clara enlists the help of a rather reluctant TARDIS to drag the Doctor back to our reality. It’s happily ever after as Professor Palmer has finally admitted his feeling for Emma and it turns out Hila is actually one of their decedents. The Doctor is waxing lyrical about love and summing up the episodes lessons when he realizes that there was a second creature. This is not a horror story, it’s love story. The Doctor travels back to the pocket dimension one final time to pick up the creature and reunite him with his lover.

This episode was scary, I’m not ashamed that I was hiding behind the couch at one stage while watching. Doctor Who has always been good at tapping into those fundamental fears that have affected everyone at some stage and “Hide” is a perfect example of this. The suspense is masterfully done and perfectly intercut with Matt Smith’s brilliant physical comedy. The love story between Emma and Professor Palmer is a little forced but it fits with the overall theme of the episode so it’s easily forgiven.

Possibly the best part of the episode is the interaction between Clara and “Sexy” (also known as the TARDIS). Clara has hinted in previous episodes that the TARDIS doesn’t like her but until now it seemed like one-sided paranoia. I’ve made the secret of the fact that I have not warmed to Clara and I am still not in love with her but if we see more interaction between her and the TARDIS I might be converted.

Next week we see more of the TARDIS than we have ever seen before (here’s hoping for more Clara/TARDIS fun).

Review by Yvonne Popplewell

More of Yvonne’s works can be found at her blog.  

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REVIEW - Doctor Who - S07E09

The Doctor’s on a submarine, which is too bad because he meant to be in Las Vegas. That’s right Clara’s second trip in the Tardis finds her stuck in a sinking Soviet submarine with a rogue Ice Warrior on the loose.

It’s the 1980s and the crew of a Soviet sub has just dug something unknown out of the ice (no it’s not Captain America). The Professor (David Warner) on board plans on waiting until they get home to thaw out the mystery creature (which he thinks is a manatee) but an unfortunate soldier just can’t handle the suspense and takes matter into his own hands with a blow torch.

Once he’s warmed up the Ice Warrior takes his anger out on the sub and its inhabitants causing it to start sinking. That’s when the Doctor (Matt Smith) arrives with a very confused Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman). Almost as soon as they arrive the Tardis dematerializes, which is really very not good.

True to form the Doctor tries negotiation first, but when the Ice Warrior (who’s been on ice for 5000 years) doesn’t receive back up he takes it personally and decides to take it out on earth by starting a nuclear war. After a couple more failed attempts at negotiation, the Ice Warrior’s rescue ship finally turns up and Clara is able to talk them into aborting the nuclear strike with the help of Duran Duran thus saving the world.

Overall, I actually really enjoyed this episode. It has a Classic series feel to it, which is rather endearing. The episode is small, simple and just silly enough to make it the Doctor Who we know and love. There is minimal use of special effects but the confined location helps to maintain suspense. In fact the lack of noticeable visual effects make the reveal of the space ship at the end much more satisfying.

Matt Smith is fantastic as usual, shifting from hilarious physical comedy to seriously intense monologues seamlessly. Guest stars Liam Cunningham (Captain Zhukov) and David Warner do a decent job of making us care about characters that aren’t much more than walking stereotypes (as can be expected in monster-of-the-week adventures).

The problem, again, is with Clara. To her credit Jenna-Louise Coleman is clearly talented and incredibly charismatic but I’m becoming increasingly convinced that Clara is actually a companion-bot programed to be the Doctor’s perfect partner. Throughout this episode she is incredibly inconsistent, and while she is the one to save the day in the end her victory comes from nowhere. As a result it feels forced, as does most of Clara’s characterization.

All in all this was a fun episode with a great reintroduction of a classic monster. Let’s hope we see more of the Ice Monsters in the future.

Review by Yvonne Popplewell

More of Yvonne’s works can be found at her blog.  

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REVIEW - Doctor Who S07E08

This week’s Doctor Who saw the mysterious Clara Oswald defeat a soul sucking sun with the most important leaf in the universe.

The episode begins with the Doctor stalking an unknown couple that a brought together by a falling leaf. It is soon revealed that this couple is the new companion Clara’s parents. The Doctor then returns to pick up 2013 Clara and whisks off to The Rings of Akahten. Clara wanders off, as companions often do and meets a strange little girl who calls herself the Queen of Years.

The Queen of Years, also known as Merry Gejelh, is nervous because she’s about to sing a song to a god (as you would be) but Clara tells her a story about her parents and it gives her the confidence to face her fears. Apparently that wasn’t such a good idea because Merry Gejelh is taken by the soul sucker and it’s up to the Doctor and Clara to save her.

There’s a space Vespa, some hilarity about a heavy door and it turns out the soul sucking monster is actually the giant sun. The doctor gives one of his big epic speeches but the soul sucking sun/god is ultimately defeated by Clara when she feeds it the leaf that led to her parents meeting.

Usually the second adventure of the series is more monster of the week than series arch driven but this episode manages to fall somewhere in the middle. All the nonsense about the most important leaf in the universe is important to the episode arch but something tells me that Clara’s parents (and her mothers death) will be part of Moffat’s wibbly wobbly timey wimey series arch.

The rest of the episode is pretty predicable: the companion shows her compassion by rescuing someone helpless and her ingenuity by defeating the monster of the week thus proving herself worth of the Doctor’s attention. It does make some comments about religion I guess but nothing that hasn’t been suggested before in episodes like “The Impossible Planet”.

That said the adventure was fun enough and Matt Smith acted the hell out the Doctor’s big epic speech (that’s when he’s at his best) especially when you consider he was talking to a green screen.

The main problem I have is with Clara. I loved her at first, Jenna shines on camera oozing charisma, but the more time we spend with this impossible girl the less I like her. She’s just too perfect. All the best characters have at least one fundamental flaw and we have yet to see Clara’s. She’s all the good parts of pervious companions rolled into one but without any faults she’s hard to relate to. Considering that the companion is supposed to represent the audience’s way into the Doctor’s crazy world reliability is an incredibly important trait.

Let’s hope that Clara’s perfect exterior starts to crack soon because I really want to like her.

Review by Yvonne Popplewell

More of Yvonne's works can be found at her blog.

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