This weeks episode of Doctor Who has a big budget opening scenes, that hinted at a grandiose episode, full of special effects and CGI. And while that is true in part, there is far more going on thematically in the show this time.
‘Am I a good man?’ asks the Doctor to Clara. Whilst only two episodes in, it appears that this season will focus on the Doctor, and who he has become. The events of the 50th anniversary episode seem to be ringing in the Doctor’s head, having met his war-time self, and re-lived the series of actions that led to the loss of his home planet. This has led to a dry, dark humour that is prevalent throughout the episode. He is brash and unforgiving, constantly clashing with Clara. This is a change from the often harmonious nature of the Doctor/companion relationship.
Prior to this episode, the Doctor has been gone for three weeks, leaving Clara to meet Danny Pink, a fellow teacher who has already been revealed as a recurring character. And it has left the Doctor to go on his own adventures, resulting in him rescuing the Aristotle from the onslaught of the Daleks.
Writing a story involving the the Doctor’s greatest enemy is a heavy burden to bear but Phil Ford, writer of The Waters of Mars, tackles it head on and puts a very intriguing twist on it. Upon revealing the premise of the episode, I was worried, it sounded gimmicky, and has been done in almost every sci-fi series to date. The Doctor and co. are tasked with venturing into the innards of a Dalek who has turned good. Upon being miniaturized, they look for the cause, and by doing so, only create more trouble for themselves. Ultimately, it all serves to give viewers an insight into the mind of both the Doctor and the Daleks.
The most interesting aspect of the episode, however, came in a brief scene where we once again saw ‘heaven’ overseen by ‘The Gatekeeper of the Nethersphere’. This seems to be season eight’s ‘Bad Wolf’ or crack in the wall, so unfortunately we are going to have to wait another few months until that plot thread is unravelled.
The episode boasts a solid cast, with Zawe Ashton (Fresh Meat), Ben Crompton (Game of Thrones) and Michael Smiley (Utopia and Black Mirror) all putting in convincing performances as a crew on the verge of destruction. The Daleks have been criticised in recent years for not instilling the same terror that they used to. And this episode is no different. The cries of ‘exterminate’ still send chills down the spine of the most hardened viewer, but their plans for world domination have become increasingly tiresome. And that’s why this weeks adventure is such a breath of fresh air. They still seek to enslave the galaxy, but that story takes a backseat as we see the Doctor continuously compare himself morally to the Dalek he is trying to save.
His personality shines in the final scenes. You can see the thoughts bounce in his mind as he instructs everyone on how to save the day, his quick quips and light hearted approach to the situation is reminiscent of David Tennant’s Doctor, but his darker humour is what sets him apart from his predecessors. It is exciting to see Capaldi come into his own as the weeks go on, and I still have high hopes that the series will go down as one of the best since the 2005 reboot.
So, could there ever be a good Dalek? Maybe, maybe not, but from what we’ve seen so far, there is one brilliant Doctor.