TV Review: Doctor Who - The Woman Who Fell to Earth

I feel like I’ve been the worst Doctor Who fan on Earth. In fact, I hadn’t property watched an episode since the one where Clara died and I just felt the writing for poor Peter Capaldi’s tenure as The Doctor was shoddy. That’s not me – the world used to grind to a halt when Doctor Who was on and for years I blogged about every episode. But we kind of broke up and that made me sad.

Despite that, I went into tonight’s episode with an open mind and I absolutely loved it.

What I Loved

I immediately fell in love with Jodie Whittaker as The Woman Who Fell to Earth. In a word, she is brilliant. She is funny and silly yet kind and just and everything a Doctor should be. I enjoyed her memory lapse and not quite knowing who she was but loved that moment when she finally remembered: for she is The Doctor. I also quite loved her Doctor Martens boots.

I’d very specifically kept away from any spoilers so only had a vague idea of who the companions might be. That was very cool because I got a nice big surprise at the end of the episode.

The Woman Who Fell to Earth was written by Chris Chibnall who has written four more episodes this season as well as several episodes of both Doctor Who and Torchwood. He was also notably the writer on Broadchurch so has worked with Jodie before. This makes me cautiously optimistic for the writing this season and I hope we have moved past the nonsensical and plotless stories of the Steven Moffat era. Disclosure: it is no secret that I hate Steven Moffat and in addition to Doctor Who, he made me break up with Sherlock too.

Whatever the case, I enjoyed this episode. It had a cohesive and interesting plot and a most satisfying outcome. I cannot wait for the next episode of The Doctor and her sonic Swiss Army Knife.

As much as I loved the episode, my very best moment came in the closing credits. Segun Akinola’s new theme tune includes recordings of the original 1963 theme tune. His arrangement features the deep bassline of the 1963 original as well as bridge which modern versions often leave out. And it is that bridge that is my absolute favourite part of the theme.  

Verdict

So, does this mean that I’ll be reviewing every Doctor Who episode again? I doubt it. It’s a lot of work, especially for a Sunday night and I think I’d rather simply enjoy it. I might though, we’ll see. But most importantly is that I predict that I will enjoy it and I can feel myself falling in love with Doctor Who again.

Doctor Who returns with “The Ghost Monument” next Sunday evening, 14 October 2018 at 6.55pm on BBC One.

All images © BBC

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TV Review: Doctor Who - The Woman Who Lived

Stand and deliver! Well I'm pleased. I was so disappointed with last week's “The Girl Who Died” that I feared we were returning to the shoddy writing that plagued the previous season of Doctor Who. It turns out that tonight was a very clever episode in which the normal dialogue between Clara and an increasingly detached Doctor were mirrored as the Doctor tried to allay the infinite fear and pain of an immortal Ashildr.

“The Woman Who Lived” opens with the Doctor interrupting a highway robbery in England, 1651. He has a nice new contraption, a curio scanner, and the highwayman is none other than Ashildr. Except that she can no longer remember her own name. It turns out that the centuries have taken their toll and all the names she had ever known had died with the people who knew.

She is me, Lady Me, just like The Doctor is The Doctor. 

As you've come to expect from an Addicted to Media review, I'm generous with the spoilers so here is your three-second spoiler warning.

*** Spoiler warning. Moderate spoilers ahead: proceed with caution if you’ve not watched Doctor Who – “The Woman Who Lived” ***

What I Loved

There is so much to love in this episode. I loved the concept of Ashildr / Me surviving through the ages and watching those she loved died. I thought that it was interesting that this immortal is a woman and that she could bear children. In genre shows, we often know of vampires and other supernaturals surviving through time but they aren't often women and even more rarely have children.

The scene with Ashildr losing her children to the plague was especially poignant and created a great background to her present detachment and coldness. She is determined that she will never bear children again and significantly, she has never used the immortality pendant that The Doctor left her with.

Rufus Hound steps in as fellow highwayman Sam Swift and he is a lot of fun. He's as likely a lad as ever there was and absolutely no match for Lady Me. See? This is what happens when Steven Moffat doesn't write an episode of Doctor Who - a woman can actually achieve and maintain the upper hand over men and there is no dramatic comeuppance where she must ultimately fail and learn her rightful place.

Perhaps the best part of the episode was Leonian Leandro (Ariyon Bakare) (even if he was a dead ringer for Ron Perlman’s Beast) and the alien invasion. If this episode had somewhat of a Torchwood feel to it, that is because it was written by Catherine Tregenna. I miss Torchwood and Sarah Jane Adventures too.

What Must Die A Horrible Death

So was there anything about The Woman Who Lived that I didn't like? Yes. The sonic sunglasses are back. Seriously. They need to go.

The Verdict

I loved this episode and am so glad that the season picked up after last week’s disappointing turn. If I’m honest, I’d simply insist that Steven Moffat not write any more scripts. Perhaps I can start a rumour that he is leaving the show?

Notable “The Woman Who Lived” Quotes

“The Woman Who Lived” didn’t have much in the way of witty one-liners like the first two episodes of the season but as lot of very poignant, moving lines were said and Maisie Williams did well to deliver the slow-burning fury of Ashildr.

“I can’t remember most of it. That’s the problem with an infinite life and a normal-sized mind” – Ashildr

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“This is no way to live your life, desensitised to the world” – The Doctor

“Do you intend to fix me?” – Ashildr

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”You’re the man who runs away” – Ashildr

“Who told you that?” – The Doctor

“Maybe I just worked it out” – Ashildr

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“What happened to you?” – The Doctor

“You did Doctor. You happened to me” – Ashildr

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“You didn’t save my life, Doctor, you trapped me inside it” – Ashildr

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“It’s infuriating. You think you don’t care but then you fall off the wagon” – The Doctor

 

Doctor Who returns with “The Zygon Invasion” next Saturday evening 31 October 2015 at 8.15pm on BBC One.

All images © BBC

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TV Review: Doctor Who - The Girl Who Died

Oh, the promise of a brand new Doctor Who episode! “The Girl Who Died” opens with Clara in a most perilous situation, stuck in space with nothing but a space suit to protect her and something crawling up her back. The Doctor is fighting to locate her and suddenly he does. Before you know it, they’ve landed in a forest and are abducted by Vikings.

Strangely enough, the sight of Clara running around in a bright orange spacesuit during Viking times wasn’t the strangest things about it episode but it possibly made more sense than the rest of the plot.

I was worried last week that they would do to Viking what they did to Robin Hood in “Robot of Sherwood” and it turns out I was right to worry.

Which is just my way of saying that I didn’t quite enjoy this episode. You’ll find a fair bit of spoilers below, especially in the bits where I reimagine the script as Steven Moffat actually wrote it so here is your spoiler warning.

*** Spoiler warning. Proceed with caution if you have not yet watched Doctor Who – “The Girl Who Died” ***

What I Didn’t Like

It’s hard to be enthusiastic about Doctor Who when you have episodes like this. A lot was said that was perhaps important to the Doctor Who canon but there was so much that was annoying, weak and underdeveloped.

There was a scene in the Twilight film (not the book) when Edward is reading people’s minds and he goes “money, sex, money, sex, cat”. It was corny and embarrassing and one of the most regrettable moments in cinematic history right up until Clara said, “he speaks baby”.

That line might even have worked as a one liner but then they milked it a bit. There is the line about how babies think laughing is singing and even then, I’m thinking this is okay, cute maybe, but a little overdone. Then the baby’s cries become an integral plot point and they milk it some more and somewhere in there I lost the will to watch the rest of the episode.

Perhaps I should have gone with my first instinct because I don’t think the episode improved after that either. We have Ashildr (Maisie Williams) and she has some uncanny ability to influence certain outcomes which is a great idea but one that is so undeveloped that you might miss the whole point of it if you blink.

Perhaps I’m being unfair and comparing “The Girl Who Died” to Toby Whithouse’s clever writing in “Under The Sea” and “Before The Flood” but honestly, sometimes Steven Moffat’s writing feels like someone hurriedly racing through a storyboard. Imagine the scene as Steven Moffat takes the cast and crew through the story:

“So The Doctor and Clara get kidnapped by Vikings and one of them can kind of see the future stroke influence outcomes, right? So there is this warrior race and the Vikings declare war on them, right, but then the Viking girl tricks them and the Vikings win. Almost the end, except for for some hugely important canon stuff about The Doctor reviving the girl and not being able to bear losing people. We’ll throw in “The Fires of Pompeii” and kill that canon about not affecting the outcomes of history stroke fixed points in time. The End”.

Except that nobody realises that he forgot to write an actual script and flesh out the storyboard with an actual plot. Quite unforgiveable when you consider that he co-wrote this one with Jamie Mathieson (Doctor Who, “Mummy on the Orient Express”).

As you can see from the fake scenario above, I’m beginning to think that Doctor Who is becoming a little flaky and backtracking on its own canon. Which is fine, if they can bring Bobby Ewing back from the dead, they can make The Doctor completely change his tune and begin reviving people from the dead. But then don’t get overdramatic and over emotional about depriving someone of their ability to die. Why do it in the first place if you immediately know it is wrong?

What I Didn’t Dislike

So that was pretty lengthy but was there anything I liked?

Yes! I was thrilled when the sonic sunglasses were broken in two. Yay! No more sonic sunglasses!

I also liked the idea of The Doctor being able to do anything at all except stop losing people.

That’s pretty much all I liked. I wanted to like the Vikings but they were reduced to a parody and I wanted to like the Mire but the deadliest warrior race in the galaxy was reduced to a punch line. I wanted to like Ashildr because Maisie Williams but we weren’t given a chance to get to know anything about her at all.

And I desperately wanted to cheer on during the great battle but it was so weak and contrived that I could barely see the screen for the disappointed look on my face.

I kind of liked Clara in an orange spacesuit.

Verdict

I’m too afraid to give a verdict. I want to say that we should get rid of Steven Moffat before he ruins the show and falling ratings force a reduction in future production. The problem with that is what if it is true? The biggest losers there will be the fans and I kind of feel like we deserve better. So I’m not actually going to say all of that and I’ll suggest rather that we wait and see and hope that this was a small glitch in an otherwise enjoyable season to date.

Quotable "The Girl Who Died" Quotes

“We’re time travellers, we tread softly. It’s okay to make ripples but not tidal waves” – The Doctor

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“People talk about premonition as if it is something strange but it’s not. It is just remembering in the wrong direction” – The Doctor

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“He speaks ‘baby’” – Clara

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“Babies think laughter is singing” – The Doctor

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“I’ve got too much to think about without everyone having their own name” – The Doctor

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“Silence is even worse than a Scottish accent” –Clara

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Doctor Who returns with “The Woman Who Lived” next Saturday evening 24 October 2015 at 8.20pm on BBC One.

All images © BBC

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TV Review: Doctor Who - Before the Flood

Question. If a time traveller goes back in time but can’t find Beethoven, but said time traveller happens to have Beethoven’s works on him and recreates those works, who created the music? Beethoven or the time traveller?

This episode is all about the Bootstrap Paradox, whether information can exist if it was never created in the first place and whether we can go back in time to change the future. For the most part, I loved this Toby Whithouse written sequel to “Under the Lake” but I have to admit that it left me feeling more than a little uneasy at first.

As always, I’m generous with the spoilers so here is your three second warning.

*** Spoiler warning. Moderate spoilers ahead: proceed with caution if you have not watched Doctor Who – “Before the Flood” ***

The Paradox

The Doctor, O’Donnell and Bennett have landed in Krasnodar, Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War. Little do they know what is at stake because back at The Drum in 2119, Clara and the rest of the crew have seen The Doctor’s ghost. He is dead. Or is he?

What I Loved

Despite that minor reservation, there was a lot to love in this episode and I am really enjoying this season so far. The Creepy Zombie Rabbit Undertaker is back in the form of Prentis and the fact that he is alive doesn’t make him any less freaky.

We discover that the spaceship is a hearse and that it is carrying a body, and we learn that the chamber will be opening.

Oh wait, I know this one… The Chamber of Secrets is opening and The Doctor is the heir of Slytherin, right? No? Moving on swiftly…

I loved the Soviet setting in “Before the Flood” and the surreal remnants of the Cold War. Why was the town deserted, why were there mannequins hanging around in phone booths, why was it all so surreal? I don’t know, but I liked it.

“Before the Flood” is really scary. First, there is the first timeline where O’Donnell (Morven Christie) is killed which saddened me because I liked her a lot. She had great lines and kicked ass.

But then The Doctor and Bennett decide to back in time and things get even more terrifying.

The Doctor meets The Fisher King who is honestly the most horrible alien I’ve ever seen. He looks like a giant grey praying mantis and I freaking hate praying mantises. The Fisher King stands at over 8 feet tall and was in fact played by Neil Fingleton who is over 7’7” himself. As horrible as he was, I loved this nemesis and was suitably creeped out by his horrible appearance.

The Fisher King had invaded and enslaved the planet of Tivoli for a decade before he was defeated and supposedly killed by the Arcateenians. As per their custom, they send him to a barren and hostile outpost (Earth) to be buried but he is obviously not dead and he intends to draw his allies to him to enslave Earth.

And so we must come back to the paradox. Knowing that he is to die and realising that the planet is at stake, the Doctor must cheat death and defeat the Fisher King. But how?

Back at The Drum, Lunn, Cass and Clara are being terrorised by the ghosts. There is a horrible scene with the creepy as heck ghosts surrounding Lunn (Zaqi Ismail) but they don’t see the message in him and he is not attacked.

Clara and Cass decide to go out after Lunn and no sooner has Clara said that they must not get separated than they go their separate ways.

Because that always ends well.

It is then that we are treated to one of the most terrifying scenes in Doctor Who history. The ghost of Moran (Colin McFarlane) is stalking Cass while dragging an axe on the floor behind him. The axe is screeching against the concrete floor like nails down a chalkboard and then… silence. Cass (Sophie Stone) can’t hear him and every time she turns around, he is gone.

I really liked the resolution in this episode. I enjoyed the way in which The Doctor tricked and dispatched The Fisher King and I especially like him uttering “The Timelord lied” before the dam burst. I appreciated how The Doctor stowed away in the chamber and returned to Clara.

And best of all? I liked how the episode had me going off on a “how come The Doctor gets to live if Pete Tyler died?” tangent before we realised that The Doctor’s ghost was simply a hologram. Nicely played, Toby Whithouse, nicely played.

The Verdict

I thoroughly enjoyed “Under the Lake”and “Before the Flood” and would absolutely not complain if Toby Whithouse replaced Steven Moffet as head writer on the show.

I’m looking forward to next week but hope that they don’t do to the Vikings what the did to Robin Hood last season. That was pretty dire.

Notable “Before the Flood” Quotes

“This is called The Bootstrap Paradox – Google it” – The Doctor

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“I was demoted for dangling a colleague out of a window” - Alice O’Donnell

“In anger?” – The Doctor

“Is there another way to dangle someone out of a window?” - Alice O’Donnell

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“I’m not trying to kill you. Why am I not trying to kill you?” – The Doctor

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“Clara, I need to talk to me now!” – The Doctor

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“She said to ask if travelling with The Doctor changed you or were you always happy to put other people’s lives at risk?” – Lunn, translating for Cass

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“This world is protected by me” – The Doctor

“Yes, one man, lost in time” – The Fisher King

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“The Timelord lied” – The Fisher King

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Doctor Who returns with “The Girl Who Died” next Saturday evening 17 October 2015 at 8.20pm on BBC One.

All images © BBC

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TV Review: Doctor Who - Under the Lake

Doctor Who continued this week with an explosive episode and an unexpected cliff hanger. Well, I’m sure that there are those people who were paying attention and knew this week was the first part of a two-parter but I certainly wasn’t expecting it. What I was expecting was very creepy ghosts and “Under the Lake” certainly didn’t disappoint.

The episode kicks off at The Drum Underwater Mining Facility in Caithness, Scotland, 2119. The T.A.R.D.I.S. is not happy and it doesn’t take us long to realise why when we meet a Killer Bunny Rabbit Ghost in a Top Hat (that’s what he looks like to me, anyway).

Of course, The Doctor confidently tells us that ghosts don’t exist, until they do of course and then they are real and they are hell bent on killing everyone else at the facility.

This recap won’t be as full of spoilers as the previous two reviews but if you haven’t seen the episode, I would still proceed with caution.

*** Spoiler warning. Mild spoilers ahead: proceed with caution if you have not watched Doctor Who – “Under the Lake” ***

What I Loved

I knew from the minute we saw the teaser at the end of “The Witch’s Familiar” that I was going to love the baddies in “Under the Lake”. Despite his resemblance to a killer bunny rabbit, I loved Prentis (Paul Kaye), the ghost in the top hat. We find out that he is from the planet Tivoli, revealed in “The God Complex” as the most conquered planet in its galaxy, so we have to wonder what turned him from being so welcoming and lovely to becoming a killer.

I loved the genuinely scary way Prentis rose from beneath the floor, materialising without warning and the menacing way in which the ghosts were hanging vertically from the walls in the cafeteria scene.

The Empathy Cards were such a fantastic idea and further evidence of how far The Doctor is straying from the Timelord he had come to be under Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant. Interestingly enough, the Doctor we met in 1963 was completely devoid of human empathy and understanding. I loved that even with the help of the cards, he couldn’t get it right!

The concept of the coordinates and the dark (of space), the sword (of Orion), the forsaken (and abandoned ship) and the underwater temple was simply brilliant. I also loved the idea of words that couldn’t be translated by the T.A.R.D.I.S. and the idea of magnets. I loved that writer Toby Whithouse (Being Human) created an intricate puzzle of clues and took the audience along on his journey of discovery.

In fact, I loved the whole of Toby Whithouse’s script and was thrilled to see so much banter and witty one liners in “Under the Lake”. I thought we were going to miss Missy but it turns out we needn’t have worried.

There were some fantastic guest stars in this episode. I loved Steven Robertson in his role as Pritchard. The last time we saw Robertson was in his role as Mr Rook in Being Human – "War Child". I also liked Morven Christie in her role as O’Donnell and loved the inclusion of deaf actress Sophie Stone. Stone is a fine actress with an incredible range of expressions.

I was highly amused when The Doctor assured Clara that he would simply go back in time and save the day. The thing is, he lied. He doesn’t go back in time at all well and has never been able to hit the mark in terms of accuracy (just ask Amy Pond about that).

Finally, I was completely blindsided by the unexpected ending as I was not expecting a cliffhanger. I can’t wait for next week’s episode now.

Notable “Under The Lake” Quotes

I thought that we were going to miss Missy and all of her witty one liners but there was no shortage of quotable quotes in “Under the Lake”.

“Right, I didn’t expect that. Hands up, who expected that?” – The Doctor

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“So who’s in charge now? I need to know who to ignore” – The Doctor

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“I’d like to take a look at that spaceship but what about those things that aren’t ghosts?” – The Doctor

“No, it’s okay. They only come out at night” – Alice O’Donnell

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“Death was the one thing that unified every single living thing in the Universe and now it’s gone” – The Doctor

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“Wait a minute, you just raved about ghosts like a kid who’s had too much sherbet” – Clara

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“I’m fine by the way, in case any of you were worried” – Clara [I was]

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”The dark, the sword, the forsaken, the temple” – The Not Ghosts

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“Surely just being around me makes you cleverer by osmosis?” – The Doctor

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“Clara – why don’t I have a radio in the T.A.R.D.I.S.?” – The Doctor

“You took it apart and used the pieces to make a clockwork squirrel” – Clara

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“Trust me, don’t you Clara”? – The Doctor

Doctor Who returns with “Before the Flood” next Saturday evening 10 October 2015 at 8.25pm on BBC One.

All images © BBC

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TV Review: Doctor Who: The Witch's Familiar

It would have been difficult to follow up the success of last week’s explosive Doctor Who season opener “The Magician’s Apprentice” and in some ways, I was expecting to be disappointed with “The Witch’s Familiar”. I expected sloppy writing and convenient resolutions but was ultimately quite pleased with the episode. It was utterly grim in many ways and for a long time I thought it was going to sink in sentimentalism but it redeemed itself in the end and I have very few complaints.

This review will not be as laden with spoilers as last week’s episode but I’d certainly not recommend watching unless you’ve seen it so here is your 3 second spoiler warning.

*** Spoiler warning. Close this webpage now if you have not watched Doctor Who – “The Witch’s Familiar” ***

What I Loved

I really liked the opening scene with Missy and Clara on the hill and Clara hanging upside down. I hadn’t wanted their supposed extermination to be the end of the world for Missy and Clara and was pleased with how it was handled. I liked the idea of Missy sharpening a knife and could almost imagine her cooking Clara over a fire – it displayed her carnal nature and reminded us that she is dangerous by nature.

What Was Utterly Disgusting

With the notable exception of Bones, it is rare that a TV episode will turn my stomach but many aspects of this episode were quite grim. It starts off with what I thought would be the most disgusting thing I could ever see and I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to erase the image of (half of) Davros lying discarded, his wires and innards spilling over the floor. Of course, that sickening visual was replaced less than a second later with The Doctor in a Dalek tin can.

It turns out, that was nothing. Moments later, Clara and Missy are in a sewer and the walls are positively oozing with snot-like organic matter. As I type this, I’m taking a long, deep breath to try settle my tummy because that was bad enough before Missy informs us that this is a Dalek graveyard.

Minutes later it turns out that Snakeman Colony Sarff is back and we’re treated to him swallowing up The Doctor. It is really like one grim, disgusting concept after another and I loved it!

The pinnacle was Missy pulling a dead Dalek carcass out of a tin can – it really is a credit to this show that all of this has such a strong effect on the viewer and I’m certain I wasn’t the only viewer going “eew”.

There was more to come though. There was the sight of Davros’s watery, rheumy eyes; the idea of him being deep and meaningful and, worst of all, Davros smiling. It was simply horrendous.

What I Thought I Didn’t Like

For a large part of the episode, I really didn’t like the sentimentalism and the idea that Davros and Missy were acting entirely out of character. I was bored with Davros moping on about dying and was just wishing he’d get it over and done with when The Doctor himself asked him to get on with it. 

The scene with Davros’s eyes and eyeball-curdling smile was even worse when he asked if he was good. I found myself yelling at the TV “the &%$£ you’re a good man!”

I was therefore as thrilled as could be when Davros began stealing The Doctor’s regeneration energy and a little part of me danced when Missy began acting like an evil little troll.  Of course she’d try get The Doctor to inadvertently kill Clara because she thrives on chaos!

I thoroughly enjoyed Michelle Gomez in her role as Missy and I certainly hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of her.

What I Really Didn’t Like

Which neatly brings me to what I really didn’t like – Missy’s line “tell him the bitch is back”. Firstly, this is a children’s show and I didn’t like it when Molly Weasley used it in Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows and I liked it even less here.

Secondly, no. No Moffet, no. Don’t ever call a woman a bitch you misogynistic piece of crap. That word is so problematic and no matter Missy’s motives and reasons, you don’t reduce her thoughts and actions to one slur.

That’s all I have to say on the matter – feel free to disagree.

Verdict

That problem aside, I enjoyed the episode and was pleased with the ending. I didn’t like the idea that The Doctor would hurt a child and was glad that he rescued our blue-eyed little boy Davros.

I’m also thrilled that The Doctor got his T.A.R.D.I.S. back but really, really hope that he gets over the idea of wearable technology and sonic sunglasses soon. They are nasty!

One final thought – you’d have to have been listening closely to catch it but when Missy handcuffs Clara, she’s waxing on about dark star allow and says:

It’s pretty, though, isn’t it? Got it in the olden days on Gallifrey. The Doctor gave it to me when my daughter…

At this point you should be asking yourself what daughter? I really hope there is more to come because this would be an incredible storyline.

Notable “The Witch’s Familiar” Quotes

As always, the one liners and quotes made the episode and these are some of my favourites.

"Can I have a stick too?” – Clara

“Make your own stick” – Missy

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“Because if Clara Oswald is really dead, you’d better be careful how you tell me” – The Doctor

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“You keep saying that, but you keep not dying. Can you give it some welly?” – The Doctor mirroring my thoughts exactly.

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"My Daleks are afflicted with a genetic defect” – Davros

“What defect?” – The Doctor

“Respect, mercy for their father” – Davros

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“Is this the conscience of a Doctor or his shame?” – Davros

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“Compassion… grows strong and fierce in you like a cancer” – Davros

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“You’re my secret favourite, don’t tell the others” – Missy to the entire Dalek hive mind

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“It wasn’t me who ran, Doctor. That was always you” – Missy

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“Dalek Supreme, your sewers are revolting” – Missy

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Doctor Who returns with “Under The Lake” next Saturday evening 3 October 2015 at 8.25pm on BBC One. The monsters look incredible and I simply cannot wait for this episode! 7 more sleeps.

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TV Review: Doctor Who - The Magician's Apprentice

Wow. That was one of the most explosive and most divisive Doctor Who season openers in years. Twitter is exploding as we speak with half the Twittersphere calling it bad fan fiction and the other half lauding it as a streak of mastery.

And me? I really enjoyed it. The episode was full of surprises and a real treat for lifelong fans and newcomers alike. I don't think it will be possible to do a spoiler-free review of the episode and frankly, I'd like to remember the best parts of it. So here you go, here is your spoiler warning.

*** Spoiler warning. Close this webpage now if you have not watched Doctor Who – “The Magician's Apprentice” ***

What I Loved

I pretty much loved the whole episode so this section is going to be more of a synopsis than usual and less a few bullet points on what I loved.

“The Magician's Apprentice” opens in a war-torn landscape. A young boy gets trapped in a handmine field and the man who tries to help him is brutally attacked and pulled under the earth. I loved the handmines. At first I was struggling to understand what the actors were saying but it really was 'handmines' and they really were creepy, terrifying and ominous. And the eyes. That is amongst one of the most surreal Doctor Who concepts ever.

I did not expect to see The Doctor but suddenly he is there, telling the boy he has a one-in-a-thousand chance of survival and to take that chance. And then he asks the boy what his name is and he says it is... (gasp!) Davros!

Following the credits, the next several scenes are all over the place but in a good way. The scene opens to Nick Cave's “Weeping Song” and the terrible Colony Sarff is looking for The Doctor. His search leads him to the Shadow Proclamation and the Sisterhood of Karn. What does Davros want with The Doctor?

Back on Earth, Clara (Jenna Coleman) notices a plane hanging in the air. She urges her class to get online and on Twitter. “Hashtag the planes have stopped” she says and within seconds Twitter goes meta with a real life #theplaneshavestopped.

Soon we realise that The Master Mistress Missy is behind it all and she would very much like to speak with Clara without being executed. The fact that Missy is in fact not dead comes as a surprise to absolutely no one given that the BBC likes to flood us with spoilers and Missy was in just about every season 9 promo photo.

Case in point:

Just in case you weren’t paying attention before, I really am going to dig through the whole episode here so if you haven’t seen it yet, this is your second spoiler warning.

*** Spoiler warning. Close this webpage now if you have not watched Doctor Who – “The Magician's Apprentice” ***

It turns out this is The Doctor’s second-last day on Earth and he has sent his will and testament to Missy. But how is a Time Lord meant to die, Clara wants to know. With meditation, repentance and acceptance, says Missy ominously.

Suddenly we are in Essex in 1148AD and in perhaps the most bizarre sequence of all time, we meet ZZ Top Doctor. What the…? And then The Doctor is hugging Clara, hiding his face and giving the shifty-eyed look that so many of us associated with Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor. Remember, hugging is just a way to hide your face.

This is followed by the appearance of Colony Sarff and the genuinely disturbing visual of him unravelling like a snake. Ewww. Some things you wish you could unsee. It turns out he has found his target and The Doctor will meet with Davros. And so, it seems, will Clara and Missy.

For a moment there, it felt almost poignant that Davros and The Doctor would be together at the end of the former’s very long life. But we now know why The Doctor is there and the twisted causality that lead the Twelfth incarnation of The Doctor to betray Davros and bring down an era of war and suffering.

There was another audible gasp from behind the sofa (it might have been me) as we realised that we were on Skaro and that we’d come full circle. How on earth do you explain to people who have only watched since Christopher Eccleston that we are where it all began 52 years ago in An Unearthly Child?

And suddenly Missy and Clara are exterminated and I can’t believe my eyes. There is utter and complete silence in the room as my mind rapidly embarks on a cycle of bargaining and denial. I refuse to process it and imagine that yes, this will be continued next week.

What I Don’t Get

I’m willing to ride with it and see where it goes but I don’t get Missy’s attitude to The Doctor. Sure, The Master is mischievous and likes to play games but ultimately he/she is a brutal sociopath who lets nothing and no one stand in the way in of universal domination and total power.

Which neatly brings me to my next point. I’m sure from the wording of my sentence above, it is clear that I don’t believe we’ve seen the end of The Master or Clara for that matter. I’ve been wrong before and tend to err on the side of denial and naivety when it comes to the loss of fictional nemeses (or favourite characters) who have been around since the dawn of time but I’m kind of hoping and wishing that they aren’t really gone.

Then again, the prevailing message that Doctor Who has taught us over the years is that an event like the extermination of Clara and The Master probably creates a fixed point in time and there is probably no coming back from it.

If this is it, if that is the end of the story for these two characters, then you can imagine a bit of a diatribe a little further along the line because I don’t like it. I’ve never really been a fan of Clara’s but The Master / Missy is the ultimate nemesis and deserved a little better than that.

Notable Quotes

Most of the notable quotes in this episode come from Missy (Michelle Gomez). She really is the most witty, delightful, psychotic character and gets all the best lines.

“I’m just a passer by. I was looking for a bookshop. How do you think I’m doing?” – The Doctor to a young Davros

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“We can’t just find The Doctor and bleat. He’ll go Scottish” – Clara

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”Not dead. Back. Big surprise” – Missy 

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“A friendship older than your civilisation and infinitely more complex” – Missy

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“Hang on. Davros is your arch enemy now? I’ll scratch his eye out” – Jealous Missy

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“A mutant in a tank that would ever, ever stop and they never did” – The Doctor

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“Davros made the Daleks but who made Davros?” – The Doctor

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“Hunter and prey held in the ecstasy of crisis. Is this not life at its purest?” – Davros

The Verdict

I really enjoyed The Magician’s Apprentice and cannot wait for The Witch’s Familiar which will air next Saturday 26 September 2015 on BBC One at 7.45pm. I’m really enjoying Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor and am hoping they give him some decent storylines this season.

If you’re wondering where to visit next, why not try 12 contenders to replace Jenna Coleman as Doctor Who's next companion.

All images © BBC

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Film Review: War Book (2015)

Who wants to play war? During the Cold War, British Civil Servants met on a regular basis to play out scenarios of a nuclear attack. Their war games were deadly serious and they formed the basis of a document setting out government protocol in the event of a nuclear attack. This document became known as the War Book.

What if these war games took place today? Directed by Tom Harper and written by Jack Thorne, War Book takes place over just three days in a nondescript boardroom in the House of Commons. Nine civil servants are presented with a scenario of a nuclear attack in Mumbai by Pakistani government-backed extremists. Tensions are already high in the room before the session begins with old rivalries arising and clear antagonism between several of the participants.

The group moves to focus on the matter at hand and with alarming rapidity the position descends into military readiness, closed borders and the quarantine of returning British citizens. This is only day one and as the more experienced members of the team move through the motions with sharp precision, several of the younger members balk at the enormity of the decisions being made.

And the situation is enormous. The viewer is watching from the safety of their sitting room  while the team battle a fictional scenario from the safety of their boardroom and yet somehow the full weight of their predicament is conveyed on screen. Principles of self-preservation and civil liberties clash as the group struggle to comprehend the full global impact of a nuclear attack on the other side of the world.

War Book is, in a word, superb. Filmed almost entirely in the boardroom, the strength of the film lies in the performances of the nine actors. Shaun Evans (Endeavour) gives an inspired performance as the troubled and conflicted Tom. With his unwavering focus on the morality of the group’s decisions, Tom paints an increasingly lonely figure as the often sole source of dissent in the room.

Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda) is powerful in her role as Philippa, chair of the proceedings and acting Secretary of State. Philippa is the only real source of authority in the room and is tasked with dampening rising tempers and uniting an increasingly discordant group.

War Book is an evocative film that raises endless questions. Just as the audience feels they have figured it all out, another ethical conundrum is dropped and the deadly consequences of inaction become ever more apparent. Long after the final credits, the viewer is left turning over the inevitability of the chosen course of action in their mind.

The film is a chilling insight into how quickly a situation like this would escalate and how fragile the current world order truly is. I believe that this film would do extremely well on stage and look forward to a theatre adaptation.

I give War Book a superb five out of five stars and would highly recommend that you catch the film when it airs on BBC Four on 11 August 2015 at 10pm

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BBC Top of the Lake: DVD review and giveaway

No ordinary place. No ordinary crime.

When twelve-year-old Tui Mitcham (Jacqueline Joe) walks chest deep into the freezing waters of an alpine lake in Lake Top, New Zealand, a series of events is put into motion that will devastate the local community. Once rescued from the lake by teachers, the school nurse discovers that Tui is five months pregnant and the matter is referred to the police.

Robin Griffin (Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men) is in Lake Top visiting her dying mother, having left for Sydney, Australia in dark circumstances several years before. A detective with specialist child protection training, Griffin is called in to assist on the case and begins to make a connection with Tui. Then the girl disappears.

Griffin’s search for the missing girl exposes her to Tui’s drug lord father Matt Mitcham (Peter Mullan) and his morally corrupt band of sons and business associates. She is reunited with Tui’s half-brother Johnno Mitcham, her one time friend and would-be high school sweetheart. Griffin investigates the hilltop community of Paradise, a place of lost women lead by the enigmatic GJ (Holly Hunter) and tries to break through to Tui’s best friend Jamie who has stopped talking.

The more obsessed that Griffin becomes with finding the girl and solving the mystery of who the father of her child is, the less interested Detective Al Parker and the rest of the police force becomes.

Ultimately, Griffin realises that she will need to confront the horrors that she experienced as a teenager in Lake Top and resolve her own secrets if she is ever to get to the bottom of this case.

Top of the Lake is a six-part BBC Worldwide drama created by Academy Award winning writer / director Jane Campion (The Piano) and produced by the Academy Award winning producers of The King’s Speech. It is a dark and often deeply disturbing look into the secrets of a small New Zealand town and the lengths people will go to in order to protect those secrets. It stars Elisabeth Moss, David Wenham (Lord of the Rings), Peter Mullan, Thomas M Wright and Holly Hunter.

The casting of American Elisabeth Moss in the lead role of Robin Griffin was a controversial one that caused the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to pull their funding and support for this production. It is understandable too as Moss certainly struggles with the notoriously difficult Antipodean accent. Ultimately, it does not matter. Moss is utterly convincing and moving in her performance of the damaged yet driven Detective Griffin. Her chemistry with on-screen partner Thomas M Wright, who plays Johnno, is palpable and Wright himself gives a notable performance.

The true stars of the show were the youngsters including Jacqueline Joe who plays Tui and Luke Buchanan in his role as her electively mute boyfriend Jamie. There were several scenes of the children playing not as teenagers would do but indeed as children would play in the very last moments of their childhoods. This provides a powerful foundation for the evil to which they have been exposed.

Top of the Lake was filmed entirely on location in New Zealand in the towns of Queenstown and Glenorchy. The production features some incredible cinematography and the haunting and moody landscapes provide a powerful backdrop to the equally dark themes of the story.

Top of the Lake is a series that will play in your mind for a very long time after the end credits have rolled. So much is revealed in the closing scenes of the production that it takes some time to piece together all the clues and breadcrumbs that were dropped during the previous six episodes. I want to say that the final twist in the story was entirely unexpected but looking back, it was all so obvious and Campion had masterfully laid all of her cards out in the open, if only the viewer had been playing attention. Strange occurrences that had appeared incidental and seemingly random storylines were suddenly drawn together and resolved in that final, devastating reveal.

This is television at its best.

I have always maintained that one does not watch Jane Campion’s work for fun. There are no taboos as far as Campion is concerned regarding sexuality and the depths to which human beings will stoop in their depravity. But there is a realism to her work, one that makes her work necessary and important. Top of the Lake is incredibly powerful and an excellent example of her very best work.

I would highly recommend Top of the Lake and I have TWO copies of the 3-disc DVD to give away. All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment below and state that you want it. Winners will be drawn at random on 20 September 2013. 

This is a region 2 & 4 DVD so the competition is open to anyone living in: Europe, Middle East, Egypt, Japan, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Greenland, French Overseas departments and territories, South America, Central America, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea and much of Oceania.

Earn one extra entry by tweeting about the giveaway to your follower (copy in @mandyist).

If you don’t win the giveaway, you can purchase the complete 3-disc Top of the Lake DVD set at Amazon by visiting Top of the Lake [DVD] or Top of the Lake [Blu-ray]. The series is also available to download from iTunes.

UPDATE: 22 September 2013: Thank you to everyone who entered. I assigned you each a number (with an extra one for those who tweeted), ran them through random.org and the winners of the giveaway are John and Pam. I'll email you for your address details.

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TV Review: Merlin – “The Diamond of the Day” (parts 1 & 2)

I never wanted to watch the final episode of BBC Merlin. I was convinced for the longest time that there would be a sixth season and I was horribly unprepared for the news that the show was to end after the fifth season. It is especially difficult because this has not been the best of seasons: I hated the storyline of Morgana’s breaking of Guinevere’s spirit and the subsequent hijacking of her will. That magical spell of Arthur and Guinevere’s romance, of his choosing to be with her in spite of her standing as a servant girl, was broken.

The temptation is to draw this out forever but I won’t.  I’ll be a good fangirl and write up my final Merlin review ever.  I’ve combined both episodes as well as they were aired together and it would be silly to spilt it up

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

Gratuitous spoilers for “The Diamond of the Day” (parts 1 & 2)

 

Bittersweet Love and Regrets

“The Diamond of the Day” started of really well.  I really enjoyed the first scenes where Morgana stole the magical powers from Ari (Peter Guinness). Mordred’s comment about about Morgana destroying loyal allies would have been deeply telling if it had been uttered in the first couple of episodes of the season (say, instead of the Evil Guinevere arc) but really, it was a bit wasted here.

I did enjoy the scene with Merlin (Colin Morgan) cheating at dice. Arthur made such progress in growing up and becoming more respectful in seasons 3 and 4 but rarely have we seen any of that in this final season. I was just glad to see Merlin get the upper hand for once.

I even liked the scene where Merlin lost his magic. It is crazy because for the longest time, I was worried that it was Gaius (Richard Wilson) who had lost his magic and didn’t for a moment think it would happen to Merlin. What a fabulous concept.

I was bursting with pride at Arthur’s decision to ride out to meet Morgana (Katie McGrath) in battle and to protect his subjects from further harm.  But that turned to heartache when they agreed to make their last stand at Camlann.

My Heart Begins to Tear Apart

“The Diamond of the Day” was difficult to watch and my heart soon began to tear apart. Part of it was the suspense and knowing that it was ending, part of it was that too much was going wrong and there was no time to fix it. I think I felt physical pain in my chest when Arthur accused Merlin of being a coward. I can barely write about it now. It was so unfair and Merlin deserved so much better than this, disappointment with barely an hour to go until the end.

I loved the scenes in the Valley of the Fallen Kings and in the Crystal Cave. As British television moves away from genre shows, I know that it will be a long time before we see such magical, beautiful scenes in a UK show. Somehow hidden caves and ancient stones don’t quite match up with hard-hitting crime dramas.

As part 1 of the two-part finale came to a close, Merlin was locked in a cave without his powers. He was alone and had no one but Gaius to believe in him (and Gwaine at a stretch). It was a dire moment and I had to wonder whether all would be saved in the final hour.

The Grand Finale

I kind of loved that Merlin’s father Balinor (John Lynch) returned as Merlin’s spirit guide to help him reclaim his magic and escape the Crystal Cave. The scene with Merlin standing tall on the mountain over Camlann, wielding his magic, and commanding the dragon Aithusa was incredible. I loved that Arthur killed Mordred (Alexander Vlahos) but was devastated that he was stabbed with the sword forged in dragon’s breath. My heart finally stopped beating when Merlin picked Arthur up and carried him from the battle.

But I was so disappointed in the magic reveal. Let me emphasise that. I hated the magic reveal. It was absolutely underwhelming. I hated that Arthur still didn’t show Merlin respect, that his reaction was one of disappointment, hurt and betrayal. The look on Merlin’s face when Arthur said he’d lied to him all this time nearly finished me, it was very nearly my undoing.

I wonder if the writers realise that they spent five years building a character up, that they named a show after him and made him a hero and then they destroyed him in the last episode? Merlin deserved so much more than this and so did the viewers. Then again, Guinevere (Angel Coulby) deserved more than what she got this season too.

After that, there isn’t too much more to say. I loved the moment when Guinevere realised that Merlin was the sorcerer but died a little bit when Gwaine (Eoin Macken) died. I was only revived because Percival (Tom Hopper) was so awesome in that scene.

And yay! Morgana died in the end. But then so did Arthur and I still don’t think that Merlin came even close to receiving the glory he deserved.  And what the heck was that final scene with the truck?

Verdict

Ultimately, “The Diamond of the Day” broke my heart. Actually, the whole of the fifth and final season of BBC Merlin broke my heart. I wish that my heartbreak had to do with the unavoidable death of King Arthur, the once and future king but it didn’t. It had to do with the writers short-changing fans and assassinating two of our favourite characters. I’ve decided that it just won’t do. I won’t accept it. I’ve decided to rewrite the final season.

Whereby I Rewrite the Final Season of Merlin

Why did the writers not spend the last season focusing on Merlin’s magic?

Merlin could have lost his magic at in a two-episode season opener and then regained it. There could have been a explosive mid-season reveal where Arthur finally learned of his magic and that could have been followed by Merlin and Arthur fighting darkness together. The kingdom of Camelot could have been united once and for all with the Druids and citizens of Camelot fighting for a common goal. Morgana could have uncovered Emrys’s true identity in the 9th episode and then we could have had a devastating finale where Arthur and Merlin fight side by side with the Knights of Camelot but Arthur still dies.

I have to admit, I think I prefer my version and this is how I will choose to remember my favourite show.

The Most Memorable Quotes of All

Mordred: “He was a loyal soldier. In robbing him of his magic, you’ve lost yourself a powerful ally”.

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Arthur: “You know Merlin, all those jokes about you being a coward? I never really meant any of them. I always though you were the bravest man I ever met. I guess I was wrong”.

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Guinevere: "Your plan is brave and bold and our only chance to defeat Morgana once and for all. Yes, we could have held out in the citadel but for how long? And at what cost to the kingdom? I have never for a moment doubted the valour and wisdom of this choice".

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Gaius: "Arthur, he doesn't just have magic. There are those who say he is the greatest sorceror ever to walk this earth".

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Arthur: "All these years Merlin, you never once sought any credit.

   

All images © BBC / Shine

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