Capaldi's defining moment as the Doctor has to be this speech. It gives me goosebumps. Bravo.
Then
the Doctor goes ahead and reduces me to tears with his passion and
pain. He forgives. The most powerful speech in the shows 50-plus year
history. Words don't do this performance justice. It has to be seen.
'Sleep No More' is a bit of an experimental episode, with it's 'found
footage' motif. I can't decide if I like it or not. It's not a bad
story, really. It's just up against some great competition this series.
For starters, the monsters of the piece are genuinely original and
appropriately creepy. Re-watching it again, I find the point of view
style of filming to be well managed for the most part, with only a few
moments being unclear. The villain of the episode actually appea
rs
to succeed, with the Doctor narrowly escaping in the TARDIS being the
closest thing to a victory this time around. Yet another example of the
Twelfth Doctor apparently breaking the fourth wall by looking straight
at us, the viewer, throughout the episode. The clues about the lack of
camera's are actually present throughout the episode, too. A nice touch.
That ending was pretty unsettling, wasn't it?
'Face the Raven' is the big one, folks. All that subtle and
not-so-subtle foreshadowing comes to a head with this episode. Rigsy
returns with a strange tattoo that draws the Doctor and Clara into a
mystery. But that's not the real point of the story, no. It's not about
the trap street either. The TARDIS gets a good showing this week, flying
above London and generally being useful. When Clara dangles dangerously
out the doors, she should be worries but she's become so unfazed
by
all this, it's like she believes she's got plot armour. But she
doesn't. I realize the point of this series arc is all about her and the
Doctor becoming very much alike and the severe danger that puts her in,
what with her not having the ability to regenerate to save herself and
all that. Me returns as the Mayor of the trap street. She's still
borderline but works as force for good protecting her street. Obviously
the 'Quantum Shade' or Raven had to be a massively powerful being to
ensure we don't have the Doctor's usual sneaky cheating to get out of
the situation. It can grow tiresome having the Doctor be the most
god-like person in the room, so it's a good change. Maybe one day,
they'll bring back the Eternals. Clara's 'Doctor 101' line and thinking
herself clever because she believes she can cheat the death sentence is
all too obvious. She's a marked woman and she has been for far longer
than this episode. The big reveal that Rigsy was set up comes as no
great surprise. The countdown of this episode does ratchet up the
tension a bit but it's not until the climax that it holds much dramatic
weight. I like the basics of this story but there is something off about
the execution and pacing of the episode. Mayor Me being afraid and
believing she is doing the right thing really had me going for a second
because I had initially guessed the shadowy big bad behind the whole
series arc and this threw a wrench into my plans. But no, should have
never doubted it. So....what was the actual point of the Confession Dial
from the beginning of the series being carted around all this time? I
know it's a plot point but what was the Doctor doing with it all this
time? He didn't still think he was going to die, did he? The gnawing
sense of dread surrounding Clara when she realizes she's signed her own
death warrant. The Doctor is furious and threatening to rain down hell
on Me. It's all so good. His anger and Clara's plea that the Doctor not
act out. She accepts her death. The final words between the Doctor and
Clara are actually really stirring stuff. Telling him not to be furious
or sad or alone, but to be a Doctor. A final hug and then it's time to
face the raven. I found it very emotional because I frankly grew to love
Clara as a companion. The Doctor telling Me that Clara was saving her,
not him was really scary. And off the Doctor goes to parts unknown,
caught in the trap. The post credits scene with Rigsy beautifully
memorializing Clara by painting the TARDIS was a nice tribute.
'Heaven Sent' is my favourite Capaldi episode to date. It's almost a
one man show and that's probably what I like most about it. Capaldi can
hold the camera and command a scene like nobody's business. It's
compulsive viewing. Gripping. The veiled figure is perfectly creepy. The
Doctor continues to talk to Clara. The wound is still fresh for him.
The monologue is brilliant. The chalkboard. He's lecturing, tutoring,
teaching. It's what Capaldi's Doctor does so well. He consider
s
the moving and changing castle a torture chamber and the veil an
interrogator because he has secrets he will never give up. Given what
this place is later revealed to be, that says a lot. The lingering shots
of the castle and the puzzle of this place really sink in to your
subconscious. The mystery was intriguing. I love how the Doctor slowly
works out the mechanics of the place. The terrible realization that he
has eternity to dwell on Clara's death is a gut punch. This whole
episode is the Doctor's grief. When it's revealed he's been at this for
millenia over and over again, you realize he's reliving the fresh
tragedy of Clara's death over and over. That's rough. The montage is
really very stirring. It moves me. Tje Doctor pounding away at the wall
with his bare hands until he gets through shows astonishing persistence.
The long way round indeed. Is he now billions of years old? When he
says the Hybrid is 'me' I thought he was being clever and referring to
Ashildr. The Doctor is one hell of a bird.
So....'Hell Bent'....It's a bit of a let down as series finales go.
Oh, it's not terrible but the parts don't quite come together to form a
satisfying conclusion. Gallifrey. The Barn. The Doctor standing quietly
in defiance, drawing a line in the sand. All good stuff but it's too
soon for Gallifrey to return and off screen of all things. I suppose
because the loss of Clara is still fresh for him, but he really does go
too far. A bloodless coup doesn't excuse the murder of a f
ellow
Time Lord nor potentially fracturing the universe. I know the point is
he's gone too far but it feels wrong and his comeuppance isn't enough to
clean the taste from the mouth. So the Doctor used his supposed
knowledge of the Hybrid as leverage to get Clara back. When Capaldi
flips and becomes angry because his desperate plan is failing....that is
the rage of a Time Lord who can't accept when something is at it's end.
The whole Hybrid arc is poorly resolved, if it is even resolved. I
personally feel Clara was better off dying by her own actions. That said
the final goodbyes and the Doctor's sadness at not remember her is very
affecting. The whole bit about Clara being frozen right before her
death is a frustratingly open ended resolution that robs her death of
any drama or weight. Sure, she has to die but she can spend eternity
running before she has to face her fate.
'The
Husbands of River Song' is a lighthearted Christmas romp until the end
where it becomes the final piece of a 7 year puzzle. Then it's sweet and
sad and heartbreaking. Just when you thought the sad times would be
remedied with your standard Christmas cheer....I like this one. It's not
very substantial as plots go but it's a fun rollercoaster ride of
emotions.
Not going to lie, as a comic book super hero fan, I loved 'The Return
of Doctor Mysterio'. A truly delightful caper with all the trappings of
a super hero story and a Doctor Who Christmas Special all rolled into
one package under the tree. The Christopher Reeves Superman references
are the most obvious but there are several more scattered throughout the
episode. Is it especially mentally taxing? No, but it is mentally
stimulating. Nardole has a few well timed comedy moments that
work well. But I am uncertain how his character will be handled in the
coming series. He'll need a more robust and rounded characterisation to
work as a full time companion. The brief scene between him and the
Doctor is a nice start. Did I mention I love all the super hero tropes
this story utilizes? The final scenes with the Doctor's speech about
endings was lovely. The Doctor's been through a journey the past few
years and it shows. Bring on the new series.
Until I find a better way to scratch my itch for talking at length about Doctor Who, I remain
frogoat
