A silly idea is given just the right amount of credence in this scary adventure from the imagination of debut writer Peter Harness. You can say a lot of things about Series 8 but you couldn't accuse it of lacking content, especially in terms of the characters' relationships. Whereas previous runs have contained the odd filler episode (still a possibility here with five stories to go) the Capaldi season has been distinctive in that each instalment has carried a fair amount of meat. The moral dilemma and the Doctor's actions in relation to it are nothing new, but are handled in a more satisfying way via this latest team.
Chronically apathetic Courtney (Ellis George) accompanies the Time Lord and Clara this time, a brave gambit that in my view pays off. Harness makes her a central part of the action, in a scenario that would put cushions over many adults' faces, let alone childrens'. Hermione Norris is well-cast as a cynical planet-saving astronaut and the symptomatic "spiders" are rather nasty. The production moved to Lanzarote for the lunar landscapes and while it looks good they've treated it in a way that could have been
achieved in the studio in my opinion. At least the BBC has a bit of ambition, but more budget could have been freed up to realize things like the Doctor jumping into amniotic fluid or more importantly the Moon "baby" itself, eventually seen at a distance.
You may argue the denouement is on the touchy feely side and over-fantastical, but I won't, particularly when it's followed by a great scene where Clara turns on her friend and Danny's instincts prove to be correct. Jenna Coleman is really being tested this year
and she's more than rising to the challenge. As for the title character, this was a splendid demonstration of what Capaldi does best - he's still the Doctor, only different, and sums up what the programme is all about. His predecessor once abandoned his companions to thrash things out with the enemy in Cold Blood. That was a bit feeble. Here we're more in the realms of serious drama and at just past the halfway mark the diverse series is all the better for it.
The Twelfth Doctor goes undercover at Doctor Who's infamous Coal Hill School. He's there to get rid of a killing machine called the Skovox Blitzer but that turns out to be the sideshow to a proper confrontation - the introduction of Danny Pink to the TARDIS.
The Blitzer is truly an old school villain, more sophisticated than anything seen in the "classic" series but not a million miles away from it either. It has mechanical spider legs but is clearly trundling about the place and like the impregnable bank from last week its mythical status is questionable. Also it can be clearly outwitted if you do a bit of gymnastics. Peter Capaldi's means of defeating the menace is straight out of the Matt Smith era, first deploying an invisibility watch, then a Ghostbusters-style backpack to lure the enemy.
Gareth Roberts' and Steven Moffat's script is less about adventure and more to do with the evolution of the Doctor and Clara's relationship. He is now the disapproving father zeroing in on Mr Pink, the man who could spring her from the nest. Jenna Coleman (in full watt screwball comedy mode) sparks well off Capaldi and the light material that sometimes felt uneasy in Robot Of Sherwood works fine here. You'd think the ancient Time Lord would make mincemeat out of Danny but Samuel Anderson gives as good as he gets. I found the Doctor's blanket souring over soldiers a bit odd at first, but this military theme is being nicely developed and it'll be interesting to see how this incarnation takes to UNIT. Add to this an expansion of the series' "Missy" arc - a simple but compelling concept that I'm surprised hasn't been covered by the show before - and you have what is shaping up to be a consistent and mature run.
Ellis George appears to be joining the crew as disaffected schoolgirl Courtney. I'm not sure what qualities she is going to bring to the programme, though her involvement is fairly crucial. This looks to be Capaldi's first proper encounter with a child, Courtney representing a section of the audience that are maybe under-served by the current regeneration. In a canny move she is as lippy with the Doctor as everyone else.
