Doctor Who - THE CARETAKER Review

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.
  

Doctor Who - ROBOT OF SHERWOOD Review

 
Peter Capaldi makes an excellent counterpoint to a chocolate box Sherwood Forest in an episode that shows the programme taking those first steps toward hitting its stride.  What begins as a brightly-lit jaunt soon morphs into the macabre tone the series is  cultivating.  With the Doctor no longer the young, dazzling centre the Twelfth Time Lord becomes a bickering, simmering presence, though no less the hero as it turns out.

The writers are cleverly evolving Clara alongside him.  For Robot Of Sherwood Mark Gatiss has her as the person in control via her romantic knowledge of Robin's rose-tinted exploits.  Tom Riley as Robin is fine and the story about a crashed spaceship and a gold-plated plan you can take or leave.  But the marauding mechanicals are well-designed, disintegrating peasants via cross-shaped electric death rays and Ben Miller makes a strong villain.  He's been crying out for a Who baddie since his oily turn as a prickly civil servant in Primeval and doesn't disappoint here.  

The closing moments feature a lovely scene where Hood and The Doctor effectively compare notes as fictional heroes, an unexpected way perhaps to accentuate Capaldi's character.  While odd attempts to join in the hi-jinks fall a bit flat, most importantly we see him start to repress delight despite his alarming gaze.  A very encouraging instalment overall.