The Doctor faces an army of lethal Banksys in this imaginative script from Jamie Mathieson, which asks the simple but fiendish question: "What would happen if the TARDIS exterior became really small?" It's arguably the show's best in terms of special effects, with a disintegrating settee and marauding Bacon-esque figures among the highlights. The tone is lean and dark, a good fit for Peter Capaldi's trapped Time Lord.
It's also a rare case of the series attempting to reflect modern life, returning to a council estate environment last seen properly during the days of Rose Tyler. A community service team are the main characters, pilloried by guest star Christopher Fairbank (who
is underused). There's a decent "replacement" companion in Joivan Wade, named "Rigsby" for some bizarre reason. Capaldi and Coleman continue their strong partnership, and while critics of the Doctor's lack of involvement won't be pleased, they can't argue
that Coleman's performance doesn't compensate for a neutered title character. Personally I love the balance - if you hate it don't worry, there'll be another one along in a minute.
As with last week the conclusion is hurried and you could claim the overall concept needed a bit more development before leaving the 2D page. But this is another memorable three quarters of an hour and the latest in a string of interesting ideas that has set Series Eight apart from its predecessors.
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.
