Boom
This story reminded me that while I love almost all Doctor Who in one way or another... I really love Steven Moffat’s Doctor Who.
Rant: I love the general idea of everything, and the aggressive criticism of the military industrial complex... but the “we’re fighting ourselves” thing seemed obvious to me from the start, and I would’ve liked some more misdirection, or justification that the people on the planet weren’t just complete idiots.
Rave: The Doctor. Gatwa’s been great in everything so far, but this is the episode that really sells me on him unwaveringly. When Ruby is shot, and falls, his reaction is so visceral yet controlled, it’s like a gut punch to watch. That little noise he makes... brilliant. Having him immediately open the TARDIS doors,[1] hear a scream, and run without thinking is just a great way to get him into the pickle in the first place too; simple but perfect. And the singing, and the contradictions, and the anger... this is a perfectly written and played Doctor.
- It’s been a while since I got excited about a special effect in Doctor Who, but using the LED screen to show the interior of the TARDIS behind the doors as a practical effect is pretty amazing, and looked great. ↩︎
