It has been said in the past that every incarnation of the Doctor is a response to their previous one. In some cases it can even be regarded as sort of retort or comment on the latest moment in their life. The Third Doctor's stern and more direct nature could be seen as a response to the inherently silly smokescreen of the Second Doctor, while the Sixth Doctor's bombastic drive was completely at odds with the Fifth's more passive nature. Equally, the Eleventh Doctor was described by the eternally awesome Chuck Sonnenburg as an old man in a young man's body, enjoying his final years before the end.
The same seems to be true when it comes to show runners, as each desires to leave their own mark, completely shifting gears from their predecessor. With Moffat having left the show for good, Chibnall seemed set to quickly establish his new direction for Doctor Who to contrast with the past two incarnations.
The Synopsis
The Sinclair family are not the most united group of individuals. Ryan is affected by dyspraxia which affects his life in odd ways - and his capacity to ride a bike - while his grandmother's new marriage to her boyfriend Dennis has strained their relationship. During an outburst, he ends up being forced to try and retrieve his bike from the forest and stumbles upon something strange, large and blue. As police officer Yasmin Khan is drawn into the mess, strange occurrences begin to take place, such as a hovering ball of metal eels bringing a train to a halt. No one fully knows what is happening, or how the manic woman going by the name of the Doctor relates to any of it.
The Good
The immediate stance The Woman Who Fell to Earth takes is to rob the Doctor of everything. There's no TARDIS, no sonic screwdriver, no psychic paper or gadgets. She simply has her wits, the few memories she can call upon and her natural intelligence. This forces the character to adapt to her surroundings, and to show off her ability to work with little to nothing. This benefits the story for multiple reasons right from the outset - It gives impetus for her to link up with others, and for the new companions to quickly become involved in her story. It serves to establish the full retooling of the series to better reflect this new era without the previous one overshadowing it, and it wipes the metaphorical slate clean for new writers.
Jodie Foster quickly gives a very good impression in terms of her competence in this role, as the story rapidly throws new elements at her. The fact she has to work without the benefit of the aforementioned resources is the tip of the iceberg, as she drops directly into the middle of an alien attack. Furthermore, she is written and acts just as the Doctor, and resolves things in a manner which is distinct of her character. This needs to me emphasised as (the more sane) fears surrounding the characters related to treating her as River Song Mk. 2 or every episode saying "Here, the Doctor is a woman now, and this is a big thing!" Gender comes up a grand total of once, and it's both well handled and genuinely quite funny.
The cinematography has undergone a definite upgrade this season, with a far more cinematic feel to many scenes. You will notice this the most when it comes to the darker scenes, especially in terms of how the camera utilises environmental elements or slow tracking shots to emphasise space. Jamie Childs' history with high budget television shows has definitely paid off here, as he actively does everything possible to avoid any set looking like a sound stage. Combined with how many scenes can be filmed in a way which can actively transition from any theme with only minor visual edits - such as its unique ability to cross back and forth between horror and humour - it's a definite boon to the story.
Finally, and most pressingly, is the fact that this is a simple and direct story. There's no effort to make things "intelligent" to the point of tying the script in knots or making someone their own grandfather. There's no effort to create some meta narrative nonsense, or turn the Doctor into the centre of the universe. The episode actively steps back to the "I'm just a traveler" narrative the show once had, rather than boasting about who she is. It's a refreshing change, and without that baggage the script moves much quicker and easier between scenes. As such, the story benefits from a rapid pace which never feels too fast.
The Bad
Every Doctor needs to strike a strong impression from the start and help to offer some indication of how they will behave from here on. There is a great deal of wiggle room on offer as she is undergoing the typically instability born of a regeneration, but her behaviour seems to be a little familiar. If you're watching her performance, the usual mixture of blathering and rapidly delivered commentary is very reminiscent of David Tennant's Doctor, and not enough is done to help make her stand out. While this is certainly something which can be improved upon as the show finds its footing, it's unfortunate when a first impression reminds an audience of a popular prior incarnation.
Equally, the companions here seem to be defined more by their histories than personalities. There are a few solid moments which work well, but their successes come down to the choice of actors far more than detailed writing. With three new companions in total, more could have been done to better define them, or at least give them something more distinct to stand out. As it stands, they are good but not great, and come across as a means for the Doctor to get around the lack of her usual equipment.
Still, another element which did cause a few obvious problems stemmed from the villain of the episode. Without going into details, the villain is effective largely when he is seen as little as possible. With implications of power, threats and acts of controlled violence, he strikes an imposing shadow over the episode. This sadly disappears as the story goes on, both due to a few laughable visual elements and because they serve as a relatively low-level threat. The low level threat in of itself isn't inherently bad (Tom Baker started with Robot, after all) but after decades of the Doctors starting their careers by halting full-scale alien invasions, it feels like a step down.
Finally, and most pressingly, the resolution to the previous story's cliffhanger is rushed through and left without resolution. The Doctor effectively walks off being dropped from near orbit and, while those in their early hours of regeneration tend to be quite durable, this is pushing things. After all, people complained when the Tenth Doctor dropped through a skylight from a moving ship. This is someone who drops from somewhere close to the troposphere and through solid metal. It's difficult to simply ignore the episode glossing over something like that.
The Verdict
While it doesn't reach the heights of the Eleventh Hour or Christmas Invasion, this new episode avoids the flaws inherent in many past regeneration stories. Many of its flaws stem more from the new direction than the story itself, and it shows great promise for the years to come. It's enjoyable and engaging, but it feels as if the show isn't quite there yet, and will take a few more stories to hit its stride.
Verdict: 6.0 out of 10
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