Some what conflicted on this epsiode. It was great! But it was also fluff! Somewhere between a 7 and an 8. If we can get "average" episodes like this on the regular, we're in for a real cracker of a season. Definitely the second strongest of the season thus far. Good balance of characters, great moments. Wish Yaz was given more to do. Kinda felt like we were learning more about her dad, sis and mum than her to a degree. Noth was great with what he was given, which wasn't much. He's essentially Mark Cuban? Ryan is great, felt like we're getting some much needed movement on him Graham. Graham, as ever, is the show stealer. Jodie is great. Love everything. Definitely a 5, 8, 10 vibe, but her empathy and her kindness are shining through. She cares, she helps. We could use a meaty emotional episode for the Doctor though. Was kinda hoping the Doctor would be a little more put off by the spiders considering they're one of the odd, motley crew who have killed one of her iterations in the past. (Seriously, Cybermen and the Doctor's own people are the prime motivators!)
And I absolutely loved the new time vortex!
And wanting "Tea at Yas''". The Doctor has always latched onto friends like a drowning fish, but it's at it's most apparent here since Rose. Having almost given up as Twelve, Thirteen is clinging to anything that gives her hope like a lifejacket.
Really like this reading of it. Her disappointment when they leave at the beginning is so natural and in character. It also reminds me a lot of the Four to Five transition, an older man meditating on death who is pushing people away leads into a fresh-faced, jubilant blonde who immediately has a dozen friends.
I think next episode he should stay on the Tardis while the rest have an adventure without him just to give them a chance as he's stolen almost every episode so far.
Hahahaha. It's really something how enjoyable Graham is and how deep his character is. I really responded to the Ten/Wilf relationship and I'm finding Graham is already my favorite from The Who Crew.
Thirteen's tenure is shaping up to be much more like Classic Who than any of the series up 'til now.
It does rather seem like Chibnal is moving toward the classic feel of the series. From the theme, the removal of cold opens, the plotting, the larger TARDIS team, etc. It's neat and it's sort of refreshing since RTD to Moffat really felt like minor changes to the overall "new drama" format.
The ending seemed rather rushed though, and the "morality" seemed a bit off this week. What happens to the spiders in the panic room? What about the spiders out in Sheffield that didn't go back to the nest? Is putting the mama spider out of it's misery quickly, worse than letting it suffer and slowly suffocate to death?
My favorite part of the episode was Ryan making shadow puppets in the background, while the Doctor is talking to the scientist in her lab. That got quite a big laugh out of me.
Yeah, I have to say that did bother me. I actually wished that they'd made a bigger point of not-Trump actively not heaving it be a mercy killing. Their plan did rather seem to be "let them suffocate to death." And I thought the scientist saying they deserved a natural death of forcing them into a tiny room and starving them to death was odd. It seemed like the "too big to live" ending was in mind, but it didn't quite jibe with the rest of the episode.
And yes! I loved Ryan doing that. Such a neat little character moment.
