Doctor Who - Flatline Review

Again, I will start with a warning. This is probably going to be quite spoilery so don't read this unless you've seen the episode.

But gosh, where do I start? Such an original and well realised concept. I loved the pre title sequence, which was both scary and intriguing. As the episode moved on, not only was the story of the episode itself very well done but also it did very well in addressing the continuing relationships between Clara, Danny and the Doctor. The beginning felt a little slow, but probably only because of the "next time" trailer giving away too much, meaning that the sense of mystery wasn't there. For that reason I won't be deducting any points...

The idea of the Doctor being in a shrinking TARDIS was very clever, especially as it was apparently a late addition to the script for scheduling reasons. The only slight issue is that it was sort of apparent that they'd used all of the special effects money on the monsters rather than making the small TARDIS not look plastic, or indeed making the doorway of the TARDIS not look like it had been papered over to look like it had a smaller door. That said, the idea worked very well, as Clara becoming the Doctor highlighted very cleverly both characteristics of Clara and the Doctor. Unfortunately, this was treading very close to the realm of the show being self conscious again.

The above said, this was definitely the production and special effects teams' time to shine. Their work on the monsters was brilliant, and I enjoyed the A113 reference on the train (if you don't know what I'm talking about, go and watch every Pixar film ever and then Google it). The scene with the TARDIS returning to normal and the Doctor stepping out and epically defeating the enemy was very well done, with music and direction adding to the gravitas that Peter Capaldi always brings.

Now, let's talk about the end scene. Missy claims that she has "chosen" Clara. What could this mean? Well, remember the woman in the shop? If it weren't for her, Clara and the Doctor would never have met. Could it be that Missy knows that the Doctor's companions sometimes don't survive? Could it be that Missy was, even then, recruiting her for her "heaven"? I have a feeling the dilemma at the end of the series will be something along the lines of "Do I save the world and destroy this "heaven" which Clara is in, or do I save Clara and risk losing the world?"

The acting in this episode was tremendous, as was everything about it, really. It had just the right amount of humour and horror, and where there was humour, it was very funny. Despite its minor imperfections it was a nearly perfect episode. I was struggling to think about how to give this one points, as it was even better than last week's superb episode but not quite up to the standards of Listen. Alas, I think I have made up my mind.

Just a side note - my Dad seems to have made a good point about why this episode was set in Bristol. You know the famous graffitist Banksy whose work appears in Bristol, and then sometimes gets taken down by the council because it's not approved? There are definitely some parallels here. Just some food for thought - could Mathieson be BANKSY? (I joke, of course. Or do I...?)

9.75/10  (sorry, I had to)

Next week: The invasion of the forest puts humanity at risk. Also, Peppa Pig guest stars...