Former showrunner Steven Moffat delivers a much-needed palate cleanser from RTD’s fantastical whimsy with a stuck steeped in tension and drama.
Warning: Spoilers Sweetie!
Trapped on a war-torn planet, the Doctor must save the planet without stepping off a landmine.
Superb storytelling! And for many ‘Boom’ marks a triumphant sidestep from the fantasy arc that RTD is pushing. That’s not to say there are no ‘surreal made real’ moments because there is at least one with a snowflake but the adventure is firmly grounded in what many would consider to be more traditional Doctor Who fare.
On the surface it’s a simple story but what makes the premise great is how everyone works together to solve the problem while the Doctor is stuck on a triggered landmine.
Despite their explosive predicament, the Doctor doesn’t lack agency. Fun dialogue, a couple of digs at religion, commentary on capitalism and war along with a tight cast makes this episode especially satisfying.
Complex Space-Time Event
It must be noted that Ruby is perhaps too confident and eager to support the Doctor especially when risky action could result in imminent death. She has a recklessness that could be her undoing. So far she has been very lucky. However, will that luck eventually run out? Is this foreshadowing the death of a foolish companion?
The saddest of the supporting cast is Splice, effectively made an orphan after her father is euthanised by an ‘ambulance’ robot for not being fit enough for duty (damn temporary blindness). Her perception of death is tragic in that her father is still around via AI so he’s not really gone. I guess, this helps make the death in this adventure less grim somehow.
We’re Taking The Virus To Villengard
Reckon we’ll see more Villengard hardware in later episodes? I hope we do.
The episode ends on a quote referencing a Philip Larkin poem ‘what survives of us is love’. With all that family talk, you know, the Doctor being a Dad and having had a granddaughter, I wonder where that’s heading? Susan or Jenny return? More revelations about the Doctor’s origins? Exciting times for sure.
Big Questions
Resolution versus mystery, time will tell. The questions are piling up.
Who is Mrs Flood?
Who is Ruby Sunday?
What happened at the church at that point in time?
What is the Doctor if they are not of Gallifrey origin?
What God/entity/character terrifies the Toymaker aka The One Who Waits?
Why is Susan Twist doing a Bad-Wolf-style cameo in each episode?