Gareth Roberts returns to writing Doctor Who with an episode that once again draws on the structure of The Lodger and Closing Time, where the Doctor goes undercover to sort out an alien threat on Earth. This time around, the Doctor is disguised as a Caretaker and laying a trap for a robot killer known as the Scovox Blitzer. I enjoyed Gareth's previous episodes, and assumed that this one would become one of my favourites. Yet despite knowing that this was a good episode, it didn't really do anything for me.
Perhaps this partly because I was expecting more of a comedy. The first act of the story certainly points that way, with the Doctor making jokes about Jane Austen and getting Clara' boyfriend confused with a Matt Smith lookalike. As in Gareth Roberts' previous stories, the Doctor gets easily confused with aspects of normal human behaviour.
When Danny Pink discovers who the Doctor is, and Clara's secret, the story turns a lot more serious. Danny is understandably annoyed at Clara for keeping this secret from him. It is very much a case of characters talking about their feelings.
The Scovox Blitzer returns for the final act, just in time for Parents evening. Fortunately, with the Doctor's technology, and Danny's assistance, the thing is stopped.
Danny Pink continues to be an impressive character. Unlike Rory he is more of a match for the Doctor, and the Doctor in turn, does not like him initially.
Clara spends the episode trying to keep secrets. She really goes on full control freak in this episode when she tries to convince Danny that the explosions and space monsters were part of the play.
Some commentators have complained that the Doctor's dislike of Danny for being a soldier is out of character. These people have clearly forgotten Doctor Who and the Silurians. There's also his participation in the Time War to consider, and, as Into the Dalek earlier demonstrated, The Doctor's hatred of soldiers may also stem from hatred of the soldier in himself. Let's not forget that he nearly joined the army when he was a child. His means of defeating the Scovox Blitzer involve pretending to be an officer.
The Scovox Blitzer looked cool and I liked the charred death effect. It didn't move particularly well, looking as though it was wobbling around. In the end, though it was just a plot device.
The only other thing I can think to mention is, Courtney Woods, the disruptive young girl who joins the Doctor in the Tardis at the end of the episode. She wasn't in it long enough for me to like or dislike her. This will likely pay off in the next episode, so I wll probably focus on her in that.
It's a strange thing to have an episode that you know is good yet you don't personally enjoy. The character related stuff is interesting, though the Scovox movement is not as well executed. Still, Gareth should still be congratulated for this episode.
8/10
Next Week: Spiders on the Moon. Those orange space suits that never bode well.
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