Class: The Metaphysical Engine, Or What Quill Did Next

Miss Quill has been one of the more interesting characters in the series, and we have finally reached an episode that is devoted to her. It's a particularly important turning point for her, as she is about to release the Arn, with a bit of help from Dorothea, a shape-shifting surgeon called Balon, and a device known as the metaphysical engine. What should be a fairly straightforward surgical procedure made more dramatic through the metaphysical imagery.

Compared to the previous episode, the visual scope was certainly greater. The Metaphysical Engine allows Quill, Dorothea and Balon, to visit a vast number of terrains, including a pink leafed forest of 'Arn heaven' and the cave of Lore hell, while culminating in a desert manifestation of the Cabinet of Souls. We also get a decent monster this week in the manifestation of the Quill Goddess.

Despite the greater number of locations, this was once again an episode which focused on a small group of characters, albeit less familiar ones. Quill, Dorothea and Balon all get some development here. With Quill, we learn about the death of her mother, see her come face to face with the Quill Goddess, become closer to Balon and then forced to watch him kill himself. We see how she has become a fighter to cope with the things taken from her.

We also get to see the more vulnerable side to Dorothea Ames as she is thrown into an unfamiliar situation. It makes the character surprisingly more likeable. Her words suggest that she is genuinly interested in Quill's well-being, unlike the rest of the Governors.

The newest character, Balon, Miss Quill's surgeon, is suitably played. There's not much of a personality, a gim guy who turns out to be likeable but he is okay. Ultimately we come to pity both him and Miss just at the point where they kill each other. The alternation between them chatting and them killing each other is nicely done.

A few nice Doctor Who references thrown in what with UNIT and Zygons. It would be nice if more actual elements from the parent series would appear in this show, but what we got here was okay.

It ends as last week's episode ended with the promise for more to come, but this time we see what happened next. Quill collapses. How her students cope with her now remains to be seen.

7/10

Class: Detained

Every TV show has a bottle episode at some point and this is the one for Class. The episode is set mainly inside a classroom with Miss Quill locking everyone inside for detention. Inside the classroom is a rock containing an alien entity which forces confessions out of the main cast. This acts as a means for them to work through some of their issues.

Some of those personal issues are ones that we, the audience, were already aware of. We already knew to some extent that Matteusz felt scared of Charlie's alien nature. We have also known that Tanya feels like the others were treating her differently. It was a nice change though for the sports jock to b the one who wanted a committed relationship and felt unsure that the nice girl felt the same way. It's usually the other way around.

The episode ends on a fascinating note with a longer haired Miss Quill free after having the arn in her head removed. This plot thread has certainly escalated more quickly than I was expecting. By the time that Spike had the chip taken out of his head in Buffy, he had already changed enough that he no longer wanted to kill humans. This is still only the first series of Class and it's hard to see how Quill can be anything but a villain at this stage.  Perhaos the next episode will shed some more light on her nature. With all of the cast split apart by their arguments how will things change?

This is a decent enough episode, although not as exciting as the plot developments it promises for later episodes. It has done a good job of making viewers intrigued for what happens next.

6/10

Class: Brave-ish Heart

We're halfway through the series now and things are heating up in the world of Class. When we last left off April had gone to the planet of the Shadow Kin  to kill Corikanus and reclaim her heart. More allusions to Buffy are abound this week as April gets to wield blades and face the Corikanus in one-on-one combat. The whole fight is good but the ending is a bit predictable. The whole thing of killing an alien to become ruler of their species was done better and more fun in The Tenth Doctor's debut, The Christmas Invasion.

Ram gets to support April throughout this episode. It is more of a sidekick role but since Ram has already proven himelf in The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo, this is acceptable. His best moment comes when he and April have an interesting conversation about the nature of faith. Ram puts forward a more positive slant than is usually shown in sci-fi shows. It's a welcome change from the old cliches.

Back on Earth, Miss Quill, Charlie and Matteusz are faced with their own problem. the Governors, who want Charlie to use the Cabinet of Souls as a weapon against the petals. If Charlie tries to use the Cabinet then it will destroy the Rhodian souls and everyone on Earth. The bit where Miss Quill punches Charlie is very reminiscent of the time Spike let his chip fire off in Buffy.

Tanya spends more time on the sidelines. This time she is forced to mediate between Ram and April's parents. So far she is still a character who is less interesting in herself than in the way she relates to the world around her. The parents themselves get a bit of development, having to adapt to their children's views in the new world. April's father finally gets a moment to pull April back from the brink.

The  Shadow Kin's planet, the Underneath, was fairly well realised, with its rocky surfaces and blue sun. The effect of the petals eating humans was also pulled off well. The scene of a man slamming into glass, bleeding from the petals, was very effective and chilling.

With the plot about April;s heart resolved, and the intervention of the Governors, it feels like we're entering a new period of the show.

7/10

Class: Co-Owner of a Lonely Heart

We've had an episode for Ram, then an episode for Tanya, now it's time for April to get her own episode.  April's link with Corikanus' heart, is strengthening and the situation is made more complicated by the fact that her father has recently been released from prison and is trying to see her, against her own wishes.

Sophie Hopkins gets a lot of good material this week as April, and the actor does a good job alternating between April's regular, sweet, personality and the angry and violent outbursts when the with Corikanus strengthens.

The Shadow Kin are also given greater depth by this story. Corikanus, the King, shows a more indecisive size, struggling with his vanishing heart. It is nice to see his world in its CGI glory, as well as getting to meet other members of his Kin. He even gets a monster sex-scene, which is pretty unusual for a creature in an all prosthetic suit. It's a disappointing that his voice has a generic deep and rumbly sound, but otherwise he is becoming interesting.

Charlie also gets some character development. His superior attitude towards Miss Quill, and thoughts of using the Cabinet as a weapon, is starting to alienate Matteusz and Tanya. It often seems to be the case that Tanya is less an interesting character in herself than the way she forces the others to think about themselves. She acts as a conscious to the increasingly arrogant Prince.

Miss Quill is becoming less and less happy with being Charlie's protector and this leads into her new deal with Miss Dawes, the new head teacher, who speaks for the Governors. Miss Dawes is amusingly camp and vicious. The progressing petal problem absorbing the blood of its victims is quite a creepy concept.

This episode is far more successful than Nightvisiting at developing the character it is focused on. Hopefully next week's episode will make the story better. The theme of not having to apologise to a parent is a good one, although the disabled parent being able to walk again felt false.

8/10