Fans commenting on Doctor Who have noted that the second episode of a new era defines that era more than the first episode. The End of the World introduced Cassandra, the Face of Boe and the Doctor being the last of the Time Lords. The Beast Below introduced themes that Moffat would play with such as memory and monsters that turn out to be innocent. The impression I get from The Ghost Monument is that the Chris Chibnall era will be character driven but linear in terms of plot.
Last week's cliffhanger ending is resolved fairly quickly. Ryan and Graham are scooped up onto the ship of Angtrom (Susan Lynch). The Doctor and Yaz are scooped up onto the spaceship of Enzo (Shaun Dooley). After their space ships crash on Desolation we then get introduced to Ilin (Art Malik) who explains the plot. Epzo and Angstrom are part of a race to reach the Ghost Monument. Whoever gets there first will win money. To survive they must pass all the natural perils on the planet including alien micro-carnivores in the drinking water. The audience would little time to work out that the 'Ghost Monument' is actually the Tardis and thankfully, the Doctor doesn't take long to work this out. There are no real other surprises after this.
The characterization of the guest starts is also fairly straightforward. Epzo is the typical guy who has learnt to survive on his own. So you know straight away that he is going to end up working together. The theme of teamwork that binds this episode together is a fairly straightforward one. The character of Ilin, played by Art Malik, is really just an exposition engine. I can't think of any interesting character traits he had.
The only real surprise is that it transpires that the weapons were developed for the Stenza, the creatures that Tim Shaw was a member of. It is also revealed that the Doctor remembers something called 'The Timeless Child'. Although it'll be interesting to see the Stenza fleshed out, I'm less keen on the Timeless Child. I really hope it does not end up being like the Hybrid. I've had enough of things from the Doctor's past
Unfortunately the slow pacing issues that were there in last week's episode are really ramped up here. After the exciting space crash landing sequence, the episode crawls to a halt when they are crossing the water on the boat. There's a lot of chat and we get a lot of character backstory but without good dialogue it feels a little lifeless. I wonder if there was a cut scene where someone drops something in the water and eats it. The scene would have been more dramatic if the boat had started sinking.
Fortunately, things start to pick up again once the characters get to the abandoned ruins. Robot Guards and flying toilet rolls go after our heroes. These Robots look impressive but are really just an obstacle and are not that interesting in themselves. The Doctor weirdly complains about Ryan using guns and then uses an EMP Device and a cigar to burnt the atmosphere.
The crew reach the Ghost Monument. It is no surprise that Epzo and Angstrom work together and are transported away.
The new Tardis interior is a mixed bag. I like the walls and crystal pillars but am not keen on some of the quirky buttons. I do quite like the custard cream dispenser though.
The characterof Ilin was a bit vague. I'm not sure for whose benefit he's put n this race. Are others watching this somehow? What does Ilin himself get out of it?
There's not much development for our companions this week. Ryan is still dealing with the dyspraxia. Graham is still geting over Grace's death. We find out that Yasmin has a dad and a sister but that's it.
I would say this is the Doctor's episode. She is more clear in the head. She is slightly less quirky and she seems to rely on her friends a lot more. She takes charge but in a less overt way than Capaldi Doc. we et to see her hipocracy at not using guns but still destroying the robots. Her excitement at seeing the Tardis and her love for seeing it.
Another notable feature of this episode is the opening titles which are really well designed. The swirly blue ripples are reminiscent of the non-specific swirls and shapes seen in the sixties and seventies opening.
7/10
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