Here are my thoughts on this episode…
If doctor who was eligible for Oscar’s, this episode would doctor who’s oscarbait…
Not to say it’s bad, it is good and I think the acting in this episode was absolutely PHENOMENAL. But it felt very janky and rushed like certain moments came out of nowhere.
Pros:
-Theres a good idea here, a thing that feeds off of stories is a very interesting premise.
-the barber shop setting was a good choice. very atmospheric and felt almost like this could have been a stage show.
-The cold open was fantastic! Very chilling and set up the story very well
- I honestly love how they are utilizing the fact that the doctor is now black to do these types of stories that wouldn’t have been possible before (also love that both the writer and director were also black) truly a revolutionary episode in that sense. It’s wonderful that they did all they could to portray this culture properly.
-the barber was a decent enough villain and I like the connections to Anansi and the other story gods.
-the Jo Martin cameo caught me off guard (I actually had to rewind it a bit because I looked away from my screen and hear Jo Martin’s voice) but there’s no way they flew her in JUST to do a 10-second cameo right? Right?!?!
-15 didn’t cry! ITS A MIRACLE!!!!
-15’s outfit in the TARDIS scene was good.
Cons
-I wanted to love this, but it feels janky and like there were a lot of cuts made. Specifically in the beginning third. The ending then also felt a bit rushed. And I don’t know this think this is down to the writer being more familiar with stage writing than tv writing.
-Belinda could have been cut from this story and it make no difference. Which is a shame because I really enjoyed Belinda during the first three episodes, but I fear by the end we just won’t have spent enough time with her.
-continuing on Belinda, the opening TARDIS scene was not great. It starts out with a generic “you have to get me home, oh you want to do this thing? Okay.” Scene that we’ve gotten in every episode. It’s getting overly formulaic and making Belinda’s character inconsistent.
-I wish we would have gotten more from the barber. Like how was a human able to create the story engine? His character made little sense
-Why no cloister bell? A small thing but it’s been a while since we’ve heard it and I miss it.
-the spider was cool looking, but was nothing more than a Macguffin that they spoiled the ending in the trailer.
-the “World Wide Web” and “internet troll” lines felt like Russel inserts and very forced. I don’t know this for sure but it sure felt like it.
-also HUGE plot hole here… he mentions this is his first time being black, and I just assumed because he doesn’t remember being the fugitive doctor but then she appears in the episode and it implies he does indeed remember the events of her life? HUH?!?!
Overall this may be the first story of this season I have more negative than positive, but I can see what they were going for and it was still entertaining, but probably my second least favorite of the season. Which is a shame because I WANT to love this episode, but it is just a slight mess.
RATING: 6/10
