The Church on Ruby Road. Written by Russell Davies, directed by Mark Tonderai. Starring Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson, Davina McCall.
The story, for once, is not an end of a city, end of a world, end of a universe thing. It's not a massive invasion of monsters or aliens bent on world domination or obliteration or whatever the hell. Daleks do not roam, Cyber boots do not stomp, and there's nary an ancient prophesy or apokyclypse in sight.
The Doctor, upbeat and out to have a good time for himself on Christmas- taking in the sights on his favorite planet and amongst his favorite species- takes notice of something. And from that builds the plot, introducing the new companion and setting the tone for this incarnation of character and series.
Russell T Davies has, I can report, for good or ill, not settled this thing down into a specific genre. He still takes Clarke's Law- any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable by the less advanced from magic- dead to heart.
I don't want to spoil anything that the preview hasn't so... if you caught whiff of either Gremlins or Labyrinth in the previews- you're not wrong. Not quite _right_, mind you, but the plot has clearly seen these movies.
Yup.
Goblins.
They make a good villain- not so much evil and bent on worse, but nasty and not entirely compatible with what most of us would find a good night out.
It all works out- in the typical way. Though not in a typically Doctorish way. Ncuti's Doctor- due to some handwavium in the last Tennant/Tate special- is, probably for the first time we have _ever_ seen the character, in the entire history of the show... not in a mood. He's not running from anything, to anything, or obsessed with issues from his past.
He's not so much over all of that as... accepting of it all. Shit happened, in his _thousands_ of years of life. Lot of it bad, lot of it he could not make better. But rather than this placing a hole in his heart or a bleak tinge to his character, this Doctor has perspective on it all. He is not distant, not emotionally blocked up. not secretly anything. He's a young man, out to have a good time, willing to help out if and when needed. Very much, in this version, a cheerful sort.
There was a lot of chatter about the Doctor's sexuality when Ncuti was cast- in that the showrunner and actor are openly gay- a phrase I loathe but which still bears.
Wrong worry, fanbase.
What's going to be harder to deal with, I think, for long term fans, is the Doctor as happy. A little of Bugs Bunny's love of mischief to him. a little flash of temper here and there, but basically, a happy rascal.
The moodiness, the broodiness, the Doctor literally withdrawing from everything to live in isolation in a cloud, or peevish because of what's been done or what's happened... Poof. Now, he does _react_ to what happens, but it's not flashing out of an endless puddle of gloom.
There will be comparisons to other versions of the Doctor, in the show's 60 year history. Inevitable, I think. Some will see the dash of the Third, or the goofiness of the Fourth. Others might see a lot of the Tenth and Eleventh in this.
All wrong. This is someting new. The sunny Doctor, the basically happy Doctor, the young and in love with life Doctor.
I like it. I like it a lot.
Millie Gibson's companion, Ruby Sunday, is actually more like the general version of the Doctor than the Doctor. She's moody, broody about her life and circumstance, looking to figure out her own history and commanding.
There is a late in the episode twist- remember Davies now, do you, as a writer?- that I very much enjoyed. It's something Steven Moffat might have pulled, actually- a serious yank on the crank that may or not mean anything serious, but which is certainly going to wind up the fanbase and build speculation, the clear intent of the thing. When I say it reminds me of Moffat- prior showrunner and head writer, two back from Davies- I mean that it's a decreasing radius of a turn sort of thing, getting spookier as it rattles along- that reminds me of Moffat's work on the Hyde mini series, from many years back.
Or- for my friend Sean- I might better put it as a stinger right of of the EC playbook. Heh. Heh. Heh.,
9.5 of 10. Did what I wanted, with style, enjoyed myself.
Errata:
That half a point deduction is for the latest incarnation of the goddamned sonic screwdriver. Which- this time- looks more Star Trek than Doctor Who and less like a screw driver than ever. This tool has grown so far from original intent that I suppose I ought to be grateful they didn't just go with the wind on this and make it a full on wizard's wand, but even _that_ would have been more interesting and less annoyingly designed. Thought 13's was janky, did you? Thought 12's a bit over the top. Wait.
Just in case, Ncuti's name is pronounced Shootie. Shootie GATwa, in full. I'd been saying it wrong for a year, so.
Once again, the budget is clearly pretty high. Full scale sets where there used to be corridors and doors, practical effects blended well with computer stuff. The goblins looked good, and I wouldn't mind seeing them come back, either. Give me a hungry villain with a propensity for practical jokes any day.
Love the new TARDIS peek inside the door effect. When they started this,way back in 2005, it was generally a photo stand up applied to the interior back wall of the police box prop. Careful lighting and angles and all. This time, it accounts for movement and changes in angle. It looks much better. Much more like you are actually seeing into the console room.
By the by. that's the proper term. Not control room, not bridge. Console room.
He doesn't get a chance, here, but Ncuti, if they ever get around to it, is gonna make a brilliant shouty speechifier, in the grand tradition. Better than Tennant, not quite as good as either Tom Baker or Peter Capaldi.
