Writer: Steven Moffat
Director: Rachel Talalay
Cast: Peter Capaldi
Synopsis: The Doctor finds himself trapped alone in a strange empty and desolate castle which rearranges itself at random intervals, stalked by a terrifying hooded creature known as the Veil. Is this a trap? Or something much more frightening?
Verdict:
Peter Capaldi’s Doctor hasn’t had quite the adoring fan admiration afforded to David Tennant and Matt Smith’s Doctors. It’s frustrating really considering just how his casting, and in particular his development of the character this season alone, have given the series a breath of fresh air. Heaven Sent goes some way in rectifying this issue though, itself a perfect showcase for Capaldi’s talents.
A skillfully plotted one-hander, Steven Moffat’s script is extremely clever, working out the limitations of having only one actor (and a silent hooded monster), and utilizing these limitations to the benefit of the plot, building tension and atmosphere. It’s a script packed full of great ideas, from the rearranging castle to the CCTV screens that depict the Veil’s line of vision, all of which add some genuine scares to the story (confession: we jumped!). It is also probably the most visually inventive episode of Series 9, no doubt down to talented returnee-director Rachel Talalay whose stark, haunting shots succeed in upping the unsettling, claustrophobic ante.
This was the kind of timey-wimey plot Moffat does best – when the big reveal regarding the true nature of the Doctor’s imprisonment comes towards the end of the episode, its a shock, but one that, in hindsight, has been built-up to and teased well throughout the episode. It’s also incredibly unsettling, especially the idea that the Doctor spends billions of years in this inescapable prison without even realizing, dying and rebooting himself over and over for eons in a bid to escape. These epic final scenes are a perfect combination of solid writing, editing and score,
There is also some great lightness of touch to proceedings, especially the Sherlock-esque mind-palace scenes (Mind-TARDIS anyone?!), all of which work as a clever way for the Doctor to talk to us without any fourth-wall breaking. If anything, this narrative device works much better in a show like Doctor Who then Sherlock and is helped by the presence of Clara within the Doctor’s head, which gives the episode a tragic and emotional crux.
But, of course, the real reason behind the episode’s success is Peter Capaldi. He gives a tour-de-force performance and carries every scene with ease. Capaldi’s full emotional range is on display here, with every second ultimately building up to a heartbreaking moment of vulnerability the likes of which we’ve seldom seen from the Twelfth Doctor. The moment in question is small, but very powerful nonetheless.
An episode this ambitious requires an actor up to the challenge. Great as previous Doctors have been, there’s no skating the fact around that Heaven Sent works best with the moodier, more abrasive and commanding Twelfth Doctor, and more importantly, with a seasoned actor like Peter Capaldi in the role. If there’s any Capaldi doubters remaining once the 55 minute episode have rolled round we’d be very, very shocked!
Best Bit:
“Get off your arse and win!” Cue music. Cue tears. A solid cameo performance from Coleman alongside ever-excellent Capaldi certainly gives the episode a real emotional punch, and builds on the grief and despair the Doctor tried to repress in the climax of Face the Raven.
Best Line(s):
The Doctor: The first rule of being interrogated is you are the only irreplaceable person in the torture chamber. The room is yours! So work it! If they’re gonna threaten you with death, show them who’s boss! Die faster!
Doctor Who series 9 concludes next Saturday on BBC One at 8pm. Be sure to check out our spoiler-packed review straight after, only on THN.
