Early Access - Doctor Who | Reaction & Review 9x3 "Under the Lake"

Your reaction to it being a two-parter was priceless. I was kind of on the edge of my seat, hoping you wouldn't notice the runtime is almost up, and I was rewarded with it being a surprise. Hmm, I like the crew's characterization. I think besides the textbook deserves-to-die guy, they're all characterized very well and the performances all feel unique. Particularly the woman. I like the Doctor fangirl character design, and the deaf woman strongly reminds me of a teacher I had in high school appearance-wise, so maybe I'm projecting that a bit. Still, maybe you did them a disservice by instantly comparing to to The God Complex? Could be incidental, though. It's funny because I'm typically not a fun of these traditional base under siege stories. But the odd combination of ghosts and an underwater ship and brain-rewiring words and the Fisher King, and the whole puzzle aspect all work so well for me. I do have some issues with the second half, though. I love the Clara and Doctor scene in the Tardis! Both of these actors, oh man. The way Clara's smile fades as the Doctor says she needs a new relationship, and it almost becomes a ghost (ha) of a smile, but doesn't fully leave. And the camera stays with her as his words sink in, and it's almost like she doesn't need to process it because she already has. That sharp conviction. This feeling of her understanding perfectly what's going on, not annoyed by the Doctor's silliness but not endeared by it either... The awkwardness of Twelve trying to think of a hobby for her. I'm really a fan of the impact Danny's death has had on Clara's character. Consequences! The name of the game in the Capaldi era. The music in this has always stuck out to me, the electric/techno feel as they run down the hallways. Makes it a memorable scene for sure. The cards are a funny bit. Oh, and the ghosts function in a way I really like. The fact that they need weapons, and the slow humorous way they interact with Clara/Doctor at first. I like when creatures are given hard limits and actually stuck to rather than being sacrificed for the sake of bloating the stakes. And finally, yes great atmosphere, and my favorite shot is of the Doctor and Clara on those doors with the water rising. I could do without the hand on the glass, but the visuals are beautiful.

tom