TV Month - Editorial: The Highs and Lows of Doctor Who series 8

Doctor Who has recently completed its 12 episode run for series 8 and it's been a great season... ish, so let's take a look back as I give my top 5 highs and my top 5 lows from series 8 of Doctor Who

High #5 - The Opening Title Sequence

I've seen many different title sequences over Doctor Who (including some classic ones) but very few of them in both theme and design really take the whole time/space element into play.

Yes, the series 7 sequence had a bit in the time vortex and a bit in space, but this one was the one that had the theme not only in the video, but in the music as well. This is the title sequence that sums up Doctor Who best of all of them (not to say it's the best title sequence, although I do think it is)

So well done to the composers and the editing departments for coming up with this flash of brilliance

Low #5 - Danny Pink

Ah Danny Pink, it says so much for his character when he's much more interesting when he's dead. Yes, in theory he works. Clara's only a part-time companion, so it's OK to have a bit of a life outside of the T.A.R.D.I.S. and hence having a boyfriend. The problem is he's a soldier who killed a child in battle and somehow managed to become a maths teacher. 

Actually that's not the problem at all, that's the bit that's interesting but apparently he had to die for that information to come to light. Honestly I find him tremendously boring. He never really had much of a character outside of Clara's disapproving boyfriend.

Again, until he died. I loathe the scene where he berates the Doctor for making a choice he himself wanted to be made. Someone who must understand the pain of making tough choices is Danny. And even with the Doctor's disapproving attitude of soldiers, that seemed a tad mean.

High #4 - Missy as the Master

It has been said for many years that it is possible for a Time Lord to change gender when he/she regenerates. This has lead to speculation of a female Doctor every time he comes to regenerate, and whilst that never happens, it has now happened to the Master

When we last saw the Master, he was in a body that could fire electricity for some reason, that was constantly dying because of the, I sh*t you not, potion of death but hey, he's survived worse, right? 

This version of the Master takes the craziness from John Simm and cranks it up a notch, whilst doing schemes worthy of her title. She's really f*cking nuts and for the first time ever, she has something to prove. That her and the Doctor aren't all that different.

Low #4 - What have they done to the Daleks?

Do you remember when Daleks were thought to have been destroyed thousands of years ago? It seems Steven Moffatt doesn't.

Steven Moffatt has done nothing spectacular with the Daleks since he took rein of the series. First there was the Dalek in WWII story, which was sh*t. It introduced the skittle range of Daleks, all of which have been killed off off screen or something, because they haven't been seen since. The came The Dalek Asylum and OH MY GOD THERE ARE MILLIONS OF THEM!!! Seriously how did we go from half a million being a threat, to millions of them and the universe hasn't blown up yet?

I digress. This is supposed to be about series 8. I bring this up because of mentions in Into the Dalek of a Dalek war brewing across the cosmos. With Dalek concentration/labour/whatever camps briefly mentioned in Death in Heaven,

How did we get from guy who in the year 200,100 doubted the very existence of Daleks to the Daleks being a major active threat? Not well thought out Moffatt

High #3 - Mummy on the Orient Express

I'm gonna take out the element of the situation the Doctor and Clara are in in this episode and look at it as telling a single story. And if you look at like that it's a great story, it has good characters, a tale that's both interesting and suspenseful and it highlights qualities of the Doctor that have been present since the beginning and gives us an in depth look at that.

What else has Jamie Mathieson done? Flatline? Hmm, not a bad track record there, Jamie.

Low #3 - You made science cry part 1 - In the Forest of the Night

As a science fiction/science fantasy show, it can take a few liberties with physics and suspension of disbelief. But that does not suddenly mean that science doesn't exist in the show. For a show to have some bounding in reality, there are some laws of biology, chemistry and physics that need to exist in a show. Of course trees magically growing in 1 night thanks to telepathic bullsh*t does sort of break that rule.

Seriously, as a concept this one is hard to swallow and it doesn't help that the episode it's associated with is dull and forgettable.

High #2 - Time Heist

If there was an episode I was to deem fun, it would be this. This episode is high adrenaline antics as the Doctor and co attempt to rob the bank of Karabraxos before the planet is destroyed by a solar flare. Each of the characters has a personal reason for wanting to get a specific item from the bank. But all the while they're pursued by Madame Karabraxos, and her guilt-sensing slave/pet the Teller.

The twist they pull on the episode was a classic, perhaps a tad predictable but it was still fun to watch, why this episode will remain my favourite episode of the series.

Low #2 - You made science cry part 2 - Kill the Moon

The moon is an egg

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

Sorry, I can't help it

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!

I'll try and stop

Hahahahaha!

In all seriousness this is the most ludicrous concept I've seen on the show and this is the show that's had a lot of ludicrous concepts.

The biggest problem is they try and apply physics to the situation, citing tidal shifts created as a result of the moon getting heavier. The problem is, the Moon can't get heavier. Conservation of mass clearly states that matter cannot be created or destroyed, just changed from one form into another. The Moon can't get heavier

Even more ludicrously the creature who hatches from the egg immediately lays an egg about the same size right where the old one was. Yeah.... no. Then you can look at it from a philosophical standpoint (this episode is one giant abortion metaphor) and god this episode becomes so much worse

High #1 - Peter Capaldi as the Doctor

There is no question what my number one high would be, as there's probably no question what my number 1 low will be. Peter Capaldi killed it as the Doctor. He has had some brilliant moments, had some nice adjustment periods, and whilst he is not universally liked, I have grown to love this version of the Doctor as much as his predecessors.

Bear in mind, it took me until A good man goes to war to grow into the previous Doctor, I think Capalidi's done quite well to get me to like him this quickly. Keep up the good work

Low #1 - Robot of Sherwood

Did anyone think it would be anything else? I've already made it quite clear, I hate this episode passionately.

From the Doctor, of all people, not believing in Robin Hood, to the irritating fan-gushing Clara, to funny moments dripping with awkward like fighting with a spoon (a scene probably more suited to his predecessor) and the constant arguing between Robin Hood and the Doctor all became irritating.

The villains of the episode don't sell it either. They're robots who need to gold to fix their engines, but it isn't quite enough and and arrow somehow penetrates the ship, allowing it to escape Earth's atmosphere before it explodes...? Doesn't matter. I hate this episode, and it's definitely my #1 low for the series.

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