Taking Bill (Pearl Mackie) for a trip into space, The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) is also followed by Nardole (Matt Lucas) where they find themselves on a seemingly abandoned space station. But after investigating a little, the trio find themselves in a precarious situation, that could have severe consequences… one breath at a time…

During TARDISblend 104, we celebrate writer Jamie Mathieson‘s return to Doctor Who delivering one of the strongest (and creepiest!) stories of the season. We also examine THAT plot twist (Spoilers, Sweetie!), and drill down into the acting force of Capaldi, Mackie, and Lucas.

All this and more on the latest TARDISblend!

Arriving in medieval Scandinavia, the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) are captured by a raiding group of Vikings. Returning to their village, the Vikings are confronted by a being claiming to be Odin. But tragedy is imminent, and the Doctor must work out a way to save the villagers.

During TARDISblend 90, we are joined by special guest Andrew Sorcini of The Drill Down. We discuss the first appearance of the wonderful Maisie Williams as Ashildr in this season of Doctor Who, and the references and call-backs to previous episodes and seasons of the show. We have a look at the comedic elements of the story, and how the overall plot of this episode (9.5 “The Girl Who Died”) pays homage to Akira Kurosawa‘s Seven Samurai.

All this and more on the latest TARDISblend podcast!

Doctor Who
Season 9, Episode 5 “The Girl Who Died”
Directed by Ed Bazalgette
Written by Jamie Mathieson & Steven Moffat
Starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Maisie Williams, David Schofield, Simon Lipkin
BBC America
Air date: Saturday, October 17, 2015

I’ll say this up front: watch this episode.

I guess I could stop there, but it wouldn’t be much fun to do that, now would it? Doctor Who Episode 9.5 “The Girl Who Died” is a pocket symphony running at tempo molto vivace. It deconstructs and reconstructs the themes behind modern Doctor Who at the same time. It takes what could have been a significant guest star part and turns in the best episode of the season so far. It reveals something of the Doctor’s past and finally brings this current incarnation of the Time Lord into sharper focus. It is, in short, the best that I think Steven Moffat-era Doctor Who can offer.

I’ve been a bit of a hard case on Doctor Who so far this season. Where I know other reviewers on the Internet have spoken about the first, third, and fourth episodes of this season in strong terms, I deliberately played up the negatives. Episode 1 was shock and awe, but it gave little solid ground for viewers to stand on. Episodes 3 and 4 were praised for their strong performances and paced, economic storytelling, but I thought they veered a little too close to formula. I thought that only episode 2, with its carefully constructed constraints, represented a strong offering for this season.

Arriving in Bristol, the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman) discover something very wrong: the TARDIS exterior is shrinking, and people in the area are disappearing. The mystery becomes potentially deadly, as the two are separated, with the Doctor left in the TARDIS, and Clara left outside to play the role of the Doctor instead…

During TARDISblend 80, we examine the fabulous dimensional concept delivered to Doctor Who in this episode by writer Jamie Mathieson; a tale that will be remembered as a highlight of Series 8.

All this and more on the latest TARDISblend!

Doctor Who
Season 8, Episode 9 “Flatline”
Directed by Douglas Mackinnon
Written by Jamie Mathieson
Starring Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Jovian Wade, Jessica Hayles
BBC America
Air Date: Saturday, October 18, 2014

In her book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee imparts a very important piece of advice: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” That moral lesson is on full display this week in Doctor Who, as the Doctor is trapped in the TARDIS and Clara (Jenna Coleman) must fully function as his proxy. She must must assess threats, uncover clues, save others, and ultimately formulate a course of action that will save the Doctor, who can then end the threat. Along the way, she discovers that being in the Doctor’s shoes is both harder and easier for her than the previously thought, and that purity is something very difficult to maintain.