Doctor Who
Season 10, Episode 3 “Thin Ice”
Directed by Bill Anderson
Written by Sarah Dollard
Starring Peter Capaldi, Pearl Mackie, Matt Lucas, Nicholas Burns, Asiatu Koroma, Peter Singh
BBC America
Air date: April 29, 2017

This week, Doctor Who Episode 10.3 brings us a veritable melange of different topics. We get some costume drama. There is also some criticism of the class structure of British society. There is even some [gasp!] confrontation of race issues. Yet somehow, we also get to have a good deal of fun. The show feels quite sure of itself and is willing to take a few risks (albeit small ones). Those gambits largely pay off and take the Doctor and Pearl to a few places the show rarely goes. It’s thin ice, in more than one sense.

On Doctor Who Episode 10.3, after attempting to return back home, The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) find themselves at one of the last great Frost Fairs on the Thames in 1814. Aside from dealing with an elephant on the ice, the pair find something more sinister afoot, with lights under the ice and a beast below…

During the TARDISblend 102 podcast, we examine the ongoing character development and chemistry between Capaldi and Mackie on-screen, the quality of the writing so far this season, and dive into the parallels between this new episode and other episodes long gone.

All this and more on the latest TARDISblend!

Doctor Who
Season 10, Episode 2 “Smile”
Directed by Lawrence Gough
Written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce
Starring Peter Capaldi, Pearl Mackie, Matt Lucas
BBC America
Air date: April 22, 2017

What is the meaning of history? What is happiness? How do humans survive in an automated society? These are some of the weighty topics examined in Episode 10.2 “Smile,” the new installment of Doctor Who this week. With so much potential ground to cover, this episode could easily bog down in a mess of tangled subplots and ideas. Instead, thanks to some strong direction for the second week in a row, director Lawrence Gough turns in some classic “meat and potatoes” Doctor Who that covers ground that is at once fresh and familiar at the same time.

Following Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) entering the TARDIS with the Doctor (Peter Capaldi), the pair head into the future, visiting a new human settlement on Gliese 581d. But where are all the people? And what are these strange robots that talk in emoji?

During TARDISblend 101, we dive into the beginning of the new Doctor Who season, explore the dynamic character development we are seeing in the first two episodes, and drill deep into the subtexts and themes explored in this second chapter of Series 10.

All this and more on the latest TARDISblend!

Doctor Who
Season 10, Episode 1 “The Pilot”
Directed by Lawrence Gough
Written by Steven Moffat
Starring Peter Capaldi, Pearl Mackie, Matt Lucas, Stephanie Hyam
BBC America
Air date: April 15, 2017

At last, at last, Doctor Who returns to the airwaves regularly for the first time since December 2015! The long wait is over. We finally get to see Peter Capaldi kick off his last season playing the Doctor. We also start to find out what Steven Moffat has in store for his sixth and final tour through the Doctor Who universe. To top it off, we are introduced to new companion Bill Potts, played by Pearl Mackie. The result is fairly wonderful introduction to a textured new companion, told with a grace and charm that highlights the strengths of the show.