New Who Review for Kill The Moon
Posted By Kathleen David on October 6, 2014
This episode seems to be one of those polarizing ones. I have not found anyone in the middle ground, which is where I am standing. I liked it but I did not love it. There were some brilliant parts and some seriously Oh Come ON sections.
I thought all the actors did brilliantly. Special kudos to Ellis George (Courtney Woods) for giving us such a nuanced performance. Bringing a kid along to make a point was a bit daring.
I did love the Doctor’s speech on the beach. Thought Capaldi knocked that one of the park. A little less for Jenna Coleman and the speech in the TARDIS at the end. She did well enough and I honestly don’t know if it was her, the direction or the script but it rang a little hollow for me.
The decision to be made was interesting and set up some of those lovely moral dilemmas that we have on this show. Also that the Doctor basically said, “Not my monkeys, not my circus” was a bit different than previous incarnations.
I am grateful that most of the episodes have given me something to think about afterwards.
It has been pointed out that the major part of the plot in this one was done by Peter in his New Frontier Novel: End Game. We are putting it down to great minds think a like or the writer read the book and didn’t remember where the idea came from which does happen. Nothing malicious at all.
That the Doctor stepped back for the decision to be made by the inhabitants of the planet is a bit unusual for the character but in this case it worked for me. Clara’s reaction to the Doctor bowing out didn’t work for me.
I think my biggest problem with this episode was Clara. I don’t think it was the acting but more the script and the direction. She was written as a shrill shrew and that’s not who she is. This is an angry Clara who seems to be angry at nothing that makes any sense. Makes me wonder if we are missing a scene or two from the script. Her not even considering what the Doctor said to her about respect doesn’t feel right at all considering what they have had the character done previously.
Having Courtney as an occasional passenger works for me. Her character brings a different point of view to the situation.
OK we get it, the Doctor is thoughtless and doesn’t pay attention to any social niceties when talking to others. This incarnation is missing a filter. But do we really to be beaten over the head with it? It was funny two episodes ago now it feels a little mean spirited and tired.
Also if the Doctor knew that the moon was going to just be replaced, why couldn’t he impart that small piece of information? I don’t think it was a fixed point in time.
I got the impression that the Doctor had decided that Humanity was ready to start making decision without him giving them the right answer. His “respect” was to say that they didn’t really need him to deal with this world threatening catastrophe so he wasn’t going to bull into the situation and make the decision for them. If he had given them the right answer, they wouldn’t have “earned” making it for themselves.
Clara’s anger is not as easy for me figure out. My impression at the time is that she had been unconsciously leaning on the Doctor for the big decisions and when he took that crutch away she felt abandoned, so she was expressing that anger in her “Go away” speech to him. However, there’s a bunch of other ways to source that angry outburst and one of them is unfortunately “Clara was written out of character.” Hopefully, it will make more sense shortly.
Watching the preview of next week, I started chanting, “An Egyptian goddess…loose on the Orient Express…in space.”