Sunday 14 April 2013

Doctor Who: Cold War


So what does Red October look like with aliens in it? 

Not too bad to be fair. It was at this point in the previous half of the series that there was a definite drop in quality, but happily, the kinks have been worked out this time round.

This episode is pretty good, using a confined setting a pretty decent villain to run through a pretty solid story.

One point to note is that it’s set on a Soviet submarine (although everyone speaks English), a move that would never take place in the workings of most T.V shows. Politics doesn’t come into it very much despite there being rather a lot of communists involved, which I’m counting as a plus, as it means we get to focus on the sci-fi without anyone trying to push a particular view point throughout the episode (aside from the first officer of the ship, who’s viewpoint seems to “lets do the most stupid/suicidal thing possible”). Not sure if that actually reflects attitudes at the time or whether he was just like that for the convenience of the plot.

They’ve also splashed out on the special effects…for the Submarine at least. The Ice Warrior without his armour doesn’t look especially realistic and it is sort of a let down that they even showed it. I could have made for quite a good tease to never show him outside his armour, as well as a call back to earlier series.

The Ice Warrior himself does get a bit clichéd at times and the resolution at the end, involving his daughter it slightly unexplored.

Overall a good episode; I’m looking forward to more.

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