Doctor Who: Flatline

Well that was fun.

This episode is a good example of taking something from the shady non-canon who and making bringing it to the TV screen. This was done before in Tennant’s era, with the Family of Blood, an adapted Who novel.

This episode opts to instead explore an interesting concept from the Eight Doctor’s non-television adventures. Specifically, the b-plot involves the TARDIS being shrunk and eventually rendered in a state that turns it into a small cube. Aside from the awesomeness of seeing the TARDIS in it’s true form, we also get more of the Doctor getting over his detachedness and seemingly finding a balance between the sterner aspects of his personality and the more heroic.

This is quite interesting as it’s a very similar journey to that of the First Doctor; starting as an anti-hero and gradually becoming more relatable and kind. It’s a good angle to take, especially as Capaldi is technically the second First Doctor.

The episode is not without fault though. The supporting casts are alright, with the standout being Joivan Wade as Rigsy, but Rigsy’s boss/parole officer seems unnecessarily mean. Jamie Mathieson writes him in very one-dimensional way, as a man who does not like small time offenders. I have no doubt that people like this exist, but why they would be working in a job that involves supervising community remains a mystery.

One nice twist is that the “they’re just trying to communicate” excuses of the Tennant and Smith days gets openly jettisoned, during the Doctor’s get-off-my-planet monologue. Capaldi, as ever, delivers this speech in just the right way; no apologetic, regretful send off, just “you made your choice and now I’m going to kill you.”

It’s a great side to the Doctor and it’s only getting better now that the writers and Capaldi are moving him to a balance between his new grumpy self and the heroicness of the younger version of the character.

Clara and Danny’s relationship continues to go, but to be honest it didn’t need to be in this episode. Unless Danny is actually contributing to the story I don’t see why it’s necessary to have him show up and remind everyone that he exists.

The Boneless are sort of an effective villain; we never find out their motivation, but that’s kind of the point. It comes down to “Are you trying to learn from us? Are you trying to communicate with us? – it doesn’t matter, you’re a threat.”

A good episode, hopefully next week’s trees will be bale to follow it up.