Doctor Who: Oxygen

Some good character developments worked into a well-composed love letter to Star Trek.

This episode opens with a parody of the final frontier monologue from what’s probably the most well known sci-fi show in television history.

That might initially come across as mocking, but as the episode progresses you see the Trek fandom at work. The concept of the peak point of capitalism being companies programming equipment to kill workers who’s expensive oxygen consumption isn’t offset by their efficiency is something that anyone who works for a large company can relate to.

Weirdly, whilst this is an obvious reference to the non-capitalist system of the Trek universe (ie the human race works to better itself as a whole and no longer seeks individual gain) Jamie Mathieson actually gets the point across better than Rodenberry ever did. It was always difficult to empathise with Rodenberry’s stance on the issues of capitalism because he started from a point in the story, after the problem had been solved. This is a far more effective critique; the reaction of the workers when they find out that they’re being killed due to their lack of efficiency is to go into denial. Is this so different from someone assuming they’re protected from redundancy or contract termination.

There’s a lot more that could be said about what this episode is trying to get across, but I try to keep these things to a single page, so I’ll leave it there.

The character development is pretty substantial this episode. The Doctor is shown to be willing to maim himself to protect Bill. At one point, he doesn’t even hesitate before suggesting giving his entire space suit to her; an action that would kill him. Given the consistent easter eggs that keep being dropped about Bill’s mother, I’d say there’s a lot more to his behavior towards her.

Most importantly, the episode ends on a problematic yet interesting change. Namely, the Doctor is now blind and will have to rely on his companions to literally be his eyes. This is interesting given the change in dynamic and the fact that he doesn’t want Bill to know. It’s problematic however because the Doctor is a Time Lord. If his full fitness and able-bodiedness are essential to him guarding the vault, why would he not simply regenerate to cure himself. Both Ten and Eleven could use regeneration energy to heal serious injuries and failing that a new body would solve the issue completely.

The story reason is that Capaldi has until the Christmas Special before he leaves, but in continuity it doesn’t really make sense. Hopefully they’ll come up with an excuse for this in the next episode.

But for the moment, this was a good episode that I thoroughly enjoyed.