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| The Doctor protects Clara from the evils of the Internet. (No, not porn) |
1 episode. Approx. 47 minutes. Written by: Steven Moffat. Directed by: Colm McCarthy. Produced by: Marcus Wilson, Denise Paul.
THE PLOT
The Doctor has taken refuge in a 13th century monastery to contemplate the mystery of Oswin/Clara. He has been there some time, when the monks report that the impossible has happened: The bells of Saint John are ringing. "Saint John" is a marking on the exterior of the TARDIS, and its "bells" are the telephone - a phone which should not ring.
The Doctor answers, only to find himself on the line with a present-day version of Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman). This Clara is trying to access the Internet. An unidentified woman in a shop gave her the Doctor's number as a computer help line. Realizing that he is talking to the very woman he's been looking for, the Doctor hops into the TARDIS and travels literally to her doorstep - just in time to find her in mortal peril!
A sinister company is using a rogue WiFi network to hack not into other computers, but into human beings. The victims are uploaded into the WiFi to support their mysterious "client." The Doctor arrives in time to save Clara, then works on tracking these villains back to their lair - a corporate headquarters located in The Shard. But this company and its office manager, the ruthless Miss Kizlet (Celia Imrie), are only puppets. The Doctor has captured the attention of an old enemy, and he has yet to even realize it!
CHARACTERS
The Doctor: When he does find this latest Clara, he comes off as a complete basket case, pushing himself in front of her and even expecting her to remember him - despite her being a different individual than Oswin and the other Clara. After he rescues her, she finally comes down to talk with him, allowing him to get to know her just a little bit. He marvels at how she's the same as the other two versions of her, but also appreciates her loyalty to the family she's caring for. When she's threatened again, he frees her in an ingenious fashion, using a classic magician's trick of misdirection.
Clara: The third incarnation of Clara Oswin Oswalt is presumably the one the series will be sticking with. Like the other variants we've seen, she is flirty, sharp-witted, and fast-talking... basically, the Steven Moffat dreamgirl. The role remains a cypher, though that's obviously part of the point. As flashes to her other appearances remind us, these three characters are all the same role - something which I'm guessing will be explained down the line. Jenna-Louise Coleman continues to invest a tremendous amount of energy, and as a fan of Amy and Rory I'm genuinely astonished at how little I miss them.
THOUGHTS
The Doctor taking refuge in a 13th century monastery is something that really only occurs so that Matt Smith can get an entrance and so that we can get the admittely fun incongruity of medieval monks involved in a telephone conversation. It's pointless from a plot standpoint - the same purpose could have been served by having the Doctor pick up a phone in the TARDIS - and makes no sense in context of the Doctor trying to solve the Oswin/Clara mystery. It's purely for effect.
I'm leading with that because, aside from yet another strained "Doctor Who?" gag (Moffat is much too fond of those), I don't have many criticisms of this story. The story is fast-paced and clever, with a light touch that belies how effectively it weaves continuity points together while simultaneously establishing the season villain.
The story grips right from the start, the teaser setting up the idea of people being snatched by filtering it through what appears to be a YouTube video warning others of the phenomenon. The warning is intercut with shots of people clicking on the Evil WiFi, then with shots of the aftermath. It ends with a visual flourish, a wonderfully-staged reveal that sets just the right tone going into credits.
Moffat and director Colm McCarthy manage a series of effective set pieces. There's an early scene in which the Doctor has a hacking duel with one of the villains. The screen fills up with text, mirroring a technique used in Moffat's own Sherlock. The moving text and the way the scene is edited and shot builds tremendous energy. A slower beat, as the Doctor and Clara have their first real conversation, is shot with him outside the house, below, as she talks to him from an upstairs window - reminiscent of the classic staging of the Romeo & Juliet balcony scene. This being modern Who, it of course shifts rapidly into another comedy/action scene involving a crashing airplane.
The set pieces keep coming, one after another, which keeps the momentum high throughout. The action/comedy tone also encourages the viewer to let down their guard... Which makes a final beat involving the most visible villain, Miss Kizlet, all the more effective. Her final lines take this despicable character and transform her into something completely different - and this is done in a way entirely consistent with the story's own rules. It's a genuinely chilling moment.
The entire package is given an extra layer of fun thanks to the chemistry of Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman. They are terrific individually, and even better together on-screen. If this episode is an indicator of what's to come, I think I'm going to thoroughly enjoy their partnership.
Overall Rating: 8/10.
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