TV REVIEW: Doctor Who - The Husbands of River Song

So, it's the year 5000 and something, it's snowing, River is back and Greg Davies is giving it his all as a disembodied head. It can only be the Doctor Who Christmas special!

Set on an Earth colony three thousand years into the future on which, naturally, it’s Christmas Day, a case of mistaken identity leads The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) to the bed-side of robot King Hydroflax (Greg Davies), who, rather unfortunately for him, has a priceless diamond lodged in his brain. Giving a whole new meaning to the term gold-digger, the King’s wife, half archaeologist half burglar, turns out to be none other than River Song (Alex Kingston). Believing her real husband to be out of regeneration cycles, (reasonably enough given that the last time she saw him, he had indeed run out) she fails to recognise the man behind the new face for the majority of the episode. Cue hilarity and high-jinks.

Definitely a much lighter episode of Who than we’ve seen all series, 'The Husbands of River Song' is never going to be lauded as one of the better episodes of this year, but there’s certainly a case for it being one of the better Christmas specials. It gave Capaldi the chance to flex his comedy muscles once again after the tragic loss of Clara (Jenna Coleman) at the end of Series 9, sharing the screen with The Doctor’s most accomplished verbal sparring partner. Steven Moffat’s dialogue, was positively fizzing, with a particular highlight being the moment The Doctor got to have a turn at the whole ‘it’s bigger on the inside’ gig. 

Despite never being the biggest fan of River Song, even I enjoyed seeing her in a welcome return to form as a self-proclaimed ‘archaeologist from the future.’ Whether this really is the last we’ll see of her remains to be seen, although given the obvious on-screen chemistry between her and Capaldi, I’d be very surprised if that really was her final bow.

The two had decent support from Greg Davies and Matt Lucas, although it was a shame the latter wasn’t given more to do, so well did he slot into the Whoniverse. Visually, there was plenty to look at as we went from a festive human colony, to a luxury cruise ship for war criminals, to the famed Singing Towers of Darillium, meeting a host of new and intriguing life forms en route. The whole diamond heist plot wasn’t particularly inspiring, but in the Christmas context that hardly seemed to matter. 

The narrative kept things simple yet entertaining, exactly what you need when you’re approximately seven eighths full of turkey and roast potatoes.

On the whole, it doesn’t seem these days that Doctor Who can go far wrong. Bring on Series 10, we say.

Jen

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FEATURE: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Doomed

Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike has been neutered by the Initiative and can no longer hurt humans, but they are still looking for him before he can reveal any of their secrets. Buffy now knows that Riley is in the Initiative and he discovers her demon-hunting abilities after the pair bumped into each other whilst out in Sunnydale trying to stop the Gentlemen.

Riley and Buffy are still trying to deal with the fallout of finding out each other's secrets when an earthquake rocks Sunnydale. Buffy immediately recognises it as a sign of a potential apocalypse, but Giles isn't convinced. However, when a student is ritually murdered at one of the parties on campus, the gang realise it is the work of a demon cult hell bent on bringing about the apocalypse. Again. As Buffy deals with Riley trying to make their relationship work, she also has to work to stop the demons, but it might be easier if she doesn't have to do it alone.

It's all about going back to high school in this episode of Buffy as Buffy's relationship with Riley hits another bump in the road when she realises he has no idea of what she's faced in her past. There's an apocalypse on the way that just happens to originate on the Hellmouth in the burnt remains of the high school with added Mayor meat, extra crispy. Percy shows up and calls Buffy a nerd and the gang are mobilised to stop the end of the world once again. Like much of the fourth season, it's about moving on and ensuring the Scoobies stay working together, just as they did back in high school.

Most of this comes through in Buffy's character stuff in this episode; her relationship with Riley, now revealed to be a part of the world she inhabits and not, as she believed, separate from it, gives her all sorts of Angel associations and how badly it all went. She also keeps reiterating the point that this fight is hers and hers alone, despite knowing she needs the gang around her to help. It's one of the central conflicts in her character all the way through and I love how it comes out more in the extreme situations. Of course, she can't do it alone and the episode once again proves that by not only having the gang with her, but having Riley come to her rescue and then work in partnership with her to save the world.

Having the big fight go down in the high school is also a clever piece of thematic work that allows everyone to realise how they don't really need to hang on to it anymore. It's smaller and "more charred." It may take Willow, Xander and Giles to the end of the season to realise how they are still needed, but it's a recovery process that starts, at least for Willow and Xander, right her. They're essential parts of the big fight at the end; Xander realises that the demons themselves are the sacrifice and Willow does a good job of getting hold of the bag of bones. Even if Spike undoes it all by throwing them and the second demon into the hole anyway.

It's also a big development for Spike in this episode. Initially seen trying to dust himself with a curious stake-in-a-vice contraption, he's feeling pretty low as a result of his chip implant and Willow's adorable pep talks don't really work. However, during the final fight, he discovers he can actually hit demons whilst implanted; it only restricts violence towards humans. Although Spike won't make the shift into being good entirely until next season, it's the start of the path here. Before then though, he stills gets to be a thorn in the Scoobies' collective side.

It's another strong episode in the season then, though perhaps not as memorable as Hush in its lasting Buffy legacy. Then again, few episodes are. It's one of the episodes focused on the thematics of the ongoing series as well as shedding Sunnydale High School further from the gang's memory. They've moved on and see it for the rotting, hellish institution it always was.

Quote of the Week:

Giles: It's the end of the world.
Buffy, Xander and Willow: Again?!

Let's Get Trivial: The continuity is hilariously all over the place in the Library fight scene; in the background of one shot, Spike has his vamp face, but in the close up straight after it's gone. Try keeping track of the bag of bones too. Nigh on impossible. Also, keep an eye out when the Scoobies are walking through; Catherine Madison's statue is still there...

Sunnydale Who's Who: We find out that Percy, Willow's former Sunnydale High tutee, survived the battle against the Mayor, took his scholarship at USC and is visiting his bitchy girlfriend at UC Sunnydale. He's mean about Willow. Git.

- Becky

You can read Becky's look at previous episode, Hush, here.

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TV REVIEW: Doctor Who - Hell Bent

Following Heaven Sent feels like an enormous task; it's one of the best episodes of Who we've had in recent series and it's been one of the best and most consistently good runs in New-Who history so the series finale had quite a bit of work to do. There's lots to like about this episode and there's also a few bits that didn't quite work. As you'd expect, it's all very clever and brilliant in parts and falls into the "I'm not entirely sure what's going on or why now" trap as well.

Hell Bent starts itself of as a kind of space western/space Glasgow as the Doctor strides into a diner where Clara is behind the counter. She doesn't recognise him, but he tells her the story of his return to Gallifrey. It pits the Doctor as some kind of gunslinger returning home with a bounty on his head; "They'll kill you" one of the residents warns him. Capaldi plays the part well throughout the first ten minutes, nearly silent but ever expressive as increasingly higher Gallifreyan ranks come to greet him, only for him to turn away until the person he actually wants to see makes an appearance. It's a High Noon like stand-off and there's even a clever piece of musical comedy as a bell sounds in the score as the Doctor and the President meet.

It then switches up into a horror movie as a time-looped not-dead Clara and the Doctor head into the "Time Lord hell," full of foes neutralised but still very creepy. From the oozing Dalek to the scariest Who creatures ever, the Weeping Angels, the decaying, smoky figures are still pretty creepy and brief glimpses allow them to be used for maximum effect. The production design in the last two episodes have been exemplary, creating worlds that feel tangible but still with that glorious Doctor Who sheen of special effects. Gallifrey looks magnificent.

However, as the episode continues, it becomes more troublesome. As Jen pointed out last week, Heaven Sent afforded us a fairly unique opportunity in Who; to witness the Doctor's grieving process after losing his companion. I love that he works for four and a half billion years to get back to her again and the torture he puts himself through to get to the Time Lords. It's only once he gets Clara back that the episode starts to lose it a bit. 

Face The Raven was a cracking sendoff for Clara. It was reckless, stupid, noble and in the service of others, everything that she has embodied in her role as a companion, particularly over the course of the last series. Hell Bent kind of feels like we've overwritten both of those episodes by having a collaborative grieving process that simply involves the Doctor forgetting, rather than learning from his recurring mania to put himself first every now and again, something we also saw with Ten. 

The evolution of the Doctor and Clara into the Hybrid, ending with one of them forgetting, also felt like a complete retread of the Doctor-Donna, only with the forgetfulness reversed in this instance. For a partnership that's been as wonderful and fairly New Who unique in the Doctor and Clara, it's a shame that their ending feels cribbed from somewhere else. Capaldi and Coleman sell it well and remain true to their iterations right to the end, but it lacked the same emotional weight that Face the Raven had or the trauma of seeing Donna forget everything that had made her so wonderful during her time with the Doctor.

The constant repetition of their goodbyes to each other also felt somewhat staid and the episode falls prey to something Who doesn't tend to do too often; it feels drawn out. The pacing is a little too languid for the story that it's telling and for an audience who already knows that the outcome results in Clara leaving because Jenna Coleman is leaving the series.

There's lots of neat touches elsewhere like the "I had a duty of care" line that sums up Clara and the Doctor's relationship perfectly. The return of the round things ("I love the round things!") is very welcome. There's also the General's regeneration into a woman, once again confirming that Time Lords can switch genders in the regeneration process. He's a sly one is that Moffat. But this doesn't make up for the fact that it feels like a Return of the King style "we're not ready to finish this just yet" ending.

A mixed bag of an episode that starts well but ends a little off, Hell Bent may be towards the more negative end of the quality spectrum for this series, but that's not unexpected, given some of the heights we've reached. We're also promised what could be sheer joy in a Capaldi's Doctor team-up with River Song for the Christmas Special and Jen will be back to review that one for you all. 

- Becky

You can read Jen's review of previous episode, Heaven Sent, here.

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FEATURE: Angel - Parting Gifts

Previously on Angel: Angel's friend Doyle was gifted with visions that allowed him to find people in need. However, Doyle has sacrificed himself to save Angel, Cordy and a host of benevolent demons from the Scourge, but not before kissing Cordy and seemingly passing something to her.

Following Doyle's death, both Angel and Cordelia are dealing with his loss in different ways. Angel attempts to bargain with the Oracles in an attempt to get his friend back, citing that he needs Doyle's visions in order to proceed on his quest. They assure him that Doyle's noble death has to stand but that "when one door closes, another one opens." Back at HQ, he's approached by an empath demon named Barney who seems to have a mysterious figure chasing him, a leather-clad motorbike riding figure to be more precise. Angel agrees to help and Barney lies low at the office. Meanwhile, Cordelia is out for an audition when she is hit by a vision and suddenly the Oracles' meaning becomes clear for Angel. 

I used to think of this episode as a bit of a throwaway one in the aftermath of Doyle's passing, one that is designed to introduce Wesley as the new player in the Angel game and move him into place accordingly. On this rewatch though, I realise that's doing this episode a real disservice because it becomes the very embodiment of "don't judge a book by its cover." This is cleverly layered in from the start with Cordelia's appraisal of Doyle's character as a layabout without much worth who then proves it by saving everyone's lives. There's also Barney, an empath demon who can feel beyond the surface emotions everyone is projecting and find the truth in how they are actually feeling.

Of course, it goes further with Barney because he's the episode's bad guy but spends two-thirds of it under Angel's protection, trying to use him to take out the demon hunter chasing him. The demon hunter appears in shadow or in brief close-ups, stalking his prey with what feels like a cruel efficiency. Only to be revealed to be... Wesley. Angel quickly sees through his more macho leather-clad appearance and we're soon back to the nervous, posturing Wesley we're used to. The moment Angel swipes the crossbow out of Wesley's hands is just perfect.

The episode layers these kinds of switcheroos all the way through it. We go from believing the motorbike guy is the story's bad guy through to the Kungai demon looking like that's the foe, only he proves to be just as much of a victim as everyone else. That it's sadsack Barney whose about to harvest Cordelia's eyes is cleverly hidden. It's one of those instalments that constantly keeps you on your toes and is much more than simply re-introducing Wesley to the Buffyverse. We also get another brief glimpse of Wolfram & Hart; one of their lawyers is the final bidder for Cordelia's eyes at the auction. When the auction goes south and Angel arrives, we overhear her phone call and it's clear from her oblique reference to him that Angel remains on their radar. 

I'm not sure many shows handle a regular cast change-up with the adroitness that Angel manages here. The grieving process for Doyle fuels a lot of the episode, but it never holds it back from embracing the new. Cordelia is now having the visions that made Doyle initially vital to the team (even if she doesn't want them badly enough to kiss everyone she comes across in the city) and Wesley is invited to join them by the end of the episode. There's little ceremony here, but Doyle's death was grand enough. Now, the team rebuilds.

Quote of the Week:

Wesley: I'm a rogue demon hunter now.
Cordelia: Wow! What's a 'rogue demon'?

Inventive Kill: Cordy bags her first demon! She staked a vampire back in her Buffy dies but now she can add Barney to her list.

Let's Get Trivial: The Korean scenes are probably not going to win any awards for their authenticity. Angel's Korean is, in fact, gibberish with subtitles whilst the lady nursing the Kungai demon speaks sort of Korean, but with a terrible accent. Soon is the only one in the scene who manages to speak the language.

LA Who's Who: This marks the last appearance of Glenn Quinn in the main credits. Sob.

- Becky

You can read Becky's look at previous episode, Hero, here.

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TV Review: Doctor Who - Heaven Sent

The penultimate episode of Doctor Who this week wasn’t so much a television programme as a barn-storming showcase of BBC talent. Picking up where last week’s episode left off, after the tragic death of companion Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman), Heaven Sent saw Peter Capaldi’s Doctor tele-ported to a mysterious prison castle.

Pursued by a terrifying yet slow-moving cloaked monster, known as The Veil, The Doctor’s only escape is to confess truths to the beast just before it kills him, although this only really serves to buy him more time to try to solve the mystery of his surroundings. Heartbreakingly, in between run-ins with the creature and the discovery of clues, he imagines himself back in the TARDIS, telling Clara about his adventures whilst she kept her back to him, writing questions on the blackboard, in a fitting tribute to what had been her day job. Despite the fact that this was a solo Capaldi episode, Heaven Sent was as much about Clara as it was about The Doctor. 

As a companion, her character came across as quite two dimensional at the start, but her final series with the show has been no less than a tour de force. Coleman and Capaldi created something very special together, in a welcome move from the slightly-almost-romantic-but-not-quite relationship of previous Doctors and travelling partners. This episode allowed us to see The Doctor grieve – something we’re not always privy to as an audience, as companions have often departed in the final episode, with The Doctor returning a series later damaged, but very much on the mend. Heaven Sent showed us the anguish and mental torment usually glossed over.

Steven Moffat always writes his best work in single setting, claustrophobic environments, and this fantastically imaginative personalised hell allowed him to fully explore The Doctor’s emotional instability, as well as being one of the most inventive plotlines I think we’ve seen a while. As it slowly dawned on us as an audience that The Doctor has been stuck in this loop for a very long time, and the skulls at the bottom of the sea took on an eerie new significance, watching the Time Lord forced to take ‘the long way round’ to such an extreme gave the show a scale and emotional depth beyond compare.

If Peter Capaldi doesn’t win some sort of award for his performance in this episode, let alone this series as a whole, we’ll eat our collective hat. Equal parts angry, resigned, guilt-ridden and defiant, Capaldi’s performance here was an intense emotional journey, carried off with trademark ease. Between his extraordinary talent, Rachel Talalay’s able direction and Moffat’s stunning concept, all supported by a gorgeous score and fantastic set design, this episode could happily have been feature length.

Series 9 of Doctor Who has been one of the best in a while, with Capaldi settled into the role, and his companionship with Clara going from strength to strength. The two-parter structure has really helped, and I for one hope that it continues into the next series.

Although past follies remain unforgotten, the show seems to be on a role at the moment.

And frankly, te fact that television of this calibre is available as regular Saturday night entertainment serves as an excellent two fingers up to recent criticism of the BBC licence fee, and is reason enough to keep the Beeb going for many years to come. 

This is me signing off on Series 9, as Becky will be here with you next week for Hell Bent – it looks like it’s going to be a cracker.

Jen

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