Monday, 3 February 2020

Who Reviews Fugitive of the Judoon by Matt Rabjohns




When Jodie Whittaker first took over the mantle of the Doctor, I was so elated to see that the show seemed to have let go of a lot of what I call the Steven Moffat incomprehensibility. Honestly my brain ached so much during so many episodes of the modern era whilst Steven was the producer of the show. I was actually breathing a sigh of relief when I heard that anyone else would be taking over the role of producer. When series 11 ran through I was absolutely elated to find the stories were all standalone and self-contained. I thought that my Doctor Who that was going off the rails had got back on track again. ​
Then the second series with Jodie began with an eruption of action and mystery and darkness with Spyfall, yet I was still OK here. But then along came Fugitive of the Judoon and my faith in the show staying a little simpler started to quiver again. OK, let me get on with stating what I think was wrong with the episode first. ​
The first is the return of Captain Jack Harkness. He has never been a favourite character of mine from the show. In fact, he rather grates on me somewhat chronically. So, the rumours proved to be true and I was a little put out. OK, try to be a little more tolerant, I told myself. He might be a bit different this time. And yet no he wasn't. He was still as annoying as ever. And the way John Barrowman again portrays him in his first few scenes are just wrong. Why would someone with such a monumentally serious message for the Doctor still be so stupidly playful and have such a silly grin all over his face? No, this didn't warm me to the character at all. He then delivers his portent of doom and is shown to be starting to be eaten away by nanogenes (full points for lack of originality again). I cannot fail but to not be elated by his performance in this story. ​
The second is Jo Martin as Ruth. I was at first really liking this character before came the shock revelation that she was the Doctor! And not only that, but she was a Doctor with a very mysterious background. Here came the script subplots galore beginning with earnest yet again and I was lost. I was very happy to see our first ethnic Doctor, but the overloading of the script here began to make my brain seriously ache like it hasn't done for a long while in the show. As soon as she was the Doctor I wasn't overtly taken with her take of the character. She seemed to be far too much aloof and rude and arrogant, far too much in the vein of David Tennant's Tenth Doctor. I was chuffed to see her TARDIS interior, which resembled the console room of old. But this wasn't enough. And when she speaks that she wants Jodie's Doctor off her ship I completely had no care for this Doctor at all. Good grief, she's insolent and even more egotistical than the First Doctor. Jo Martin is definitely very competent in the part, but no, I didn't take to the new Doctor at once I'm afraid to say. Maybe I'll have to see more of her to warm to her! I'm sure her character will be expanded if she does return, and it will be interesting to see what course her character takes.
The third iffy element of the story is the once more oft occurring side-lining of the companions. This time it’s basically all three companions who do little in the story but talk. There’s no true action given to any of the three regulars this time and this is a huge disappointment. The only good scene for them in this story is the final one where they together state their dedication to helping the Doctor with whatever her future entails. This was a thoroughly beautiful scene but it’s just a shame it took to the end of this episode for the companions to really come alive. When they do come alive, they are all absolutely incredible. Graham Ryan and Yaz are already my favourite companions of the modern era. But they do still sometimes need to be far better utilised. ​
Neil Stuke is given a role as the protector of Ruth and yet again his role is too small and he doesn't really get given stuff worthy of him. Neil's a fantastic actor, and I was sad to see him being given such a small part here within this episode. And yes, yet again, the BBC penchant for killing off promising characters again rears its predictable and irritating head once more. Honestly the show does this so often that it’s becoming sadly tedious for a fan such as me. But he does inject the role of Lee Clayton with gravitas and he is again excellent in the role, just was hoping he could have been around a little longer.
Ritu Aryu as Gat is a really good character though. That she turns out to be a Time Lord is a shock and she starts out as a typical cold-hearted member of old, but in her final moments you feel bad for her when she is killed. This scene with the "other Doctor" also made my distaste at the new Doctor grow further. That she didn't just tell Gat what would happen if she fires her weapon was as grating as Matt Smith's Doctor swearing in his series of the show. I was truly saddened and found this scene abhorrent. It’s such a shame the new Doctor is so cold and deviant. There is nothing for me that redeems her character at all. ​
The plotting of this story. Oh, I don't know if I'm just superbly thick or whether this story has far too many touches of the Steven Moffat era. In that it’s so overburdened with different threads that it sags and becomes a little hard to fathom. I was absolutely doing nothing but loving the Jodie era, but this story for me was the first major stumbling block. The mystery surrounding Gallifrey and the Master and the Doctor's identity is really annoying me now too. I am so frightened that my favourite show might be about to be seriously messed up big time. I hope any revelations to come don't destroy the show that for so long I’ve loved to death.​
OK rants over. What good is there in the story?

There is still a wealth of excellence to this story. Well, all the acting is very, very good. Particularly from Jodie herself. I absolutely adore her Doctor and can’t help but feel a little insulted that she has to have a story like this after such a long time of awesomeness in the role. I suppose I was naïve to think I’d love every single episode of her tenure. But the way she brings over her kindness and compassion and her self-doubt and loathing is just so winning and helps redeem the faltering elements of this story no end. She is just so catching and interesting and refreshing to watch. And her Doctor is exactly everything the new Doctor isn’t. I am totally beguiled by her kind hearts and I hate seeing her in so much confusion and strain. Her Doctor's grief at Gallifrey is palpable. Jodie just keeps on getting better and better. And for saying this and ranting, this episode still is far, far more enjoyable to watch than countless Matt Smith or David Tennant episodes.
The Judoon are at least used well in the story too. They are a palpable menace and somehow in this story seem to be more powerful and a real threat. And they look brilliant too. This is most certainly their most meaty and decent use within a story yet. The overzealous and frankly murderous aspects of their character make them a present and nasty threat to anyone who comes across them. I think Russell T Davies will be proud of how his creations have been utilised in this story.
The direction is overall very good and all the good moments of the story though go to Jodie. I don't know what to mark this story out of ten. It’s difficult. The performance of Jodie is even 11 out of 10 but the story's other threads are frayed and don't for me hang together tightly. I can only hope that I'm not desolated by the episodes to come. Please say a little more of the easier to understand scripting will return. Fugitive of the Judoon could have been better. Let’s not let these loose threads remain hanging, like so many were from Steven Moffatt's era of the show.​
I know every producer likes to make their own mark on the show. Chris Chibnall up to now has shown his ability to give us strong and wonderful stories. I hope this Moffat-esque confusion fest is only a one-episode occurrence. If it isn’t, I may just have to stop watching the show like I did during the Matt Smith era, and that would truly break my heart as I love the show to death. Please, please, please just no more script overloading and confusion.


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