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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