I’ve been watching a lot of Classic Doctor Who lately in an effort to try and consume as much of the show’s history as possible, and I just finished the last serial of the 10th season of the show, The Green Death. I’m not sure if I’m gonna make reviewing Classic Who episodes a regular thing, but I had to review this one mostly as it contains the first time the Doctor really seems to get all melancholy about the departure of a companion. We’ll get to that later, though, because of spoilers. Written by Robert Sloman and directed by Michael Briant, The Green Death follows the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee), Jo Grant (his companion, played by Katy Manning), Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney), and the rest of UNIT as they investigate a series of mining accidents at the site of Global Chemicals as they attempt to implement their plan to drill for more oil. As a mysterious virus breaks out and infects the miners and an array of odd and large maggots appear throughout the mine, it’s up to the Doctor and his friends to solve the mystery and avoid total disaster.
I can see why The Green Death tends to be considered one of the best Third Doctor stories. While the plotline itself is a bit rubbish, the way it’s executed is what makes it stand out. Much of the plot doesn’t make a whole lot of sense in the end, but it’s an incredibly fun journey and leads to some interesting character moments for both the Doctor and Jo. The serial begins with Jo finally standing up for what she wants and believes in, a theme that’s carried over from the ending of Planet of the Daleks, with her wanting to join a Professor Jones (Stewart Bevan) in protesting Global Chemicals’ latest drilling disaster. It’s this act of independence from Jo that begins the arc of her departure at the end of the serial. During this scene, the audience is shown the Doctor’s reaction. First, he doesn’t take her seriously. Second, he seems confused. Third, he quietly and sadly lets her do as she pleases. This happens a few times throughout the serial as Jo is allowed to make her own decisions (for once) repeatedly.
It culminates in the scene at the end of the serial where Jo and Professor Jones announce their intention to get married to the Doctor. The Doctor is happy for Jo, but he’s also sad. It’s bittersweet for him. Companions come and go, but for some reason, this is the first time that the Doctor has really shown a whole lot of emotion about the departure of a companion. Perhaps he really did view Jo as an equal. Perhaps he knows he’ll miss having her around. Perhaps, since she was the first companion he was really able to travel in the TARDIS with after being exiled to Earth, he has a special attachment to her and mourns the fact that it has to end. After all, the Doctor hates endings.
More than anything else, it’s this plot thread that made me want to review the episode. I don’t have much to say about the rest of it all. It’s a bit too long, the plot is forgettable, the motivations of the antagonist are never fully explored, etc. But it’s still really enjoyable. Michael Briant manages to create and maintain a really palpable atmosphere of dread, creepiness, and suspense. Add in the whole espionage element with Yates having infiltrated the company. And, finally, sprinkle on top the fun 70s style pro-environmental message poorly hidden in interesting science fiction. With all those ingredients, you have yourself an enjoyable, if somewhat forgettable and nonsensical, story. It’s a pretty good one for the Third Doctor. One of my favorites.
I give it three and a half out of five wands.
The early previews for this episode made it sound a lot worse than it actually was. Is it the greatest episode of Doctor Who ever? No. But there is quite a bit to like, and on the whole, it’s rather good. Not the best episode this season, but still a very good one. In The Eaters of Light, written by Rona Munro and directed by Charles Palmer, A hunt for the lost Ninth Roman Legion leads the Doctor, Bill, and Nardole into the middle of an ancient battle that could cast humanity into the dark forever. What is inside the cairn? And how far will they have to go defeat the terrifying alien Eaters of Light? (As always, this review will contain spoilers. So, if you haven’t seen the episode, don’t read this until you have.) 
I enjoy when spin-off books are written as though they exist in the universe of the thing they’re spin-offs of (ie: the Hogwarts Library textbooks). Steve Tribe writes A Brief History of Time Lords from the point of view of the young boy that the Twelfth Doctor meets at the end of Heaven Sent. This boy grew up and went on to write an “unofficial” history of his planet and people that contained unofficial and forbidden knowledge. It’s a fun concept that’s executed fairly well. The big question with books like this is if they contain enough new material to make it worthwhile, or if they’re just a collection of older material crammed together into one thing so it can be sold for more money. A Brief History of Time Lords kind of fits into both categories. But, at least, it’s enjoyable. 
What happens when a new NASA probe discovers a curious message on the surface of Mars? Well, naturally the Doctor and Bill have to go investigate it, which is exactly what happens in Empress of Mars. Written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Wayne Yip, Empress of Mars follows the Doctor (Peter Capaldi), Bill (Pearl Mackie), and Nardole (Matt Lucas) as they explore Mars after finding “God Save the Queen” written on the surface of the planet. What they discover is rather unexpected: there are Victorian soldiers on Mars. How is this possible? Unwittingly, they awaken Iraxxa, the Ice Queen (Adele Lynch), from her five millennia slumber, leading to an ultimate showdown between two of the most stubborn races ever: Victorian soldiers vs. the Ice Warriors. (As always, this review will contain spoilers. You’ve been warned!) 
Is the idea that love will eventually overcome everything cheesy and oftentimes overdone? Yes. But, if done well, it can still be both moving and satisfying. This final part of the “Monk Trilogy” manages to get it right. Written by Toby Whithouse and directed by Wayne Yip, The Lie of the Land concludes the “Monk Trilogy” that was begun with Extremis. In this closing chapter, Earth has been invaded and Bill is living alone, an isolated figure surviving in occupied Britain. The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) is imprisoned and appears to be on the side of the enemy, flooding the airwaves with fake news. Bill(Pearl Mackie) and Nardole (Matt Lucas) must embark on a deadly mission to rescue the Doctor and lead the resistance against the new regime, whatever the cost. (As always, this review will not be spoiler free, so spoilers are ahead!) 
Who ever said a little bit of setup in a story was a bad thing? Sometimes the second part of a trilogy has to primarily act as a setup for the third part, but that doesn’t mean said second part can’t also stand on its own as a story. All the best middle parts of trilogies do that. The one that comes to mind, naturally, is The Empire Strikes Back. It very much is a setup for Return of the Jedi, but it’s frequently considered the best of the Star Wars films. Why? Because it also tells its own story. The Pyramid at the End of the World does the same thing. Being the middle part of the Monk Trilogy, The Pyramid at the End of the World acts as a setup for the final part, The Lie of the Land, while also succeeding in telling a story with character moments, stakes, and consequences. Written by Peter Harness and Steven Moffat and directed by Daniel Nettheim, The Pyramid at the End of the World follows the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Bill (Pearl Mackie) as they investigate a mysterious 5,000-year-old pyramid that has just appeared overnight in Turmezistan, the strategic military point that the three biggest armies of the Earth are positioned at. Inside the pyramid are the Monks, the race of beings from Extremis who plan to take over the Earth. The Monks say that humanity is about to destroy itself, and only they (the Monks) can save us. But consent must be given. Will the human race consent? (Spoilers ahead!) 
Another week, another episode of Doctor Who, another review. This week’s episode, Extremis – written by Steven Moffat and directed by Daniel Nettheim -, was the first episode of this season that I was really looking forward to. I mean, I was excited about the other episodes, don’t get me wrong, but I was most excited about this one. Especially after the teaser in this month’s Doctor Who Magazine that revealed that this would be the episode where we discovered what was inside the Vault. I love arc-heavy Doctor Who and I love when the show does different things, especially when it explores religious aspects. I’m always fond of science fiction exploring religion. And the central premise of Extremis was awful religious-sounding: ‘The Veritas. The truth. Truth so true you can’t live with it. Is that looking into hell… or seeing the light?’ Everyone who has ever read the Veritas has been found dead. In a forbidden library at the heart of the Vatican, the pope urges the Doctor to read the ancient text – but can he handle the truth? As always, this review will not be spoiler free, so stop reading now if you haven’t seen the episode! Plus, due to the nature of this episode, this review will also be somewhat of a recap as it’s impossible to talk about this episode without going into the specifics of the plot. So, seriously, don’t read this until you’ve seen the episode. 
Another Saturday, another episode of Doctor Who, another review of Doctor Who. This week’s episode was Oxygen, written by Jamie Mathieson and directed by Charles Palmer. In this episode, Bill (Pearl Mackie), Nardole (Matt Lucas), and the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) respond to a distress signal from a mining post somewhere in space in the future. On the post, the workers have begun to die, being killed by the very suits designed to protect them. Can the Doctor save the remaining crew in an environment where oxygen is limited and charged by the breath? Like all reviews, this one will contain spoilers – and, man, there are some spoilers to look out for this week. So, seriously, if you haven’t seen the episode yet, watch it before you read this review. You do not want the ending spoiled for you. 
So, I finally managed to finish a Doctor Who book that didn’t involve the War Doctor. And I enjoyed the heck out of it! Doctor Who: The Shining Man is one of the three most recent Doctor Who novels published by the BBC recently. It is written by Cavan Scott and involves the Doctor and Bill investigating strange events that have been happening in a small British town.
The fourth episode of the tenth series of Doctor Who has just aired, so it’s time to review it! This week’s episode of Doctor Who was entitled Knock Knock and was written by Mark Bartlett and directed by Bill Anderson. In this episode, Bill (Pearl Mackie) and several of her friends move into a creepy old house owned by a mysterious Landlord (David Suchet). As the house starts making noises, Bill’s friends begin to disappear. What is causing these noises and disappearances, and can Bill and the Doctor put a stop to it before it’s too late? As always, this review will have spoilers for the episode – so, stop reading now if you haven’t seen it! 
Thoroughly Modern Reviewer 