Gamersledge Doctor Who Mid-Week Review: Kill the Moon

The return of Courtney Woods

Hello again all! NeoSapian here to go examine las week’s Doctor Who episode, Kill the Moon. This week we see the predicted return of Miss Disruptive Influence, a.k.a. Courtney Woods. Apparently The Doctor told her she wasn’t special and Clara wants hi to take it back, but instead he decides to take her for a little trip. So we end up on the moon, slightly into the future, but conveniently for the FX budget the moon has near Earth normal gravity. So a shuttle has been sent up to the moon to check out what is going on, and thus is the setting for our story.

Fly me to the moon…

So here we have the first episode without Mr. Moffat on the byline, and to me this if further proof he has been a significant source of the issues this season. This episode had a much better story and cohesiveness than most of the others. There are some weird things, but Moffat has made those things normal (like the TARDIS doors)… They story holds up except for one point, another one that was point blank foreshadowed in the prior episode. It wasn’t enough to kill the episode for me, but it sure seems crazy considering EVERYTHING else that has happened in the past.

Not the best effect ever…

Visually, everything looks excellent, except the first “monster” we see. They are a bit discount CG, but they are not enough to count against all the other sets and effects. I really don’t have anything else to say on that subject.

Acting, again here seems much better, but I think a lot of that is the script. The characters are much more even and presented better. The pacing was also a lot better for the majority of the episode. There is a proper sense of mystery and suspense throughout the episode and the characters react as would be expected. The Doctor is presented here much more like I expected for the season. There are even hints of the “making up for his mistakes” presented here. This is easily the best episode since the premier.

So you get to be on the good episode huh?

Finally an episode I largely felt good about. There are things I would still have done differently, but until that happens, this will do. I give Kill the Moon an 8.5+ Vortex manipulators out of 10. Next week, The Orient Express IN SPAAAAAAACE!

[spoiler]

So here is the point where you have officially become dead to me Clara…

What the bloody fuck Clara? Really? You jumped to certain death to save the Doctor? You have been all over doing all kinds of crazy shit, and now THIS made you go over the edge…. You always want to be in charge and when given the chance to REALLY be in charge and make the decisions that The Doctor has always made before, you think you are being ridiculed. You are officially the WORST companion EVER! And then there is Danny, with his sufficiently mysterious history to swoop in and save the day. Is Clara done, probably not yet but I hope soon.

Courtney becomes President?! HAHAHA, well why not…though then SHE should have had a bit more knowledge and helped the world make it’s choice better…

So the Moon housed a kaiju…but since Godzilla wasn’t there he just flew away..

Such a good ep, except for Clara’s reaction…
[/spoiler]