DOCTOR WHO: EMPIRE OF DEATH

This week brings us to the end of the first Season/Series of RTD2.

Continuing from the events of last week, Empire of Death is scripted by show runner Russell T. Davies, and is directed by Jamie Donoughue, returning from last week's The Legend of Ruby Sunday. The episode is described by Davies as 'extra long,' clocking in at 55 minutes.  

​Empire is described thusly by BBC: 

The Doctor has lost, his ageless enemy reigns supreme, and a shadow is falling over creation. Nothing can stop the devastation... except, perhaps, one woman.

A clip from the episode is available online, but is, for some reason, defying embed. Hopefully you can see it HERE. 

This run of episodes has been a very mixed bag for me.

In terms of overall style and production value, the current iteration of DOCTOR WHO is stellar: it looks and sounds fantastic, its performances are uniformly earnest and heartfelt, its effects largely top-notch (although a few are a tad dodgy). 

This said, it's hard to escape the sense that this current run feels like something of 'proof of concept.' There's a lack of weight to the proceedings here, a feeling that the consequence of the show's dramatic or affecting moments don't necessarily resonate through the characters or their journeys. 

​And, perhaps most debilitatingly, this iteration of the Doctor often feels a tad ineffectual - sometimes coming across as reactive, instead of proactive. Observational, instead of commanding. It feels that, somewhere along the way, The Powers That Be have mistaken Ncuiti Gatwa's  contagious charm and charisma for gravity, and the qualities are simply not the same, nor are they necessarily distinct.
Gatwa comes across as a Time Lord who'd be tons of fun to hang out with - but not necessarily a Time Lord you'd trust to save you when the chips are down, and when all hope is lost.  And it's chiefly this disparity that keeps the show from soaring. This isn't a sleight against the immensely capable Gatwa as much as it's a poke at the fundamental conceptualization of this iteration of the Doctor. 

This show, in a very real sense, feels afraid to commit - moreso than any previous iteration of DOCTOR WHO, ever, save the Chibnall Era. 

Perhaps the reasoning for this boils down to some comments recently made by Davies regarding the DW's current ratings, and the mission he was charged with when returning to the franchise...

“In coming back, I wanted to make it simpler and I wanted to make it younger..."
[EDIT]
"And actually, I was brought back to bring in a younger audience."

More of Davies' comments can be found HERE. 

​My point being: perhaps the cursory and frivolous nature than can often be sensed dampening S1 is a direct result of the show, itself, not being perceived by its creators as having the flexibility or maturity to invest in the narrative and emotional potentials it puts on the table, but leaves unexplored. And I can't help but wonder if this is underselling the capabilities or flexibility of the 'younger audiences' it's attempting to cater to. To be afraid to 'own' one's storytelling because you're going for a 'younger crowd' feels a bit cynical and dismissive? Just pontificating and exploring here. 

​I have a crashing headache today, and am not sure if this is making any sense at all. If it doesn't, ask me and I'll try again. 

The discussion for Empire of Death is now underway!  I may or may not post a 'bridge' discussion board to carry us to the Moffat-scripted Christmas Special.  But, either way, there will be a separate discussion opened for that one. 

We warmly invite and encourage an open discourse and free exchange of ideas, but will enforce a strict zero tolerance policy regarding trolling, disrespect, or hate speak of any kind.

                                                   
                                                        COMING SOON:

                                           DOCTOR WHO: JOY TO THE WORLD 
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