C+Q - The Woman Who Fell to Earth (2018)

I loved this episode, but I'm not sure how good it was. I mainly loved it because it's been so long since we've had new Doctor Who and because this episode introduced a new Doctor and three new companions. Part of what made it special for me was the newness. Now that I've met these characters, I don't know how often I'm going to rewatch The Woman Who Fell to Earth. I've only seen the whole episode once at time of writing, but there are a handful of moments I keep revisiting on iplayer: when the Doctor first arrives (mainly to listen to that little preview of the new title theme), when the Doctor builds the new sonic screwdriver, and when the Doctor remembers who she is. Other than that, the only standout moment of the episode looking back on it was the face made of teeth, which was probably the highlight. That's the sort of uncomfortable weirdness I watch Doctor Who for. The rest of the episode did a good job of reiterating the exposition but I doubt this one will become a classic.

The stuff that needed to be good was good. Jodie Whittaker is the Doctor, completely and without question. I don't have to stretch my imagination to believe her as the same person as all the others. The three new companions and Grace are all likeable and they all make an impression, which is to be expected given Chris Chibnall's talent for writing ensembles. Even the small characters who don't have a ton of lines feel huge and important (and if that doesn't sum up the philosophy of Doctor Who I don't know what does). "Eat my salad, Halloween!" "I am special. I am valued. Somebody out there wants me." The world beyond the main cast and the main storyline felt populated and real. 'Real' is the word I'd use to describe all of Chibnall's new characters. Nobody is entirely overtaken by one character trait or facet of their life. Ryan is dyspraxic and has great difficulty riding a bike, and he is a YouTuber who puts a lot of value into his phone and digital life. Graham is a bus driver and has a wide social circle as a result, and he is extremely cautious, not wanting anything to do with this alien stuff. Yaz is a police officer who wants more out of life, and she hates being talked down to. Nobody is just one thing, which makes them all feel amazingly deep. I hope the three of them stick around for at least two series, especially with (once again) the reduction in episodes this year from 12 to 10. We were at 13, then 12, now 10. It feels like Doctor Who is slowly being cancelled again.

Like with the transition from RTD to Moffat, the transition from Moffat to Chibnall sees a drastic jump up in visual quality. This episode looks stunning, like The Eleventh Hour did back in the day. The music has also changed in style thanks to the new composer, Segun Akinola. I'm sorry to say I'll probably never love a TV composer as much as I love Murray Gold, but I'm not going to hold that against the new guy. He does great work here and he's clearly going for something much more subtle and atmospheric than Gold's bombast. Thing is, I love bombast, so Gold will always be on top in my mind. Still, no point in criticising the colour red for being nothing like the colour blue; I should take each new creative voice on their own merits, and the new composer is a very strong addition to the series. Welcome Segun Akinola, I can't wait to see what you have for us.

I like the decision to hold back the title sequence and TARDIS until Episode 2. As I said, part of what makes this episode special for me is the newness, so if the newness is spread out over as many episodes as possible, it'll act as a guiding rope to keep me interested in what's to come while the gears of the new era start grinding into motion. It's also just nice to have a fresh take on a post-regeneration story. Isn't it weird that New Who now has five Doctors? Six if you count the War Doctor who's floating around in The Cancelled Space (which is why I love him so much). I like seeing the show play around with the formula by making finding the TARDIS again more of an ordeal.

What else? Killing off Grace was a shame, I really loved her. I hope she shows up again at some point. If we were still in the Moffat era I'd be able to rely on a magical resurrection but alas she might actually just be dead here. I guess her death is supposed to kick off arcs for Ryan and Graham, so I'll see how that plays out and whether or not it ends up being worth sacrificing Grace for. I felt more of a connection to Grace then I did to Yasmin, who unfortunately is yet to make an impression on me (I've now seen the first two episodes as I write this). Still, the main cast is all great and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them.

So, Doctor Who is back. It took a while, but the Thirteenth Doctor has landed. I have every confidence that Jodie Whittaker will be an amazing Doctor; right now I'm more worried about the all-new all-different writing team than anyone in front of the camera. Still, I'm keeping an open mind. So far so good.