"Extremis"/"The Pyramid at the End of the World"/"The Lie of the Land"

The longest collective title since 1979 heralds the arrival of the longest story since 1979. Like "The Girl Who Died"/"The Woman Who Lived", this is the work of more than one director and more than one writer but it does tell a more linear story than the tale which introduced Me, in this tale of the sinister Monks. However, each episode has its own particular qualities which should be addressed separately.

The reality bending "Extremis" is an episode that must surely rank with the finest Moffat penned stories. It is scary, thought provoking, human and genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. The concept of the Veritas and the Haereticum hints at what The Da Vinci Code would have been like, had it been written by someone who could write coherent sentences, and the way in which a covert collection of cardinals can crash Bill’s attempt to have a date is farce of the most exquisite variety.¤ A story that hinges on suicide moves the programme into potentially very dark areas, but Moffat is easily skilful enough to make it work, as the very notion of epistemological reality is brought into question. When we realise that none of what we have seen is true, we are not disappointed because we are given the irresistible notion that a computer simulation of Doctor Who has made an episode of Doctor Who for Doctor Who to watch!

"The Pyramid at the End of the World" takes us into the real(ish) world with the juggling of the accidental release of a potential genetically engineered pandemic with the modus operandi of the monks all wrapped up in the cosiness of a UNIT story without actually having UNIT there. Moffat’s collaboration with Peter Harness, whilst lacking the flagrant inventiveness of "Extremis" is an exciting and fresh way in harmonising two quintessential Doctor Who plotlines – the man-made threat to Earth and the alien invasion. The treatment of international politics is simple without seeming simplistic – a hard line to walk and we have an all-time classic scene to conclude the episode – where the battle is lost because our heroes succumb to both their best qualities and their worst judgement.

The dystopia of "The Lie of the Land" has hints of both "Last of the Time Lords" and "The Impossible Astronaut"/"Day of the Moon" and, for the most part holds its own in its story of a renegade Time Lord holding sway over a world ruled by cadaverous creatures who can bend our perception of reality. However, we know this Time Lord all too well and it is clear the Doctor has a plan to defeat his enemies. The plan involves a key phrase that has formed a rather egregious nodule in the 2017 zeitgeist – 'fake news' and, it could be argued that the solution seems strangely lightweight (although perfectly sound) for such a long story and, skilful as its execution is, one is left feeling slightly unsatisfied - perhaps, inevitably, it is the only episode that would not work as a stand-alone story with a few tweaks.

The direction is excellent throughout, with Daniel Nettheim and Wayne Yip doing sterling work. "Extremis", in particular, is a wonder of dynamic pacing and variant tones like a visual Cardiacs song. In the whole story, sequence after sequence sticks in the mind - the pyramid neutralising the threats against it, the reality boosts that the Monks broadcast, and, of course, the nail-biting sequence that concludes "The Pyramid at the End of the World". Even when spectacular effects are commonplace, this story contains sequences that impress - the pyramid capturing the bomber, the montage of the Monks throughout history and prehistory and, of course, the horrifying appearance of the Monks themselves. There are real scares in the story - the disintegration of Douglas is genuinely shocking. The three regulars are spectacular, with Matt Lucas showing a range that few knew he had - his horror at discovering he is only a simulation is palpable. Pearl Mackie is fast heading towards making Bill my favourite companion with another arresting performance. And then, there's our leading man. Capaldi never lets us go and the sequence where he seems to confirm to Bill that he has joined the Monks is breath-taking. Michelle Gomez makes a very welcome return, solving the mystery of who is in the vault and her performance leaves us guessing as to what Missy is truly up to. We have a fine selection of guest actors. Tony Gardner is always a welcome addition and we have great turns by Ivanno Jeremiah, Corrado Invernizzi, Rachel Denning, Togo Igawa and many others.

This very ambitious story promises a lot, but, ultimately, is very slightly less than the sum of its parts, which is a real shame as it could have ended up as one of the crowning achievements of Moffat's Doctor Who. However, each episode is, at the very least good and, at best, brilliant. The Monks are defeated rather quickly but, I doubt we have heard the last of them...

NEXT: "The Empress Of Mars"

"Under the Lake"/"Before the Flood"

The basis (under siege) for this story is rooted in several well-worn tropes of science-fiction in general and Doctor Who in particular - indeed, beats are taken from the Tennant classic "The Impossible Planet"/"The Satan Pit", most notably the death by airlock with the body floating outside the base window. However, in the very capable hands of Toby Whithouse, we are constantly left scared and surprised at every turn in a story that gives us terrifying underwater hauntings, time-bending paradox crunching, Cold-War era dummy towns, Arthurian legend, and love, both unrequited and requited. The explanation for the ghosts and their motivation is revealed only piecemeal, which makes re-watching the story all the more rewarding and, at no point does it alienate anyone who had given the story their proper attention – the untranslatable characters on the spaceship wall are the seeds of a ghost factory, the TARDIS is wary because the Doctor is already there in the hibernaculum. The Fisher King is a far more malevolent figure than his Arthurian namesake, yet the roots in the myth are present and correct – both require those who venture upon his abode to assist in his return...

The production is flawless in realising Whithouse's vision – the ghosts are designed, realised and filmed to live in the nightmares of many in years to come and Daniel O'Hara makes a stunning début as director crafting each scene with care, an obvious highlight being the ghost of Moran dragging an axe just a few paces behind Cass. The design work is fantastic, from the sets for the Drum, to the dummy town to the memorably crustaceoid (if that's a word) Fisher King.

The characters are somewhat atypical for the base-under-siege formula and the actors do stunning work. Morven Christie manages to be completely convincing both as a hard-as-nails NCO and as an utterly adorable Doctor-fangirl. Whithouse never makes Cass a mere token character and the gutsy performance that Sophie Stone gives in the role only adds to the effectiveness of the character. We also have a nice turn by Paul Kaye as the Tivolian, Prentis. It must be said that it is a pity that Colin McFarlane has so little to do in his non-ghost form, but it is no surprise that this very charismatic actor is the scariest of the ghosts. The imposing size of the Fisher King (courtesy of Neil Fingleton) is matched with a memorable turn by Peter Serafinowicz, one of the most versatile voices in the business.

The Doctor's job is a bit more complicated than in should be. How can a time-traveller defy his own ghost? Very well indeed, if the Doctor is as brilliantly written and performed as he is here. Capaldi portrays the Doctor as being stoic in the face on inevitability, totally in control of the end of the moment, if not it's beginning, yet needing cue-cards to help him console those he is about to help. He is also given the most lengthy piece of fourth-wall breaking in the programme's history, which he pulls off with aplomb. With the characters separated, Jenna is left to be the lead in her segments, which she does magnificently.

So, we are left with the Bootstrap Paradox and a question that is never answered. But don't some of the best stories end with a question mark?

NEXT: "The Girl Who Died"/"The Woman Who Lived"

"A Town Called Mercy"

After 46 years, Doctor Who finally returns to the Western genre in another fine offering from the pen of Toby Whithouse. This is a tricky genre to pull off and the temptation is to resort to pastiche, but although it initially seems to be heading that way (The Doctor's order at the bar, the undertaker measuring the Doctor) it soon becomes evident that much more is going on here. The finest Westerns use the setting to explore themes of morality where law and order is fragile, of the extreme personalities drawn to frontier outposts, of people running from their past, running to their future and, frequently, both. Notably, westerns usually feature a mysterious stranger, of whom there is more than one...

One thing that the story gets right very early is making sense of the Western in a historical context. This is the Old West in the years following the American Civil War, where America is 'a land of second chances' and strangers with murky pasts can make a new start. Into the frontier town of Mercy comes Kahler Jex who is, by all appearances, a kindly doctor with a weird tattoo. However, he is actually an alien, coping with the after-effects of a war of his own, for he brings in his wake a cyborg gunslinger who is keen to pass judgement. It is made obvious from the start that the Gunslinger's motives are not dishonourable and Jex's crimes might be too horrible to forgive- hints of a more recent war with even fewer shades of grey. Into this is brought a more familiar alien Doctor, who, more than ever, has to figure out exactly what is the right thing to do.

The characterisation is intriguingly shaded and the performances have to be first rate. Adrian Scarborough is fully up to making Jex work- we can fully believe in him as the man who saved Mercy from a cholera outbreak and as a man who conducted horrific experiments is a war. Ben Browder, a sci-fi icon in his own right, brings a sense of decency and authority to the role of Marshal Isaac. As the Gunslinger, Andrew Brooke is imposing, but keeps a sense of pathos. The Doctor's role is more complex than usual- there is danger and, perhaps, real evil, but no one enemy for the Doctor to defeat. The Doctor is motivated to do some pretty extreme acts himself- in a town called Mercy, it seems he is running low of that particular commodity and it is his companions who must remind him of who he is. Matt Smith is electrifying and Gillan and Darvill manage to work brilliantly with him. As has been made clear before, the Doctor needs his companions to help him see the details of the Big Picture. Despite a bit of narrative wobbliness (repetitive scenes of people running around pretending to be Jex) Whithouse manages all this, whilst still maintaining his wit, with some sparkling bits of dialogue and some very funny lines- it takes a special sort of writer to include a horse that has finally come to terms with its confused gender issues!

Saul Metzstein helms a very assured production, helped by the use of iconic locations in the Almerian deserts, so beloved of the likes of Sergio Leone, meaning that the viewer is never less than convinced of the setting. The costumes and special effects are first rate, managing to integrate seamlessly with the setting. Metzstein gets the best out of the supporting cast and masters the tracking shots, low angles and canny editing that are typical of Westerns.

There was a film called Cowboys & Aliens recently that threw a colossal budget at attempting a western/sci-fi hybrid. On a fraction of the budget and in a fraction of the time, "A Town Called Mercy" manages to accomplish this fusion with far greater effect and remaining true to the tenets of Doctor Who. The Doctor saves the day by helping someone be a better person, and the monster, revealed to be a victim, becomes the champion of Mercy. Again, Doctor Who manages to make an outstanding Western episode that is completely different from the previous one. This is a real keeper, which will reward many repeat viewings and here's hoping we don't have to wait another 46 years for the Doctor's next trip to the Wild West!

NEXT: "The Power of Three"

"The God Complex"

Toby Whitehouse’s previous script for Doctor Who was "The Vampires of Venice", a very enjoyable, yet somewhat lightweight tale and it is not surprising that it was a last minute replacement. The story it was replacing was this one and, it has to be said at the start, that lightweight is the last word that can be used to describe "The God Complex". It works as a condemnation of religion- faith is what feeds the monster, moreover, that faith has to be ‘converted’ for it to be used: the deity devours its worshippers. It works as an affirmation of religion- faith is part of what is best in us. It also dispassionately looks at what a post-religious society might do with its gods when they are no longer needed. There are concepts that could form the basis of their own stories- the Tivoli, who are the most conquered race in the Galaxy and, consequently, one of the oldest, because their cowardice has become real strength. Even the title works on more than one level- the Doctor has his god complex but the hotel itself is a literal God complex. However, like the all of the best Doctor Who stories, it can be enjoyed on less cerebral levels, including the simplest and most important one- as a scary tale of a monster that stalks the corridors of what looks like a 1980s hotel.

Whitehouse's dialogue is beautiful, profound and funny. The characters are well written and excellently performed. Amara Khan is instantly memorable as one of the greatest companions the Doctor never had, Rita (incidentally, also the name of the character she played in The Darjeeling Limited). She is smart and funny, but her belief is that they are in Hell (incidentally, the word ‘Jahannam’ is also used by Arabic speaking Jews and Christians and derives from Gehinnom/Gehenna which... oh, look it up!) Dimitri Leonidas is given some of Whithouse’s most chilling monologues and performs them with aplomb. Gibbis, the Tivolian is performed with cringing perfection by David Walliams. These performances are expertly marshalled by Nick Hurram who pulls out all the stops, with split second shots, superimposition and great use of sound and imagery- the scrape of the flaking gypsum from the monster’s horns, the superimposition of 'praise him', the room full of laughing dummies. There must have been shot coverage of feature film proportions for the scenes to work and the cinematography again is sublime. The truly astonishing thing is that, despite the obvious influence of Kubrick’s The Shining, at no time does "The God Complex" seem like merely a homage/rip-off- it takes the imagery and puts its own spin on it.

The regulars continue to excel. Rory will probably be the last to go as his pragmatism seems to be his protection and Arthur Darvill continues to astound, as does Karen Gillan. Matt Smith effortlessly plays the Doctor’s conflict- things are clearly going out of his control and he must continue alone. It is easy to compare making Amy lose faith with the similar scene in The Curse of Fenric, and the more manipulative Doctor seen in "The Girl Who Waited" would seem to support this- however, this is, as we've come to realise, an older, kinder Time Lord.

This is a bona fide classic, a tale that will open itself to new interpretations with each viewing and, if it is a kind of sequel to The Horns of Nimon, it has to rank as the best sequel of all time!

NEXT: "Closing Time"

"The Vampires of Venice"

With Amy's hormones seemingly in overdrive, the Doctor has no alternative but to arrange a date for her and Rory, and where better than Venice? However, as the title of the story makes obvious, all is not what it seems. "The Vampires of Venice" sees the return of Toby Whithouse to the Doctor Who fold. Since "School Reunion", Whithouse has created the excellent supernatural drama Being Human, so vampires should be familiar territory for him. Only there are no vampires in the story. There is a mysterious aristocrat who fears the sunlight. There are buxom maidens with severe orthodontic problems. But all is not what it seems with what it seems not to be, for the creatures are not vampires- "The Vampires of Venice", in classic Doctor Who style, takes a horror trope (two actually- the true nature of the ‘vampires’ is very Lovecraftian) and reinterprets it in a science fiction context- this is pretty much a Hinchcliffe/Holmes story for the 21st Century- I love, for example, the reason why the ‘vampires’ cast no reflection. Whithouse tells us the classic Doctor Who tale of the aliens who arrive in a notable time and place in Earth’s history to wreak havoc and have to be stopped by the Doctor. However, there is more to it than this- the alien Saturnynians, though callous in their disregard for the ‘savages’ do not actually want to conquer the Earth- just Venice- Whithouse fills the story with majestic dialogue: ‘Can your conscience carry the weight of another dead race. Remember us. Dream of us.’

However, the story has a problem, in that it has some of the flaws of the Hinchcliffe/Holmes era. There are some glaring inconsistencies in the plot- the sensitivity of the Saturnynians to sunlight varies from slight discomfort to grievous harm, which comes to a head when Amy destroys Francesco using the light reflected from a cloudy sky using a make-up mirror! Like many Hinchcliffe/Holmes stories, there is a somewhat pat solution to the crisis- the Doctor simply turns the evil alien device off! This was a funny solution in "School Reunion", but it just seems unimaginative here. Also, I’m no expert, but I wonder how Venice could have any tunnels? The character writing is effective enough, but the final effect is mainly thanks to a superb cast. Guido’s plight is not that effectively written, but Lucian Msamati puts in a very effective performance. As Rosanna, the queen of the Saturnynians, we have the wonderful Helen McCrory who gives a charismatic, yet very subtle performance.

The production is a triumph, with every scene having fantastic design, great costuming and cinematography, making the episode hugely evocative of the most vibrant city of the Early Modern period. Jonny Campbell’s direction, however, is problematic. Sometimes he assembles scenes with aplomb, but at other times (thankfully only a few) the editing or pacing is sloppy. The pre-titles sequence works, but I’m not sure if it is due to skilful editing to emphasise the awkwardness, or just plain awkward editing.

The regulars are on fantastic form. The interplay between the Doctor, Amy and Rory is well written and very funny, with Arthur Darvill being very likeable as Rory. We see the Doctor confronting an adversary and making ultimatums- just as his previous self does. It is obvious that the Eleventh Doctor does not wear his heart on his sleeve as much as his predecessor, delivering the line 'I'll tear down the House of Calvierri, stone by stone.' with a sinister smile on his face. Whether popping out of a cake or deactivating weapons of mass destruction, Matt Smith remains utterly captivating.

Despite some large-ish problems, the energy and great production values make "The Vampires of Venice" a hugely enjoyable story. Plus, when are a bevy of buxom vampire girls ever a bad thing?

NEXT: "Amy’s Choice"

"School Reunion"

"School Reunion" has a perfectly respectable plot. A school in London has been infiltrated by the Krillitanes, a race who take physical characteristics of the races they conquer and add them to their own. They are using the children of the school as an organic computer to crack the ‘Skasis Paradigm’, apparently a formula that is the key to everything in creation. Mickey has noted something odd going on and has summoned the Doctor and Rose back to Earth. However, Mickey is not the only one who has noticed something odd, because there is also a freelance journalist who may look familiar to some of those viewing, together with something in her car boot…

Toby Whithouse creates a very entertaining story that seems, at first glance, to be aimed squarely at kids. The school setting and the use of the children in the adversaries’ dastardly plan is reminiscent of the Demon Headmaster books and TV series. However, the presence of Sarah Jane adds a different dimension altogether. Sarah Jane does not live in the past, but it is clear that her time with the Doctor will be with her forever. This also has an effect on Rose as she says, ‘I’ve been to the year 5,000,000, but this is really looking at the future’. The initial tension between Rose and Sarah Jane is written with wit and real understanding of the characters and their eventual reconciliation is joyful to behold. Just as interesting, if not more so, is the Doctor’s reaction to this, giving us insights into how he views the all-too mortal humans he travels with and his reluctance to ever say goodbye. The farewell scene between the Doctor and Sarah Jane is utterly beautiful- the line ‘I think it will be someone else’s grandchildren’ is heartbreaking and the Doctor finally saying goodbye shouldn’t leave a dry eye in the house. James Hawes makes another impressive show in the director’s chair, mounting scenes with expert shooting (although some of the editing is a bit off) but paying attention to the little things- I love the scene where Rose reaches out, expecting to get the Sonic Screwdriver, only for the Doctor to hand it to Sarah Jane. In Hawes’s hands, K9 is not just the lovable tin mutt of the past- the scene where he shoots down the Krillitane is completely awesome and K9’s apparent death genuinely left me shocked. The special effects are great, with the Krillitanes being very memorable.

The Doctor is written with more depth than in David Tennant’s previous stories and Tennant proves that Russell T Davies was fully justified in the risk he took in employing him. From his physics lesson at the start to his joyful reunion with K9, to his grim face-off with Mr Finch, Tennant is brilliant. Billie Piper is great in a performance that sometimes highlights one of Rose’s less laudable characteristics- her occasional selfishness. Noel Clarke is again utterly wonderful, with his realisation that he is the ‘tin dog’ leading him to join the TARDIS crew. The tin dog himself is obviously ace, with John Leeson returning. Then there is Elisabeth Sladen, who effortlessly gives a more mature, yet still recognisable Sarah Jane. Despite all these headlining performances, Anthony Head still manages to be fantastic as Mr Finch/ Brother Lassar, which would have satisfied Buffy fans as much as Sladen and Leeson satisfied Doctor Who fans. In smaller roles, Joe Pickley is great as Kenny and the Krillitane staff are also memorable but still very much ‘teacherly’.

"School Reunion" could have been fan-pleasing rubbish, but we are in skilled hands. It can be watched by those who don’t know who Sarah Jane is, without them losing anything, for it is a great paean to living one’s life with the belief that the best is yet to come.

NEXT: "The Girl in the Fireplace"