Doctor Who- Boom review

The return of Steven Moffat to Doctor Who relatively soon after his mammoth stint as showrunner is a genuine surprise especially as he seemed to be losing enthusiasm by the end of his period. It was an era that had somewhat of a mixed reaction- a lot of long term fans saw it initially as a return to traditional Who until they decided it wasn’t. The public meanwhile felt less certain about his twisting tales that made them think more than the previous era’s primary emotions. Moffat has written more Doctor Who than anyone (though I suspect RTD is catching up now) so you’d have to wonder- as he himself has publicly done- does he have any more ideas for the series?

 

After this episode that’s still a moot point but I say that with warmth because `Boom` is excellent. Tense, taut with distinct `Midnight` vibe it is definitely the most involved and excited I’ve felt about a new episode in the best part of ten years. Like a classic band who reform and deliver new music, it is not radically different to anything that went before. In fact, there are those who will tick off the aspects of this episode that directly echo previous Moffat triumphs in particular `Silence in the Library`, his stories involving Time Lords and more. Yet the way it is put together is sharp, focused and very much of the Now. Free from having to develop the Doctor’s arc story, the writer turns his sharp barbs at a war that has a definite twist (and I don’t just mean the image of its ambulance machines). The main target of the story is arms manufacturers- here we learn that one company has been supplying weapons to all this sector for years yet something seems to have gone wrong and its this that is uncovered in a tactile plot that covers a lot of ground while the Doctor never moves from one spot.

On a desolate rocky planet- well realised incidentally with a perfect grey / orange hue of dustiness yet also giving World War 1 vibes- the Doctor - rushing upon hearing a cry for help - runs out of the Tardis a little too quickly and before long has one foot on a landmine. If he lowers the other one or shifts his weight or even his emotions (these are clever mines) it will explode. Perhaps this is Moffat’s apology for the embarrassing `hand mine` gag from years back. This time he treats war as a serious business and it works so much better. As Ruby tries to help – with the aide of a grim heavy object – and other characters come into the story much of the episode is a drama in a crater.

While there are plenty for familiar Moffat tropes and some people have criticised that it does take skill to reconfigure them in such a way that they become thrilling all over again. His use of malfunctioning tech rather than an actual villain has rarely been better used than it is here and it allows him- via the Doctor- to throw shade at the business of war and even religion while also taking a shot at those algorithms that increasingly interfere with our real lives. Always a tricky narrative to get right, he aces it in this episode by making points that surely nobody can disagree with and then caveats it with the Doctor’s observation that though he doesn’t like faith he does know it has uses. One idea I did like was an ambulance that decides to terminate an injured soldier not deemed likely to recover in time to go back to the fight.  

This episode is Ncuti Gatwa’s first opportunity to show what he is made of removed from the fast pace of the previous two episodes. Standing still for virtually the entire run time the actor must use his face and voice to convey a range of opinions and emotions. I’ve long wanted the Doctor to sometimes stop dashing about and here we are. It really felt during this episode that Gatwa owned the Doctor role properly. Kudos to director Julie Anne Robinson who perfectly frames these reactions so we can get the complete performance. It’s a very strong one and `Boom` will always be remembered as one of his best whatever happens down the line because he will rarely have this kind of chance. Millie Gibson too is terrific as Ruby’s proactiveness reaches a new peak. The way they interact and develop has a lineage that goes right back to the Doctor and Jo or the Doctor and Sarah and they have the potential to really be that good.

Strong work too from Varada Sethu as Munday Flynn who may or may not end up as a companion or maybe it’s like Freema Agyeman who played a different role a year before she became Martha. Either way if she joins the other two that will be a power team. After hitherto popping up in brief cameos Susan Twist is seen a little more this time as the officious yet superficially caring ambulance AI and I’m starting to see that she is a versatile performer who by the look of it can turn her hand to anything. I will be slightly disappointed if it turns out she’s some Pantheon  God who has been butting into every story as the idea of just having the same actor playing a range of roles is a good enough one in itself to not need explaining in the fiction.

I’ve not always been the greatest Moffat fan and I felt his writing often overwhelmed Doctor Who (by the way I loved Sherlock) but I really like this episode. After the last six or seven years I wasn’t sure if there was ever going to be another Doctor Who story I found really thrilling but `Boom` is that story! As others have been saying today, its an instant classic!