Expectation were already high as I settled down to start this episode; director Douglas Mackinnon has been behind two visually stunning episodes, Listen and Time Heist, while writer Jamie Mathieson was already responsible for some of my favourite Being Human guest characters even before seeing the excellent Mummy of the Orient Express. Incidentally, Flatline was actually his first script and it’s on the strength of that he was offered the chance to write last week’s instalment too. So, these two new additions to the crew being brought together for an episode that explores alternative dimensions in the Whoniverse is sure to be a winner right?
Well I have to say that I wasn’t disappointed, this is the kind of Doctor Who I adore; it’s engaging, creepy and quirky with just the right amount of humour and horror blended together. It’s also keen to experiment with new ideas not seen in the show before, yet it still manages to seamlessly retain the overriding season arcs that have been slowly building up to this point. Once again Mathieson has also delivered a very character driven episode, as you have probably seen in the promo Clara has taken on the role of the Doctor because he is trapped inside a shrunken TARDIS. Therefore this gives us a chance to explore what it really means to be the Doctor, the choices that he has to make every day and how that influences and shapes him. Not to mention ultimately how they are (and how they really shouldn’t be) effecting Clara.
Alas there is no Frank Skinner this week, but that’s not a problem when you have Auf Wiedersehen, Pet’s Christopher Fairbank playing the wonderfully contentious Community Payback Leader Fenton. He is easily one of the most callous ‘good guys’ that we’ve seen, which neatly brings into focus just how discerning and judicious Capaldi’s Doctor really is despite his lack of social niceties when the clock is ticking. Then there’s rising star Joivan Wade playing Rigsy, a graffiti artist who becomes Clara’s stand-in companion and tags along to help her investigate the mysterious disappearances that have been happening in the area.
The monsters and aliens this series have been superbly realised, I feel like I am starting to sound like a cracked record as each week goes by and I praise the team that bring them to life. But the effects this week really are something special, Douglas Mackinnon and the team have worked wonders together on this creepy two dimensional alien. As this species learns more about our 3D world, including human anatomy, the episode pulls off some pretty cool CGI work that starts out as unsettling and ends up as nightmarish. The Doctor always wins the day though, so it’s obvious they won’t stand a chance once a way is found to get him out of the TARDIS and face them, and boy does he let rip when he does. In a scene reminiscent of Eleven seeing off the Atraxi, or Ten the Sycorax, Twelve gets a defining speech that gave me goose bumps!
Flatine airs on Saturday 18th October at 8.25pm on BBC 1 and BBC 1 HD in the UK, and at 9pm on BBC America. Below are a few dialogue teasers to see you through until then. Don't forget to come back to vote in our poll after the episode and let us know what you thought.
"Clara, there’s no power, the TARDIS couldn't boil an egg at the moment"
"Sorry, stop listening a while a go..."
"Get on with it, this is community service not a holiday camp"
"It’s kind of more of a right place, right time, or wrong place, wrong time thing depending on how he’s behaving"
"Yes, I get it, you’re excited. When can I go home?"
"I'm the one chance you've got of staying alive, that’s who I am"
"The objective is to save the great trees, not the brushwood"
"Oh my god, that’s so adorable, are you in there?"
"Are you in a safe place, are you being held against your will?"
"I don’t mean edible pie but circular pi...which I realise also would mean edible pie..."
Trailer Teaser
"She’s only saying it because it’s true. We are in the middle of London"
About the Author - Sandi
Sandi is part of the Senior Staff at SpoilerTV having been a contributor from back in the Lost days of DarkUFO, and who now writes previews for Banshee, The Musketeers, Atlantis, and other BBC shows. She also enjoys watching and commenting on other shows such as Sons of Anarchy, Hannibal, Game of Thrones and Elementary.
