2nd Opinion: The Eaters of Light

Connor Johnston & Gustaff Behr give their verdicts on the tenth episode of Series 10.

Connor’s Verdict

Since 2005 (though notably stronger during Moffat’s reign) Doctor Who has maintained a uniquely strong and intimate relationship with the classic era of the show. Be it through fleeting mentions, returning characters or even inspirations for entire episodes, the reverence Doctor Who holds for its own history is completely unparalleled next to other long running television legacies. So much so it does come as a shock to see it take over a decade of content for an episode to look as familiar behind the scenes as it does on our screens, with Rona Munro being the first writer to bridge the gap of the millennium with this week’s episode: The Eaters of Light.

There really is a level of sophistication present in Munro’s script that is admittedly absent from the vast majority of standalone adventures. Tackling concepts of youth and innocence and how the two are affected by the horrors or war are done subtly and effectively, contributing almost a hidden commentary to an already intriguing narrative. It is her ability to dress this commentary with a strikingly realised setting, mysteriously threatening villain and an abundance of beautifully insane Doctor Who moments – i.e. talking crows, explorations of Roman sexuality and assault by popcorn – that speaks wonders of the episode’s structure and tonal balance. More than that, I must echo the praise of my colleague Clint Hassell who labelled the episode as perhaps “the most quotable one ever” given how intimate and almost poetic way each piece of dialogue establishes a deep knowledge of the show’s continued success.

Though it may be slightly jarring to recognise, there is a likely possibility that The Eaters of Light could mark Bill’s penultimate adventure with the Doctor depending on the outcome of this series’ finale. It is fortunate then that a substantial amount of this episode allowed Mackie the opportunity to exhibit another side of her character, with Bill taking the role of a leader more than we’ve seen before. Both in driving the soldiers out of hiding and negotiating co-operation between the Romans and the locals, Bill embodies a level of authority, inspiration and understanding that is uniquely strengthened by travelling with the Doctor. Similarly, impressive this week is Matt Lucas’ Nardole, who is responsible once again for a variety of memorable moments ranging from the hilarious to the surprisingly threatening. Against all odds, Lucas’ ability has continued to impress and enrich the bond between this year’s TARDIS team – making the inevitable expiration of our leading trio all the more frustrating.

With The Eaters of Light, Munro enters into the new millennium of Doctor Who with a script that is thoroughly impressive and deeply considered while offering an exceptional amount of material for its entire cast. Boasting an unparalleled understanding of the show’s success, the episode draws focus to the three major keystones of history, heroism and heart that are at the forefront of Who’s winning formula with a light tinge of sci-fi to justify the specifics of its narrative.

Gustaff’s Verdict

…technically the Doctor was right: The Romans did get annihilated in battle and they did disappear.

Of all the episodes to have aired thus far, The Eaters of Light has been my most anticipated episode. Partly due to a Classic writer coming in to pen the script, partly because of how unusually awesome the title sounds and just a smidgen of how interesting the plot sounded. Perhaps it’s a case of overhyping myself, but after watching the episode, all I can say is ‘meh’.

But let’s do away with the positives first: Nardole! Yes, I’m starting this review by praising his involvement in the story. He doesn’t do much save be a plucky comic relief, but not once during the entire episode did any of his jokes feel forced to me. It’s also quite funny to realize that he spent most of this episode looking like he just left the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. Ten episodes in and I consider Nardole’s inclusion in Series 10, not only a wise move, but a fantastic pick.

And while some might say the Doctor comes across as especially harsh during this episode, being more “rude” towards the Pictish warriors he meets; I must say I enjoyed it, not least because I found it just a wee bit convenient that no adult warrior managed to survive the battle ON EITHER SIDE! It’s almost like the writer specifically wanted to pen a script for young folk and what it means to stop bickering and finally grow up for once. Wink-wink.

Perhaps the biggest take away from this episode is the titular Eater of Light monsters. The design and realization looked fantastic in the final product. Their method of murder was also something I found original. Sort of like a “light vampire”. And while the monsters were used very sparsely throughout the episode, the scenes in which they did appear were wonderful to watch.

The biggest issue I have with this episode is that Bill’s subplot about meeting the Romans felt completely unnecessary. Usually in Doctor Who when the Doctor and his companion split up, they each become enthralled in the plot and learn parts of it, slowly but carefully revealing the whole thing to the audience. But think about it: What actually happened that contributed to the plot? Bill found the Romans, they told her about the monster, there was a played for drama scene about Bill’s sexuality (again), then they left. That’s it. The Doctor learned a lot more about the monster, the Romans and the Pictish soldiers from the Pictish themselves thus Bill’s presence in the episode is essentially to add 15-20 minutes to the story’s runtime.

It also doesn’t help that this story is the second in a row to deal with soldiers defecting from their military and seeking redemption through sacrifice. Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t we just leave that storyline on Mars?

A few weeks ago I speculated that a rift would develop between the Doctor and Nardole because of the former’s irresponsibility at guarding the vault. I think it’s safe to say that this potential plotline is wasted/dead as a dodo as this week features the Doctor acting even more naïve than his fifth incarnation without anything malicious happening…yet.

Even now I fail to see any sort of logic in confining Missy to the TARDIS. This despite one of my first thoughts when I first saw the Vault being: Why not just put it inside the TARDIS? Why does it have to be outside? But this makes that leap in logic even more erroneous. Missy has only served out 50 of a 1000 year sentence and the Doctor is willing to let her do ‘maintenance’ on his ship’s engines? The same engines that is responsible for making the ship move? Forget about being ‘bio-locked’ out of the controls, there is still an enormous amount of potential for Missy to tamper with any number of controls/functions aboard the TARDIS.

I repeat, the Doctor is willing to believe that Missy has reformed after only serving out 1/20 of her sentence…and next week he’s giving her a field test with Bill and Nardole? Yup, no holes in that plan. Bring on the finale I guess.