2nd Opinion: World Enough & Time
Connor Johnston & Gustaff Behr give their verdicts on the eleventh episode of Series 10.
Connor’s Verdict
There is a certain vivacity to penultimate episodes that cannot really be captured at any other stage of a series. The energy, confidence and stylised melodrama of a script whose sole purpose is to distort, challenge and leave audiences mad with uncertainty sandwiched between a series of set-up and a finale of resolutions. World Enough and Time not only captures this dynamic, but shrouds within a narrative bursting with creativity and history to deliver something truly memorable.
While last week’s The Eaters of Light delivered on the focal points of history, heroism and heart; this week’s script extends the show’s basic premise further to zone in on the genres of science fiction, horror and once more starting conversations on humanity’s own character and their mortality. Using the episode’s premise to play with the audience’s understanding of time is signature Moffat, and it works remarkably enhance the script’s ingenuity. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Rachel Talalay just ‘gets’ Doctor Who. To say the realisation of the Colony Ship was surreal is an understatement and truly proves once more that the director has both the vision and ability to truly achieve the scale of the Whoniverse in all its glory. In addition, her realisation of the Mondasian Cybermen is utterly horrific – maintaining a standard she built with Dark Water and Heaven Sent for presenting terrifying and threatening foes.
The atmosphere and success of World Enough and Time isn’t simply down to efforts behind the camera, but also relies heavily on the rawness and believability of its cast who each perform beyond their already impressive standards to produce something truly special. Being aware of how a companion’s mortality has been treated historically I’m not yet convinced of Bill’s fate. However due to Pearl Mackie’s unbreakable performance there was not a second I didn’t believe how high the stakes were for her character’s survival. If this does in fact prove to be her final adventure on our screens, she leaves an incredibly well received and impressive legacy behind her.
So too does Michelle Gomez, presenting this week her most considered, entertaining and thrilling portrayal of The Master to date. John Simm’s portrayal of the renegade Time Lord has always been a personal point of contention, however thankfully in the limited screentime this week there is already a heightened sense of focus and malice to his insanity than the tacky chaos of his portrayal during The End of Time without sacrificing the unhinged charm that cemented his incarnation during Series Three. Finally, Peter Capaldi’s captivating performance is ensuring that audiences will struggle incredibly without our leading actor with only two episodes to go until his regeneration.
As with most multi-episode stories, it does feel slightly inappropriate attempting to analyse what is essentially half a script. Of course, there are many elements of World Enough and Time that will remain exemplary regardless of next week’s episode including its striking atmosphere, impeccable pace and use of talent both in front of and behind camera. The initial reception is in no way endangered by the fact that the narrative spans over a few weeks. It is not only this episode’s, but the entire tenth series’ lasting impression that is under threat if Moffat cannot deliver in the second half of this year’s finale. All eyes are now on The Doctor Falls to maintain the scale, atmosphere and consequence of what will remain an incredible penultimate episode.
Gustaff’s Verdict
One of Series 10’s most noticeable flaws has been its reliance on recycled story ideas. This has been apparent since The Pilot, but in recent weeks, the practice has somewhat subsided, allowing for some innovative story ideas to be explored, to varying degrees of success.
We’re less than one week away from the end of Series 10 and if past trend is anything to go by, there is a lot of pressure on Steven Moffat to come up with something truly breathtaking. Unlike last year, World Enough and Time plays the safer route by recycling a number of already tried ideas, some of them from Moffat himself. Fans of Big Finish will recognize the so-called “Genesis of the Cybermen” storyline from the acclaimed story Spare Parts. We got two Masters facing off against a single Doctor last year and if you’re an avid follower of the television series, then a spaceship circling a black hole will look very familiar (The Impossible Planet), as will a companion being trapped in a time-dilated environment (The Girl Who Waited) and most recently Dark Water, where the Doctor, following the supposed death of someone close to him/close to someone close to him investigated a shady organization, run by the Master who was in the process of making their own Cybermen where said someone ended up Cyber converted.
Now you’d expect me to mention just how lazy it is to cap off your final year as showrunner by compiling a Greatest Hits episode, but no. The thing that makes World Enough and Time so fun to watch and a classic episode is how well Steven Moffat hides these elements from his audience. Not only that, but the way the story is told felt fresh and innovative.
Special praise must be given to just how disturbing the hospital subplot played out. From the creepy patient design to the morbid atmosphere and even small ticks like the volume control dial being turned down despite everyone being in utter agony…Steven Moffat proves that you don’t have to go as controversial as “don’t cremate me” to show compelling body horror where the Cybermen are concerned. It’s easy and it’s explored in this episode in much greater detail than Spare Parts.
Thankfully I wasn’t as completely spoiled as a number of other fans so I was pleasantly surprised when “Razor” showed up to talk to Missy, revealing his true identity. A part of me was heartbroken as he was perhaps the funniest disguise the Master has ever used and you can tell that John Simm had great fun playing this strangely enigmatic “ally” of Bill. This made his face-heel turn all the more sinister.
As to the Master reveal, it feels as though John Simm never left the role. In my opinion, he should’ve in the first place, but bringing him back to help set wrong what the Doctor set right is a fantastic reason to feature more than one Master. While we didn’t get a lot of the Harold Saxon Master, the few minutes we did spend with him brought back some familiar vibes ala Utopia.
I won’t praise Steven Moffat just yet for having the guts to actually kill Bill since he still has one episode left to bring her back. But with this being his final year, I sincerely hope Moffat sticks to his guns and allows Bill to remain a full Cybermen, despite how much I like her. Just once, don’t let everybody live, Steven.
Bill’s subplot with Razor and being stuck waiting for the Doctor is also not a new concept to Doctor Who. Whilst strong in most aspects, unfortunately it shares its weak link with stories like The Kingmaker, The Juggernauts, Catch-1782 and The Butcher of Brisbane in that it doesn’t really explore what it means to be stuck for years waiting for the Doctor to return. Echoing Clint Hassell’s words, Bill being stuck didn’t feel like a punishment, more an inconvenience. In this regard, the episode would’ve worked better with a longer runtime to show just how much Bill was truly suffering. We don’t even get to see what her new heart looks like! I’m sure that would’ve upped the body horror even more.
Despite a few misgivings, World Enough and Time is a great instalment, a fantastic series finale setup and easily the best script we’ve had this year…in my opinion at least. It’s been said before and probably ranks as common knowledge after seven years in the Steven Moffat Era, but it only takes one stroke of the pen to undo everything that makes World Enough and Time such a stellar episode. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen come Saturday.
