Doctor Who Hide : Review

Tags

Caliburn House, Clara, Doctor Who, Dougray Scott, Dr Who, Dr Who Season 7, Emma Grayling, Hide, Hider, Jamie Payne, Jenna-Louise Coleman, Jessica Raine, Matt Smith, Neil Cross, Professor Alex Palmer, TARDIS, The Doctor, The Witch of the Well

Hide

Review by Paul Bowler

[Contains Spoilers]

When the Doctor and Clara arrive at Caliburn House in 1974, a haunted mansion on a fog shrouded moor, where Professor Alex Palmer (Dougray Scott) and his assistant, the empathic psychic Emma Grayling (Call The Midwife’s Jessica Raine), are investigating the sightings of a terrifying ghost known as The Witch of the Well.

Caliburn House has stood for over four hundred years, but The Witch of the Well is much older even than that, and she has been known by many names. Now the Doctor has arrived to solve the mystery of this ghostly manifestation. The Doctor and Clara assist the Professor and Emma in their search for The Witch of the Well, exploring the dark halls of the house, but is the apparition really a ghost, and who, or what, is malevolent entity that seems to be chasing her?

When the Doctor and Clara travel back through the history of the Earth in the TARDIS  it becomes clear that the ghost is really a woman called Hila (Kemi-Bo Jacobs), a traveller from the future, who has become trapped in a pocket dimension. Professor Palmer and Emma help the Doctor by to using her empathic abilities to open a wormhole into the pocket dimension, but when the Doctor becomes trapped Clara has to gain access to the TARDIS to rescue him. Once she persuades the visual interface to let her in, the TARDIS enters the pocket dimension, and Emma reopens the wormhole so they can escape.

Afterwards the Doctor realises that Hila is actually a descendant of Professor Palmer and Emma Grayling. It turns out that the Hider is really someone who is in love with Hila, who also became trapped in the pocket universe, so the Doctor returns to rescue him as well. Before he leaves the Doctor asks Emma about Clara, and it would seem that the Time Lord has really come to Caliburn House for reasons of his own…

Hide is the second story this season by Neil Cross (scriptwriter for Spooks and creator of the award winning Luther). While his previous story, The Rings of Akhaten, was set on an alien planet in a distant galaxy, Hide is a supernatural ghost story set on Earth in 1974. Neil Cross delivers a genuinely spooky tale, one which draws its influences from such classic BBC programmes as The Stone Tapes (1972) and the Quatermass serials (1953-59) by Nigel Kneale, and director Jamie Payne enhances the more traditional aspects of this gothic ghost story with some nail biting scenes reminiscent of the first Poltergeist (1982) film and The Haunting (1963) as the Doctor and Clara face the horrors of Caliburn House.

Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman are exceptional good in this episode, the relationship between the Time Lord and his new companion is evolving at a natural pace – highlighted by a fun nod to Ghostbusters in the pre-titles sequence – and they really convey the sense that the Doctor and Clara have been have been travelling for a some time now. As this was the first episode filmed with the present version of Clara, it’s all credit to Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman for making their onscreen chemistry so convincing.

Clara is continuing to adapt to her life as a time traveller, she still seems a little uncertain about her adventures, and Hide also illustrates the interesting concept that – unlike some of the Time Lords previous companions – the Doctor and Clara don’t quite seem to trust each other yet, something which is compounded further by the darker; more unsettling aspects of time travel that Clara experiences in this episode. Troubled by their brief voyage to the beginning and end of life of Earth, so the Doctor can take snapshots of the ghost as it manifests throughout the history of the planet, Clara begins to question the Doctor about how time travel must make people seem like ghosts to him, but the Doctor refutes her assumption when she presses him further: “Then what are we? What can we possibly be?” she asks as the TARDIS returns to Caliburn House in the present, to which the Doctor guardedly replies: “The only mystery worth solving…” Few companions have ever challenged the Doctor quite so openly as Clara does here, it really establish a great dynamic between them, and clearly indicates that Clara is not just going to hang on the Doctor’s every word.

Dougray Scott is also very good as the uptight Professor, Major Alex Palmer, who has dedicated his life to researching the paranormal, and Jessica Raine is entirely convincing as the gifted psychic Emma Grayling, her empathic abilities are crucial to the investigation, and they also allow Emma pick up on the unanswered questions that hang over the Doctor and Clara‘s adventures. There are some great scenes between the Doctor and Emma, where they discuss the enigma of Caliburn House and later where he asks her if she senses anything about Clara, and she plays a pivotal role in helping the Doctor enter the pocket dimension after her powers are amplified by the bizarre properties of a blue crystal from Metebilis III provided for her by the Doctor. Already familiar to viewers for her role as Jenny Lee in BBC One’s Call the midwife, this is Jessica Raine’s first role in Doctor Who, but later this year we will see her play Verity Lambert in the BBC Two drama about the early days of Doctor Who: An Adventure in Time and Space, which chronicles the story of the programme’s creation.

Kemi-Bo Jacobs gives a good performance as the time travelling Hila, the poor woman who tragically became The Witch of the Well after becoming trapped between dimensions. The actual creature of behind the supernatural occurrences, the Hider (The Crooked Man), is a remarkable creation, a gnarled monster born of some unearthly menace, which permeates the story with terrifying malevolence that even gives the Doctor cause to fear its presence when he is trapped in the dark woods of the pocket dimension.

It is only here that Hide looses some of its brooding atmosphere, as the action switches between Caliburn House and the pocket dimension, where the story begins to unravel slightly; giving way to a predictable pseudo-scientific explanation to the ghostly phenomena. The locations for Hide are really effective, Tyntesfield, a National Trust House in Wraxall, near Bristol, and Hensol Castle in South Wales, all serve to heighten the gothic atmosphere of the story.

There are also some remarkable scenes in Earth’s past midway through the story, with some truly stunning primeval landscapes, with the Doctor emerging from the TARDIS wearing a familiar space suit from the 10^th Doctor’s era. Even the TARDIS seems to be warming to Clara’s presence, after denying her and Merry entry in The Rings of Akhaten, the time machine finally relents and allows Clara into the ship to let her rescue the Doctor from the Hider. Its great to hear the Cloister Bell ring out again and it was also fun seeing Clara having to interact with herself when the TARDIS generates a visual interface using her image – although it still leaves you wondering why the TARDIS doesn’t seem to like her.

The mystery of Clara‘s identity continues to confound the Doctor, leaving him almost as baffled as we are, but there are a couple of interesting developments in the Doctor’s quest for answers. One scene in particular has great resonance when Emma warns Clara not to trust the Doctor as he has a sliver of ice in his heart.

This is also a great episode for Matt Smith as the Doctor has to fight against fear itself. It’s quite unsettling to see the Time Lord confronted with such an intangible force as this. We don’t often get to see moments in Doctor Who where the Doctor seems to be genuinely frightened, and Matt Smith gives one of his best performances this series.

Hide is about as close to a traditional gothic horror story as Doctor Who could ever managed to achieve. Its full of terrifically creepy moments that make full use of its wonderful locations, together with some great performances, Hide is a really good story that offers a chilling take on the paranormal in the finest tradition of the Doctor Who universe.

Doctor Who: The Rings of Akhaten

Tags

Clara, Doctor Who, Dr Who, Dr Who Season 7, Farren Blackburn, Festival of Offerings, Jenna-Louise Coleman, Matt Smith, Neil Cross, TARDIS, The Doctor, The Old God, The Queen of Years, The Rings of Akhaten

The Rings of Akhaten

Review by Paul Bowler

[Contains Spoilers]

Unaware that the Doctor has already begun to delve into her past, Clara Oswald steps back on board the TARDIS, and this time she brings her book of 101 Places to See with her. The Doctor offers to take Clara anywhere in time and space, so Clara asks the Time Lord to take her somewhere “awesome”.

Moments later the TARDIS materialises on the inhabited rings of Akhaten, one of seven worlds situated in a far away star system, whose citizens believe that all life in the universe originated on Akhaten and its incredible asteroid rings. The Doctor and Clara take in the wondrous sight of Akhaten’s fantastic ring system, before exploring the busy Tiaanamatt market place, where countless alien races and pilgrims have gathered to observe the Festival of Offerings.

The festival is part of a ritual that is traditionally held once every millennia at the great pyramid where the mummified Old God has been entombed. This is considered the most sacred place of the Sunsingers of Akhet, where a succession of choristers have performed The Lonely Song for millions of years, a haunting lullaby that prevents the Old God from awakening. The Doctor and Clara endeavour to help the young Merry, The Queen of Years, after she is transported to the pyramid during the handover ceremony between choristers and the Old God suddenly returns to life. The Doctor is faced with a desperate race against time if he is to save the people of Akhaten and rescue Clara and Merry before the Old God consumes all their souls…

The Rings of Akhaten is the first story this season by Dr Who newcomer, Neil Cross (scriptwriter for Spooks and creator of the multi award winning Luther), who has also written the ghost story Hyde for this season. Neil Cross has created an epic adventure for Clara’s first visit to another world, one that is filled with aliens, gods, and monsters. Akhaten is certainly one of the most spectacular alien worlds ever seen in Doctor Who. The diverse alien races that trade at the marketplace with psychic transactions are almost too numerous to mention: we have Panbabylonians, a Lugal-Irra-Kush, the bizarre Hooloovoo, an Qom Vo Tivig, and even a Terrabeserker – much to the Doctor’s delight.  Each alien has a unique look, with up to fifty creatures on screen at one time, and the detailed prosthetics and lavish costumes are some of the best ever created for the series.

As of course are the rings themselves, a beautifully rendered digital effect of the highest order, which provides a stunning alien environment for this adventure. There is also a cleverly filmed sequence with the Doctor and Clara on a flying moped, which is great fun to watch as the time traveller’s race through the asteroid rings to reach the pyramid. While there are some obvious similarities with The End of the World (2005) and The Fires of Pompeii (2008), director Farren Blackburn makes The Rings of Akhaten every bit as exciting. Effortlessly allowing us to experience the adventure through Clara’s eyes: transporting us to a world with a blazing sun, introducing a plethora of new aliens, and rounding it all off by placing Clara at the focal point of the story as we lean more about her mothers death and the significance of the leaf in Clara‘s book..

The mummified remains of the Old God is quite unlike any threat the Doctor has faced before. It feeds on the memories of those around it, experiencing their stories, before devouring their souls. This ancient creature’s distinctive robes and leathery face are extremely menacing, but it turns out to be just a vessel for the Old God. When it breaks free from its glass tomb the Mummy decays, its power shooting though space, where the Old God is revealed to be the sun of Akhaten itself! The sinister Vigil that guard the tomb also act as emissaries for the creatures power, who must ensure The Queen of Years is taken to the Old God to be sacrificed.

Matt Smith now has such a grasp of the Doctor’s character that he is fast becoming one of my favourite incarnations of the Time Lord. He now seems perfectly at ease in the role, which is reflected in the 11^th Doctor’s child-like wonder as he visit’s the Tannamatt marketplace with Clara, relishing the chance to introduce his new companion to the wonders of the universe. Matt Smith is also equally successful in harnessing the darker aspects of the Doctor’s personality, especially here when he is confronted by the Old God’s awakening, and the Time Lords icy countenance when has to confront the ancient entity with his own memories is a fearsome sight to behold. Matt Smith is superb here as the lonely Time Lord is forced to reveal his innermost pain, weeping as he recounts his experiences to the Old God. It’s also interesting how Neil Cross cleverly allows Clara‘s story to play a direct part in defeating the Old God, with Clara returning to help the Doctor, using the leaf that embodies the memory of her mothers tragic death to save them all.

The Rings of Akhaten offers Jenna-Louise Coleman a chance to really shine as Clara Oswald. She brings a playful sense of fun to the character, wholeheartedly embracing her desire to travel the universe, but also proving to be as resourceful as any of her predecessors when faced with danger. She has the steely resolve to face up to the horrors unleashed by the Old God on Akhaten, while also displaying a gentler side as she befriends The Queen of Years. There is also a lovely scene where Clara asks the Doctor to explain what time is actually made of. Time, it would seem is many things, as the Doctor points out, but it certainly is not made of strawberries.

Murray Gold has provided some tremendous music for The Rings of Akhaten that perfectly complements the haunting songs and lullabies that are the main focal point of the story. Emilia Jones, the daughter of Aled Jones, plays Merry, the Queen of Years, and she does a great job of handling all the acting and singing requirements of her role.

Although the story does take a little while to get going, leading to a very rushed final act, The Rings of Akhaten is still a hugely enjoyable story. Bursting with amazing special effects and colourful new alien races, The Rings of Akhaten provides a perfect destination for Clara’s first adventure into space, and also offers us a chance to learn a bit more about Clara. This episode yields many surprises: Clara’s leaf turns out to be the most important leaf in human history, having brought her parents together, it holds the greatest story of all, one so emotive and pure that even the Old God is unable to contain it. The currency on Akhaten is also based on objects of sentimental value, which is reflected in one of Clara’s most treasured possessions – her mother’s ring. There is also a reference to the Doctor’s first incarnation, where he mentions visiting Akhaten with his granddaughter, and perhaps most intriguing of all is the moment where Clara begins to realize how much the Doctor has already become a part of her own history…

The Rings of Akhaten is a fabulous adventure that sets the stage for things to come. The Doctor and Clara make a terrific team; each episode brings new aspects to their relationship, and leaves us breathlessly awaiting their next adventure…