Clara and the Maze of Cui Palta

"It's important to stop and smell the flowers."

Writer: Susan Calman
Format: Short Story
Released: March 2018
Printed in: The Day She Saved the Doctor

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara

Synopsis

The Eleventh Doctor takes Clara to Cui Palta, voted the Most Beautiful City in the Galaxy, only to find the place completely deserted. Against her better judgement, Clara convinces the Doctor into entering the Maze of Cui Palta, but the pair are soon wondering around for hours and seem lost and beyond help...

Verdict

Clara and the Maze of Cui Palta was a terrific little story! It was definitely the best of The Day She Saved the Doctor thus far and I was really impressed with Susan Calman's first contribution to the world of Doctor Who. It was a little gem I have to say. She really nailed the characterisation of the Eleventh Doctor and managed to capture all of the little quirks of Matt Smith superbly well. Her writing of Clara was also good and I thought the feel of the second half of Series 7 was very much felt which was a big positive. It sat well in its era and that's definitely a benefit. I was quite surprised that the Doctor and Clara were the only characters in the entire story and when it's put like that, it sounds like it might be boring but this was far from the case. The centrality of the maze was excellent and I really liked how the Doctor's confidence in his ability to solve the puzzle slowly decreased as the story went on. Clara worked out pretty quickly that they were just going around in circles but the Doctor wasn't having any of it. He was stubborn and wanted to solve this puzzle. The danger being the unknown was very good and I liked how well-paced the adventure was. Considering it pretty much all took place within the maze, things advanced quickly and that was testament to the writing. I really enjoyed it. Some of the Doctor's jokes were perhaps in slightly bad taste (ie I couldn't see him actually joking about someone's skeleton's skull falling off). That was really my only issue with this though so it hasn't done badly at all there. The feeling of anxiety was very well portrayed though Clara as she yearned for escape but it wasn't coming. They had seen victims of presumably long waits, walls were ascending out of nowhere and the three doors labelled for escape just brought them straight back to the entry point. There was no way out. I did like that the Doctor eventually admitted he was lost as I thought he would be too stubborn. The Doctor and Clara having to separate for the latter to work out what was going on was great because we could see just how much he trusted her. In an instance, it was absolutely clear that the Doctor went from joking and humour to absolute seriousness. Of course he trusted her. Clara realising that the flowers, which had been making her sneeze, were the reason for the maze disorienting and deceiving them was good but a little quick and easy, but I enjoyed that the signs had been there throughout the adventure. The Doctor did as he was instructed and the haze was cleared and the Doctor and Clara were fine. They'd just been walking around in circles for a long time. Overall, a great story!

Rating: 8/10