The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos

"Those that came before us failed and fell."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 9th December 2018

Series: 11.10

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

Answering nine separate distress calls, the Doctor and team arrive on the remnants of a brutal battlefield on the planet Ranskoor Av Kolos. This planet has many secrets. An amnesiac commander? Mysterious mists? Who or what are the Ux? A deadly reckoning awaits the Doctor and her companions once they have the answers...

Verdict

The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos was a very good series finale! Now, it really wasn't quite on the level of finales from previous series gone by which was a shame but it was still a great episode in its own right. It certainly felt like there was a bit more riding on things than in previous episodes this series but it was missing that oomph factor that is so associated with a conclusion to a series. The team were challenged and the Doctor had to take a lot of responsibility which was good. This episode did make me realise, if I needed any further confirmation, just how bad the new TARDIS interior is as I just don't think it works and that's why we haven't had too many scenes inside it. The theme of faith was decent and I really liked the concept behind the Ux. The idea of them living for millennia and only ever being two was quite extraordinary and I loved the Doctor's reaction when she learned of who and what Andinio was. I thought Yaz had a quiet episode which was a bit of a shame but I liked how Graham and Ryan were challenged. The return of Tzim-Sha wasn't too surprising for some reason but I loved the reactions of all of Team TARDIS. They had been devastated by what he had done to Grace in The Woman Who Fell to Earth and now he was back. He was clearly in a bad way and was after revenge on the Doctor following the way she defeated him 3,407 years previously. The link between the conclusion of the first episode and the start of this one with his arrival to the Ux as their supposed Creator was intriguing and I liked how he used his position to use their abilities along with Stenza technology. The physical torment on Delph was clearly visible when he was trying to use them to get Earth and the prospect of moving planets was extraordinary, especially with previous ones being inside diamond-like objects. The use of the Ux and the TARDIS was decent and I liked how angry Tzim-Sha was at being stopped again. His disgust towards the Doctor was fantastic and I liked how he also confronted Graham. His desire to kill the alien that killed his wife was quite something and the Doctor was also shocked and she couldn't have him kill if he was to travel with her. Of course, he was the better man and the legacy of Grace lived on which was nice. I thought Tzim-Sha was stopped a little too easily but I loved the irony of him getting a taste of his own medicine by being put in a stasis chamber. Overall, a decent finale! 

Rating: 8/10