Can You Hear Me?

"Even gods need a helping hand."

Writers: Charlene James & Chris Chibnall
Format: TV
Broadcast: 9th February 2020
Series: 12.07

Featuring: Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Ryan, Graham

Synopsis

From ancient Syria to present day Sheffield, and out into the wilds of space, something is stalking the Doctor and her friends. As Graham, Yaz and Ryan return home to see friends and family, they find themselves haunted by very different experiences. Who is the figure calling from beyond the stars for help, and why? And what are the fearsome Chagaskas terrorising Aleppo in 1380? To find the answers, Team TARDIS embark on a mission that forces them to face their darkest fears.

Verdict

Can You Hear Me? was a decent episode of Doctor Who to continue along Series 12 quite nicely. I do feel that it could probably have benefitted from more of a focus on the immortal gods, but the character development and knowledge that came with the companion focus will probably be better for the show in the long run. I thought Jodie Whittaker had a really great episode as the Thirteenth Doctor and she is definitely noticeably having some traits with her incarnation. That definitely seems to be true of the little speeches she has seemingly every week. She delivers them so well, even if some of them are a little tongue and cheek. The use of nightmares is very good but it isn't something new to Doctor Who so I was impressed with how new and original everything felt in the episode. I liked the idea of the Doctor taking her companions home for a little bit and it was just nice for them all to go their separate ways for the night and catch up with old friends and family. Ryan meeting up with his mate for chips and Fifa was nice and something I can relate to in a big way. Yaz confiding in her sister on the anniversary of what we learned was an incredibly tough time in her life was really nice. Graham enjoying a game of poker with some of his friends was particularly good and it was nice to hear of Grace's memory and how he just had to move on. The fact that she appeared in his nightmare and was the one who told him that his illness had returned and was deadly was very powerful. Now, I'm not sure what to make of the scene in the TARDIS where he confided in the Doctor and told her all about his fears of the cancer coming back. Whilst I verbally laughed at the Doctor's reaction because of the brilliance of Jodie Whittaker, surely the Doctor would have something confiding to say at that moment? It didn't quite seem right that she didn't. I thought Zellin was a fantastic villain who sadly went away far too soon. He was sinister and scary and that's exactly what you want in an enemy that was using nightmares against humanity. The fingers were quite something and just disturbing to watch in some instances! I loved that. The twist concerning Rakaya was terrific and something I didn't see coming so I liked that a lot. Zellin mentioning the likes of the Eternals and the Guardians was good continuity and I loved how when he was talking about playing a game, what he had planned would make the Toymaker proud. Some wonderful reference linkage dating all the way back to The Celestial Toymaker there! The scene on the street with Rakaya taking in all of the nightmares was good and must have been quite a feast. She was intent on staying on Earth for life with the supply available. Sadly, I wasn't a big fan of her nor of Clare-Hope Ashitey playing her. I also wasn't a fan of how quickly they were dealt with. It was decent but just all too rushed which was a big shame as I felt their race had a lot of potential. I also wasn't a big fan of the animation sequence and I just never have been of things like that in any television show. It just seems out of place for me. The little epilogues of sorts for the companions were good and I must also mention how much I liked the Doctor's reaction to being alone for a day. She just went off to 14th century Syria and picked up Tahira for her travels. I felt she went a bit missing with the large main cast which was a shame as she had a lot of potential despite not really seeming like a young girl from 700 years in the past. Overall, a good episode despite some mishaps.

Rating: 7/10