Deep Breath

"This isn't a man turning himself into a robot. This is a robot turning himself into a man."

Writer: Steven Moffat 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 23rd August 2014

Series: 8.01

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara, Paternoster Gang

Synopsis 

A dinosaur walking the Thames in Victorian London spits out the TARDIS which inside contains Clara and the newly regenerated Doctor. Can the Doctor, suffering from regenerative effects and Clara, unsure who the Doctor is anymore, along with the Paternoster Gang put a stop to the eery Half-Face Man in his quest to reach the promised land?

Verdict 

Deep Breath is an excellent episode and I actually thought it was better than what I originally thought on its original broadcast nearly 7 months ago. How time flies! It's almost not believable that the eighth series of the revived Doctor Who started way back in August of last year as the episodes still seem fresh in my mind despite the volume of other stories I've blogged since. You may have noticed that my everyday blogging has been thwarted and that's down to me knocking down and getting on with revision ahead of my final A-Level exams! But I thought now was the right time to finally break the seal on the Series 8 DVD that I had for Christmas and I was mightily impressed. I just loved it from start to finish and I think the feature length cinematic feel certainly helped in me giving an improved rating from the original broadcast. Having the benefit of seeing an entire series to feature Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, watching back on his debut was great and I was really impressed with his performance. The opening scene with the dinosaur in the Thames was impressive with the superb effects! I liked how the TARDIS was spat out of the giant creature's mouth. The Paternoster Gang were magnificent as always and I think this was Vastra's best performance to date. I loved how she took command of affairs with the newly regenerated Doctor becoming accustomed to his new body and face. The way she had Jenny pose looking as stunning as she did when she was merely drawing a map was brilliant! I also thought the scene where Vastra was wearing the veil and asking Clara if she was judging the Doctor was phenomenal. I absolutely loved it. Strax provided us with his usual fantastic humour and I thought the level and amount was spot on. Clara was absolutely brilliant in this episode and I just adore Jenna Coleman in her tartan and bow-tie clothing. The scene in the larder where it appeared the Doctor had abandoned Clara to die was marvellous. Clara's attempts to hold her breath in order to escape the robots were heartbreaking to watch because she just couldn't quite do it. But the way she stood up to the Half-Face Man was just magnificent and perfectly portrayed why she's my favourite companion of the revival era. I loved how she wasn't impressed with the eery robot starting with his final sanction after remembering the difficulty of her first day teaching. She genuinely seemed to lose all interest in if she would be surviving or not but the moment the Doctor triumphantly took her hand was lovely. Of course he couldn't abandon his impossible girl! That's the beauty of a debut episode for a new Doctor - we're never quite sure what to expect from the hero. The Doctor's meeting with the tramp was very good and I love how the fact Peter Capaldi previously appeared in The Fires of Pompeii was actually referenced on screen. The Doctor actually remembered seeing his own face somewhere before. I was intrigued by Clara questioning the fact that his appearance seemed old despite it being fresh on. Even the Doctor acknowledged that. The death of the dinosaur was pretty spectacular with a combusting Jurassic beast lighting up the skies of Victorian London. The imagery of 1800s London was done wonderfully well I thought. I thought the Half-Face Man was a fantastic villain and I liked how he was rebuilding himself into a man, rather than a man doing vice versa. The fact that he'd been rebuilding since at least the time of the dinosaurs was quite astonishing! All to reach the promised land, where it seemed he actually reached after death with the first appearance of Michelle Gomez's wonderfully wacky Missy, or as we'd later find out another incarnation of the Master. Foreknowledge is a good thing on times I must say, even if there's nothing like the thrill of a brand new episode. The advert also seemed to involve Missy after The Bells of Saint John reference. The similarities of this story and The Girl in the Fireplace were excellent and I liked how the regenerative effects were still playing an effect on the Doctor allowing him not to initially pinpoint what just was going on. The skin powered escape pod was a tad disturbing but I thought the conversation between the Doctor and the Half-Face Man. Who'd budge? Who was lying? Could the Half-Face Man self destruct or did the Doctor have it in him to murder? In my opinion we found out that this Doctor did have that capability in him but I love the fact that it's kept ambiguous and open for viewer interpretation. The look the Doctor gave after the Half-Face Man was killed, landing through a spiked building, spoke volumes for me. With the threat removed of more combusting deaths, the Doctor taking Clara home, via Glasgow of course, was great. I like how the Doctor is happy at being Scottish! The cameo of the Eleventh Doctor calling Clara from Trenzalore during The Time of the Doctor, just prior to his regeneration was an amazing inclusion. Not only would it help Clara through the transition of a new Doctor but I think it would help any doubtful viewers as well with Matt Smith assuring us that Peter Capaldi will hold things in good stead. The hug between the Doctor and Clara was a lovely way to end the episode. Overall, a quite outstanding debut for the Twelfth Doctor! I really can't recall much being wrong at all. 

Rating: 10/10