Before the Flood

"What's the point of having a time machine if you can't meet your heroes?"

Writer: Toby Whithouse 

Format: TV 

Broadcast: 11th October 2015

Series: 9.04

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Clara

Synopsis 

A twisted survival plan is pieced together by an alien warlord called the Fisher King. The universe will feel the consequence. Can these events be stopped? Can the Doctor ensure the future is coming and do the impossible?

Verdict 

Before the Flood was a decent episode to continue along the superb story started in Under the Lake. After last week's excellence and a cliffhanger that I thought was one of the best in recent memory, this didn't quite deliver to the very high standards I was hoping for. That's not to say this wasn't good because that would be incorrect, but I was expecting a higher rating after the previous episode. Although this was a two part story, this second episode had such a different feel from the first which may have hurt things somewhat. It never quite felt the same and because we had seen all the ghosts previously, they didn't have the desired effect two weeks in a row. Last week it was scary but tonight it just never felt like being quite so. I really wasn't sure about the pre-credits opening scene with the Doctor seemingly breaking the fourth wall and telling the viewer a little story about Beethoven and the bootstrap paradox. The exception in The Daleks' Master Plan was done beautifully but a whole scene? I'm really not too keen on that. Neither was I struck by the remix of the opening titles, something which seems to be happening every week now and is actually starting to annoy me. Can we just keep it consistent please? Despite what appears to be a critical tone from myself, this episode certainly had a lot of positives most notably with the guest cast. They really were magnificent and O'Donnell was my standout favourite. I absolutely loved her reaction to having travelled in the TARDIS, she just couldn't compose herself and that was marvellous. She also knew a considerable amount about the Doctor which I found interesting though it paved the way for some marvellous references to Harold Saxon, Rose, Martha, Amy and Kill the Moon, with the first of those probably my favourite. Her death was a bit premature in my opinion though and I was actually gutted that she died! That's a sign of a great character. Bennett was very good and I liked how he stood up to the Doctor when he knew he'd change time to save Clara but not for O'Donnell. He also was angered by the Doctor knowing the fact the list of the ghost Doctor was the order of who was going to die. Was he really just testing out his theory? I'm not convinced. Bennett telling Lunn that he needed to tell Cass how he felt about her was a stunning moment and the moment the pair embraced in a kiss was really heartfelt. Cass was once again magnificent and I loved how she stood up to Clara in asking how she's become so willing to let other people sacrifice their lives. This was an interesting episode for Clara and she was definitely in the full on companion role for this story which somehow seems a rarity. She was rather selfish though in not wanting the Doctor to die, as she'd seen envisaged with his ghost, because of the effect it would have on her. I absolutely love Jenna Coleman but I used to consider Clara as probably my all time favourite companion but lately that's far from the case. That's just down to the way she's been written I think. The Fisher King looked mightily impressive I must say and I liked how a variation of a Torchwood villain from Greeks Bearing Gifts in the Arcateenians. I'm glad to see the ratings are now above the four million mark but I still think that's not quite enough for the quality of the show. The programme just needs to be on earlier! Seeing Prentis pre-ghost was good and I liked the similarities to The God Complex in the Tivolians adoring being conquered. The resolution was good and tied in with the name and the first episode nicely. A bootstrap paradox is an interesting way to go but it worked. Overall, a decent showing but not as good as the first part. As a whole though, still a fantastic story over the two parts. 

Rating: 8/10