The Pilot

"Time And Relative Dimension In Space. It means life."

Writer: Steven Moffat
Format: TV
Broadcast: 15th April 2017
Series: 10.01

Featuring: Twelfth Doctor, Bill, Nardole

Synopsis

Two worlds collide when the Doctor meets Bill, and a chance encounter with a girl with a star in her eye leads to a terrifying chase across time and space.

Verdict

The Pilot was an outstanding episode to kick off the brand new series! Series 10 really has started with a bang and I was absolutely delighted with what I watched. I thought this was a perfect introduction for Bill as the new companion and I really loved how the very first scene was her formally meeting and conversing with the Doctor for the first time. Despite Nardole already being an established companion now, I liked how his presence was somewhat minimal whilst we were introduced to Bill. I must say that I have already fallen in love with Pearl Mackie as an actress and I really do think that she and Peter Capaldi will be terrific together. Matt Lucas being there will just add humour which is fantastic. I really am looking forward to the rest of the series after this superb opener. I think this episode has to go down as my favourite one that sees a companion introduced and I loved how it was all about her. For any new viewers to Doctor Who, this was a perfect jumping on point as everything was explained to her but for longtime viewers like myself this was also a real treat as Bill provided a unique take on being let into the Doctor's world. Her reaction to the TARDIS was probably one of my all-time favourite scenes and Mackie's expression was just delightful. The comments about sci-fi before she was let into the world of Doctor Who were magnificent and I just love everything about Bill. I like how she's working in the university rather than actually being a student but the reputation that the Doctor's lectures carries sees her go. And based on the snippet that we got I can see why! His explanation of time was fantastic and the line I have taken as my quote for the story was simply beautiful. When I read it in the DWM preview I thought it was astonishingly good and hearing the Doctor say it made it all the more better. As well as introducing us to a new companion, this episode also actually had a really great plot! The quality of a story can sometimes be forgotten when a new character is being introduced but there was no such problem here! Heather was a really intriguing character from the start but the life she was surrounded by was very familiar to me as I am a second year student at university, and I'm only nine miles up the road from Bristol. The way she and Bill clearly attracted each other was very good but I liked how there was something more there once the revelation of the puddle was realised. The resemblance the puddle had to leaked oil from a car was good and I liked how Bill quickly picked up on the fact that it was the spaceship equivalent. I liked how Steven Moffat returned to the idea of using water as an evil intelligence and it was used, albeit in a very different way, in The Waters of Mars. Heather chasing Bill across time and space because of the promise she made whilst in her human conscious was quite incredible and I loved how the power of a thought and crush was fully realised. We went to Australia and even in the midst of the Dalek-Movellan war which was quite incredible. The Movellans getting a return, no matter how brief, was wonderful and it was a really nice throwback to Destiny of the Daleks. I must also mention a couple of other nods to the past with the collection of sonic screwdrivers on the Doctor's desk really putting a smile on my face. I also loved how the two people he had photographs of on his desk were River Song and Susan. The way he talked to those photos after he realised he'd be letting Bill join him on his adventures was fantastic. Bill refusing to let her memory be wiped was brilliant and I liked how that would lead to the Doctor changing his mind about travelling with her. I can't wait to see Bill establish herself as the new companion and I think alongside the Twelfth Doctor and Nardole, we have a quite terrific TARDIS team on our hands for the new series. Overall though, a simply stunning series opener!

Rating: 10/10