Boom

"I was spared from the suffering."

Writer: Steven Moffat

Format: TV

Broadcast: 18 May 2024

Series: 14.03

Featuring: Fifteenth Doctor, Ruby

Synopsis

Caught in the middle of a devastating war on Kastarion 3, the Doctor is trapped when he steps on a landmine. Can he save himself and Ruby, plus the entire planet... without moving?

Verdict

Boom was an excellent episode to continue the Fifteenth Doctor era! This really was eventful considering the whole premise centred around the Doctor being stuck in one position. It was enticing right from the off with a rather incredible pre-credits scene that got the Doctor into the stance he would remain for much of the episode. After establishing the setting of Kastarion 3 and some of the characters, we see John Francis Vater quite brutally killed in a humane situation apparently. He was suffering from blindness that would take four weeks to heal, and under the Villengard Corp algorithm that wasn't suitable. I thought the way the episode incorporated AI, religion and capitalism all in one was brilliant and this really is a triumphant return for Steven Moffat to the show. I've seen a lot of reaction on Twitter to the episode saying that he just gets it and it really is difficult to argue with that statement. The tension in this episode was outstanding and it was a good shift of atmosphere for Ruby. She sees her first alien world which is such a lovely moment and I thought she really stepped up. She had a little Clara defiance in her when the Doctor wanted her to throw the object that turned out to be Vater's compressed body, as she stood right by him and told him best get it right. The calmness in which the Doctor dealt with his predicament was honestly amazing and I must say this was a sublime performance from Ncuti Gatwa. It didn't really need it, but this absolutely cemented his role as the Fifteenth Doctor. This is a breakout story for the incarnation and I'm so excited where we go from here. Splice was a really nice character and it's such a sad moment when she hears her dad's voice from the hologram and Ruby and the Doctor realise they're going to have to explain that her father is dead. Her faith was incredible though and that meant she could deal with that quite efficiently knowing that they'd be reunited one day. Perhaps a surprising addition in the story was Mundy because of who she was played by! It's already been announced that Varada Sethu will join up as a companion in the next series, so to see her debut here unannounced (and uncredited in advance) was fascinating! Her character was strong and she goes through the wringer with Carson as they proclaim their love for each other, only to have it taken away as he dies. The private message on his AI generated reconstruction was a little sad as he believed she didn't love him back. He just about knew beforehand that she did. Mundy was not the kind of character I would be expecting a new companion to be like, but that unique nature makes her an exciting prospect! The Mundy Sunday joke by the Doctor suggesting she should marry Ruby was magnificent too. Despite his predicament, the Doctor was having time for comedy and that's the beauty of Gatwa. The singing when Ruby approaches him at the start is good and I love his little dance when everything works out at the end. The inclusion of Susan Twist as the face on the ambulances is intriguing because she was around for quite a while and the Doctor saw her for a prolonged period of time. Will he recognise her on the next cameo that I presume will continue? I look forward to finding out! The moment where Mundy is asking Ruby to shoot her to distract the ambulance away from the Doctor was incredible as our new companion was shot dead! And she did actually die! It was a powerful moment, but perhaps not as much as the Doctor's dad-to-dad plea to the AI Vater in appealing to save them. The Doctor needed the war to end because he realised the humans were fighting a war against themselves, all in the name of profit. Just enough people were dying so they kept on buying. The evil machination of Villengard Corp. Vater becoming a virus and saving the day was a really nice touch, especially at the countdown with Mundy and Splice accepting their fate, Ruby dead and the Doctor helpless. It was a sublime moment. Overall, another excellent episode! 

Rating: 9/10