Doctor Who: Season 8 - Kill the Moon (Episode 7)

Hello Dreamers,

Oi. I'm finally there. To the episode I've really been dreading reviewing. Just... 

Yup. That pretty much sums it up.

Summary:

So, remember Courtney? Yeah well apparently she hasn't been dealing with her little trip into space very well. She feels very... human (The Doctor seems to have that effect on people) and is frustrated with life on Earth... Clara tells the Doctor to make her feel special. So. The Doctor (rather grudgingly (love him so much)) tells her he'll make her the first woman on the Moon. Of course, when they get to the Moon (in the future) they find that something is going terribly wrong. Something is wrong with the Moon. The normal gravity patterns have been jacked up and whole cities are being flooded because the Moon controls the tides. Earth sent some astronauts up as a last ditch effort to solve the problem (kinda complicated...). Basically, there are some evil spider creatures on the Moon that killed the previous astronauts... the astronauts that the Doctor, Clara and Courtney meet are on a one way trip essentially. So... the Doctor sets out to discover why there are spiders on the Moon.

Acting:

Jenna Coleman has gotten a ton of praise for this episode. Like... the most she's gotten... ever. (Most people didn't like her season with Eleven very much) And yes, I guess she did a brilliant job, give yourself a pat on the back Jenna, we all love you. 

But... what in the name of Steven Moffat were they thinking?Just... WHY?!?!? (More about this in The Rant Bit below)

Overall Quality:

Continuity issues??? Again... let's deal with this in The Rant Bit.

A lot of people have been criticizing the science of this episode. We watch Doctor Who for non-realistic "science", give them a little more breathing room people. Personally, I loved the concept of this episode. The Moon being alive - brilliant. Courtney was likable.  Loved every bit of it. Till... well.. 

The Rant Bit:

Okay, let me sum up for all you readers who don't watch the show, but still read my reviews. *Spoiler Alert* Through a course of events, the Doctor realizes that the Moon is in fact an egg to a (as he puts it) beautiful unseen creature. Pretty awesome. Of course the human astronauts that the Earth sent to the Moon immediately want to blow it up. The Doctor is of course appalled along with Clara and Courtney. The Doctor announces he's leaving Clara, Courtney and the astronaut woman on the Moon to decide the course of the future. He explains that it isn't his place to make such a defining decision for the entire human race. So he leaves. And you can see the panic mode switch on in Clara's face. Anyway, it's dramatic, Clara is upset, but they manage to make the decision to let the creature live. When it's all said and done, the astronaut woman is sent home, Courtney is dropped back off and... Clara... yells at the Doctor. The Doctor tries to explain, but she's so mad, that she leaves. And tells the Doctor to never come back. 

Can I just say, a brand new writer wrote this episode and... I'm not very fond of him. 

Just so you realize what I'm experiencing right now, here's a gif.

Eleven is me, Rory is Mr. A-happy-Doctor/Clara-relationship-is-too-boring-for-me (otherwise known as Peter Harness).

Now, of course I realize it's not completely on the writer's shoulders... but I have to blame somebody. And a guy that was only a writer for one episode seems like a good person to me. 

I feel like we have a bit of character continuity issue with Clara this season. Remember how loyal she was to him in Deep Breath? Remember how she knew he'd come for her - he'd never leave her hanging? She trusted him so much even though his face changed. Remember the girl who told the Doctor he was just a hobby? That she didn't necessarily need him? Remember the Impossible Girl? The girl who made decisions without needing the Doctor there to okay them?

What happened to this brave, brave girl?

I can understand a little bit of freak out but... I don't know, this episode just seemed very... off to me. Very un-Clara like. 

The most annoying thing about all this, is they did it for no reason! They literally had no reason for throwing this wrench in the plot because *Spoiler Alert* in the next episode Clara essentially says "Remember that crazy thing I said last week? That thing about hating you and never wanting to see you again? Yeah that bit, let's just forget about all that and get back to the good ol days."

Dumb character stuff for no reason. 

Therefore, 

Dear Mr. Harness, 

Oh yes. I really have a problem with this one.

*sighs and dusts hands off* Well that's finished. What else have we got? Oh a rating? Um... how about... 

Yeah... I just... can't deal with this episode like... at all. Anybody got better thoughts? I'm probably over protective of the days when Eleven and Clara ran around together I guess, but... am I crazy?

And just so that I can get all four doctors in...

~ Aloisa Quintal

Courtney: "Is it a chicken?"

Doctor: "No!"

Courtney: "Because for a chicken to have laid an egg that..."

Doctor: "Courtney, don't spoil the moment!"