Doctor Who: The Lodger – Series 31, episode 11

SPOILER ALERT: This weekly blog is for those who have been watching Doctor Who on BBC1. Don’t read ahead if you haven’t seen The Lodger Dan Martin’s episode 10 blog “All I have to do is pass myself off as an ordinary human being. Simple. What could possibly go wrong?” For its next trick, Doctor Who does Spaced. Or Men Behaving Badly. Or This Life. Or any other flatshare drama you care to mention. And with a small cast, no CGI turkey monster and not even a single historical figure, it delivers one of the strongest episodes of the year. It made being back on modern-day Earth feel like a treat. Long-time Doctor Who writer Gareth Roberts adapted The Lodger from his Doctor Who Magazine comic strip, and it weeps with wit and affection. The story itself is simple: in order to get to the bottom of what’s happening in Aickman Road, the Doctor has to pass himself off as human – which turns out to be surprisingly challenging. The Doctor doesn’t twig that three grand in cash is a lot of money. He mistakes pub league for a drinking competition and thinks football is “the one with the sticks”, although he also turns out to be brilliant at it. He looks for the on switch for a normal, non-sonic screwdriver. He delights in taking over Craig’s call centre job for the day. He talks blithely with the cat. All of this might have come easily to Touchy Feely Tennant, but Matt Smith’s weirdo Doctor really comes into his own this week – he’s never looked more alien. But the episode does also raise a few questions, given that the Doctor has previously been adept at posing as a human and has already got a ready-made alias of John Smith . So why not use that? Did the John-Smith-made-real during the events of The Family Of Blood die at the end of that story? Is it too painful for The Doctor to use that identity knowing what he did to Nurse Redfern ? Or is it just funny to have a football field of onlookers cheering “Doctor!” as he shoots and scores? (Also, I’m pretty sure that the song he sings in the bath is the same one John Pertwee sang in the shower in Spearhead From Space .) “Six billion people, and watching you two at work I’m starting to wonder where they all come from.” Meanwhile, James Corden proves that during his time off from being a celebrity irritant, he’s still a damn fine actor. He brings real warmth to Craig the everybloke, and the love story is beautifully played. Better still, his appearance turns out not to be a tagged-on subplot but a vital thread –it was them admitting that they loved each other that eventually saved the day. From now on, my flatmate and I are going to use the Doctor’s manic yell of “I wasn’t expecting that!” whenever either of us need the place to ourselves. “Earth to Pond…” The odd-couple scenario doesn’t allow Amy much to do this week, stuck in a temporal loop and trying to work the Tardis controls by herself. As we suspected, she finds the engagement ring Rory gave her and knows that something is wrong. This is the final cliffhanger before the finale, so nothing will be an accident. The crack widened as she opened up the gift box. Could it be that the ring is, in fact, the Pandorica? Timey trivia This episode might well have just been an excuse to let Matt Smith show off his footballing prowess. He had trials to become a pro before an injury led him into acting. Next week! It’s the big one, as the Pandorica opens and all hell breaks loose in the first half of the two-part season finale. There have loose ends, paper trails and red herrings scattered all the way so expect some big answers. All Karen Gillan would tell us about the finale was “horses”. All Piers Wenger would add was “helmets”. Season 2 Episode 1: The Robot Revolution Episode 2: Lux Episode 3: The Well Episode 4: Lucky Day Episode 5: The Story and the Engine Episode 6: The Interstellar Song Contest Episode 7: Wish World Episode 8: The Reality War Season 1 Episodes 1 & 2: Space Babies / The Devil's Chord Episode 3: Boom Episode 4: 73 Yards Episode 5: Dot and Bubble Episode 6: Rogue Episode 7: The Legend of Ruby Sunday Episode 8: Empire of Death Christmas special: Joy to the World 60th anniversary specials Special 1: The Star Beast Special 2: Wild Blue Yonder Special 3: The Giggle Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road Flux / Series 13 Chapter one: The Halloween Apocalypse Chapter two: War of the Sontarans Chapter three: Once, Upon Time Chapter four: Village of the Angels Chapter five: Survivors of the Flux Chapter six: The Vanquishers New Year's Special: Eve of the Daleks Spring special: Legend of the Sea Devils BBC centenary special: The Power of the Doctor Series 12 Episode 1: Spyfall part one Episode 2: Spyfall part two Episode 3: Orphan 55 Episode 4: Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror Episode 5: Fugitive of the Judoon Episode 6: Praxeus Episode 7: Can You Hear Me? Episode 8: The Haunting of Villa Diodati Episode 9: Ascension of the Cybermen Episode 10: The Timeless Children New Year's special: Revolution of the Daleks Series 11 Episode 1: The Woman Who Fell to Earth Episode 2: The Ghost Monument Episode 3: Rosa Episode 4: Arachnids in the UK Episode 5: The Tsuangra Condundrum Episode 6: Demons of the Punjab Episode 7: Kerblam! Episode 8: The Witchfinders Episode 9: It Takes You Away Episode 10: The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos New Year's special: Resolution Series 10 Episode 1: The Pilot Episode 2: Smile Episode 3: Thin Ice Episode 4: Knock Knock Episode 5: Oxygen Episode 6: Extremis Episode 7: The Pyramid at the End of the World Episode 8: The Lie of the Land Episode 9: Empress of Mars Episode 10: The Eaters of Light Episode 11: World Enough and Time Episode 12: The Doctor Falls 2017 Christmas special: Twice Upon A Time Series 9 Episode 1: The Magician's Apprentice Episode 2: The Witch's Familiar Episode 3: Under The Lake Episode 4: Before The Flood Episode 5: The Girl Who Died Episode 6: The Woman Who Lived Episode 7: The Zygon Invasion Episode 8: The Zygon Inversion Episode 9: Sleep No More Episode 10: Face The Raven Episode 11: Heaven Sent Episode 12: Hell Bent 2015 Christmas special: The Husbands of River Song 2016 Christmas special: The Return of Doctor Mysterio Series 8 Episode 1: Deep Breath Episode 2: Into The Dalek Episode 3: Robot of Sherwood Episode 4: Listen Episode 5: Time Heist Episode 6: The Caretaker Episode 7: Kill The Moon Episode 8: Mummy on the Orient Express Episode 9: Flatline Episode 10: In the Forest of the Night Episode 11: Dark Water Episode 12: Death In Heaven 2014 Christmas special: Last Christmas Series 7 Episode 1: Asylum of the Daleks Episode 2: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship Episode 3: A Town Called Mercy Episode 4: The Power of Three Episode 5: The Angels Take Manhatten 2012 Christmas special: The Snowmen Episode 6: The Bells of Saint John Episode 7: The Rings of Akhaten Episode 8: Cold War Episode 9: Hide Episode 10: Journey to the Centre of the Tardis Episode 11: The Crimson Horror Episode 12: Nightmare in Silver Episode 13: The Name of the Doctor 50th Anniversary special: The Day of the Doctor 2013 Christmas special: The Time of the Doctor Series 6 Episode 1: The Impossible Astronaut Episode 2: Day of the Moon Episode 3: The Curse of the Black Spot Episode 4: The Doctor's Wife Episode 5: The Rebel Flesh Episode 6: The Almost People Episode 7: A Good Man Goes To War Episode 8: Let's Kill Hitler Episode 9: Night Terrors Episode 10: The Girl Who Waited Episode 11: The God Complex Episode 12: Closing Time Episode 13: The Wedding of River Song 2011 Christmas special: The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe Series 5 Episode 1: The Eleventh Hour Episode 2: The Beast Below Episode 3: Victory of the Daleks Episode 4: The Time of Angels Episode 5: Flesh and Stone Episode 6: The Vampires of Venice Episode 7: Amy's Choice Episode 8: The Hungry Earth Episode 9: Cold Blood Episode 10: Vincent and the Doctor Episode 11: The Lodger Episode 12: The Pandorica Opens Episode 13: The Big Bang 2010 Christmas special: A Christmas Carol