Doctor Who: The Beast Below – series 31, episode two

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 episode two. Daniel Martin’s episode one blog “Is that how it works, Doctor, you don’t interfere with affairs of peoples or planets unless there’s children crying?” Amy Pond’s maiden voyage is, on the surface at least, one for the kids. It’s all broad flourishes charged with the childlike wonder of seeing outer space for the first time. And the sight of a spaceship in a far future full of London Underground logos and modern-day school uniforms is the sort of thing that gets fans past puberty into wailing paroxysms of “No! The 29th century just isn’t like that!” (Granted, that might just be me.) The Beast Below looks for all the world like a RTD story: a Technicolor morality play light on intricate plotting and heavy on modern moral parallels. But Moffat still conjures some magical ideas and takes the characters exactly where they need to go – rather than simply going in the Starship UK and putting the bad thing right, relationships are tested and solidified by differing reactions to what’s going on in there. With echoes of Donna Noble’s “Sometimes I think you need someone to stop you,” it’s only Amy who works out that once again (and this is becoming a Moffat trope) nobody has to die. Amy’s not nearly as badass this week – although you wouldn’t be, would you? The anti-vivisection message does seem to get lost somewhere along the way – the ship’s inhabitants seem to get off with little more than a ticking off and a promise never to be so beastly ever again. But manatees are just inherently funny. Four out of five, we’re saying. “You don’t ever decide what I need to know!” The rage with which the Doctor reacts to a mistake that Amy doesn’t even remember making comes as a timely reminder of the weight of responsibility he carries, and that his instincts aren’t necessarily human, or even humane – something that definitely got lost toward the end of the Tennant era. (Tennant would also have given the poor girl a chance to get dressed – and he was supposed to be the all-hands Doctor.) Neither does the Doctor fully understand things, or even himself, right away. The whole story hinges on Amy recognising in the starwhale, as in the Doctor, “something old and that kind, and alone”. It looks like that’s how the relationship between the Doctor and Amy is going to play out – which is just as well, seeing that as well as having those space-manatee qualities, this Doctor also thinks its sensible to pickpocket little girls in corridors for clues. “I’m the bloody Queen mate, and basically I rule” Sophie Okonedo steals the show as the gun-toting undercover investigator, Queen Elizabeth X. Clearly the Windsors have adapted to survive over 28 centuries on the throne, and you weep with her when she realises the injustice she’s been investigating was all her own work. Also nice to see those encounters with past monarchs referenced – the Doctor is well known to the royals. Maybe Liz 10 should come back in some sort of annual recurring capacity, bitching off against River Song? Fear factor The Smilers were creepy rather than scary, even when they did start to do their zombie thing. That creepy nursery rhyme did far more of the trick. With love… The idea of humanity fleeing into space after an environmental catastrophe has a huge legacy in Who. One of Tom Baker’s first stories, The Ark In Space, saw him take Sarah-Jane and Harry to a space station where humanity was cryogenically frozen. Meanwhile, Rose Tyler’s first voyage was to an observation deck in the year five billion where dignitaries were gathered to watch the Earth burn. And the idea of a society travelling on the back of giant animal is a clear nod to Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. Invading celebrities After last week’s guest-fest, there’s only really Oscar-nominee Sophie Okonedo who turns up of any note. Although cute little kinda-cameo from the Test Card Girl in there. Next Week! Daleks! Fighting the second world war! On our side! With Churchill! Yeah!! 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? 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