A three parter, going proper old school Doctor Who storytelling with this. Though granted this isn't exactly one continuing story, each episode has its beginning-middle-end, and each one holds to a different tone and has individual plot developments. But overall is still one major plot, that being an alien species known as The Monks come to Earth trying to save it, but in order to do that they need the consent of the human race, which Bill gives so they save The Doctor, and then that leads to them controlling the world, altering history and turning the world into a totalitarian government. Oh yeah, we also get to find out who-or what-was in the vault, and in a shocking turn of events, it was Missy...wowwwww.
Now yes, that the fact that these three episodes really don't flow together as one consistent tone or narrative does bother me, in fact it feels more like a 2 and a half parter, with the main plot playing second fiddle to The Doctor's blindness for a fair portion, only for it to finally get centre stage in the final episode. But even then that final episode feels a bit...uninspired. An over the top dictatorship where everyone wears the exact same colours, no freedom of expression is allowed and you can be arrested and prosecuted without question and everyone is brainwashed into thinking it's okay is a bit too Orwellian for my taste. I expect something a bit more creative from Doctor Who, especially when this isn't even the first time an alien species has taken over Earth.
There's also something about the middle episode which has a theme of "Everything happens for a reason", that every event in life big or small is part of one giant controlled narrative and I feel like that's not really fitting with the Doctor Who formula. Hell, it gets contradicted in the very next episode where Bill insists that one of The Doctor's main beliefs is that of free will. I understand that in a show that goes on for this long you want to experiment with storytelling and challenge your protagonists' viewpoints so it doesn't become stagnant but when it contradicts information we've had before as well as the foundation of the series then it just feels unwelcomed. It also doesn't make for very good storytelling and drama when you suggest everything is a fixed event, especially when its an event the main characters have no part in.
I may sound fairly negative over these episodes but that's mostly because they didn't really leave me with anything. I will say the first part of the trilogy was arguably the strongest, it had a clever twist, the tension was solid and it had The Doctor being the classic character he is, thinking his way out of a situation. But then the second episode features a plot that is both against Doctor Who's method of storytelling, and also doesn't involve our main characters until the very end. Then the third episode just feels tonally boring and is a story that has been done hundreds of times in other media. Though I will admit the ending was strong, reinforcing yet again the beliefs that Doctor Who was founded upon, how The Doctor will fight to save seven billion people, even though human history has shown to frustrate him, there are still plenty worth saving and make things better. As well as how The Doctor would be never be willing to sacrifice so much as one life to save 7 billion, but will either sacrifice himself, or think his way out of the situation. Remember "Coward. Any day". Gee, it's almost as if a three-parter that's written by different people leads to some inconsistencies!
The strongest elements of the story is still what continues to be the strongest elements of this run of Doctor Who all together, the supporting characters. Namely Bill, Nardole & Missy, all used to perfection. Bill challenges The Doctor on a philosophical level, shows the best humanity is capable of and is brave enough to make daring sacrifices and has a good heart with honest intentions. Missy is the polar opposite of The Doctor, yet simultaneously the exact same. He sees so much of what he is, what he can be and what he will be in her-both good and bad, as well as Michelle Gomez being an insanely talented actress. And Nardole...just for being funny. God, I'm still impressed this guy doesn't annoy me like I thought he would.
Overall this three-parter...didn't really do much for me. For a 120 minute long story...I left it feeling nothing. Every bad bit has been worse in other episodes, and every good bit has been better in other episodes. If I had to pick I'd say the strongest ep is the first one, and the weakest is the middle one. But really none of them impressed me too much. 6/10.
-Danny
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