This will be a spoiler-free review, but I will have a ‘reveal box’ full of spoiler information and speculation.
Series 7 Part 2, #4 of 8:
The Doctor and Clara travel to the 1970s to uncover the mystery of a haunted mansion. FIRST BROADCAST: 20 Apr 2013
In this episode, the Doctor and Clara visit a old house that has notoriously Fbeen haunted for over 400 years. Arriving in 1974, they discover Alec Palmer (Dougray Scott), a ghost hunter and former WW2 serviceman, and his assistant Emma Grayling (Jessica Raine), who is also a empath, already on the scene investigating the myth behind the “Witch of the Well.” As the supernatural incident escalates, the Doctor struggles to keep his fears in check while uncovering the truth behind what is really going on.
I had a hard time making my mind up on this episode. It started well, but took a turn into something different towards the end. The opening and setup were all great. As you’d expect from the BBC, any production portraying the UK’s past has access to a extensive list of locations, props, and costumes to draw from. The house is suitably spooky and, like Cold War, the tension is built up nicely, albeit handled with the Doctors slight quirky take on things to make it easier for younger viewers to take. Scenes with The Doctor and Clara creeping through the dark mansion, finding cold spots and hearing strange noises, are pretty effective and the use of 1970s/Steampunkesque technology for ghost hunting add a lot to the character and quirkiness of the story.
An aspect of the episode I really enjoyed was how it came across as more focused rather than a big spectacle (like other episodes this season, such as Rings of Akhaten or Dinosaurs on a Spaceship), concentrating on the two partnerships alone in this haunted house and how they dealt with what was unfolding. This created a nice intimate episode where we got to see some dynamics between the Doctor and Clara play out. A level of trust seems to be growing and the rapport is developing nicely. This was the first episode they shot together in production order, so it is amusing that this episode brought them closer together.
We also get a great reminder of how different the Doctor truly is. In investigating the haunting the Doctor travels through time throughout Earth’s history, and Clara watches on the TARDIS monitors the beginning and end of the world. The conversation that follows where Clara confronts the Doctor is pretty special — his nonchalance about the feat counterpointed by a tear running down her cheek as she asks “are we all ghosts to you?” It really drives home for the viewer what the character of the Doctor is about: quirky yes, but he is above and beyond us, truly alien at times.
“Have we just watched the entire life cycle of Earth, birth to death? And you’re okay with that?”
Another relationship that grew here was that between Clara and the TARDIS. You may have noticed they haven’t exactly been getting along. There is a scene where Clara has to ask the TARDIS for help and to facilitate communication the Blue Box employs a voice/visual Interface, representing itself with an image of a person you hold in high regard. To Clara, the TARDIS chooses the form of… Clara. I’m unsure what this tells us about the Doctors new companion but I know for sure it reiterates how sassy his sentient time machine can be. It was a funny moment and the fact the TARDIS eventually acquiesced to Clara’s request shows the two are starting to accept each other. “It’s like a cat,” said the Doctor, “you have to win its affection.” She does seem to be getting there, but the initial distrust of the TARDIS outweighs any previous companion and I’m unsure this issue is completely resolved.
Aside from our regulars, Dougray Scott (Mission Impossible II, My Week with Marilyn) and Jessica Raine (The Woman in Black) were charmingly awkward together, but I have parallels to the last episode when I complained about David Warner being underused. Scott is a great actor and while he did well in the role, it was hardly a memorable contribution to the Who-niverse. Raine played the empath role nicely and with restraint, and the explanation for her importance and connection to the ghost was well done too. Nerd info for ya, Jessica Raine will be portraying Verity Lambert in the upcoming 50th anniversary special drama Adventures in Time and Space, which documents the creation of Doctor Who back in 1963. Lambert was the she was the youngest producer, and only female drama producer, working at the BBC during this time. It is something I am really looking forward to and on the basis of this performance think Raine will handle the role with aplomb.
“Collapsing universe. You and me dead. Two minutes. No time. Complete sentences. Abandon planet.”
So what didn’t I like — there is somewhat of a twist (or realization on the Doctors part) towards the end that puts a slightly different slant on proceedings. It’s not a spoiler to say there is literally a change from it being a horror story to a love story. I for one didn’t like it, as the mystery behind the haunting has a nice resolution, uncovered by some nifty time traveling back and forth at the site of the mansion to figure out what happened. It wrapped things up well for me and the way they repeated the rescue at the end was some iffy bending of Space/time travel rules if you ask me. As the credits rolled I was left with one word in my head: “really?” That aside, I enjoyed the episode, I just wish they had left it as a good old horror/mystery without adding a unnecessary complication.
“You know I do love a toggle switch. Actually I like the word. “Toggle.” Nice noun. Excellent verb.”
SPOILERS AND SPECULATION HO! TOGGLE HERE TO VIEW
Ok so spoilers and discussion: the whole lost time traveler pilot being the ghost was a great little spin for the episode. Getting a “jump” wrong and ending up out of sync with time is a clever little device deployed nicely here.
The idea of love across time and space I didn’t like, as mentioned earlier. But it came across at times as a heavy handed allusion to what the Doctor and Clara have going on. They keep encountering each other. Is there some emotional attachment we don’t know about yet? It’s unlikely romantic with River Song still in the mix, but who knows? The draw between the two must be explained somehow.
On Rose-watch this week: I saw nothing obvious but had a friend point out to me there were cases of a wine called Mateus Rose featured in one scene. Hmmmm, the mystery continues. I am convinced the Rose references are building to something.
Overall, Hide was a nice change of pace from the big episodes that have comprised Season 7 so far. but became a little undone by a unnecessary twist to the plot at the end. We saw some real growth in the Doctor/Companion dynamic and a joyously bitchy TARDIS save the day. Solid stuff.