Space zombies! Of a sort anyway. Yes, this week’s Doctor Who is an intergalactic jaunt, a space station under threat from its own deceased crew members, The Walking Dead in space, although certainly not as tedious or drawn out as that sounds. A well paced and genuinely suspenseful effort that embraces the phrase “In space, no one can hear you scream”…or groan and shuffle towards a victim.
Synopsis:
Space Station Chasm Forge is cold and airless, but not empty. The Doctor, Bill and Nardole answer a distress call and find four survivors — plus another three dozen walking dead, a relentless space-suited army seeking to claim more lives. Can the Doctor and his party stay one step ahead of the horde? In a future where oxygen is currency, save your breath — it could make all the difference.
The opening here is one of the most well done in the show’s recent history. A couple, floating through outer space, is making their way back into a space station after a mission. A husband, opening the airlock, is unaware that behind him, his wife is being attacked by these ‘space zombies’. It’s a bone of contention for SciFi fans that as space is a vacuum, sound doesn’t travel. So you shouldn’t hear any bang, cries, or explosions. If there’s one thing this episode does well, it’s using this scientific principle to instill horror, or elicit emotion. The rest of the episode deals with the arrival of the Doctor, Bill, and Nardole, chasing down a distress signal and soon finding themselves caught up in events, trying to rescue the remaining crew members.
Space station Chasm Forge, an outpost of a futuristic corporation, an emblem of mankind at its greediest before travel beyond the stars has brought enlightenment. That’s where Oxygen is in its themes. This was an episode that went beyond a monster of the week, or simple ‘under-siege’ affair. Oxygen is paid for by the breath; in addition to this there’s an algorithm that calculates the bottom line for the corporation. The space suits intoning “your life is in our hands” aren’t so reassuring when the equipment in charge decides you’re less of an asset and more of a write-off. Yes, this is space exploration in the future if the GOP were in charge. This idea of fighting the ‘suits’ is a smart (or WAY too on the nose) nod to capitalism and some of the cruel politics in the UK and USA right now.
The horror factor was strong, from a disturbing opening to a chilling description of how space can kill you, as well as the ‘breath’ factor; the more scared you are, the faster you suffocate. There’s a tangible sense of danger. We know it’s Capaldi’s last season and he’s due to regenerate so pretty safe, but a possibility of losing Bill, felt within reach.
One of the biggest moments of the episode, save the Bill death fake out, was the Doctor’s loss of sight. Of course it always seemed like a device to add a little more tension to proceedings; who would ever doubt that a race who mastered the manipulation of time and space wouldn’t have the ability to fix some damaged eyes? Hence the surprising reveal that despite a cosmetic fix, the Doctor remains blind. How long will this be a issue? Who knows, it could be resolved next time, or it may be at season’s end when the Doctor is rumored to regenerate. Either way, it opens up some interesting and nuanced work from Capaldi, which was already glimpsed in the brief final scene.
Jamie Mathieson packed a lot in here, firing ideas, dialogue, and action at you; a rewatch is recommended. Some things get lost in the mix – the supporting characters do suffer, and while we get hints of Nardole’s character coming through he is never really afforded the time to really make a mark. Overall it’s a solid episode, one that perhaps is a little ambitious content-wise in a way that dilutes its initial impact.
Vault Watch:
Little in the way of details, just a tidbit that clarifies that Nardole being such a stick in the mud is due to the Doctor’s own orders, to keep him bound to the vault and its inhabitant.
The interesting stuff comes from the Next Time trailer which suggests it may blow open the mysterious of the vault way before the end of the season. A glimpse of the Pope, Missy, and the diary of River Song. Apparently it begins a run of three episodes that have an overarching story, which will be a nice change from these self-contained adventures and lead to something a little more expansive.
A strong season continues with perhaps the most ambitious episode yet. It’s an intense affair that touches on politics and capitalism, while bringing a intensity that space zombies deserves. It’ll likely be remembered more for its repercussions on the cast, significantly the Doctor, from this point on in the season.