Christian Cawley's Blog, page 45

Special Offer: Six New Doctor Who Novels… For £6!

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Love to read Doctor Who novels? There’s a fantastic deal on six Twelfth Doctor books online now – but you’ll have to be sharpish because the offer ends tonight!

You can get a collection of Doctor Who books starring Peter Capaldi as the Doctor and Jenna Coleman’s Clara Oswald… for just £6.00. That’s £1 per book. The catch? Uhm, there isn’t one. No, really. They’re the paperback versions, not the original hardback releases, but nonetheless, you’d essentially be getting six books for the price of one.

Because each one is typically £5.99 (albeit in hardback). Pretty impressive, right?

The deal does end at midnight tonight, but even if you miss that, you’ll still only pay £7.99.

Which novels? Oh, only the most recent ones released across 2014 and this year.

Silhouette by Justin Richards

“Vastra and Strax and Jenny? Oh no, we don’t need to bother them. Trust me.”

Marlowe Hapworth is found dead in his locked study, killed by an unknown assailant. This is a case for the Great Detective, Madame Vastra.

Rick Bellamy, bare-knuckle boxer, has the life drawn out of him by a figure dressed as an undertaker. This angers Strax the Sontaran.

The Carnival of Curiosities, a collection of bizarre and fascinating sideshows and performers. This is where Jenny Flint looks for answers.

How are these things connected? And what does Orestes Milton, rich industrialist, have to do with it all? As the Doctor and Clara joint the hunt for the truth they find themselves thrust into a world where nothing and no one are what they seem.

The Crawling Terror by Mike Tucker

“Well, I doubt you’ll ever see a bigger insect.”

Gabby Nichols is putting her son to bed when she hears her daughter cry out. ‘Mummy there’s a daddy longlegs in my room!’ Then the screaming starts… Kevin Alperton is on his way to school when he is attacked by a mosquito. A big one. Then things get dangerous.

But it isn’t the dead man cocooned inside a huge mass of web that worries the Doctor. It isn’t the swarming, mutated insects that make him nervous.

With the village cut off from the outside world, and the insects becoming more and more dangerous, the Doctor knows that unless he can decode the strange symbols engraved on an ancient stone circle, and unravel a mystery dating back to the Second World War, no one is safe.

The Blood Cell  by James Goss

“Release the Doctor – or the killing will start.”

An asteroid in the furthest reaches of space – the most secure prison for the most dangerous of criminals. The Governor is responsible for the cruellest murderers so he’s not impressed by the arrival of the man they’re calling the most dangerous criminal in the quadrant. Or, as he prefers to be known, the Doctor.

But when the new prisoner immediately sets about trying to escape, and keeps trying, the Governor sets out to find out why.

Who is the Doctor and what’s he really doing here? And who is the young woman who comes every day to visit him, only to be turned away by the guards?

When the killing finally starts, the Governor begins to get his answers…

Royal Blood  by Una McCormack

“The Grail is a story, a myth! It didn’t exist on your world! It can’t exist here!”

The city-state of Varuz is failing. Duke Aurelian is the last of his line, his capital is crumbling, and the armies of his enemy, Duke Conrad, are poised beyond the mountains to invade. Aurelian is preparing to gamble everything on one last battle. So when a holy man, the Doctor, comes to Varuz from beyond the mountains, Aurelian asks for his blessing in the war.

But all is not what it seems in Varuz. The city-guard have lasers for swords, and the halls are lit by electric candlelight. Aurelian’s beloved wife, Guena, and his most trusted knight, Bernhardt, seem to be plotting to overthrow their Duke, and Clara finds herself drawn into their intrigue…

Will the Doctor stop Aurelian from going to war? Will Clara’s involvement in the plot against the Duke be discovered? Why is Conrad’s ambassador so nervous? And who are the ancient and weary knights who arrive in Varuz claiming to be on a quest for the Holy Grail…?

Big Bang Generation  by Gary Russell

“I’m an archaeologist, but probably not the one you were expecting.”

Christmas 2015, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Imagine everyone’s surprise when a time portal opens up in Sydney Cove. Imagine their shock as a massive pyramid now sits beside the Harbour Bridge, inconveniently blocking Port Jackson and glowing with energy. Imagine their fear as Cyrrus “the mobster” Globb, Professor Horace Jaanson and an alien assassin called Kik arrive to claim the glowing pyramid. Finally imagine everyone’s dismay when they are followed by a bunch of con artists out to spring their greatest grift yet.

This gang consists of Legs (the sexy comedian), Dog Boy (providing protection and firepower), Shortie (handling logistics), Da Trowel (in charge of excavation and history) and their leader, Doc (busy making sure the universe isn’t destroyed in an explosion that makes the Big Bang look like a damp squib).

And when someone accidentally reawakens The Ancients of the Universe – which, Doc reckons, wasn’t the wisest or best-judged of actions – things get a whole lot more complicated…

Deep Time  by Trevor Baxendale

‘I do hope you’re all ready to be terrified!’

The Phaeron disappeared from the universe over a million years ago. They travelled among the stars using roads made from time and space, but left only relics behind. But what actually happened to the Phaeron? Some believe they were they eradicated by a superior force… Others claim they destroyed themselves.

Or were they in fact the victims of an even more hideous fate?

In the far future, humans discover the location of the last Phaeron road – and the Doctor and Clara join the mission to see where the road leads. Each member of the research team knows exactly what they’re looking for – but only the Doctor knows exactly what they’ll find.

Because only the Doctor knows the true secret of the Phaeron: a monstrous secret so terrible and powerful that it must be buried in the deepest grave imaginable…

This is all thanks to The Book People. Personally, I’ve been using them for a couple of years now and have been thoroughly happy with their service and the books.

So that’s six books for £6. What are you waiting for?!

The post Special Offer: Six New Doctor Who Novels… For £6! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Series 10 to Start Filming in May 2016?

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Steven Moffat may have confirmed that Series 10 will comprise of 12 episodes plus a Christmas special, but when it’ll air is a huge question right now.

Previous series have begun filming in January of each year, but according to Michael Pickwoad, the brilliant Production Designer whose worked on the sets since 2010’s A Christmas Carol, Series 10 might only start shooting in May 2016.

This flies in the face of Moffat’s comments:

“I know that what I’ve signed on to do is 13 more episodes of Doctor Who – including a Christmas special. I’m trying to argue for slightly more than that, but we’ll see. It’s all in action, it’s not that long away. It’s really close.”

“Really close” might not be the case for viewers, however; if the series does, indeed, go in front of the cameras in May next year, CultBox reckons it’s “almost certainly impossible” for the whole run to air in 2016. It can take around 9 months to complete one series, so yes, that’s a fair reasoning.

So what might we be in store for? Perhaps a split series, across 2016 and 2017, similar to Series 7 – which began with Asylum of the Daleks in 2012 but had a break after Amy and Rory left the TARDIS. This then picked up again with 2013’s The Bells of St. John.

Earlier this week, Peter Capaldi was asked on BBC Radio 1 when he starts filming again, to which he replied:

“I think next year… at some point.”

Private Eye previously reported:

“BBC staff have recently been informed that showrunner Steven Moffat’s commitments to his other hit show Sherlock mean that there will be no full series of Doctor Who in 2016.”

Rumour had it that specials, like those during 2009, would run across the year, but that’s looking unlikely right now.

Would a break help or hinder Doctor Who? It might at least give the BBC time to reconsider how they’re publicising the show, and give it a fresh approach that engages the mass audience, not just us dedicated fans.

What d you think…?

The post Series 10 to Start Filming in May 2016? appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Spoilerific Heaven’s Sent Synopsis Released

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

SPOILERS! SPOILERS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!

The BBC has released the official synopsis for Heaven Sent, the penultimate episode of Doctor Who Series 9. And yes, here be potential spoilers for the finale.

So this is your final spoiler warning. Don’t complain if you scroll past this complimentary photo of River Song…

Still here? Good-o. It appears the Doctor might be finding his way back to the place he’s been searching for.

Trapped in a world unlike any other he has seen, the Doctor faces the greatest challenge of his many lives. One final test. And he must face it alone. Pursued by the fearsome creature known only as the Veil, he must attempt the impossible. If he makes it through, Gallifrey is waiting…

It’s a biggie, right?

Directed by Rachel Talalay, and produced by Peter Bennett, Heaven Sent is said to only star Peter Capaldi – a single-hander. Writer and showrunner, Steven Moffat has quite a job on his hands, returning Gallifrey to the skies once again, so colour us more than a little intrigued (and super-excited)!

The implications are huge. These were partly explored in The Time of the Doctor (2013), Matt Smith’s – *sob* – swansong. If the Time Lords return, the Time War is upon the universe once again.

Will the plot, that sort of began when we found out Gallifrey was lost but properly heated up in The Day of the Doctor, be resolved in the series conclusion, Hell Bent? And will River Song’s return at Christmas tie into it?

Heaven Sent airs on BBCOne on 28th November…

The post Spoilerific Heaven’s Sent Synopsis Released appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Out Now: UNIT – Extinction

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

This is the beginning of really exciting times. Big Finish’s first release in their NuWho license is out now – and features characters who have only just been on the telly box!

Written by Matt Fitton and Andrew Smith, and directed by Ken Bentley, UNIT: Extinction stars Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart and Ingrid Oliver as Osgood, battling against the Nestene Consciousness and the Autons! Also starring Warren Brown (Luther), Steve John Shepherd (EastEnders, and for a while mooted to be the Twelfth Doctor), and Ramon Tikaram (Jupiter Ascending), the set comprises of four interlinked stories:

1. Vanguard by Matt Fitton

While UNIT attend a ‘skyfall’ incident under the eyes of watchful journalists, reclusive billionaire Simon Devlin is planning a product launch that will change the world…

2. Earthfall by Andrew Smith

Lieutenant Sam Bishop and Osgood are deployed to the Gobi desert in search of a Nestene energy unit. But there are Autons in the sand dunes…

3. Bridgehead by Andrew Smith

Captain Josh Carter has gone undercover inside Devlin Futuretech. But his safety is jeopardised by the activities of investigative journalist Jacqui McGee.

4. Armageddon by Matt Fitton

As UNIT leads the fightback on every front, every continent, against an implacable army, Kate Stewart must look to the past for some clue to defeat the plastic menace.

You can buy the set from Big Finish now, as both download only or a physical copy, before three further UNIT boxsets come out across next year and into 2017.

Go on – you won’t regret it. Look for our review very soon!

The post Out Now: UNIT – Extinction appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

A Town Called Mercy’s William Byrd Wilkins (1965- 2015)

Katie Gribble is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Actor William Byrd Wilkins, the Preacher in the 2012 story A Town Called Mercy, has passed away at the age of 50. Earlier this year, he was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Wilkins declined chemotherapy saying he wanted to live out his days without Doctors and toxic chemo, and a fund was set up to raise money to allow him to enjoy his final few months.

William Byrd Wilkins was born in Louisburg, North Carolina. After seeing the acclaimed African-American theatre company Penumbra perform locally, he moved to the company’s base, Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he joined the company two years after moving.

His memorable roles at Penumbra included playing Boy Willie, a brother who wants to sell a family heirloom to fund a land-buying scheme, in August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson.

In recent years, he returned to his home town, teaching drama at Louisburg College.

, his acting work included playing a bouncer in the 1998 comedy Overnight Delivery starring Paul Rudd and Reese Wetherspoon and 2011 film 360.

The post A Town Called Mercy’s William Byrd Wilkins (1965- 2015) appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Out Now: Lovarzi’s The Pandorica Opens Scarf

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

We’re a tiny bit in love with this design. The Pandorica was created to imprison the most feared thing in all the universe, a being you simply couldn’t reason with. A goblin, or a trickster, or a warrior: one day, it would just drop out of the sky and tear down your world…

Lovarzi’s been giving us Doctor Who products since 2012 when the Fourth Doctor Scarf launched in all its multi-coloured glory. The Pandorica Opens Scarf is their first item based on NuWho – an already-classic image created for the 2010 episode of the same name.

In the Series 5 two-part finale, The Pandorica Opens/ The Big Bang, Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor had to reboot the universe after Total Event Collapse. The Pandorica opened and the Doctor was trapped by his biggest enemies – that’s when the TARDIS blew up and destroyed everything. His old pal, Vincent van Gogh (Tony Curran) warned him of the impending danger with the painting that adorns this scarf.

Featuring the event that cracked the universe, Lovarzi’s 100% silk scarf is digitally-printed so not only is the design highly detailed, but it’s also brilliantly bright and eye-catching.

Measuring 40 x 190cms, it also comes in a presentation box complete with the Doctor Who logo, so it’s great as a gift – for collectors and casual wearers.

You can buy the scarf from Lovarzi.co.uk or from Amazon, priced £29.99 with free UK delivery. Or if you’re going to the Doctor Who Festival, the company will have a stall with The Pandorica Opens Scarf available alongside their other products.

And don’t forget to sign up to their VIP Fan Club which gives members 10% off new items!

The post Out Now: Lovarzi’s The Pandorica Opens Scarf appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Reviewed: Big Finish’s Third Doctor Adventures (Volume One)

Peter Shaw is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

“Sat at his kitchen table, Peter Shaw turned on his laptop computer and started typing up the review that had been swimming in his subconscious for the last few days…”

While the Third Doctor’s era is now complete and in colour – so close you can feel the planet screaming out its rage – the irony is Pertwee’s is the least represented audio Doctor (classic anyway). Sad though it is, with the missing episodes of their depleted eras available on audio, it means that Hartnell and Troughton get to come with you in the car, they follow you on bus journeys, country walks, and on your holidays. Which sounds creepier than it is.

The Third Doctor is not only earthbound for much of the time, he’s also restricted to the TV in the sitting room and bedroom. So our action hero is also the bed-bound Doctor. Which also sounds a little creepy. But I hear you cry, “What about The Paradise of Death and The Ghosts of N-Space? Eh? Have you forgotten them?” If only I could, dear reader, if only I could…

So this is a very welcome experiment from Big Finish. Now I can have someone who sounds like Pertwee following me to work and accompanying me on the loo in Tooting Bec. Move over Yeti and make way for Tim Treloar – there’s room on the pan for three. Which is, frankly, the creepiest image yet.

And what a triumph Mr Treloar is in The Third Doctor Adventures, he puts in a spot-on performance in the acting stakes, and manages to evoke the essence of Pertwee without it being an impression. And on many occasions he sounds uncannily like dashing Doctor three. Good grief!

“Feeling thirsty, Peter decided to pause the review writing, got up, made a cup of tea then came back…”

And so to the adventures. Two of them. That’s one more than one, and just enough to justify the plural of the release’s title. It’s a shame because the two stories Prisoners of the Lake and The Havoc of Empires are both rather splendid, and I’d like some more, please. They’re both hits, and very palpable ones at that.

We often live with the mistaken assumption that the success of a Doctor Who era is just about getting the right people in the same place together. And that’s particularly true about the Third Doctor’s era. Perwee often talked proudly about his ‘team’ on Doctor Who. And he was right in many ways, the combination of Perwee, Courtney, Delgado, Manning/Sladen, Levine, Franklin, and not forgetting Letts and Dicks was a knock out.

But remember, the same team who brought us The Daemons, just a year later presented us with The Time Monster…

So, back to those ’90s Pertwee audios, two of them again: Paradise and N-Space both managed to re-call most of the key players, many more than Big Finish are able to muster here. But, to be fair to them, it’s because most of the cast are now sadly ghosts in N-Space. Yes, broadcast on BBC Radio 2, it was the return of the team who brought you one of the greatest Doctor Who eras of all time: the Doctor, Sarah-Jane and the Brigadier back together in a story by Barry Letts. How could Paradise of Death possibly go wrong? And how could The Ghosts of N-Space possibly go even wronger? And, why, given the extreme wrongness that resulted, did Letts feel it was necessary to apply the same wrongness to Blake’s 7 the year after, and again wronger still a year after that?

“Peter scratched his head then re-read what he had written so far. He’s strayed quite a lot off the point and really should get back to reviewing the two adventures. But he still had other things to get off his chest…”

Pertwee was the driving force behind the 1990s audios and, out of all the Doctor’s, he was the actor with the most radio experience. And you just know he would have been first to sign up to reprise the Doctor on audio.

From the very start Big Finish stated that they wouldn’t re-cast the first three Doctors. Well, we all say silly things when we’re young (“I hate girls/boys, they smell!”), and often find that the things we say we’d NEVER EVER DO we often end up doing (“I hope that girl/boy doesn’t think I smell”). And over the past few years Big Finish have been sneakily recasting Hartnell and Troughton left, right and centre in the guise of companion actors narrating and playing the Doctor. But for some silly reason of principle that no-one-at-all is forcing them to stick to, they crowbar pointless narration into these Third Doctor tales.

“Peter stopped typing. Had he gone too far..?”

I don’t know if Big Finish have noticed but they completely re-cast the original Star Trek team a few years ago. And loads of Trekkies across the interweb probably issued death-threats to J.J. Abrams for his sacrilegious behaviour. But the naysayers hopefully stopped going on-and-on about the outrage when the films and new cast turned out to be something of a triumph. The new Star Trek films are an example of supreme boldness, showing belief in a project even when some might consider the concept unthinkable.

And why are Big Finish so sheepish about re-casting Pertwee, when they’ve already re-cast John Steed in The Avengers, Sapphire and Steel, and No 6 in The Prisoner?

“Having got that rant out of the way, Peter finally turned his attention to reviewing the stories…”

In Prisoners of the Lake we get exactly what flashes up in the mind’s eye when we think of the Pertwee era: an earth-bound UNIT adventure. Mike Yates is investigating a mysterious archaeological site deep below a lake and – dum de dum – when are we going to hear this new bloke doing the Third Doctor… eh? And for some reason Mike’s being followed by a man who sounds not-quite-unlike the Third Doctor, who occasionally narrates bits of the story you could have worked out anyway.

It’s a bold move not to feature Treloar’s take on Doctor three until halfway through the first episode. I found myself listening frustratedly for 13 minutes until the Third Doctor finally turns up. When he does (as mentioned earlier) Treloar is quite brilliant. I then realised I’d been distracted and missed most of the plot thus far. So I tracked down Tim’s phone number and asked him to narrate the first part of the story to me. He slammed the phone down saying, “What a ridiculous waste of my time. You, sir, are a nitwit!” God, he’s good.

And so is this first proto-Pertwee tale. Despite featuring the Brigadier in a scene that explains why he isn’t featured (if you see what I mean) it is a confident start. This is an unreconstructed Third Doctor who can be tetchy, superior, and often downright rude to people’s faces, but clever, kind and charming too. While we can’t see Treloar rubbing the back of his neck or swishing his cape, you are in no doubt he is the Doctor.

Manning’s Jo Grant, once you get over how much her voice has changed, is on top-form too. But in both these adventures Miss Grant comes across as much more competent than she ever did on TV. While it’s great to stretch the character, I prefer a little more kooky and clumsy in Jo, it’s what makes her character so endearing.

The second story, The Havoc of Empires is an outer-space third Doc tale that you could easily file alongside the Peladon stories with it’s galactic shenanigans, interspecies intrigue and fiendish plots. It’s a fantastically well constructed tale absolutely in-keeping with the Pertwee era but original enough to slavishly conform to it. Jo Grant takes centre stage and, while it does really work, I hope she’s gets to be a bit more bumbling too in future.

A huge soup of praise should also be ladled on Peter Doggart and Russell McGee’s sound design and Jamie Robertson and Nicholas Briggs’ music. Like Treloar’s vocal tones, they manage to convince the listener that this is early ’70s Doctor Who without being obtrusive or derivative, greatly enhancing the overall effect of this release. Which, as you may have suspected, is highly recommended.

“Peter stopped in his tracks, it seems strange to end on such a positive note. He needed a joke or something to round up this so-called ‘review’.”

The irony is that when Pertwee did star in two Doctor Who audio adventures he was quite advanced in age, and didn’t really sound like he did in the golden years. But Tim Treloar often does, and long may he reign as the new third incarnation! Doctor 3.2 anyone?

“Now listen to me,” the Third Doctor exclaimed on numerous occasions. And now, once again, thanks to Tim and Big Finish, we can.

It feels good to say “Hai” once more to the Third Doctor .

“And with that, Peter got up from his computer, went outside, climbed into his Edwardian roadster and drove off into the sunset…”

The post Reviewed: Big Finish’s Third Doctor Adventures (Volume One) appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Tell Us What You Thought of The Zygon Inversion!

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Big red rubbery things, covered in suckers. Surprisingly good kissers (or so we hear). The Zygons! Good to have them back, right?

But what did you think of their latest adventure, facing up to the Doctor, Osgood, and Kate Stewart (and stealing the face of Clara Oswald – well, it’s a good face; you can’t blame them for that)?

Have your say! Vote in our poll, which ranges from “Best of Series 9″ (essentially, 10/10), to “Bonnie” (which you can take to mean average), to “Anyone who enjoyed that is a sucker” (aka. that was terrible, I hated it, and so here’s a Zygon-related pun to accompany my distaste).

What did you think of The Zygon Inversion?

Voted? Thanking you.

But that’s only half the job. We’d very much appreciate your views in the comments section below. Try to not swear in exasperation or joy because we’ll select a few of your comments for an upcoming Reaktion Round-Up!

The post Tell Us What You Thought of The Zygon Inversion! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Steven Moffat & Ingrid Oliver Introduce The Zygon Inversion

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

Tonight, we find out who we can trust.

The Doctor thought he could trust Clara, but it turns out she wanted to blow him up. He needs to have words with her.

So what treats does The Zygon Inversion hold for us? We’ve got showrunner (and co-writer of this episode), Steven Moffat and Ingrid Oliver aka Osgood to give us some hints.

One further teaser, then: we get to find out Osgood’s full name!

Written by Moffat and Peter Harness (Kill the Moon), and directed by Daniel Nettheim, the story’s got impressive reviews, including MCMBuzz stating:

“The episode features one of the most blistering – and intelligent, and multi-layered – speeches about morality ever delivered in the show. If there’s any justice, in the future it will be regarded as one of the show’s greatest moments.”

The Zygon Inversion airs tonight on BBCOne at 8pm.

The post Steven Moffat & Ingrid Oliver Introduce The Zygon Inversion appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.

Advanced Review Round-Up: The Zygon Inversion

Philip Bates is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.

The Zygon Inversion is nearly upon us – and thanks to a distinct absence of ‘Next Time’ trailer, we’ve only got the TV trailer to go on. Right? Wrong!

We’ve got a heady amount of reviews to pick from… and they’re overwhelmingly positive!

I would just like to take this opportunity to say that advanced reviews can damage an episode: the huge expectations on last week’s The Zygon Invasion meant I didn’t enjoy it as much as I might’ve without the weight of glowing previews. With that in mind, let’s find out what the critics thought of today’s episode.

We’ll start with DoctorWhoTV, which calls it “a very satisfying conclusion”, particularly for its characterisation. Peter Capaldi is well on form. So, too, is Ingrid Oliver as Osgood. DWTV further says:

“Something that should also be noted is that this is actually a bit of a creepier episode than the first half. Along with the aforementioned surrealism, director Daniel Nettheim injects some Zygon body horror into proceedings, which makes for an uneasy watch (in the best way possible).”

CultBox lavishes a full five-stars on the episode, saying that it “exceeds the opening installment.”

Perhaps the most astonishingly brilliant performance of The Zygon Invasion was Jenna Coleman, and it seems she carries on this remarkable track-record:

“You’ll already know from last week that key to the success of all this is Jenna Coleman as Zygon duplicate, Bonnie. In this episode – and we’re choosing our words delicately here – there are times when both Clara and Bonnie appear in the same scene, and here the success of Jenna’s characterisation of ‘Evil Clara’ is most apparent.

“Head coolly tilted, Blackpool accent replaced by something closer to Received Pronunciation, she rarely blinks…”

However, the site hands the award for Performance of the Episode to Capaldi, thanks to a pivotal scene that’s “certain to be its most celebrated.”

We can only presume this is a speech that’s been almost-universally praised. MCMBuzz says:

“The episode features one of the most blistering – and intelligent, and multi-layered – speeches about morality ever delivered in the show. If there’s any justice, in the future it will be regarded as one of the show’s greatest moments… Peter Capaldi gives his most compelling performance as the Doctor yet. At one point he may even bring a tear to your eye… and it’s not even a sad moment, just a really impassioned one.”

It’s about time Capaldi got a Big Speech; Matt Smith delivered some wonderful ones, but Peter’s so far have been littered with clunky dialogue – “I’m the Doctor, and I save people”? Really? No, actually, that sort of worked in context, but still – hardly bigging himself up, is he?

Just as intriguing is this teaser, also from MCM:

“There’s a wonderfully emotive and beautiful shot of a Zygon changing form that doesn’t involve special effects.”

Den of Geek‘s Simon Brew, it sounds, might be in love with our favourite Time Lord – and not in a healthy way. He notes:

“There’s a sequence with Capaldi in The Zygon Inversion, for instance, that’s so good, you stop noticing how erotic his eyebrows are for a minute. It’s the realisation of just what you get when you cast an actor of Capaldi’s experience and stature in the role, and the more I talk about it, the more I risk spoiling it. I’ll thus instead add that Coleman is exceptional too, with a separate sequence that gives her the most interesting work she’s had to do all series.”

He also warns:

“[D]on’t let anyone spoil this one for you.”

So without further ado, we’ll stop, and ignore the advanced reviews.

One thing seems for certain… The Zygon Inversion: accept no imitations.

The post Advanced Review Round-Up: The Zygon Inversion appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.