Die, Mummy, Die!: Mummy on the Orient Express

COMING SOON

At last, another enjoyable episode! This weekend's entry comes from new writer #2, Jamie Matheison. Prior to it, I was dreading it in the wake of my disappointment with Kill the Moon. This week's show kicks off at a spaceship in the form of the Orient Express (another nostalgia cruise albet not a Max Capricorn owned one at that) and a mysterious Mummy claiming the lives of the passengers every 66 seconds prompting the dapper dressed Doctor and flapper Clara to investigate and prevent the next attack. So, on to the nitty-gritty!

Good:

• Now 12th has officially arrived! While last Saturday's entry cranked up 6th (circa Season 22) and 7 (via the NAs and the recent audios) up to maximum power, here we have 12th as lovable disagreeable (like 1st and 3rd) from top to bottom right down to the teeth. Plus looks shap in a vintage tux reminecent of 3rd circa Season 7
• Jelly Babies in the ciggie case! Welcome back, you sugary buggers!
• The twist that the mummy was a ghost of a soldier was interesting and it makes a change for the out of the blue soldier bia portrayal of the Doctor Moffat and co have been shoving down people's throats
• The psychic paper comeback
• Foxes singing a 20s flavored (but shortned) rendition of Queen's Don't Stop me Now

Bad:

• The flip-flopping of Clara. The episode would've been the best opportunity to have a companion free episode from her. Now I knw Big Finish will have to work hard on redeeming her one day cus right now she's officially unlikeable.
• The overuse of the stopwatch
• The hurried final ten minutes. It would've benefited as a two-parter as opposed to the standard 45 minutes.

Bottom Line: Mummy on the Orient Express managed to be as enjoyable as Into the Dalek in its own right despite the hurried 10 minutes. Let's see if Mathieson's entry for next week fares, yeah?

8/10

Fantasy Writing For Dummies...: Kill The Moon Review

In Memory of Maggie Stables

The moon has changed - and now it's threatening to wipe out all life on Earth. But when the Doctor uncovers its secrets, he realises the situation is graver than anyone thought. Can he stand by and let humanity destroy the moon?

This may be one of a few occasions where I break from my usual review format and go straight to Reviewer Cut mode and also refrain from giving out a number rating this time around. There's a little to love about Kill The Moon but there's a whole lot to dislike about it. For instance, the first act, where Clara goes into a fit over the Doctor saying Courtney's not special....Clearly no one's ever seen that video of the speech read by a Boston, MA High School Teacher to the graduating class of 2012. The full video of that coomencement speech:

This and another fit at the end of the episode is where I finally condemned Clara Oswald as my pick for worst companion More on that, later on. Of course in order to save face with Clara and the child, he takes them both to the Moon only to encounter another expedition who were prepared to shoot their would be intruders. The moment where 12th was like kill, these two first then me (but I'll regenerate) smack of the worst of Twin Dilemma sans the regeneration crisis (remember those?). I may finally coming to understand how viewers felt in January-March of 1985 where great actor has to fight off material venering on the mediocre to the daft. It seems with Series, 8 and its material (leaked or not) shown so far that those promises Steven Moffat declared were just smokescreens for more of the same..

The story's dilemma focus's on the tough decision of destroying the Moon only to learn mid way that the Moon is actually an egg... I know about suspention of disbelief but this stretch that card to it's limit. Plus the line of "first woman on the moon" reaked of revisionist history considering various Moon stories that came before (namely the Moonbase and Smith & Jones). I reeally wanted to like the idea but it just doesn't seem to work. Even when we're told the Moon would hatch in 2049 managed to gain a depressive sigh from me. Adding insult to injury, that this goes further in the pro-life-pro-choice athmosphere which makes for unasy viewing.



Back to Clara and 12th, I'm on the fence on the riff. I was willing to side with her about another round of Doctor-dickery (move over, Super-dickery of the Silver Age) until she mentioned wanting to slap him again. That's where I had to side with 12th. If you're not tired of seeing the Doctor getting punched and slapped around by know, either you have more patience than yours truly or you just just enjoy the abuse. Not sure if the Christmas rumor is true or not but I'll be very glad to see her go. As for Courtney, I'll come right out and say it: She wasn't too bad here. Even if you feel her presence is tact on and unneeded, she wasn't moody like Angie Maitland (I tried to excuse her behavior in Nightmare in Silver with that she's going through puberty before realizing that had that story been with Victorian Clara and her charges as originally intended, the outcome would remain the same). She's indeed what most kids would normally do when travelling, post pictures on Tumblr and got to experience the wonder of the universe beautiful and scary. You can tell I'm not so harsh on child characters and child actors unlike the majority of fandom.

On that note, Kill The Moon is one that inspire criticism (much well deserved) for it's plot and moreso its execution. I thought we'd have a good episode on out hands but the episode itself doesn't know whether its a good one or a flimsy messy one.

NEXT WEEK: Doctor Who & the Goosebumps Mummy!