Doctor Who: Series 8, Episode 7
Kill the Moon

Written by: Peter Harness
Directed by: Paul Wilmshurst

Broadcast Date: Saturday 4th October at 8.30pm on BBC One

Reviewed by Ben Coleman for The Gallifrey Times.

Right from the pre-titles sequence, the danger levels are set. Companion Clara’s plea, as seen in the episode’s trailer, gets the message across straight away that there is going to be serious trouble and makes us anticipate what could possibly be so bad.

Doctor Who has always been about doing good – the Doctor travels to help people and battle against evil. But when it comes to big decisions, he often needs some help. In a similar fashion to Cold Blood and The Waters of Mars, the Doctor is faced with a decision that could change the course of history. Will he make the decision himself or leave it to the humans like he has done in the past?

By now, the Doctor has established himself, so he feels like the same Doctor we know and love. He proves that he can still be silly whilst being serious when he needs to. He has faith in his companions and will not tolerate those that annoy him. Peter Capaldi puts in a captivating performance, with an energy reminiscent of Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor and a perfect balance between light and dark, creating a Doctor that I’m loving more and more each week.

Although we don’t see much of Clara’s boyfriend, Danny, in this episode, we do get a return from Coal Hill student Courtney Woods, who gets another go at a trip in the TARDIS – now that she has gotten over her travel sickness. Although I was not keen on Courtney from the previous episode, Kill the Moon greatly improves her character. She shows that she has morals and, underneath all the cockiness, she is actually a nice person that could make a half-decent companion should she stick around for future episodes. This is a nice example of what the Doctor and travelling in the TARDIS does to people, as we clearly see her change over the course of this episode. Hermione Norris’s Captain Lundvik, however, is less likeable, with a sad look at how humans typically react in stressful, high-responsibility situations. Although Norris plays her well, there’s nothing particularly memorable about her character, so she will likely go down as a forgettable supporting character.

Clara also proves how well her character has developed, with Jenna Coleman’s emotive performance showcasing her ability to cope with heavy drama. We have seen several sides to Clara’s character, and this episode shows us what it’s like when a companion gets fed up of the Doctor’s arrogance and cleverness, which is a nice twist from the usual companion story.

This episode is also brings the scare factor. If you thought Listen was scary, be prepared for even more scares. I have only once been actually scared by a Doctor Who episode (2005’s The Empty Child, which gave me nightmares), but there were points in this where I was suitably shocked and cowered behind an imaginary pillow. In some episodes, you can sort of guess what is about to happen, but this episode is full of shocks and surprises, where just when something bad has happened, another bad thing happens.

This is also the first time this series that I’ve really taken notice of the music, with Murray Gold’s haunting scores perfectly complimenting Wilmshurst’s stunning direction and Harness’s thought-provoking writing.

Overall, Kill the Moon fits well with the darker tone of this series. It is now my favourite episode of the series and I believe it will be a big hit with the fans, although arachnophobics may wish to seek some therapy afterwards.