Doctor Who Episode Review: Flatline (2014)

Guest stars include John Cummins, Jessica Hayles, Christopher Fairbank and Matt Bardock.

One of the things I really like about this series is there are some episodes from this show that are just fun to watch. And, this is one of them.

We haven’t seen a whole lot of comedy out of Capaldi’s version of the Doctor up until this point. However, there were some scenes that were just hilarious. This includes the scene where the miniature TARDIS is on a train track and he has to move it using his hand. As my wife described it, it looked like “Thing” from the Addams Family. I thought, for sure, my daughter would never stop laughing after that scene.

The one thing I did find intriguing about this episode is, at least in my opinion, it seems to be pointing the series in a direction that will ultimately result in Clara’s departure. In addition to lying to her boyfriend Danny (Samuel Anderson), which in itself is going to likely create some tension between the two, she is starting to develop a lot of the Doctor’s traits, including an apparent desensitization to people dying around her (something he even mentioned). I have a feeling the second Danny gets to travel with them (which, judging by the preview, will be as early as the next episode), things are going to reach a boiling point that will force her to make a choice.

I’m also still a little curious just how Missy (Michelle Gomez) plays into all of this. Her vague comment about “choosing well” in reference to Clara was somewhat intriguing because it drops a hint that maybe Clara isn’t quite who she seems. I can only hope we start getting a few more clues about who exactly this Missy is, what her motives are and how exactly Clara is involved with all of it.

As I mentioned before, this episode was just a fun episode to watch. There was good mix of comedy, action and drama and it does a good job of setting up a much more complicated storyline in the near future. And, if I’m right about this signaling the end of Clara’s time with the Doctor, I can only hope the companionship will end on a memorable note.

My Grade: A