In the ninth episode of the eighth season of Doctor Who, NOPE FOREVER AND EVER. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Doctor Who.
Trigger Warning: For racism, body horror
Goddamn, this simply feels unlike anything this show has ever done. I wonder if the whole point of series eight was to terrify me constantly, because GUESS WHAT, IT’S WORKING. Holy shit, this is one of the most original antagonists we’ve ever seen on Doctor Who, and that’s saying a lot, given what’s come before this. I have a lot to talk about, so LET’S DO IT.
Rigsy and the Politics of Attention
Like Courtney in “Kill the Moon,” Rigsy steals the show in this episode. Jamie Mathieson’s script is as strong as it is because of the brilliance of the setting and its main character. Part of the realism of this story involves the choice to stick it in an estate where the disappearance of multiple people gets ignored by the local authorities. That mural in the tunnel is haunting in a completely different context than the one given to it by the Boneless. How often are people from neighborhoods like this one ignored? Left to their own devices? Treated as Fenton treated Rigsy? Fenton isn’t just a difficult person; he’s a very real version of the kind of racist that many of us have met before. Even after Rigsy helped save the entire world from the Boneless, Fenton isn’t willing to discard his toxic view of the world. He still considers people from that specific part of Bristol to be… well, inferior. Collateral damage.
More on that in a bit. I think this story could not have worked quite as well or been as insightful without these details. If Rigsy had not been a graffiti artist, this would have been a much different episode, and I’m pleased with the end result.
Two Dimensions
I love when this show can talk about science in intriguing ways. I know that I just recently spoke about how I’m not interested in dissecting the science in this show’s science fiction, but I did think it was cool that Doctor Who postulated that there must be a two-dimensional universe out there. (Hey, I just watched an episode of The Next Generation about this!) The Boneless are also one of the creepiest creations ever. I don’t even understand how the digital effects team made them look as they did, but bravo. I’ll never forget the Boneless. That’s probably a bad thing because I’m certain to have nightmares. Ugh, the way they walk… NEVERMIND, CAN’T THINK OF THEM RIGHT NOW.
Switching Roles
I find the progression of the relationship between the Doctor and Clara to be satisfying because it feels so natural. After “Mummy on the Orient Express,” which explored the difficult decisions the Doctor has to make and his coldness, this felt like a perfect follow-up. How else could Clara understand the Doctor better?
By becoming the Doctor.
Now, this wasn’t like role-reversals we’ve seen in the past, since Clara remained a human the entire time. But with the Doctor unable to leave the TARDIS, Clara has to improvise, and she does it brilliantly. It’s fun watching her do what the Doctor does, especially when she’s trying to inspire Rigsy and the others to not give up hope. At times, Clara finds out that this is easier said than done, but she’s resilient throughout. She’s creative, she’s courageous, and she does everything she can to save as many people as possible. And when her companions doubt whether or not they can save the world, too? She empowers them to continue on.
Yet much of this season pulls back the curtain on the allure of the Doctor and the companion, and that means that Clara learns how brutally difficult it is to be in a position like this. At times, this was not easy to watch. How frightening must it be to watch someone die, knowing you couldn’t save them? What does it feel like to have the fate of the world resting on your shoulders? How do you determine if the alien you are up against is malevolent or simply misunderstood? All of these questions are things that the Doctor often must face at the same time. Clara deals with them all in “Flatline,” too. But the most difficult aspect of her role here concerns Danny. The cat’s out of the bag, and now the Doctor knows that she lied about Danny’s acceptance of her travel. The Doctor claims that lying is one of the keys to survival, but is that really the case here? Did Clara need to lie to Danny? Certainly not, and I worry about how Danny is going to feel. Surely he knows now that Clara is back to traveling again; he’s not a fool, and that phone conversation didn’t end well at all. He knows! And that’s not going to be good for their relationship.
So who is Clara becoming due to all of this? Is she changing herself as she travels more and more with the Doctor? Again, I’m pleased that the show is making me ask these sort of questions alongside some pretty spectacular stories. “Flatline” continues this series’ trend of disturbing me until the end of time, and I’m getting progressively more worried about what this show is going to do to me by the last episode.
The video for “Flatline” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– I am now on Patreon!!! MANY SURPRISES ARE IN STORE FOR YOU IF YOU SUPPORT ME.
– The Mark Does Stuff Tour 2015 is now live and includes dates across the U.S. this summer and fall Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates / Appearances page.
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features for Mark Watches will be the remainder of The Legend of Korra, series 8 of Doctor Who, and Kings. On Mark Reads, Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series will replace the Emelan books.
- Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook! I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!
