5 Reasons To Rejoice At Jamie Mathieson’s Return
Connor Johnston celebrates the return of Jamie Mathieson for Series 9
There truly is nothing like an isolated influx of exciting news to make us fully aware of how little information we have been allocated since Series 9 began production just over 2 months ago. Yesterday broke not only the thrilling casting of magnificent ‘Game of Thrones’ Actress Maisie “Valar Morghulis” Williams – but also the return of Series 8 writer Jamie Mathieson; something that was quietly assumed by all given the success of both his episodes from last year. Mathieson joins Steven Moffat, Catherine Tregenna and Toby Whitehouse in what is looking to be the most impressive line-up of writers the any season has seen to date. Today, join me in listing 5 reasons why Mathieson is more than worthy of the excitement his return has bred as well as predicting what we can look forward to in his Series 9 episode: “The Girl Who Died”
5. Exceptional Characterisation
It’s no secret that throughout his first series, particularly during the early episodes, the 12th Doctor lacked a certain approachability in order to stress the Time Lord’s alien nature. While instantly loving Capaldi’s incarnation from the get go, for me it took until Mathieson’s episodes for the character to embody a more relatable attitude as well as a totally commanding screen presence. “Mummy on the Orient Express” saw the Twelfth Doctor take on a more dominating role of authority than the series had seen at that point so far, proving to some sceptical viewers that Mathieson wasn’t afraid to add previously divulged layers to his protagonist as well as keeping to the prescribed development path the character was undertaking throughout the duration of the series. Between the banter, the lies, the manipulation and the heroism there was no faulting his characterisation of the Doctor which of course continued impeccably into “Flatline” which featured an incarnation-defining speech that was further heightened only by Capaldi’s amazing performance.
“I tried to talk. I want you to remember that. I tried to reach out, I tried to understand you, but I think that you understand us perfectly. And I think you just don’t care. And I don’t know whether you are here to invade, infiltrate or just replace us. I don’t suppose it really matters now. You are monsters. That is the role you seem determined to play. So it seems I must play mine. The man that stops the monsters. I’m sending you back to your own dimension. Who knows? Some of you may even survive the trip. And, if you do, remember this. You are not welcome here. This plane is protected. I am the Doctor. And I name you the Boneless.”
His second episode saw an equal amount of justice go the way of Clara when circumstances saw her frightened and overwhelmed – but channelling the bravery, courage and even the detachment of her mentor, she manages to rise above it and hold her own weight as the clear leader of the group desperate to survive. It is without a doubt one of the characters best moments at the hand of Mathieson. With his new credit carrying the suggesting title of “The Girl Who Died” could another brilliant Clara-central episode be on the table?
4. Original, Dominating Threats
One only needs to look back to the top 2 choices in last year’s “Best Monster of 2014 award” to notice the common variable between both the Boneless and the Foretold was their respective creator, Jaime Mathieson. There’s no doubting how well received and highly regarded both his creations were last year, easily earning their respected places in the mythology of the show. The sheer originality of the Boneless is something one can only meet with a mixture of dread and awe – monsters from another dimension invading our own, bringing themselves into the 3rd dimension and discarding human lives as collateral damage along the way.
What the Boneless do to Roscoe and PC Forrest is truly gruesome, dissecting both. Roscoe’s remains are stretched out like spaghetti on the mouldings of his flat, while a flake of his skin is stripped off and blown up on another wall. Forrest fares worse, with the Boneless ripping her entire nervous system out and stringing it up like a blueprint. The Foretold by extension was one of the scariest realisations of a monster the show has ever had, and Mathieson’s writing of the monster as well his decision to have them kill their victims over a period of exactly 66 seconds maintained the haunt and suspense of the Mummy’s presence for the entire episode. Both threats as well as the villainous ‘Gus,’ whose potential still remains open, have a solid threatening presence both on and off the screen, making for well-paced plots easy to invest in and be overwhelmed by.
3. Atmosphere
Between a magnificent train roaming around space and … Bristol, there is no lack of variety to the settings Mathieson wrote both his episodes in. He’s one of the few writers I’ve found to so far always give his atmosphere a personality and a solid role in the plot of his episodes, and it is undoubtedly one of the winning ingredients to how well received both his contributions were. With Flatline’s contemporary setting, so came with it a quirky and environment appropriate tone that ensured the plot used its surroundings to the best of its ability. Whether it be the chaotic and graffiti stricken streets or the still and dark tunnels; the atmosphere of Flatline is so refreshingly urban and bare it lends itself to establishing the episodes success skilfully.
Standing opposed to that is Mathieson’s other episode “Mummy” which takes advantage of the rich, indulgent and somewhat fantastical setting of the play. The unreliability of space takes the audience out of their comfort zone: in an alien setting being cornered by a creature of myth and legend they are alone and vulnerable. With his Series 9 edition being already billed as a period piece, it’s clear that 2015 will see Mathieson channel his creativity and ability in created a historically permissive atmosphere – one which I personally cannot wait for.
2. No Weak Roles
I’ve already mentioned the writer’s immense talent for characterisation of our main roles, but mention must also go to his envied ability to create his own realistic and fleshed out characters in the ‘supporting actor’ category. Firstly, there’s no doubting the genius behind major guest roles like the witty and lovable Perkins, the relatable and unstable Maisie, the edgy and courageous Rigsy and the distasteful and nefarious Fenton – but what is commendable about Mathieson is that even the most fleeting of minor roles feel substantial in their own right. This is shown by the examples of PC Forrest, George, Captain Quell and Professor Moorhouse – all characters that while lacking durable opportunities to flourish in the plots of 45 minutes do not lack a clear purpose on screen. There are no forgettable or weak roles in any of Mathieson’s scripts – an ability which unfortunately isn’t extended to every single writer who has worked for the show in its 51 year History.
1. Balance of Tones
Variety is something Doctor Who has never been short of – a show that can literally fit into a different genre of television week after week. However, it’s getting increasingly rarer for an episode to be simultaneously narratively coherent and thematically diverse – which is exactly what both Mathieson’s scripts were. “Mummy on the Orient Express” wasn’t just your typical base under siege story; it was a story soaked heavily in the theme of friendship and hate, as well as continuing the series long arcs focusing on both the Doctor’s morality and the actions of a soldier. It was a story of choice and consequence as well a story of mythical curses and scientific victory, garnished with the undertones of a psychotic and murderous computer system.
In contrast, “Flatline” wasn’t just a classic ‘Monster of the Week Invasion’; but also an episode that tackled the significances of one’s inspirations in their actions, the unforgiving nature of evil and the hypocrisy of the Doctor’s actions. Aside to Mathieson’s mastering of assorted storytelling, he also has an impeccable talent for achieving a balance between light-hearted action sequences and slower, thought provoking dialogues in order to ensure his audience takes more from his episodes then just a memorable one liner. It’s this I feel is his greatest strength as a writer.
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Of course, no writer is without their discrepancies – however I believe that these specific 5 reasons (as well as countless more there simply isn’t room to list) are proof Mathieson’s values very much outweighs his faults and why I personally am extremely pleased with the news of a Moffat-Mathieson co-write gracing our screens this year. Are you too rejoicing in Jamie’s return? Let us know in the comments below.
