Series 11 Advance Review – How Does Jodie’s Debut Shape Up?
When reviewing the first episode of Series 11 of Doctor Who, you’re immediately presented with a dilemma. Not just navigating the MI5 level secrecy (sorry, no plot details here), but rather, do you mention anything at all about the Doctor changing gender? It’s the biggest change in the show’s almost 55-year history after all and much has already been made of it. This too is a dilemma that Chris Chibnall faces in his opening episode as the new showrunner. And his answer: to largely bypass it.
Yes, despite all the interview sound bites and the publicity showing Jodie Whittaker literally breaking the glass ceiling, the gender change is barely addressed in the opener itself. This is probably the smartest approach though. The topic has been a contentious one in the fanbase, and it’s probably more trouble than it’s worth when you’re trying to reach a mass new audience without complicating things even further.
So how is Whittaker in the role? Well, no Doctor has absolutely defined their time on the show in just one episode, let alone their first. Just look at how Peter Capaldi started off as an abrasive old man, but ended more as a kindly professor. So it would seem premature to judge until she has had more time to settle in over the coming weeks, and without that pesky post-regeneration “madness” causing wild shifts in performance. At this early stage though, she seems to be aiming it somewhere between Tennant and Smith, as a comparison. Whittaker’s strongest moments, here at least, are when she’s not acting zany though and bringing some warmth to the character.
Contrary to when Steven Moffat took over the show, Chibnall’s appointment as showrunner doesn’t come with huge expectations. Unlike his predecessor, it’s fair to say Chibnall hasn’t written a bonafide classic episode of Doctor Who (yet)- at least in the eyes of the majority of the fanbase. (DWTV readers earlier this year rated his past four episodes no higher than 104th position of the then 144 episodes). His work outside the show is more impressive; with several highs and some lows in spin-off Torchwood, but his biggest success was of course ITV’s Broadchurch.
Chibnall’s first opener feels like it takes more from the aforementioned Dorset drama, minus the child murder and associated misery of course. “The Women Who Fell to Earth” has a slower focus on introducing our three new Sheffield-based companions, their domestic lives and their associated problems. Of course there’s some sci-fi too, but the human character drama is what Chibnall excels at here (and in some especially moving scenes towards the end). Perhaps without the excess of everything an opener has to establish, Chibnall will have a greater chance to shine in other areas.
Of the three new companions (sorry, “friends” now, still getting used to that), Tosin Cole’s Ryan is one of most strongly defined. He’s struggling with dyspraxia, on top of now having to face real monsters. Alongside him there’s Bradley Walsh’s “Granddad” Graham, better known to many as the current game show host of the The Chase. While he fills a more comic relief role for the majority of the opener, he surprises later with a real emotive performance. Mandip Gill’s Yaz is sadly not quite as well served as her-co stars. Guest star wise, only Sharon D Clarke has anything substantial to offer.
The threat of the episode (which we can’t say much about) is a mixed bag. While it starts off fairly promisingly with a strong sense of mystery and sinister intrigue, once unmasked, the more it becomes something rather more generic. A couple of moments also misfire, looking silly rather than scary. It at least has an imposing voice though.
Jamie Child’s cinematic new direction initially evokes the sun-kissed vistas that made Broadchurch such a standout, but he also manages to make more humdrum settings, such as a building site, at least look a bit more exciting than it actually is. Helping along the atmosphere is Segun Akinola (replacing Murray Gold) and he brings a less bombastic, eerie new score to proceedings. The new arrangement of the main theme is also fantastic (which you only hear in full at the end in this opener). It’s the closest the show has got to the original musically.
The faithful theme is an exception though. Mimicking the past is clearly not the M.O. here. It cannot be stated enough how much of a different show this feels to what came before. It’s not just the Doctor; it’s everything else all at once to get used to. Chibnall even denies fans an iconic Doctor Who moment they will be expecting to see. But that’s what change is all about. Some will embrace this and come along for the uncertain ride; some will find it much harder to adjust to.
Early Verdict
While this episode is still not that Chibnall classic we’re hoping for, it largely succeeds in what it sets out to do: introduce the world to this brave new Doctor and her trio of new friends.
Now, just how are they going to get out of that one?
