13 Reason Why I Have Mixed Feelings About “Arachnids in the UK”

Something’s missing this year

My first point is a personal one. For me, Doctor Who used to be must watch television. This year, for whatever reason, that hasn’t been the case. This week I watched the episode on Thursday afternoon. Granted I was on nightshifts earlier this week and didn’t have a chance to watch until then. But this thought was something that immediately struck me and got me thinking about this series as a whole so far. It feels like there’s something missing and I wish I could put my finger on it.

I hate spiders…

Arachnophobia is one of the most common phobias in the world, so it’s always going to be a difficult subject to encounter. I wouldn’t say I have arachnophobia, I just really hate spiders! The very sight of them makes me feel uncomfortable, making the scene where Graham finds the spider carcass far from easy viewing. For that reason, I almost thought about skipping this week’s episode altogether. Obviously, I didn’t. Thinking back to other episodes designed to play on similar fears and how well they turned out, I simply had to watch anyway no matter how uncomfortable.

…but it wasn’t scary.

On one hand I’m glad the episode decided to play things safe and spare us from the jump scares of having the spiders appear from nowhere. For most appearances, the audience were given fair warning by the characters that the spiders were about to appear. I think this was a good approach particularly for the younger audience (and myself ?). However, Doctor Who has a history of being “behind the sofa” television, so perhaps there was a missed opportunity here for the show to capitalise more on its reputation.

It felt like Doctor Who…

Interestingly though, it’s this week’s episode that follows the most traditional format for the show. The TARDIS crew arrive, discover a mystery, investigate and confront the monsters: it’s your typical monster of the week format for really the first time this series. That’s something that plays well in the episode’s favour. It’s exactly what we are used to, but delivered in a new style, both in terms of scripting and direction and as a result comes out as a very solid episode of Doctor Who. By definition it’s hard for this type of episode to reach the levels of the episodes which push the limits of the show, but for what it is, it is very good

…and the Doctor was back in her best role.

Jodie here has arguably one of her best performances in the role to date, as the Doctor is given a script that is very true to the character. We see the Doctor leading in a time of crisis, doing what we have become accustomed to. There’s also the comic side of the character through her interactions with Yaz’s family and some of the awkward social situations she finds herself in. However, the best Doctor moment comes when she defends the spider at the end, encapsulating the promise of “Never Cruel or Cowardly”.

Yaz finally gets the attention she deserves

With three companions, it’s hard for the show to devote enough time to all of them. Last week it was Ryan who was fleshed out the most, and this week it was Yaz’s turn to be the centre of the narrative. We learn a lot about her from her relationships with others and get the suggestion that she hasn’t had an easy life. From what little we have seen it looks like she doesn’t have the greatest relationship with her family who take advantage of her good nature and mock her for having no friends. This helps make Yaz a more relatable character and suggests her motives for wanting to run away with the Doctor.

Family Affair

Yaz’s family is used by the narrative as the thread which links the Doctor to the threat of the story. However, their inclusion is interesting for a different reason. Yaz’s mum ends up involved in the thick of things in the hotel, which marks the first time a companion’s family has been in such a position since Wilfred Mott. With the Moffat era being scant on family connections, it is nice to see the show having a call back to one of the elements that made the Davies era such a resounding success.

Graham continues to steal the show

Prior to the commencement of the series, the companion I was most concerned about was Graham. The casting of Bradley Walsh was something I wasn’t sure about because his prominent role as the host of The Chase was making it hard to visualise him as a companion. However, like Catherine Tate before him, the veteran actor has completely blown me away week after week with his take on Graham. His mastery of both spoken dialogue and non-verbal cues are second to none. As a result, Graham comes across as the most believable of the characters and is fast on his way to becoming my favourite companion.

Grief

My favourite moment in the entire episode was at the end where the TARDIS team approach the Doctor to ask if they can continue travelling with her. Graham’s reasoning for wanting to continue his journey is one of the most heart-breaking yet. His desire to avoid his grief and memories of Grace in their home is made even more poignant when viewed with the scenes from earlier in the episode. It’s a unique take on the role of companion and one I can’t wait to see where the series takes it.

The threat is well developed

To say that the antagonists this year have been underwhelming is an understatement. Thankfully, this week that is put right by the spiders. The explanation for the size of the creatures is well thought out and there is a plausible explanation given. Not only that but the science behind the story is also well utilised. We learn the spiders are so big because they have been modified to live longer, and they grow until they die. The behaviour of the creatures: moving out from the centre of a web, shedding their skin, and sensing vibrations, are all accurate and well-utilised.

And there’s a great twist

The twist that the spiders are not inherently evil is a good one that shifts the blame onto the true antagonist of the piece. It’s a classic Doctor Who moment where the rug is pulled from under our feet and we ultimately end up feeling sorry for the spiders. The story is well constructed from start to finish and this twist allows the narrative to throw us a curveball to keep us on our feet. It is also used to get to the denouement where the spider becomes too big to survive and becomes a victim.

The politics are heavy handed

If any criticism could have been levelled at last week’s perfect outing “Rosa”, it would have been that the villain was a heavy-handed caricature of racism. This is a flaw that could be highlighted again this week as the antagonist here (a Trump caricature) is not exactly subtle in nature. In fact, I think there was even a point where he said that he hates Trump. Whilst the character adds to the narrative, I feel a bit of subtlety wouldn’t have gone amiss and would have allowed the audience to make the comparison for themselves.

I really don’t know what’s missing

On paper this episode seems to tick all the boxes. When it comes to critiquing it, there nothing that jumps out at me as being massively wrong with the episode. Yet I can’t help but feel ever so slightly unsatisfied by the proceedings. As I said earlier, it’s very hard to explain why I can’t really put my finger on it. It is almost as if this feels like a different show, like the charm that characterised much of the Moffat isn’t really there. Perhaps it’s just taking a while for the Chibnall era to find its identity, but with over half the series still left to come there’s plenty of time to sort that out.