Class: Episode 3 Advance Review

Note: Doctor Who TV’s pre-air reviews aim to be as detail-free as we reasonably can while still offering a critique, but as everyone’s spoiler sensibilities are different, we advise you read on at your own discretion.

While this week’s plotline concerning people somehow being back from the dead sounds like a potentially bleak and dark subject, as with Doctor Who nothing is quite as it seems. Patrick Ness is keen to alert the audience to what’s going on early, removing any question about whether it is real or not, and taking away some of the implications of the matter. In fact most of the characters cotton on to the reality of the situation quickly too.

Tanya’s storyline handles the topic of grief best, and she is really the emotional heart of the episode, conflicted on whether it even matters if something is real when she can get some closure to her personal loss (the pre-title setting this up is heart-wrenching and the best scene of the episode). Miss Quill is also given more nuances due to her unique link with the person she sees, which in turn allows Katherine Kelly to finally play different side to the character.

Out of the remaining characters Ram and April end up a bit more on the periphery. They get a few moments, but they lack a bit of focus and some of their scenes seem to be more interested in furthering another sub-plot entirely. Charlie gets more action (ahem), but is also rather disconnected from the main threat until quite late in the episode.

Compared to the first two episodes, Nightvisiting is a slower affair that is light on action and more concerned with characters and relationships over plot. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it will not be for everyone. Especially for those hoping for a focussed, spookier tale like the marketing suggests.