Series 10: Empress of Mars Advance Review

Note: Doctor Who TV’s pre-air views 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.

Following the multi-connected story of the last three weeks, Series 10 of Doctor Who resumes back to a (mostly) standalone adventure.

This time, the TARDIS takes a trip to Mars, in 1881. The Doctor and co are surprised to discover Victorians somehow on the planet, but worse, the team soon find themselves dragged into a conflict with old foes the Ice Warriors. The question is, who will the Doctor choose to side with this time?

When it comes to Mark Gatiss episodes it’s hard not to repeat yourself with each subsequent one he writes. Of the eight stories over the years since the show returned (this is now his ninth), he’s always been a writer that has drawn polarised responses from fans. Some stories have faired better than others, but we’ve never really had one that has been held up as a classic.

This week’s episode isn’t likely to radically shift people’s opinions on the matter either, but it’s probably safe to say it’ll be less divisive than his 2015 outing, the found-footage adventure “Sleep No More” that frequently rates lowest of Series 9.

Much like how Series 10 started this year, “Empress of Mars” is a more “back-to-basics” story. In fact it comes across as even more old-fashioned, in more ways than one. It’s something that could have fallen straight out of the Hartnell or Troughton era. This will be a plus or a minus depending your nostalgia levels.

This more “classic” feeling is in part down to the main enemy, the Ice Warriors. But while they’re foes that are distinctly faithful to their era, they’re not exactly intimidating to look at in 2017. “Cold War” was able to subvert this somewhat by featuring the monster out of the suit and slaughtering the crew in shadows for a lot of the runtime. Not so much here. The Martians are back in all their lumbering glory, for better and for worse. There’s a newer method of killing, even if it looks more cartoonish than probably intended.

The biggest new addition here though is the introduction of the queen of the species and the titular Empress Iraxxa, played by Adele Lynch; obviously adding a feminine perspective to the creatures. Lynch delivers a rather over-the-top performance, though fairs better in her dialed-down moments. Classic fans may again be disappointed with the lack of hissing voices.

The story has an interesting dilemma at its core that sees the Doctor’s loyalties split to either human invaders or natives. But it’s only really explored on a surface level. Neither Capaldi nor Mackie are given enough to do outside of their standard roles. Nardole meanwhile is taken out of the plot early for a very important reason. Ironically his section is rather intriguing (and raises some interesting questions), if lasting mere minutes.

Although the story is set on Mars, don’t expect to see much of the surface planet. There’s some lovely CGI establishing shots and a moment or two, but a huge chunk of the story takes place underground. Wayne Yip makes his best of the budgetary situation with his able direction. A sequence where the Ice Warriors rise up from the ground is particularly effective.

All in all, “Empress of Mars” is at best, a slice of old-school fun. Like with most Gatiss scripts though, it’s unlikely to top many fans’ lists, unless you’re a hardcore Ice Warrior fan.