I hadn’t seen this story since around the time of transmission (~10 years) so was interested to see how my feelings had developed on this story in the meantime.

It’s a tale of two halves for me. Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman’s performances anchor the episode with a commanding and reassuring presence. With Ben Wheatley on direction duties, the episode has a very cinematic and polished presentation. However, I’m not sure he fully controls the tone in the first half. There’s an apparent struggle—perhaps stemming from the script as well—to decide whether the episode is a comedy, a family-friendly bank holiday movie, or a searing, serious drama.

Some of the heightened drama, particularly Clara’s conversation with Vastra about the Doctor’s appearance and whether to accept him, hinges on the notion that Clara has always been romantically drawn to the Doctor. I struggle to believe this, as the short time she spent travelling with Matt Smith’s Doctor didn’t properly convey that kind of relationship, so this aspect of the story falls flat for me.

The portrayal of Jenny and Vastra feels one-note, with their scenes often reduced to flirting with each other or others. They come across as overly sexualised women in the typical Steven Moffat style. While Moffat is undeniably talented in many ways, this recurring issue in his writing of female characters is distracting and, frankly, off-putting.

I think they should have done away with The Paternoster Gang (as fun as they are) in this story and make everything brand new. Moffat said that he was doing  what was done with Robot and maintaining the vibe of the previous era in the first story, I think this missed an opportunity for a fresh start straight out of the gate.

However, from the restaurant scene onwards, the show blooms into a rollicking adventure, then effectively delivers some potent emotional beats as well as a well balanced showcase for Capaldi’s dramatic and comedic flare. By the end of the story I am fully invested and excited for more of the 12th Doctor’s era.

The element that undoubtedly has grown on me the most was the scene with Matt Smith’s Doctor on the phone and Capaldi’s Doctor talking to Clara on the other end - I found that to be a very impactful device. Whereas on transmission I found myself wishing that the 12th Doctor had his first episode fully to himself. I’m glad this has grown on me.