New Who Review #109

Time Heist

This story was very different from what we normally get. It was a bank heist type story which isn't something we have ever seen in new who. I liked how it wasn't actually a bank heist to steal things but instead a rescue mission for a creature. It was very timey wimey and a bit confusing but not overly confusing which was nice. I liked the side characters in this being Psi & Sabre I thought they were pretty good. The memory worm makes a return in this since the last time we saw it in the Snowmen so that was cool. It's not my favourite story from this season but it definitely isn't my least favourite there are worse to come. Overall an okay bank heist story with a twist. 7/10

I know there are some big supporters of this story, and it's good but never quite levels up into something special. The slick heist movie tropes are fun, and the Teller is a fantastic alien design. Clara's look in this story is iconic too.

The concept of a Doctor Who heist movie is undeniably smart. The opening scene, with the Doctor, Clara, and their newfound allies suddenly transported via memory worms, throws the audience headfirst into the story that promises all the enjoyable Hollywood tropes.

Unfortunately, the 45-minute runtime works against the episode, leaving it feeling rushed and underdeveloped. The hallmarks of the heist genre are often absent. The characters are thrust into the middle of the mission without the audience ever seeing the plan, which robs the story of one of the genre’s most enjoyable elements: watching the strategy unfold and anticipating how it might go wrong.

The episode relies on us caring about the guest characters’ fates, it’s difficult to muster much investment since there hasn’t been enough time to form a bond with them. The Doctor’s connection to the team feels thin.

Visually and structurally, the episode feels a bit disjointed. The constant scene changes and rapid cuts give the impression that chunks of the story are missing. There’s little sense of place within the bank, which detracts from the tension and atmosphere a heist story should have.

The twist—revealing that the monsters’ actions were motivated by a desire to reunite with their mate—feels  overly similar to the resolution of Hide from the previous series which creates an anticlimax.

This marks the first proper misfire in Peter Capaldi’s tenure so far. Despite his strong performance, Time Heist does not deliver on its premise.

As for Steven Thompson, this being his final contribution to Doctor Who is in my opinion a good thing. Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, The Curse of the Black Spot and Time Heist all have interesting premises which are poorly delivered.

Enjoyed it, felt very RTD actually, Miss Delphox in particular seemed lifted out of one of his episodes.

That means it was slightly camp but it was entertaining - The Doctor robbing a bank was a fun concept and even though it was yet another non-linear story, which have basically become the hallmark of the Moffat era, I liked how everything came together and The Teller was a well done monster.

ill go to the satanic nebula then the lagoon of lost stars then brighton with u 12 <33333