We are moving pretty quickly now through series 8. It feels like it was just yesterday that the series premiered, but here we are on the 7th episode of the series. How do we feel about this new Doctor thus far? Do we like him? Do we not like him? For me it is kind of hard. I feel like I am on the fence. I don’t know whether I like him or not. Part of me thinks that my issues have to do with him simply being different than the last Doctor. I felt the same way when Matt Smith took over for David Tennant, but eventually he grew on me and I liked him. Part of me thinks this is different. I am beginning to wonder if we are not supposed to like him. I am beginning to think that Clara certainly does not like him much. Or, maybe, as Danny has implied, she is just over the whole Doctor thing. In any case, here is the good, the bad, and the final verdict for “Kill the Moon.”
The Good
It’s in space. I feel like a lot of this season so far has been on Earth, and I like the adventures in space part, not just the time part. This was a big positive. In the Space adventures, I feel like we can come across some very new and different monsters, which is exciting, and we almost get there with the giant spider creatures in this episode. For me, the being in space part was just about the only real good in this episode. As I watched, I thought I enjoyed it, but thinking about it and pondering on it, I don’t think I did. The only other good thing was the Doctor addressed his new regeneration cycle, and it sounds like it is not limited to just 13 this time around. He may just regenerate forever.
The Bad
Where to start? The spider monsters ended up being nothing more than giant bacteria. The moon ended up being a giant egg for some giant space monster that is the only one of its kind (which begs the question, which came first, the giant space creature or the giant space egg?). It just seemed a little silly. I get that a lot of this show can seem pretty silly, but it usually doesn’t when it is played out. This episode just felt silly, similar to the “Robot of Sherwood” episode, which is the only episode I have not reviewed from this series. The biggest baddy of this episode was not the giant spider bacteria or the giant space monster that hatches from the moon. No, the biggest baddy was the drama. The drama between the Doctor and Clara, and something tells me that it is only going to get worse between now and the Christmas special. These two obviously don’t like each other, and the rift between them and the continuing issues has made them both into quite unlikeable characters. Part of me does not like the Doctor for how he treats Clara, and part of me can’t stand Clara for how much she disdains the Doctor. It is a vicious cycle, and I think the best Christmas present I will get this year is Clara’s departure from the show. Hopefully, a new companion will work make this Doctor more likable. It’s called chemistry, and these two don’t have it.
The Final Verdict
This was a rough one. If you can find a way to skip, I would. I don’t think there was any major plot line that will come back later in the series, except that the Doctor and Clara can’t stand each other, which will resurface again and again until one of them leaves. I used to really like Clara, and I think I could like this Doctor, but watching this episode helped me realize the problem is not either one individually, but the two of them together. Make it stop! I will continue to watch the series, but I am looking forward to the end of the year and something new and different.
