This has always been one of my favorite episodes from the Capaldi and Coleman era. It's the doctor in his element, manipulating people around him in order to defeat the villain. Pretending to be an uncaring and manipulative dick, while still showing that at the end of the day he does care
@@NileSWPhotography There's the Capaldi era which encompasses all 4(?) seasons he did, then there's the Capaldi & Coleman era which is just the seasons they did together
I desperately hope Jamie returns in RTD2 and it would be even more epic if we get a payoff for Gus. Also if Jamie continues to generate consistently good episodes then he has future show runner potential imo.
Really love Mummy on the Orient Express, Flatline, and Oxygen. However, I really want to know what happened behind the scenes for The Girl Who Died. It's written by both Mathieson and Moffat (two of my favorite DW writters) and it's absolute dogshit in my opinion.
Honestly I wish for Jamie to be showrunner one day after RTD2 I really think he's got potential. If we never get Neil Gamin (who would have been my choice of showrunner if RTD hadn't come back) then Jamie is quickly becoming a second favourite. All his episodes are bangers.
@@JTD95 Yeah you have reminded me. That is the only tarnish I can think of on Matheison's record, it could have been a case of writer visions conflicting but there is also some merit to the episode. I like the scene discussing Capaldi's face but not too much else.
@@hunterharmak Same, I also love that scene but hardly anything else. I just really wanna know if something happened behind the scenes 'cause it doesn't feel like a Moffat script or a Matheison script at all. Feel more like a Gatiss script. One of his bad ones that is.
I love how you name these reviews! Not boring just "Mummy on the Orient Express Review" no it's got to be "The time Doctor Who fought an invisible mummy"! Amazing! 🤣
IKR, it shows how much fun (or otherwise) Harbo has with these reviews, as well as showcasing the creative individuality and/or bonkers nature of each Doctor Who episode throughout the seasons. 💙🕰
This probably my favorite episode of season 8. Not just for the fantastic writing of 12 and clara, but the Mummy is probably my favorite monster of nuwho, just because of how original it is as a creature. Also, Clara be lookin' FINE throughout.
This is an episode I always come back to no matter what. It's so brilliant designed and constructed and one of the better examples of the ticking clock element that Chris Chibnall loves to do to death. Also Frank Skinner is such a great one off companion with a brilliant dynamic with Capaldi it's rather a shame we didn’t get more like him.
If I had a nickel for every Dr Who masterpiece episode set on a touristic form of transport that explores how the Doctor´s saviour complex can rub a terrified group of people the wrong way while facing an unknown and unseen monster, I´d have two nickles which isn´t a lot but it´s weird it happened twice, right?
One of the things I've always loved about Jenna Coleman is her ability to react to the craziest situations like they're just another day at the office. When she's with Maisie and they're trying to get into that locked compartment, Clara says "I've got a friend who's really good at opening doors..." Maisie uses one of her shoes to break the window (or something like that) and Clara, totally deadpan, says "That'll work, too"... I totally hit the floor.
Actually I remember this episode being the moment Doctor finally felt like the Doctor again to me. All that humanity that was his trademark in previous incarnations just came crashing through and the duality of what he is showing vs feeling made it all the batter
this is one of favourite episodes of all time, and just behind flatline for my favourite episode of season eight -- it's got such a neat, creative, well-executed little mystery within it while also giving us really rich character moments between clara and the doctor and clarifying just how bonkers bizarre they are about each other lol. i love the conversation on the beach for how clear it is that clara is looking for an excuse to stay with him (I don't think she ever really decided she was done with him at any time in this episode, even when she was made to bring maisie to the lab, she's already too far down her 'becoming like the doctor' journey to leave it over that considering even his horrible actions in kill the moon didn't stop her from getting on a train with him!) when the doctor say, "would you like to think that of me? would it make it easier?" after she says he was pretending to be heartless like dang.....that's the kind of character convos I live for with this show! (Also that he says sometimes all your choices are bad ones "but you still have to choose" and then the episode ends with clara refusing to choose between danny and the doctor (who yes, weren't even asking her to choose between them, she's doing this to herself all on her own lol)!
The reason why the Doctor hates goodbyes is Zoe. After she was sent back to her own time, one of his later adventures while exiled on Earth changed her history. And when he was finally able to go check on her, the young woman he'd known didn't exist anymore. By refusing to go looking up his old friends, he can pretend they're still out there. Not victims of his later adventures.
This episode is my go to recommendations for people who weren't fussed by peters capaldi era, enclosed story, simple enough plot as long as you know doctor who basics, great acting and story, music beautiful as always, great episode
I actually loved the twist at the end that the foretold was just a Soldier, made the idea seem fresh and new, all in all, a fantastic episode, not to mention the callback to "are you my mummy?"
That Mummy looked damn good! A real good adaptation of an Agatha Christie type story. And how Clara professes her love for the Doctor at the end and decides to stay with him, it's the beginning of the true end for these two. But in the meantime the frame still flickers before the fire will be snuffed out. 🔥 Yeah, it couldn't burn forever, but it sure got white hot while it lasted! The best Duo ever! 💞
I wasn't a huge fan of this episode, but when you point out how the episode respects the 66 second timer I actually do really like that. I never read Murder on the Orient Express either. I knew it was a reference but didn't know any of the details of the homage. The episode is better than I thought.
I honestly had a hard time liking Clara's plot in season 8 for a lot of reasons, including how it felt like her relationship with Danny didnt really have any chemistry or substance, but the way you recontextualized everything in these essays has me appreciating this season a lot more. Very much agree that 12 handles this situation with more brutal efficiency than 10 ever could
This concept is crazy but funny and interesting at the same time! Wish we could get a follow up about the AI though. This season is honestly on fire for me. SO underrated! Love the theme of death that continues throughout this series.
I absolutely loved this episode when it first aired. It was like a true return to form after series 6 and 7. Also flatline was just incredible too. Easily my two favourites from the revived era.
IMO the best Capaldi episode and a story that can hold up to the rest of the series, both new and classic. I love how the Doctor is played like House MD, seemingly ruthless but still trying to save lives. I wish the writers continued to portray him this way instead of the kind of alien who's ignorant of human customs. This Doctor knows all about human customs, he just doesn't care about them. Again, a Doctor Who classic in every sense of the word.
An interesting thought I just had was regarding the episode with the boneless. Claira made light of being the Doctor, maybe the Doctor thought "Fine let's see how you do with the full weight of being me."
This episode finally got me invested in Twelve because like Clara I finally understood his modus opererandi. Until then I just began to think twelve was well, a bit of a prick.
What is sad about this episode is that the doctor had the right idea. If any of the victims had concentrated and told him what the mummy looked like he could've stopped it so much sooner. He had to take it on himself because nobody would do what he asked. It may seem like another situation where the doctor is special but really the only thing he did differently was pay attention to the mummy's appearance. Anyone else could've done it too if they just paid attention.
I agree with this to an extent especially since the passengers are all more or less supposed to be geniuses. But it is worth remembering just how insanely intelligent the doctor is and how quickly he can process information compared to a human. Those things coupled with the fact that the doctor is used to thinking straight in life or death situations and it makes a lot of sense that he could figure it out while others couldn't.
@@leowulf5280 it is obviously easier on him, but i like that its not a timelord super power like reading madame de pompadors mind or making shelly see his own death to get the cyper codex to leave him.
My head canon has always been that Perkins was Drax from the fourth doctor story the armageddon factor which explains why Perkins was a part of the scientists/crew on the ship due to his engineering knowledge and timelord mind.
I am 99.99% sure this wasn't tge poi t but I read gusts as being 'max' from that christmas special and motivation-wise it doesn't fit, bit them both being dirt bags, it does
After WW2, many Japanese soldiers were convinced the pamphlets dropped notifying them that Japan had surrendered due to the nukes were enemy lies and continued to fight the war indefinitely, expecting that their commanding officers would relieve them of duty. For one, they had to track down his CO 50 years after the war ended to convince him to abdicate from his watch. He had been killing "enemy troops" and scavenging their supplies to survive for decades. Forgotten soldiers are a very real, very tragic thing.
I always thought Gus was an AI created by Missy.. I swear she said something in the series finale about the train being something she set up? Or maybe she just mentioned the train and it was unrelated but my head-canon says that it was Missy the whole time.
If Gus was an AI, then whoever created him had him programmed to search out the Doctor, and even knew how to call the TARDIS. There's definitely more stories to be told there.
The number of health problems I have, I would be easy pickings for the Foretold. Nerve damage in my right arm, several allergies, anxiety with depressive episodes, weak sinuses, issues with my toes currently oh and I am neurodivergent. I am not the most robust human out there. I am rather fragile and delicate. I'd be gone.
Personally, I think Jenna Coleman is one of the best companions in the history of Doctor Who. But it's a close thing between her, Sarah Jane smith and Martha Jones.
The two things that brought it down for me as an episode are actually Clara’s lying and the soldier theme. Unlike other recurring themes in other seasons the whole soldier thing feels a bit too convenient, but theres no reason given as to why his adventures suddenly involve or revolve around them. Its not like Missy or another character had influenced things so that’d be forced to confront his lingering anti-soldier feelings or personally be faced with his own self-reflections. Im not a fan of that kind of writing personally. It feels contrived. As for Clara and comments about her not needing to lie. Its what started to bother me about her character in Season 8. It reminds me a bit of Gwen (obviously not to that extent) in a way though. It culminates with the finale stuff which to me just got worse. I guess its supposed to be that they both have major issues in their relationship (the Doctor and Clara) but the culmination of her throwing keys into the magma etc (regardless of her grief) just seemed so out of place in it all. We’ve had characters experience losses or freak out over deaths, but basically drugging the Doctor, destroying TARDIS keys and threatening him? And thats okay cause ‘deep friendship?’ When i first watched the series I didnt feel we got enough scenes to warrant that feeling of deep loss in the first place as most of what we see is them barely starting to show a deeper connection and the rest was like the fledgling stages of their relationship.
I don't like a good portion of the episodes during Moffat's time as show runner. For me, it's really difficult to follow along with. It's really jarring when rewatching Doctor Who, because I followed along so easily for four seasons, and then become confused all of the sudden. There are very few episodes where I was actually able to keep up with the story, which makes me sad due to how much I love Doctor Who. So, I saw the thumbnail for this and my face lit up, recognizing it as one of the few I was able to thoroughly enjoy. The only other Moffat era episode I can remember thoroughly enjoying is Face the Raven, a shame considering how it got walked back on.
I loved this story! I remember when I first watched this I was like finally, Trains in space! I don't think Clara shouldn't been in this episode, but I think Perkins would make a great companion. I do like the countdown clock, and I thought that was a clever idea.
I think this episode could’ve definitely taught Chibnall how to do countdowns properly & effectively given how it’s seemingly one of his favourite things to put in his episodes, it was fine the first time in 42 but by the time it got to his run with Jodie it was nowhere near the level it was done here
I'm short on time so I'll come back to this later. One thing that annoyed me in this episode is Clara being here at all. Kill the Moon was everything wrong with this series. This series had absolutely zero lasting consequences. Every episode seemed to hit the reset button. I was so ready to give up after Kill the Moon. Apart from Clara saying "F*ck you! I'm leaving." That left me thinking, "oh, consequences! Finally! Okay, Maybe I'll stick around." Next episode, "yeah nah. she's still here and she's forgiven him"
I like the episode untill the point the sonic screwdriver is used to redirect the Mummy towards The Doctor. To me, that's just lazy writing, and I find it difficult to accept anything that happens after that.
It's not the sonic screwdriver. It's the medical scanner. Though I will admit, a handheld scanner with enough detail to copy trauma out of a person's mind does seem a bit of a stretch.
