by William John
He’s here! He’s finally here! After a year of anticipation, excitement and extreme curiosity, Peter Capaldi’s first steps as the 12th Doctor are finally here… and boy, was he something different! Dazed, confused and coughed up by a dinosaur, Deep Breath saw the 12th Doctor reunited with the Paternoster Gang in Victorian London. Unsure of his new persona, he’s flung, headlong, into a mysterious case involving spontaneous human combustion and a creepy man with half a face. Darker, more sinister but still as fun as ever, this was Doctor Who as it should be!
He’s here! He’s finally here! After a year of anticipation, excitement and extreme curiosity, Peter Capaldi’s first steps as the 12th Doctor are finally here… and boy, was he something different! Dazed, confused and coughed up by a dinosaur, Deep Breath saw the 12th Doctor reunited with the Paternoster Gang in Victorian London. Unsure of his new persona, he’s flung, headlong, into a mysterious case involving spontaneous human combustion and a creepy man with half a face. Darker, more sinister but still as fun as ever, this was Doctor Who as it should be!
Harkening back to an early 10th Doctor story, 12, Clara and the Paternoster Gang are forced to confront the half faced man, a damaged clockwork robot from an ancient crashed ship, and his army of drones rebuilt from harvested human organs (sound familiar?). With some wonderful nods back to The Girl in the Fireplace, Deep Breath may not have been the most original storyline, but it served it’s purpose superbly, setting the tone for the new Doctor and the new series.
The transition between Doctors has always been difficult, and with a lot of the shows recent mythology looking deeper at the meanings behind his personas, it was inevitable that we’d get something far different. Since the show’s return, and in universe, since the Time War, the Doctor’s persona has become outwardly progressively younger. Last year's Day of the Doctor went some way to explaining that his youth and seemingly childish behaviour was the Doctor’s way of coping with the atrocity he’d committed and his lack of restraint in dealing with villains, shown most prevalently with the 11th Doctor’s multiple genocidal tendencies. When it’s revealed at the end of Day of the Doctor that they didn’t destroy Gallifrey, it sparked a flicker of acceptance in the Doctor, forcing him to grow up and realise that, although he saved Gallifrey, he’s still done a lot of bad things that he needs to atone for.
The transition between Doctors has always been difficult, and with a lot of the shows recent mythology looking deeper at the meanings behind his personas, it was inevitable that we’d get something far different. Since the show’s return, and in universe, since the Time War, the Doctor’s persona has become outwardly progressively younger. Last year's Day of the Doctor went some way to explaining that his youth and seemingly childish behaviour was the Doctor’s way of coping with the atrocity he’d committed and his lack of restraint in dealing with villains, shown most prevalently with the 11th Doctor’s multiple genocidal tendencies. When it’s revealed at the end of Day of the Doctor that they didn’t destroy Gallifrey, it sparked a flicker of acceptance in the Doctor, forcing him to grow up and realise that, although he saved Gallifrey, he’s still done a lot of bad things that he needs to atone for.
Enter the 12th Doctor. As Vastra comments, his veil has been lifted and he’s no longer hiding behind a young mans face. Gone are the days where he can hide behind his decisions and deny he’s capable of doing a dark deed for the greater good. As he says in Deep Breath, “I have a terrible feeling I’m going to have to kill you”, before his confrontation with the episodes villain is brought to an ambiguous climax; did he jump, or did the Doctor push him? This is the Doctor, he’s old and raw, and ready to show his fangs.
Angrier, threatening and sarcastic, we’re treated to a fantastic moment of self discovery as the Doctor tries (and fails) to recall where he’s seen his face before, dropping a potential story-arc for this series, before commenting on how his fierce eyebrows are so independently angry that they could leave his face and take up their own state – Scottish eyebrows. And his uncertain, potentially untrustworthy nature continues through the episode, when he seemingly leaves Clara to her doom, before returning wearing a dead man’s face and commenting on how Clara is better on adrenaline anyway. He’s ruthless and terrifying. He’s Malcolm Tucker, minus the swearing, which I think is what we all wanted to see.
Angrier, threatening and sarcastic, we’re treated to a fantastic moment of self discovery as the Doctor tries (and fails) to recall where he’s seen his face before, dropping a potential story-arc for this series, before commenting on how his fierce eyebrows are so independently angry that they could leave his face and take up their own state – Scottish eyebrows. And his uncertain, potentially untrustworthy nature continues through the episode, when he seemingly leaves Clara to her doom, before returning wearing a dead man’s face and commenting on how Clara is better on adrenaline anyway. He’s ruthless and terrifying. He’s Malcolm Tucker, minus the swearing, which I think is what we all wanted to see.
Of course, the episode retained the humour and charm we’ve come to expect from Doctor Who, with the Doctor and Clara’s interplay forming the basis for a fun, bickering relationship. And in the more tender moments, we’re shown just how vulnerable the new, veil-less Doctor is as he begs Clara to just see him and recognise that he’s still the same man. Helped along by a beautiful cameo from Capaldi’s predecessor, who reassures Clara that he is the same man and he needs her, Clara finally accepts her friends new persona, and it’s back to adventures in time and space.
Deep Breath didn’t have the best story, it was vastly different from Matt Smith’s introduction, The Eleventh Hour, swapping the fast pace and thrills for a more darker, more compelling tone that suits the new Doctor perfectly. The Paternoster Gang we’re on full form, providing some balancing comic relief as well as moments of tension as Strax contemplates sepukku and romance as Vastra and Jenny share Doctor Who’s first lesbian kiss. Finally, we’re treated to a glimpse of the classic Doctor Who story arc – “Welcome to Heaven”.
All we can really say is, Doctor Who is back, and we loved it!
Deep Breath didn’t have the best story, it was vastly different from Matt Smith’s introduction, The Eleventh Hour, swapping the fast pace and thrills for a more darker, more compelling tone that suits the new Doctor perfectly. The Paternoster Gang we’re on full form, providing some balancing comic relief as well as moments of tension as Strax contemplates sepukku and romance as Vastra and Jenny share Doctor Who’s first lesbian kiss. Finally, we’re treated to a glimpse of the classic Doctor Who story arc – “Welcome to Heaven”.
All we can really say is, Doctor Who is back, and we loved it!
What did you think of Deep Breath?
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Don't forget, you can pick up a fully customisable Doctor who themed ID Badge from our store!
Excited for more of the 12th Doctor?
Vote in our poll and let us know in the comments below.
Don't forget, you can pick up a fully customisable Doctor who themed ID Badge from our store!
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