ANDREW'S
DOCTOR WHO REVIEWS 
This is a really good story, my favourite of Matt Smith’s
tenure. It has all those things that work so well in Doctor Who, a dark, spooky
house, things that go bump in the night, some well-drawn, well-acted
characters, plenty of humour, and at the back of it all a clever, simple plot
with sci-fi explanations. Matt and Jenna are spectacularly good in this and
with a plot with just five characters in it everyone has time to shine.
It is November 1974 and Professor Alec Palmer (Dougray
Scott) and his assistant Emma Grayling (Jessica Rayne) are investigating the
paranormal activities at Caliburn House. The Doctor and Clara arrive and the
Doctor is fascinated by the findings of the investigation. After investigating
the house, and realising that Emma’s seemingly psychic powers are something
else, the Doctor and Clara revisit the house through various points in history.
The Doctor then summises that the ghost is actually a projection
of a pioneering human time traveller, Hila Tacorian (Kemi-Bo Jacobs), who is
trapped in some kind of void between realities and reaching out to help. The
Doctor travels to this dimension and discovers a never-ending forest. He
locates Hila and manages to send her through to Earth, but he is trapped and
being pursued by a creature. Clara manages to force the TARDIS into helping her
rescue the Doctor and he is returned to Earth too.
The next morning the Doctor reveals that Hila is a
descendant of Palmer and Emma, and that is why Emma had a psychic link. He also
figures out that there is a second ghost at Caliburn House – a twisted figure
that looks like the one in the forest dimension. The Doctor realises the two
creatures are a couple separated from each other, and he persuades Emma to open
the gateway to allow the creatures to reunite.
The story edges on just the right side of sentimental and
the creatures are kept scary for long enough to make the threat seem real. Matt
Smith is at the height of his powers here, clever, funny, eccentric and brave –
it’s a masterclass of “how to be the Doctor”. Jenna Coleman too is great as
Clara, funny, brave and just a little bit unusual, building on the impossible
girl theme running through these stories.
Alongside them, Dougray Scott and Jessica Rayne are utterly
believable and brilliant as the two uncomfortable would-be lovers investigating
strange goings on at a haunted house. The 1970s setting is realised so well,
it’s not over the top (there are no space hoppers or chopper bikes) but it is
clearly the age of flares and tank tops and is packed with nostalgia for the
time when the classic series of Doctor Who was at its height.
Best of all, though, is the script which finds time to be
funny, effecting, emotional, scary, exciting and clever at various times
throughout. It’s a story that is a joy to revisit as many times as you can.
NEXT UP: JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE TARDIS
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Andrew J. Müller,
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and Shaun Runham
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2022
