Doctor Who: series 8

All season long, Ross Miller and Kwame Opam have been debating the new season / series (depending on where you watch it) of Doctor Who — the first for 12th Doctor Peter Capaldi. All of which has led us to this moment: “Death in Heaven.” Read on for our thoughts on the finale and on the season as a whole.

This probably goes without saying, but expect major spoilers below.

“You know who I am...”

Kwame: Looks like I get to start this week. I’m excited! In any case, this episode started off feeling fairly weak but wound up getting much stronger albeit much weirder by the end of the hour. This is Who going off the deep end with regard to its exploring darker themes by pretty much taking us straight to Hell. (Or so it seems.)

“There are very good, solid, scientific reasons for being really quite frightened just now.”

For this season of Doctor Who, Ross Miller and Kwame Opam will be sounding off on each episode in a series of emails we’ll be publishing on the site. This week it’s “In the Forest of the Night” (warning: spoilers ahead). Check out our previous recaps: “Deep Breath,“ ”Into the Dalek,“ ”Robots of Sherwood,“ ”Listen,“ ”Time Heist,“ ”The Caretaker,“ ”Kill the Moon,“ ”Mummy on the Orient Express,“ and ”Flatline.”

“Oh, wow. This is an honor. Does this mean I’m you now?”

For this season of Doctor Who, Ross Miller and Kwame Opam will be sounding off on each episode in a series of emails we’ll be publishing on the site. This week it’s “Flatline” (warning: spoilers ahead). Check out our previous recaps: “Deep Breath,“ ”Into the Dalek,“ ”Robots of Sherwood,“ ”Listen,“ ”Time Heist,“ ”The Caretaker,“ ”Kill the Moon,“ and ”Mummy on the Orient Express.”

“Start the clock.” 66, 65, 64, 63, 62, 61, 60, 59, 58, 57, 56, 55, 54, 53, 52, 51,...

“You walk our Earth, Doctor. You breathe our air. You make us your friend, and that is your moon, too. And you can damn well help us when we need it!”

For this season of Doctor Who, Ross Miller and Kwame Opam will be sounding off on each episode in a series of emails we’ll be publishing on the site. This week it’s “Kill the Moon” (warning: spoilers ahead). Check out our previous recaps: “Deep Breath,“ ”Into the Dalek,“ ”Robots of Sherwood,“ ”Listen,“ ”Time Heist,“ and ”The Caretaker.”

“I know men like him. I’ve served under them. They push you and make you stronger until you’re doing things you never thought you could. I saw you tonight, you did exactly what he told you. You weren’t even scared, and you should have been.”

For this season of Doctor Who, Ross Miller and Kwame Opam will be sounding off on each episode in a series of emails we’ll be publishing on the site. This week it’s “Time Heist” (warning: spoilers ahead). Check out our previous recaps: “Deep Breath,“ ”Into the Dalek,“ ”Robots of Sherwood,“ ”Listen,“ and ”Time Heist.”

The Doctor: “Question one: robbing banks is easy if you’ve got a TARDIS. So why am I not using it?”

Clara: “Question two: where is the TARDIS?”

“Question: why do we talk out loud when we know we’re alone? Conjecture: because we know we’re not.”

For this season of Doctor Who, Ross Miller and Kwame Opam will be sounding off on each episode in a series of emails we’ll be publishing on the site. This week it’s “Listen” (warning: spoilers ahead). Check out our previous recaps: “Deep Breath,“ ”Into the Dalek,“ and ”Robots of Sherwood.”

In the world of Doctor Who, Robin Hood is a myth, but he’s also a real historical figure. Or is he? For this season of Doctor Who, Ross and Kwame Opam will be sounding off on each episode in a series of emails we’ll be publishing on the site. This week it’s “Robot of Sherwood” (warning: spoilers ahead). See also last week’s episode, “Into the Dalek”

I love Peter Capaldi. He adds a gravitas with everything he does. Even when, say, he’s in an episode that makes no sense whatsoever. I do not know how much belief I can suspend for this one, which starts with The Doctor not knowing whether or not Robin Hood is real but knows exactly where to find him. The two fight over Clara (hair extensions, right?) and eventually stop the Sheriff of Nottingham and his robots from... wait... they don’t stop them. The whole thing is about robots who want to launch their rocket. But thankfully... dramatic pause to explain... the imprisoned Doctor meets someone who can seemingly unshackle him, whereby the Doctor teaches everyone in the factory that all the plates they apparently have at their disposal are robot killing machines... and then Chekhov’s golden arrow is just enough gold that, when inserted into one leg of the rocket (by way of propulsion), the whole thing is powered up enough to fly just far enough into the atmosphere to blow up safely — something every sees and knows from the ground. (Of note: I’m pretty sure their destination was set to The Promised Land so... to be continued on Larger Story Arc.)

For this season of The Doctor, Ross and Kwame Opam will be sounding off on each episode in a series of emails we’ll be publishing on the site. Warning: spoilers ahead.

After a season premiere all about Peter Capaldi finding himself as the new Doctor, “Into the Dalek” is his first true post-regeneration adventure. Or rather, it’s more of a parable: an outrageously weird story that serves to highlight a darker truth of the Doctor’s own soul. “The Doctor goes literally into his worst enemy to try and understand good and evil... and comes out learning about the good and evil in himself.” It’s a great pitch for an episode that mostly pulls it off. Mostly.

“Clara, be my pal. Tell me, am I a good man?”

It’s the line BBC has been using to tease the new Doctor Who, which premiered over the weekend with new lead Peter Capaldi. It’s a sentiment echoed somewhat in the first episode — and presumably will be a larger theme over the course of the season. Peter Capaldi, taking over for Matt Smith, gives a strong debut performance in an otherwise by-the-books episode. But with every new actor, we get a new interpretation of the Doctor — a new personality with a new outlook on his past, present, and future.