Amidst all this is another element I asked for more of in my last review: mystery. Doctor Who thrives when there are lots of questions to keep you watching. The Ghost Monument nails this, presenting numerous new concepts at the start through the dialogue, characters and settings without giving you all the context. Then, the Doctor and her friends start to ask questions and we start to get answers. However, what’s vital - which The Ghost Monument gets right - is that these answers are just as fascinating as the questions that led to them. In particular, the central premise of a planet-hopping, last-man-standing race is a brilliant one that fuels the episode’s energetic pace and some of its most effective character moments.
Speaking of characters, they’re still great. I’m already getting more and more attached to the new friends, just as I have with the series’ best companions. Mandip Gill’s Yas is somewhat sidelined in this episode, but showrunner Chris Chibnall has made it clear that each character has their moment in different episodes. We still get to know her better, with more of her backstory and character coming through as she interacts with the rest of the ensemble. Tosin Cole’s Ryan and Bradley Walsh’s Graham are focused on more, as we see how last week’s tragedy has affected them and their relationship. As people, they all continue to be totally lovable, especially as they become more caring, vulnerable and funny.
Unsurprisingly, Jodie Whittaker continues to absolutely knock it out of the park. There is more of a confidence to her character now and she pulls it off with distinct, but still undeniably Doctor-y style. As the Doctor should be, she’s hilarious, taking on the universe with a delightfully playful, sarcastic and witty sense of humour. Whittaker also emphasises the character’s physicality, which fits nicely alongside this episode’s heightened action. However, she still leaves room for growth. A particularly powerful moment near the end demonstrates that her apparent enthusiastic optimism can’t always be maintained. An earlier moment of confrontation also promises that the series is intending to delve into some dark corners of the Doctor’s past.
What got me most excited was how this episode spectacularly showcased all the interwoven moods and atmospheres that make Doctor Who such a uniquely compelling show. As previously mentioned, there’s thrilling excitement and intriguing mystery. The desolated planet also provides delicious eeriness through its creepy inhabitants and chilling backstory. Segun Akinola’s score continues to impress, emphasising all this with thoughtful diversity (his remixed theme tune is also superb, injecting the original’s electronic experimentation with an industrial edge). However, The Ghost Monument’s strongest moment comes with the return of the TARDIS. A beautiful atmosphere of wonder is created by every element, with the euphoric music and emotive camerawork engrossing us in the TARDIS’s perfect new design. Most significantly, as the Doctor is reunited with her ship, you can see all 1000+ years of her past in Whittaker’s performance. She is the Doctor.
Speaking of characters, they’re still great. I’m already getting more and more attached to the new friends, just as I have with the series’ best companions. Mandip Gill’s Yas is somewhat sidelined in this episode, but showrunner Chris Chibnall has made it clear that each character has their moment in different episodes. We still get to know her better, with more of her backstory and character coming through as she interacts with the rest of the ensemble. Tosin Cole’s Ryan and Bradley Walsh’s Graham are focused on more, as we see how last week’s tragedy has affected them and their relationship. As people, they all continue to be totally lovable, especially as they become more caring, vulnerable and funny.
Unsurprisingly, Jodie Whittaker continues to absolutely knock it out of the park. There is more of a confidence to her character now and she pulls it off with distinct, but still undeniably Doctor-y style. As the Doctor should be, she’s hilarious, taking on the universe with a delightfully playful, sarcastic and witty sense of humour. Whittaker also emphasises the character’s physicality, which fits nicely alongside this episode’s heightened action. However, she still leaves room for growth. A particularly powerful moment near the end demonstrates that her apparent enthusiastic optimism can’t always be maintained. An earlier moment of confrontation also promises that the series is intending to delve into some dark corners of the Doctor’s past.
What got me most excited was how this episode spectacularly showcased all the interwoven moods and atmospheres that make Doctor Who such a uniquely compelling show. As previously mentioned, there’s thrilling excitement and intriguing mystery. The desolated planet also provides delicious eeriness through its creepy inhabitants and chilling backstory. Segun Akinola’s score continues to impress, emphasising all this with thoughtful diversity (his remixed theme tune is also superb, injecting the original’s electronic experimentation with an industrial edge). However, The Ghost Monument’s strongest moment comes with the return of the TARDIS. A beautiful atmosphere of wonder is created by every element, with the euphoric music and emotive camerawork engrossing us in the TARDIS’s perfect new design. Most significantly, as the Doctor is reunited with her ship, you can see all 1000+ years of her past in Whittaker’s performance. She is the Doctor.
In case you couldn’t tell, I rather enjoyed this episode. The Ghost Monument builds on the solid series premiere in every way I wanted it to, bringing all the excitement, mystery, humour, heart and wonder you’d expect from Doctor Who in a way that is both fresh and familiar, and utterly fantastic.
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