Time to rob the most impenetrable bank in the Universe
In this outing, right before Clara can go on her second date with Danny Pink, The Doctor receives a phone call. A phone call that results to both of them appearing in a room holding worms with two complete strangers. Their memories of how they got to that point have been erased, thanks to said worms, and the only clue they have is a message from someone called The Architect. Their mission: Rob the Impenetrable Bank. A Time Lord, a Teacher, a Human Computer and a Shape Shifter. Sounds like the right crew for the job.
This episode just might be the most familiar Doctor Who episode yet. I say that since it has been a long time since I referred to Peter Capaldi as The Dark Doctor. I recall only using that for the first two episodes only to have it be briefly mentioned in the third episode review then forgotten all together with subsequent episodes. It is strange that such a dark and grim Doctor seems to be transitioning more closer to a Doctor that Who fans have loved from the reboot. He is still strict and still holds himself more seriously, yet his really dark moments seem to be subdued. Although I say subdued, that doesn't mean that he isn't dark anymore. Just not as dark as he has been for the first two episodes of the series.
This also seems to be the first time that The Doctor is front and center as the main driving force. When the motley crew of amnesiac bank robbers assemble, the Doctor automatically declares himself team leader. It was nice to finally have him back in the driver's seat, mainly because the previous episodes of this series seem to dominantly focus on building Clara's character. Which is fine as many believed her to be a very weak character in the previous season. But really, we want to see The Doctor in command.
They're tasked by a mysterious individual calling himself The Architect to rob something from Karabraxos, the impenetrable bank. An impossible feat as it has security systems that would make a hyper paranoid Batman proud. And if you're going to rob a bank, you're going to need a crew. Mainly two new individual called Psi and Saibra. Psi is an augmented human with computer technology merged into his brain. His skill in hacking into computer systems and breaking vaults make him an obvious candidate for the job. Saibra is a mutant human who has the ability to transform into anyone she touches all the way down to the molecular level. This proves valuable as the security measures of Karabraxos scans everything about a person, including their DNA. But what is interesting about these two characters is how they are slight reflections of The Doctor.
Psi didn't had to wipe his memory by touching a memory worm, he was completely capable of doing that to himself. Being a computer allows him to do such a thing. However even though he loses those memories and still goes on with life, he can't help but feeling that he just lost any connection with those who cared about him. Then of course there is Saibra who transforms into people she touches, which is disconcerting to many. As she points out, individuals hate staring at another version of themselves as it reminds them of the flaws they hate about themselves. Both of these are very strong relations to the current Doctor we have. There are things in his memory that he wishes to forget but he knows he can't for the sake of protecting those he cares about. And if anything, the memory of the War Doctor, who is in a way a reflection of himself, still haunts him as to what he can become. These themes play well into what this episode is building to, as it really is about self reflection as we study who the Doctor of Doctor Who is now.
But of course, no Doctor Who episode is complete without terrifying villains. Ms. Delphox, played by Keeley Hawes, is the current manager of Karabraxos. She possesses a very icy cold demeanor yet very professional that it makes her seem completely detached from what is right and wrong. Her one dedication is to uphold the reputation of the Bank as being the most impenetrable in the universe. People who own entire star systems use this bank, meaning that is big investment to be had. And if you're going to be running the most powerful bank in the world, you have to be detached from greed. But that's not all that is needed to protect the bank. Ms. Delphox also has a mysterious creature she calls, "The Teller," as their greatest security. Kept in chains and a straitjacket, the Teller has the ability to sniff out guilt, making him the perfect hound dog for bank security. He is also the perfect attack dog as his ability also allows him to feed off of memories to the point where its target's brain become mush. The fact that it can sniff out guilt offers a perfect obstacle for The Doctor, a man who is literally filled with guilt. He is probably one of the most creative characters to come on to Doctor Who this series so far, and I hope we'll see more creative creatures like this one soon.
All in all though, if you've seen great heist movies with Ocean's Eleven being the prime example, you can pretty much piece together where this story is going. All the ideas of memories, guilt, and hating your own reflection are all part of the central theme of this series. It all boils down to a finale that may come off as a little disappointing, but not as disappointing as the ending of the previous episode. This was definitely a fun good romp for The Doctor to be The Doctor, and it really shows just how amazingly well Peter Capaldi is suited for this role. It seems we now have a grasp of what kind of Doctor Capalidi is going for, but the idea of the Dark Doctor still looms over him. We'll just have to see if the darkness from him returns. But with episodes like this, I'm fine with waiting for the darkness a little longer.
SCORE: 8.7/10 - Nice to see The Doctor taking charge of the situation once again
STATUS: Continue to Watch - Things just keep getting better
Review of Previous Episode - Click Here
Review of Next Episode - Click Here
They're tasked by a mysterious individual calling himself The Architect to rob something from Karabraxos, the impenetrable bank. An impossible feat as it has security systems that would make a hyper paranoid Batman proud. And if you're going to rob a bank, you're going to need a crew. Mainly two new individual called Psi and Saibra. Psi is an augmented human with computer technology merged into his brain. His skill in hacking into computer systems and breaking vaults make him an obvious candidate for the job. Saibra is a mutant human who has the ability to transform into anyone she touches all the way down to the molecular level. This proves valuable as the security measures of Karabraxos scans everything about a person, including their DNA. But what is interesting about these two characters is how they are slight reflections of The Doctor.
Psi didn't had to wipe his memory by touching a memory worm, he was completely capable of doing that to himself. Being a computer allows him to do such a thing. However even though he loses those memories and still goes on with life, he can't help but feeling that he just lost any connection with those who cared about him. Then of course there is Saibra who transforms into people she touches, which is disconcerting to many. As she points out, individuals hate staring at another version of themselves as it reminds them of the flaws they hate about themselves. Both of these are very strong relations to the current Doctor we have. There are things in his memory that he wishes to forget but he knows he can't for the sake of protecting those he cares about. And if anything, the memory of the War Doctor, who is in a way a reflection of himself, still haunts him as to what he can become. These themes play well into what this episode is building to, as it really is about self reflection as we study who the Doctor of Doctor Who is now.
But of course, no Doctor Who episode is complete without terrifying villains. Ms. Delphox, played by Keeley Hawes, is the current manager of Karabraxos. She possesses a very icy cold demeanor yet very professional that it makes her seem completely detached from what is right and wrong. Her one dedication is to uphold the reputation of the Bank as being the most impenetrable in the universe. People who own entire star systems use this bank, meaning that is big investment to be had. And if you're going to be running the most powerful bank in the world, you have to be detached from greed. But that's not all that is needed to protect the bank. Ms. Delphox also has a mysterious creature she calls, "The Teller," as their greatest security. Kept in chains and a straitjacket, the Teller has the ability to sniff out guilt, making him the perfect hound dog for bank security. He is also the perfect attack dog as his ability also allows him to feed off of memories to the point where its target's brain become mush. The fact that it can sniff out guilt offers a perfect obstacle for The Doctor, a man who is literally filled with guilt. He is probably one of the most creative characters to come on to Doctor Who this series so far, and I hope we'll see more creative creatures like this one soon.
All in all though, if you've seen great heist movies with Ocean's Eleven being the prime example, you can pretty much piece together where this story is going. All the ideas of memories, guilt, and hating your own reflection are all part of the central theme of this series. It all boils down to a finale that may come off as a little disappointing, but not as disappointing as the ending of the previous episode. This was definitely a fun good romp for The Doctor to be The Doctor, and it really shows just how amazingly well Peter Capaldi is suited for this role. It seems we now have a grasp of what kind of Doctor Capalidi is going for, but the idea of the Dark Doctor still looms over him. We'll just have to see if the darkness from him returns. But with episodes like this, I'm fine with waiting for the darkness a little longer.
SCORE: 8.7/10 - Nice to see The Doctor taking charge of the situation once again
STATUS: Continue to Watch - Things just keep getting better
Review of Previous Episode - Click Here
Review of Next Episode - Click Here
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