Doctor Who 11.06 'Demons of the Punjab' review

Doctor Who '11.06' Demons of the Punjab' review

The sixth episode of Series 11. Yas is curious about her grandmother's past after she says that she was the first woman to be married in Pakistan. However, she, the Doctor and the other two find themselves in over their heads, landing during the Partition of India. Overall this was a rather good story, which shows many sides to human nature, both the good and the bad. Yas is surprised to find that her Nana Umbreen is indeed getting married, but to Prem, who isn't her grandfather. A rather large surprise.

A larger surprise is the presence of 'demons'. The Thijarians, who the Doctor recognises as a race of assassins, and who Prem had seen during his World War II service, fighting in Singapore. The investigations of the Thijarian ship was done rather well. As was the Doctor confronting them about what she thought they were doing. (Whittaker is really coming into her own.) However, that isn't the 'jist' of this story. Something tragic was going to happen on the day of Partition, to separate Prem and Umbreen.

Hatreds on all sides. Between Hindus and Muslims, the underlying political stresses that had lead to Partition. And Prem's younger brother Manish had been listening to 'angry men on the radio', Hindu nationalist rhetoric. Passions were being stirred on both sides, against the other... Thus Prem and Umbreen are caught in the middle. A victim is claimed, a Hindu holy man who was going to officiate at their wedding. The way the Doctor works out that it was Manish who killed him was rather well done.

Thus it leads to a devastating conclusion, where Manish leads others to the farm, leading Umbreen to flee into the new Pakistan, and to Prem's death. His line “This isn't what I fought for,” is quite poignant given this aired on Armistice Day (or the day after Remembrance Day, as it is called in Australia). The cinematography of the shot, as the trigger is pulled on Prem, and then the focus shifts to Team TARDIS as they hear the shot as they walk away, was quite sad, and well done. Overall a very good episode. 9.25/10.