Doctor Who 11.09 'It Takes You Away' review

Doctor Who 11.09 'It Takes You Away' review

The penultimate episode of Series 11. Team TARDIS find a blind Norwegian teenager who's father seems to have abandoned her. But, as always, there is more to the situation than there first appears. Hanne is afraid of something that 'takes you away'. But what is that? The Doctor knows something is off. Was there a monster outside? (Besides bears?) But the Doctor investigates (as she usually does, getting to the bottom of whatever is wrong). But it is Ryan who discovers the pertinent item, a non reflective mirror...

That the Doctor deduces that it where Hanne's father went, is consistent with how we know her mind works. But trying to hide the fact that her father may be dead from Hanne, probably wasn't a good idea. (Not sure that leaving Ryan there alone with her was a good idea either. Probably better to have left Yas.) Hanne is very quick on the uptake, demanding to know what the Doctor had written (she knows it's not a map of the house). Ryan is at a loss to explain in a way so as to allay her fears.

The mirror portal leads to some kind of in between space. A cave space, inhabited by a being calling himself Ribbons of the Seven Stomachs. He is quite mercenary wanting something in exchange for his help. And the Doctor offers the sonic. The Doctor also recognises it as an Anti-zone, a buffer formed when space-time is under huge stress. They escape some carnivorous moths to find another portal, into a mirror reflection of the Norwegian lodge house, where they find Hanne's father, Erick, with his wife who's supposed to be dead?

Then there's Grace! Both Trine, and Grace remember dying, but is it really them. Meanwhile, of course Hanne would go into the mirror (followed by Ryan, who had discovered the monster isn't real). The nature of the world on the other side, as some kind of anti-universe, the Solitract was a surprise. It had lured Erick in, with its copy of Trine, from his mind. (And now Grace from Graham's mind.) When Hanne arrives, she realises it's not her mother. The Solitract's loneliness and it's addictive effect on Erick and Graham was depicted very well.

The Solitract taking the form of a frog wasn't too weird. And the Doctor making friends with it makes sense. (Still, Erick isn't a good father, despite the circumstances.) 8.5/10. (Did anyone else think the Solitract was Omega?)