Tuesday, 7 January 2020

Doctor Who: Spyfall Part 2 review


Spyfall Part 2
The second episode of Series 12. The episode picks up where the previous episode left off, with the Doctor in the Not Upside Down. However, she meets someone there, who she follows to 1834, and who she discovers to be Ada Lovelace! More about Ada (along with someone else) below. Meanwhile, the 'Fam' find a way to survive the loss of the cockpit in the plane. More about that below. And meanwhile, the Master is aboard his TARDIS in flight, chewing Barton out. More about the Master and Barton below.
All three intros were done well. First, the Doctor and Ada. The Doctor 'fangirling' about Ada (and later Noor Khan) was done well. And Ada being able to adapt to help the Doctor against the Master's schemes in 1834, and in 1943 was done rather well. The Doctor outwitting the Master by outing him as a spy to the Nazis was not too over the top. The Doc saving the 'Fam' was reminiscent of Bill Preston and Ted Logan doing something similar in the Bill and Ted movies. However, I'm not sure what to make of the Doctor erasing Ada and Noor's memories of the adventure.
If there is a weak part to the episode, it is with the Fam, like their escapades have little to do with what the Doctor is doing with Ada and Noor. (Graham's question was quite apt. He had been replaced, temporarily). Their running from Barton (and the authorities) was done well, but I'm not sure what to make of 'Laser Shoes'. Will they keep showing up through the series? The most pertinent part is them realising they know the Doctor little and finding out more about her at the end (albeit, not about Gallifrey's new fate, see below).
Barton and the Master using the Kasaavin aliens to overwrite humanity, via VOR's technology? Interesting idea, but aspects have been done before, e.g. The Bells of Saint John. Barton saying Humanity will end was an interesting part. However the real elephant in the room is Gallifrey, with the Master saying he destroyed the Time Lord civilisation because of a great lie at the founding of that civilisation. The Timeless Child. Not sure what to make of this. Overall a good episode. More in the two parter overall review.
8.5/10.




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