Mummy on the Orient Express

After last week’s episode of Doctor Who I thought we would be seeing the aftermath of Clara’s stooshie on the TARDIS as well as a group of now homeless Clanger asylum seekers. As it was, several weeks had passed and Clara had agreed to go with the Doctor for a final “date” on an extra-terrestrial Orient Express. Needless to say this did not go to plan and a Mummy was running amok killing the passengers with the Doctor acting as Hercule Poirot whilst seemingly channelling the ghost of the Forth Doctor: jelly beans and all. (I was about to write “channelling the ghost of Tom Baker” but thankfully Tom is still with us.) This week was meant to be more Doctor orientated with Clara taking a back-seat role (it was double banked with next week’s episode Flatline) so it gave us more chance to see how the Twelfth Doctor performs without his “carer”.

I had expected this episode to be a standard “Doctor fights monster of the week” type adventure but I found that I enjoyed it far more and for a variety of reasons. First of all was the script – wonderfully written and not a word wasted from first time Who writer Jamie Mathieson. This was combined with Paul Wilmshurst’s direction – picking up from last week and giving the show a feel of the classic series again. The guest cast were also top notch. The singer Foxes had been widely promoted beforehand. I’m not that familiar with her work (probably as she hasn’t been on Top Of The Pops) but I gather that she is normally an electro-pop singer. As it was, she did a rendition of Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now – a song I have cared little for from band I love. Who would have thought it would work so well in a lounge Jazz style?

Daisy Beaumont as the distraught Maisie and David Bamber as the war traumatised Captain Quell were excellent in their respective roles but I loved Frank Skinner as chief engineer Perkins in what was a very nuanced and restrained performance. There have been a few guest performances over the years that haven’t lived up to their hype but as well as being known as a  stand-up comedian and chat show presenter, Frank Skinner can also act. He is also a massive Doctor Who fan so the temptation to ham it up must have been huge. As it was he delivered a perfectly balanced restraint to the Doctor’s ruthless detective work. However, the final scene when he turns down the chance to join the TARDIS crew must have been a tough one for him – I’d love to see the outtakes!

Where this episode rose above the simple monster-of-the-week formula and where this series has been excelling itself so far is its philosophical pondering: particularly its dealing of ethical issues. Throughout Doctor Who’s history, the Doctor has always been a utilitarian character – essentially a good man but one that acts in the greater good. Whilst he would ideally like everyone to live, on occasion he has to allow sacrifices to ensure the survival of the many. The Tenth Doctor used to show some sort of (possibly false) remorse with his “I’m so sorry” line but Capaldi’s Doctor has a certain alien removal from such human concerns. The way he acts is in line with the more profound versions of the “trolley problem” thought experiment: in essence he has no qualms about throwing the fat man in the way of the speeding train if it will save the majority. This is quite unsettling for most people and I thought his speech to Clara at the end when he explains that sometimes there are no good choices was a moment of clarity.

The other dark theme this week was the subject of addiction and it is clear that Clara is becoming as addicted to the adrenaline lifestyle as the Doctor himself. Next week is meant to more Clara orientated so I expect we will see what effect this is having on her.