Last week’s Who was a bit of a disappointment, but so far the second half of the seventh season has been very strong. Does “Hide” keep up the trend? Lets find out!
1. Neil Cross is the Man
This is Cross’ second episode (the first being the well received “Rings of Akhaten”), but one thing is sure: Cross is the best new addition to the Who writing table. I was sad to see Mark Gatiss’ episode fall so flat when he’s clearly in the same mindspace as Moffat, so this quick pick me up from Cross was a welcome return to form that this second half of the seventh season has been showing off.
2. Oh, and the Best Line?
“I’m the Doctor.” “Doctor what?” “If you like.” Ha! Banter!
3. Nice, Old-School Horror
I’ve certainly said it before, but Doctor Who is great at mixing horror elements with science fiction, and this episode is certainly no exception to that rule. This episode leans much more heavily on the horror aspect of it all, which is fine and works in favor of the episode, and the reinterpretation of the Crooked Man here matches well within the Who mindset. There’s a short mix of comedy in there as well to lighten it all up. Yet, with the setting, the tone, the lighting, the directing? This is decidedly a win for Who, no doubt about it.
Although, I guess this is no surprise. Cross did write Mama, the fairly well-received horror film aimed for fans of old-school horror. Bringing that sensibility to Who seems like a no brainer. And although this is Jamie Payne’s first time directing Who, you can see the transition right well from something like Outcasts to this.
(As a side, this does make me really excited for Luther season three.)
4. An Interesting Meditation on Who Lore
Arguably the most fascinating aspect of the episode was how much of the Who mythology Cross got to play with. We’d seen Neil Gaiman personify the TARDIS in the past (very literally), but here Cross plays her up again as a feisty cat who is tough to trust. The Doctor himself gets some nice bits of dialogue, being described with a sliver of ice in his heart and being confronted by Clara before declaing “You are the only mystery worth solving.”
These days, while I do love the episodes of Who that survive on it’s own, I’m always fascinated to see other writers beyond Moffat get to really define the Doctor, his motives and his actions. “Hide” certainly has a good plenty of that within it, and it certainly makes it all that much more intriguing (and offers up a great argument to bring Cross back for more episodes).
5. What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Here’s the one gripe about the episode that I have: the ultimate resolution is a bit weak. The Power of Love Defeating All isn’t a new trope or anything of that sort, but I’d certainly call it a tired one, and here it feels a bit forced. The Doctor’s last second remembrance of the monster in the attic certainly brings the episode down in my opinion, having given us a classic horror romp with ghosts and pocket universes (that’s classic horror, right?) only to tie it up in a pretty bow and say “aww.” It’s not enough to ruin the episode, mind you, but it’s sort of like any Shymalan twist you find after his first two films: forced and pretty stupid, leaving a sour aftertaste.
But, hey, there’s still enough to like about the episode, and if you turn it off once they get Hila out of the pocket universe, you’re good!
