"Space,the final frontier" the Doctor says in a cheeky opening voice-over. He goes on to explain that it is final because it wants to kill us. This will be Bill's first space adventure in a classic 'isolated base under siege' scenario. Where immediately introduced to the setting as two bodies tumble through the blackness of space in spacesuits but not helmets. We see a space station where two figures are working outside, the female is telling the male ahead of her that she wants them to have a baby but her communication system is faulty and she realises she'll have to tell him later but they are both low on oxygen and it becomes clear that tey are desperately trying to get back inside calmly when the two tumbling bodies land behind them and attack like zombies. The woman is killed and joins them in their relentless trudge towards her partner... This is going to be a dark episode, let the titles roll.
Post titles, we see the Doctor giving a lecture on space. This explains/excuses the short monologue at the start. He continues to explain the gruesome details of what would happen if you were caught in the vacuum of space almost absent mindedly drawing stars on the blackboard and joining them like constellations to reveal the shape of a skull. Even in the comfortable setting of a lecture theatre this episode is pushing the scares... balanced slightly by a student pointing out that this was supposed to be a lecture on crop rotation! Back on the TARDIS, the Doctor offers Bill an adventure in space, comparing it to camping because unless you live a bit close to the edge (with just a sleeping bag and thin canvas of the tent) then you might as well stay at home. Bill chooses somewhere that the Doctor thinks is dull, like pitching a tent next to the toilet block, but then a distress call appears at her second choice and the Doctor calls it his theme tune so yes, that's the place to go!
Nardole pops along for this adventure, quite by accident. He continues to complain at the Doctor's endless breaking of his own vow before revealing that he has removed on the of fluid links which, as the Doctor told him, means that the TARDIS can't go anywhere... but he should have learnt River Song's first rule about the Doctor, he lies! The ensuing adventure really is a classic structure as the Doctor and his companions get isolated from the TARDIS, the remnants of the crew are in turns trusting and sceptical while the enemy threat closes in, the death count continues to rise and one of the companions looks set to add to it. The details and innovations are what make the episode work though. Looking unquestionably convincing, the only dubious point is unfortunately the backbone of the whole story. Oxygen is at a premium and not because of limited supplies and restricted ability to recycle it, but because it is a corporate commodity.
When the couple outside were running low on oxygen, the reading on their apparatus didn't say "Oxygen Levels" it said "Oxygen Credits". Potentially, their tanks could have had plenty left but they needed to pay to use more of it (though I don't think that was actually the case). When Bill stepped out of the TARDIS, the Doctor advised that there was no oxygen on the station, just the air shell around the TARDIS. He then opened the doors and probably did something a little fancy and flooded the place with oxygen from within. All very convenient, but when the station computer announces that all unlicensed Oxygen would be expelled to protect market value, things sudden become more treacherous and Nardole is of course keen to return home asap.
If you take the limited oxygen supply as read and forget the corporate strangle hold on it then the episode is easier to accept. The only problem with that is that the root of the problems is revealed to be flawed capitalist control. There are space suits that can assist your movement when needed, but as required can also take control of your actions with a mind of their own, preventing you from doing things you shouldn't an making sure you do things you should. The supposed zombies are simply suits acting on their own command having 'deactivated their organic component' after receiving a network distributed instruction. Luckily, our team of adventurers have put on some suits that had been off the network for repairs. Unluckily, Bill's suit still has problems...
Nice touches this week include Bill's surprise at the artificial gravity. She jumps up a couple of times to see it in action "This doesn't feel like space" she says, until she looks out of a window! Last week's comment on racism is casually echoed when Bill meets Dahh-Ren, a man with blue skin whom she thought was called Darren. She naively thinks he maybe doesn't understand English. "Oh great, a racist!" he says but when she apologises and says she's usually on the receiving end, Dahh-Ren doesn't understand why. It's an odd little moment with a few possible explanations: It could be that Dahh-Ren hasn't seen humans as victims of racism because it is only a human trait; It could be that he doesn't see her skin tone as much different from everyone else's, certainly isn't compared to his; He could be referring to a broader racism at a species level; Or it could be that racism no longer exists in human society. The space suits have a nice design and utilise some kind of nano-technology as you don't some much put them on or step into them but they reconfigure themselves around you. They include a force field to invisibly hold in the oxygen but include pop-up helmets for working in the vacuum of space. By 'pop-up' I mean like a pop-up tent that starts small but folds out at the flick of the wrist. They also include 'mag-boots' to allow you to walk on the metal surface of the station outside of the artificial gravity.
To add to the jeopardy, when the Doctor first meets one of the rogue suits it takes his sonic screwdriver (presumably magnetically) and crushes it beyond use. In addition, when Bill finds herself almost killed by her faulty helmet the Doctor gives her his but goes without it too long himself and loses the use of his sight! He explains that it will only be temporary as he has gadgets on the TARDIS that can help, or a pair of lizard eyes which should do at a push! As he summarises a little while later he has "No TARDIS, no sonic, I'm now blind and only have 10 minutes of oxygen left. Imagine how unbearable I'll be when I pull this off!" Bill takes a little comfort in his joking in adversity so little wonder she cries for her mum when he is forced to abandon her in her frozen suit and declines to tell her a joke.
The ultimate solution is neat and the Doctor relishes in keeping his plan to himself with the excuse that if he told anyone else then the suits might hear and it wouldn't work. After all, "However bad life gets," he says "there's always one last option. Dying well!" I'll not spoil it entirely, but the suits are only acting with the companies fances in mind...
The final shocker comes post-adventure. Nardole has treated the Doctor's eye and he in turn has taken the two remaining crew from the station to their head office to complain (that's just two of the four crew that the Doctor met or six that the viewers were introduced to, while thirty-six had already perished before the story began). Back in the Doctor's office, Bill says goodbye and Nardole continues his insistence that the Doctor stop taking such risks when he should be staying to guard the vault. The Doctor is wearing his sonic sunglasses and seems to be ignoring Nardole he demands "Look at me!" "I really can't." Replies the Doctor. "I can't look at anything ever again," he continues as he removes his glasses and the picture goes completely black before he deliver's one of the Doctor's most haunting lines in the show's history, "I'm still blind!"
Quite a shocker to end on that will surely have a massive impact on future episodes. Of course the Doctor will get his sight back at some point and he is due to regenerate at the end of the series which would surely provide the solution, but the series isn't even half way through yet! Are we teasing into the next episode where the circumstances will lead to a fix or is there a broader plot afoot?
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