I think that the best thing about Clara, as she's introduced in this episode, is that she's clearly meant to be the Doctor's equal. Now, it's not exactly spelt out for the audience that this is the way in which Moffat intends for her to be seen - and indeed will be seen in the Capaldi era of the programme - but the foundation is still there for her to be a woman worth noticing. Take, for instance, the scene in the café, where she wins the argument with the Doctor about who should hack into the villain's database. She wins the argument, and later finishes her task, not just because she has the technical skills required, but she also has the creativity and intelligence required to solve the problem - opting to look up the staff members on Facebook in what I think is the episode's best moment. It's this combination of skill and wit that goes towards making the Doctor what he is, or at the very least act as the framework for someone to be considered his equal. And this all feels relatively new and exciting, a new take on the role of the companion that we haven't seen in a while.
And so we get something new for the series, a soft re-boot if you will. It brings The Purple Period off to a good start, providing us with an interesting companion, as well as an exciting Doctor/companion relationship (how many other people get to travel in the TARDIS on their own terms!). But there's a small problem with this episode, one that shall become apparent tomorrow. You see, whilst the episode is enjoyable, and presents a new way to go forward for the series, it doesn't indicate the overall tone of the programme. And that is the flaw of The Purple Period.
No comments:
Post a Comment