If you’ve never seen the Peter Capaldi era of Doctor Who, or if you’ve been away for a while, now would be a great time to jump in. Let’s take a look at some of the underrated moments from the Twelfth Doctor’s tenure…
When the Peter Capaldi era began in 2013, it was a seismic change. Not only was this an older Doctor, but he was less predictable; his behaviour became morally ambiguous, and even the Time Lord himself couldn’t be sure he whether he was really “a good man.” The stories (particularly in Series Eight) were much darker, with one particularly haunting episode proposing that dead people can feel themselves being cremated, and a 2014 Christmas special that was more like a horror movie in the vein of Alien or The Thing.
That is not to say that these were bad stories, but they do get more “air time” on the webosphere than others. Today, we’re going to discuss some of Peter Capaldi’s lesser-known adventures.
1) Robot of Sherwood
Written by Mark Gatiss, 2014’s ‘Robot of Sherwood’ almost feels like a sitcom after the intensity of its preceding stories. And that was probably the intention. ‘Robot of Sherwood’ is like a breath of fresh air, and finally lets Peter Capaldi’s Doctor have some fun after his battles with clockwork droids and Daleks.
As the name suggests, the episode involves the Doctor finally meeting the mythical figure of Robin Hood, who riffs on just about every stereotype about the English rebel and his band of merry men. The man seems too be good to be true, and the Doctor spends most of the episode trying to discredit him and expose the man for who he really is – a fake. This leads to some humorous banter between the pair, with the hapless Clara Oswald caught in the crossfire.
One of the true highlights of the adventure, though, is Ben Miller as the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham. Miller is best known for his comedy roles, and although there is some levity to his part in ‘Robot of Sherwood,’ he actually delivers a chilling performance as the black-clad antagonist – the perfect contrast to the cartoonish Robin.
And although contemporary reviewers dubbed it “a frivolous, flimsy throwaway adventure for the new Doctor” (IGN) and “a dull and nonsensical disappointment” (The Independent) it is undoubtedly – to coin a classic Doctor Who phrase – a real romp for Peter Capaldi’s Doctor, and well worth a revisit.
2) The Return of Doctor Mysterio
Strangely, Peter Capaldi only had one Doctor Who episode in 2016 – the Christmas special, ‘The Return of Doctor Mysterio.’ And stranger still, this was one of the few times in the series’ history that it had explored the superhero genre.
And if you’ve never seen the episode before, the first thing that will strike you is the visuals. The story is set in modern day New York, and you wouldn’t think that the episode was actually shot in Wales and Bulgaria. It perfectly captures the Manhattan essence, particularly the city’s characteristic apartment blocks and rusting fire escapes.
But what of the story itself? Is this a high octane, high stakes thrill ride which will put the Time Lord’s very existence on the line? Not really. Rather, it is more like an emulation of every superhero comic or movie you have ever watched, and unashamedly so. The adventure’s hero, The Ghost, is basically Clark Kent, and even dons the character’s signature glasses as a ‘disguise.’
And whilst this Peter Capaldi episode is not overly Christmassy, it does feel like the kind of fun festive film you would sit down and watch with your family over the holidays. It’s a classic tale of good versus evil, love and heroism, with a healthy dose of humour thrown into the mix. (We wonder if Grant is still waiting for his little condition to “pass”…)
The other joke, of course, is the title, which will make many a Doctor Who fan smile. Tell us, reader: Why is he really called “Doctor Mysterio”?
3) Thin Ice
There had been hints in the Peter Capaldi era that the Doctor would one day visit the London frost fairs, and ‘Thin Ice’ finally delivers. This fun and unusual episode sees the Time Lord and Bill touching down on the Thames in 1814, where they are greeted by a prowling elephant, circus artists and ebullient stallholders. It’s all fun and games, of course, until the mandatory Doctor Who menace presents itself; there are strange creatures lurking under the frozen river, who snatch people and drag them beneath the surface, never to be seen again.
It doesn’t take the Doctor and Bill long to discover that there is in fact a huge alien living in the Thames – and this one is big even by Doctor Who‘s standards, stretching for many miles. This isn’t a recent threat, however; the creature has been lurking beneath the water for years, and some villainous humans have chained it up for their own evil ends, namely to farm its excrement and fuel the Empire.
Yes – this Peter Capaldi episode is literally about poo, but remarkably the story has avoided the obvious jokes thus far (sorry, ‘Timelash.’) In fact, it was generally well received upon its original transmission, with Rotten Tomatoes saying that “‘Thin Ice’ uses a light touch and timely themes to bolster an episode driven more by character development than high-stakes drama.” There is a lot going on in the story, and this is the first Peter Capaldi episode to really examine the Doctor and Bill’s relationship, as they start to learn about each other and the true consequences of TARDIS life.
Moreover, like ‘Robot of Sherwood,’ ‘Thin Ice’ comes like a breath of fresh air after its preceding episodes (no pun intended) and there really aren’t many Doctor Who stories like it, in terms of its themes and visuals. It’s a bit of an anomaly in the Peter Capaldi era, in the best possible way, and it deserves a reappraisal.
What do you think are the standout moments from the Peter Capaldi era? And which is your favourite of the episodes on this list? Let us know in the comments below.
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