See this is what happens when you bring in new blood. A really great episode of Dr Who.

In one clean swoop, Sarah Dollard has shown that the show would benefit from fresh ideas and writing.

Still think Capaldi is miscast but Dollard's script made me warm to him for the first time. Even Clara was less annoying than normal. What might have been eh?

This gives me hope that once Stephen Moffat get's off his ego trip and passes on the baton - we'll get more fantastic episodes (with or without Capaldi)

There is an episode thread, you know. Speaking of, I thought the script was utter out-of-character drivel, which in the most unconvincing way shoehorned in an actor's departure via some half-brained raven metaphor. To each their own.

Also, J.K. Rowling should be suing for copyright. Not only was Diagon Alley ripped off, but an entire species was introduced that looks like Professor Quirrell.

I agree that there was a fair amount of 'odd' behaviour - the Doctor seemed way too passive at Clara's fate once she'd told him to wind his neck in.

The ancient Greeks definately have prior call on people with two faces and I highly doubt that they were the first to come up with the idea: Janus (deity).

All in all, though, an excellent episode

Yes, because JK Rowling invented the idea of hidden streets and two-faced people. There were fantasy stories before Harry Potter, you know!

What?!!

Catherine Tregenna was also new blood this year, if you don't include Torchwood, and while I quite enjoyed her episode, it has overall been one of the more divisive episodes this year and many people hated it. I think we just got lucky with a great new writer for this episode (maybe what James Mathieson was to Series 8).

Yup...

Yes, it was appalling, tedious drivel and the dialogue was crammed with corny platitudes. More Dullard than Dollard.

Chuckle