Doctor Who S10E02 - Smile: A Review
Alright! For the first post of this blog! :D
Just finished watching the second episode of season 10. All in all, it was definitely good.
The story started where the first episode left. The moment the Doctor asked Bill, “Past or Future?” made me remember the first time Rose traveled with the 9th Doctor. Definitely a nod to that moment.
I love it when stories do not conventionally set up the setting. We only got a glimpse of what the story will be about when emojibots killed those two girls. Usually, DW stories would build up first the problem - introduction of the setting, then the minor characters, then to the problem. But this episode simultaneously set those pieces in motion. With this kind of flow, it let us viewers join the Doctor and Bill in solving the conflict of the episode rather than being an omniscient being over the characters and knowing all that must happen. It let us become one of the companions. And for that, it made us go over the edge of our seat!
The Doctor in this episode felt too much....Doctor-y, and that was brilliant! I have never felt this way for a long time. With those techy intellect and clever plans, combined with Peter Capaldi’s excellent portrayal, the overall product was a Doctor reminiscent of the past doctor’s personality, topped with an outstanding Capaldi and 12th Doctor twist.
As for Bill, I can definitely feel that she was slowly building up into a fine companion. I can say that compared to the past companions, she was more realistic. Plus, those unique remarks coming from a new companion gave a new flavor in the show. Personally, leaving Nardole was a good way of introducing more of this new character.
Lastly, as for the emojibots, I found them very similar to those handbots during Matt’s era, and to those other robots that were misunderstood, which actually makes them not evil, but just...different. I did not find them intimidating at all. But they were adorable, I would give them that.
As for the cons, well, it was very fast-paced. Too much that I had the trouble keeping up with the science and technology aspect of the conflict (especially in the ending). More dialogues than action scenes; much more complex concepts than the first episode. But the overall story, the characters, and the twist made up for it. The pros of the episode outweighs the cons.
Over-all, I would rate this episode 4/5
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