Boom

An absolute classic which has a level of tension I don't think the show has ever attempted before.

It's ironic that the best episode in the new high budget Disney Who could have easily been done on the budget of McCoy's era. Essentially a bottle episode which normally would set warning bells going this episode had me transfixed; it is almost entirely driven by emotion and tension, far away from the complexities of some of Moffats earlier scripts.

This episode sold me on Ncuti for the first time - on that landmine suddenly he was the Doctor. The chemistry between him and Ruby that so many reviews talked of but I failed to see was plain to see in the moment when she approaches the Doctor early in the episode.

As a father I appreciated that this episode felt like it was a love letter to dads and their kids.

Wonderful, Moffat may say the show doesn't need him any more - I respectfully disagree.

The Doctor and Ruby land on a world at war. The Doctor inadvertently steps on a mine and cannot move, yet must find a way to save himself, Ruby, and everyone else on Kastrion 3.

Moffat absolutely nailed it - imaginative, tense, and genuinely unique. This is what I had been hoping for: the best episode for some time. It felt truly like Doctor Who again - more science fiction, more tension, less magic and fantasy.

I've read a fair few scathing reviews and articles about this episode, and honestly, I don't know what people were watching. It serves as a reminder of what the show can do at its best.

This is the first time I really felt the bond between this Doctor and Ruby. They played off one another beautifully, and her character development felt organic. The Doctor crying again - moments like this really matter when they hit properly.

The larger budget is evident and well used: visually impressive, gloomy, a world devastated by war. The story and acting align perfectly, making the tension all the more palpable.

Some familiar Moffat tropes are present: a religious army (think A Good Man Goes to War) and the ever-present reset button. Here, they feel integrated rather than forced, adding interest rather than distraction.

A solid, thrilling episode that reminded me exactly why I love the show.

9/10.

This episode was INCREDIBLE. WHAT THE HECK MOFFAT!? I had such high expectations since Moffat is my favorite writer show runner and I was not disappointed. Not in the slightest. This was my favorite Doctor Who episode in at least 7 years. The acting, the writing, the costumes, and music, the story, the conclusion. Absolutely phenomenal. This has gotten me so excited for the rest of the season and the seasons to come! I really hope there's much more Moffat written episodes and l'd love to see other guest writers too. Gosh, restored my faith in the show 💜💜💜 THIS is Doctor Who! This is pure Who. Highly recommend.

At the time of writing, this episode has around forty people voting it as 10/10 and roughly a similar number voting it 1/10 and almost nothing in between and I'm going to be honest, this makes me really angry.

It's a great episode. A nine and a half. I'm giving it a ten because so many people are trying to drag its ratings down because it has a non-white gay actor in the lead. And let's not pretend it's any other reason, because there is no world in which this isn't a stormer of an episode

Set on an alien planet in the middle of a war, the doctor finds himself standing on a land mine as all hell breaks loose around him. How will he save himself, how will he save the people around him, how will he keep his companion safe. That's what we're here to find out over the course of fifty minutes.

It feels like a bottle episode. There aren't many sets. It's all on a soundstage. There aren't many characters. And I'll be honest some of the effects are a bit shonky. But like so many other bottle episodes in Doctor Who, it's extraordinary. Questions of loss, faith, justification for war, exploitation by profiteers, the limits of AI, the ethics of expediency, lost love, found love, the importance of family. It's all here and it's so gripping.

It might not be for the youngest kids. I'd keep this one for maybe 12+c particularly if they're sensitive. It's a proper scary, intimidating, epic one. But for everyone else it's amazing. So far in this season we've had the full range of Who aeathetics - from silly, to operatic, from comedy to darkest wars. This show never stops blowing the bloody doors off what a sci fi show should be and going way way out there in every damn direction. Loved it. Amazing.

I promise that this doesn't have No spoilers: this is a review that has been written with the emotion of a long time second-run follower and fan.

Moffat does what us fans of the Tennant and Smith classics have been waiting for: a story that keeps you on the edge of your seats. Forget the negative reviews and judge for yourself. I haven't had a good moment like this with a Doctor Who episode for quite a long time: the right amount of human emotion and just the right amount of tension and suspense

This is what I've been waiting for, and this is the payment. Thank you Doctor Who

My first review ever. Thanks for reading. :-)