"Hearts Though, Why Two? Does That Mean You’ve Got Really High Blood Pressure..?"
When esteemed writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce was first introduced into the land of all things Doctor Who back in 2014 with Series 8's "In The Forest of the Night", it is indeed safe to say that the reputation which preceded the author of literature such as both novel and screenplay for Danny Boyle's Millions was not exactly lived up to, creating a story in which, let's just say, won't rank up there with the best the entire history of Doctor Who has had to offer up over the course of its' fifty year run. Returning this year with "Smile" however, Cottrell-Boyce is the first sacrificial lamb to throw an attempt at writing a tale for the Doctor's latest companion Bill, whilst reuniting with Capaldi for an episode in which although will never be regarded as a Who classic, is a solid enough second attempt for Cottrell-Boyce, with "Smile" having a successful double edged-sword which combines the classic formula of the original 1962 run amidst a narrative which is clearly designed to poke fun at contemporary technological vices in a manner which ultimately feels like a low-key and child friendly version of Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror.
In regards to the echoes of Classic Doctor Who stories, the idea of the Doctor visiting a future alien settlement and coming across not only an unsettling evil presence but a life-changing decision regarding the fate of the entire human race, perhaps the most obvious similarities are shared with both the Tom Baker led "Ark In Space" and "Robots of Death" with the former sharing the idea of human survival whilst the latter having a similar foe in the form of murderous artificial intelligence, albeit represented in completely different forms with the creepy green coated look being replaced with robots which communicate solely with the help of everyone's favourite messaging pastime; emoji speak. Once again, Pearl Mackie is impressive as companion Bill, asking the right kind of questions which are seeped in human ignorance regarding the existence of alien space-races and the complexity of time-travel, whilst the practical design of the episode is impressive, with the leading robot foes being something in which could easily be heading in our direction come the near future. Whilst the story does indeed seem to jump the shark come the end, with the final resolution a complete and utter cop-out, "Smile" is a strong enough episode and continues to set the groundwork for an impressive central partnership between the Doctor and his newly found companion.
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