TV Review: Doctor Who Series 10 Episode One - "The Pilot"

"What, In The End, Are Any Of Us Looking For? We’re Looking For Someone Who’s Looking For Us..."

After an excruciating year-long absence, aside from the inevitable yet slightly disappointing Christmas special last year, BBC's flagship and longest running sci-fi gem, Doctor Who, finally returns to the small screen after months and months of speculation and discussion regarding not only the fate of the show as a whole but its' current leading star and whether or not Series 10 will indeed be his last. As you may be well aware, this is indeed the case, with Peter Capaldi's brilliant incarnation of the mad man in a box ultimately leaving our screens come the end of the year just in time for new show-runner Chris Chibnall to take over in a fashion similar to Matt Smith's first season back in 2010 when essentially a brand new slate was offered to him after the astronomical success of the Tennant/Davies partnership which had brought the series back into the limelight twelve years ago. Beginning Capaldi's farewell season therefore is "The Pilot", an episode which attempts to introduce Pearl Mackie's depiction of the latest companion, Bill, and an episode which manages to tick all the boxes for a series opener by being a smart, snappy and wholly enjoyable hour of television which offers a fresh new start to a Doctor ultimately coming to his end.

Whilst Capaldi is his usual red velvet loving self, one who is still unable to understand certain elements of humanity but is still eager to help solve the issues that seem to form around him, the real star of the show is indeed Pearl Mackie's Bill, an intelligent, comedic figure who from only one episode has manged to transpose a sense of character development which sometimes is sorely missed by the introductions of previous time-travelling companions, offering a sense of depth to her character with relatable and down-to-earth familial issues who from the outset clicks automatically with Capaldi's Doctor and the quick-quipped figure of Matt Lucas' Nardole, who comes across as somewhat bearable after struggling for fans after a mixed performance in last year's Christmas episode. At the centre of "The Pilot" is a simple, yet effective narrative which not only irks back to a wide range of previous releases such as Stephen King's It and the David Tennant led episode, The Waters of Mars, but is one which successfully both suspenseful and creepy, all the while offering a variety of wholly enjoyable Easter eggs for fans, ranging from a long-lost companion to a modern incarnation of The Movellan's from the Tom Baker-led Destiny of the Daleks. Series 10 therefore begins in a effectively enjoyable fashion, introducing a highly likeable new companion and setting the tone for a series which is set to continue Capaldi's brilliance in the leading role.

Overall Score: 8/10