So after the break, I'll put down some words on the latest Doctor Who episode. Warning: there may be spoilers.
KNOCK KNOCK
by Mike Bartlett
Bill Potts moves into a creepy old house with a bunch of students because they cannot afford anywhere decent.
When asked what other people do to avoid living in slums, Bill sums it up thusly: “Other people have money.’’
The Doctor helps Bill move but realizes there something really wrong with this house so he sticks around much to Bill's consternation.
But there is indeed something sinister going on as the house is eating people. Or more specifically, the weird bug creatures living in the walls. All of Bill's roommates get eaten by the time the Doctor and Bill expose the creepy landlord's secret: he arranges for food for the bugs who in turn are keeping his daughter alive... as some kind of tree creature.
OK, one more twist: the daughter is actually the landlord's mother. He's been keeping watch over her since he was a child. Mom decides enough is enough and gives herself up to be consumed by the bug creatures; after all these years, her son is not prepared to let her go and he goes away with her.
Then all of Bill's roomies get popped back to life.
The end.
Doctor Who has a history with gothic horror going back to the classic series such as The Horror of Fang Rock with the 4th Doctor. Knock Knock hits all the beats for effective gothic horror: a creep antagonist, a big spooky house, thunder and lightning, a foreboding sense of dread as the cast gets picked off one by one.
The horror elements get softened a bit in that the forces at work are not so much evil as misguided. And the deaths that occur are undone at the denouement. I guess we don't want to scare the kids too much.
Once again, its the Doctor and Bill's partnership that stands out above the plot itself. Bill is trying to assert her life outside of the Doctor and make new friends. But once you're in the Doctor's orbit, strange things find you.
Bill's house mates know of the Doctor from his university lectures but Bill explains his presence by telling them the Doctor is her grandfather. A description the Doctor takes exception to.
By the way, if the creepy old house looks familiar, its the same location used for the creepy old house in Blink back in Series 3 with the 10th Doctor.
The episode ends with the Doctor relieving Nardole at his post guarding the vault. From within the vault, someone begins to play the piano. After Nardole leaves, the Doctor speaks to whoever is in the vault, saying he has a new story to tell. When he mentions the story involves young people being eaten, the piano playing picks up the tempo with "Pop Goes the Weasel". Then the Doctor enters the vault.
....
WHO IS IN THE DANG VAULT?!?!?
We're still guessing the Master in some form. Who else would be happy to hear a story that involves young people being eaten?
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Coming up on the blog, write ups on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and this year's Free Comic Book Day.
Until next time, remember to be good to one another.
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