Doctor Who – The Idiot’s Lantern – Review

The Idiot’s Lantern
by Mark Gatiss

Mark Gatiss, who turned in one of the best episodes last season has delivered again.

It’s 1953 London, on the eve of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, and an alien lifeform existing inside television plans to feed on the 20 million people anticipated to watch the coronation.

The term “Idiot’s Lantern” is early television-era british slang, much as Boob Tube was in the US. While, as far as I could tell, the term was never used in the episode, it’s certainly appropriate. The coronation was the first great push for the invasion of televisions into British homes.

Gatiss has really turned in a solid story, with pacing that perfectly fits the 42 minute episode. Pointless characterization is kept to a minimum and the scenes move the plot along rather than drive the often misguided attempts at moving the good Doctor from melodrama to drama.

Rose is not so annoying in this episode and actually does a good turn as a detective, before being eaten by the TV monster.

The conclusion takes place atop a transmitter tower and doesn’t half conjure up recollections of Logopolis. In fact, according to the Doctor Who Confidential on the making of this episode, one of the lines of dialogue that got cut involved the Doctor’s hesitation about climbing another transmitter tower. It’s a great shame the line was cut, because the second I saw that the Doctor had to climb the tower, my first words were, “Remember Logopolis, Doctor!” Some mention of it really belonged in the final version.

No, I don’t talk to characters on TV too often, but it says a lot of Mark Gatiss’ skill in that he’s written an episode that draws you in completely.

My only reservation about the episode is that, while I suppose I can buy the premise that an electrical creature feeds on the neural activity of the human brain and can, essentially, wipe it clean, I can’t quite accept that it also wipes their face free of features (like noses, mouths, eyes and such.) I’m certain that was just a concession to “shock” when the first victim is revealed on screen.

Despite the fact that I like Gatiss’ work, I really wasn’t expecting too much from this episode, but instead, it’s my favorite so far this season.

Technorati Tags: Blog, Doctor Who, Review