Chris Jordan reviews the Doctor Who Series Nine finale, Hell Bent.
Events and themes from across Doctor
Who lore weave together to form
a genuinely surprising and extremely satisfying finale in Hell
Bent. Building from Heaven
Sent's conclusion, which really
could have gone anywhere, Steven Moffat has delivered one of his
strongest scripts yet, with a set of twists, reveals, and insights
which manage to catch fans off-guard while at the same time feeling
totally earned. Not only does it give a fantastic payoff to series
nine's ongoing thematic arc, it also casts plot threads from the past
several years in new lights, creating a rich feeling of cohesiveness
across this first stretch of the Peter Capaldi era.
 |
| "I hope you're ready for some feels. Some serious feels are coming." |
Going
into this episode I was optimistic but a bit concerned: the trailer
at the end of Heaven
Sent
made Hell Bent
look
appropriately huge and epic, but also made me worry that Steven
Moffat may have thrown away consistency with recent major plot-points
in favor of a grand-scale showstopper. I am so happy that he proved
me wrong. The opening minutes flirt with this problem, recalling the
too-big, suspension-of-disbelief-straining series six finale, but it
soon becomes clear that these moments are not just for flash, but in
service of a very strong story. Unlike past finales which ramp up the
epic stakes to cosmic proportions, Hell
Bent
actually starts on a grand scale but quickly focuses in on a very
personal, intimate dilemma. Everything else that happens, as epic as
it seems, functions in support of the same examination of The
Doctor's character and actions that we saw in last week's one-man
show. Like this entire season, it is interested in a deeply
philosophical question at the heart of Doctor
Who:
what are the ethical implications of adventuring across time in the
way The Doctor does?
That is literally all one can say about the narrative content of this episode and stay spoiler-free: this truly is an episode that fans should go into as blind as possible. What I can say is that it probes this question in fascinating ways, and works with the show's mythos in ways that fans of both the original and new series should find immensely satisfying. It explores the show's continuity and themes in some new ways while also honoring established lore; something fans frequently worry about Steven Moffat's ability to do. It also brings a very thoughtful, emotionally resonant conclusion to this year's character development arcs, making this one of Doctor Who's best series as a character-based drama. The actors all bring their finest performances to the parts; particularly Capaldi. Those who felt that Capaldi didn't have enough to do in last year's finale should be thrilled with the excellent script he gets to work with here. The episode's direction is equally strong. Once again showing an excellent control over suspense and emotional buildup, Rachel Talalay has perhaps given us her finest directorial work ever over the course of this two-part arc.
That is literally all one can say about the narrative content of this episode and stay spoiler-free: this truly is an episode that fans should go into as blind as possible. What I can say is that it probes this question in fascinating ways, and works with the show's mythos in ways that fans of both the original and new series should find immensely satisfying. It explores the show's continuity and themes in some new ways while also honoring established lore; something fans frequently worry about Steven Moffat's ability to do. It also brings a very thoughtful, emotionally resonant conclusion to this year's character development arcs, making this one of Doctor Who's best series as a character-based drama. The actors all bring their finest performances to the parts; particularly Capaldi. Those who felt that Capaldi didn't have enough to do in last year's finale should be thrilled with the excellent script he gets to work with here. The episode's direction is equally strong. Once again showing an excellent control over suspense and emotional buildup, Rachel Talalay has perhaps given us her finest directorial work ever over the course of this two-part arc.
 |
| "I like what you've done with the place, Doctor - all the retro coolness, but with a bit more production value." |
Hell
Bent is
a pitch-perfect conclusion to one of the revived Doctor
Who's
finest series yet. With the exception of just one misstep, the
mediocre Sleep
No More,
series nine was uniformly excellent. Its eleven great episodes
(leaving out that one not-so-great one) add up to an even greater
whole, with rich character development and compelling themes and
insights concerning the show's core concept. A fascinating look at
just how The Doctor effects time as he travels through it, series
nine allows us to see Doctor
Who's
cosmic logic on a grand scale while also giving us great adventures
along the way. The show has seldom been better, and I can't wait to
see where it goes from here. Fortunately, with the annual Christmas
special right around the corner, we won't have to wait long.
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Score:
Series Nine Overall Score:
-
Christopher S. Jordan