Over the weekend, Peter Capaldi debuted as the new Doctor in the episode “Deep Breath.” Warning SPOILERS BELOW THE PIC.
So, episode recap. It starts with a T-rex roaring about Victorian London, but it quickly switches gears into clockwork robots harvesting human body parts for millions of years (possibly linked to the episode “Girl in the Fireplace”). Madame Vastra, Jenny, and Strax are there to help as well.
But the bulk of the episode is about Clara and the Doctor. She’s having trouble adjusting to the new face/new man. Capaldi is certainly not Matt Smith. In previous regeneration episodes, the Doctor is usually confused in a goofy way, but this time around, he’s a bit rude, a bit mean, and a bit, well, insane. It’s a very odd take.
I wasn’t exactly a fan of the Doctor/companion relationship in this episode for the most part. The Doctor calls Clara an egomaniac, a control freak, and “5’1″ and crying.” I’d be hard pressed to remember the last time a doctor insulted a companion. Maybe Tom Baker? I don’t know. That being said, the final scene, when the show changed gears again to something softer and tender–that I really enjoyed. But maybe I’m just a softie.
Regardless of how I felt about the episode as a whole, I am very eager to see what Capaldi does with the role. He’s a great actor–especially when it a bit manic and angry, so if that’s the direction he takes the Doctor, I think we could be in for a very fun ride. I’m also still waiting for him to drop some profanity.
NSFW LANGUAGE IN THE CLIP BELOW.
So what did you think of the episode? What do you think of Peter Capaldi? Leave a comment below.