Oh Flatline, where do I even start? Let’s start from the beginning, that’s a very good place to start. (Oh look I’ve gone all Sound of Music)
I think it is safe to say that for me Flatline may well be one of my favourite episodes of the series so far.
The premise to the story was insane, but it works so brilliantly, two dimensional monsters that live in walls and floors, pulling you in and using your dead body as a camouflage. How excellent is that? We finally have a story that is family friendly, but can still creep everyone out and leave you on the edge of your seat.
To start with, can I give all the awards to whoever came up with the opening pre-title scene? That for me, the best pre-title scene in the series so far, alongside Deep Breath. That was astounding, the slow motion of the phone bouncing against the wall and the slow pan across to the victim screaming from inside the wall was incredible.
So, The Doctor and Clara end up in Bristol, by (assuming) mistake, but something is different with the TARDIS, it’s shrunk. As both characters try and squeeze out of the shrunken TARDIS the Doctor realises that something collosal must be causing the exterior dimensional shifts. The Doctor sends Clara to investigate for her to find a mural on a grim looking estate, where members of Community Service are painting over the graffiti, queue Rigsy. Rigsy, the loveable rogue becomes Clara’s ‘companion’, undoubtedly cleverer than people assume and able to step up when needed, he is definite companion material. He definitely brought some character and depth to the episode with his own backstory, and towards the end where he was so willing to sacrifice himself on the train, that I found quite powerful.
Clara essentially becomes the Doctor in this episode, the role reversal is a stark contrast to last week’s Mummy on the Orient Express where it was Clara who took a backseat for the most part of the story. It’s always a risk making the Doctor become almost the secondary character in his own show, however I think it worked. Clara stepped up and was forced to adopt Twelve’s attitude and traits, which for the majority of the episode held her in good stead. One thing I am very curious by is the fact that Clara is slowly adopting the wrong mental attitudes and in affect, changing.
It’s always been the way that The Doctor, despite his own questionable morality, takes comfort in the fact that he makes people better. Here, we are slowly seeing Clara do the opposite. That is something I hope to God they play on later because I for one would LOVE a companion to go bad. At the end of the episode it is almost like the Doctor was telling her off, telling her that yes, she was a good Doctor, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing. What’s also interesting here is the Doctor’s attitude towards Clara’s slow change in persona. He was able to recognise and acknowledge his own faults and bad habits, particularly the lying, and subtly telling Clara to watch it makes me wonder what lies in store for the pair’s dynamic. With Clara now so easily able to lie to her boyfriend, to others and to the Doctor, how far will she go? I so so so so hope as time goes on this is going to become part of a bigger story.
(Sidenote: The TARDIS hates Clara as heavily implied in Series 7 but it was never really explained why the TARDIS was so animated with her. Maybe she knows that Clara might become bad. So my theory/canon is that the TARDIS knows Clara is going to do something bad, maybe to the Doctor (unintentionally or not) which therefore is why she hates her.)
Back to the main story though. The two dimensional monsters were an incredible achievement for the special effects team. I stand up and applaud the team for creating one of the best looking and creepy monsters for a long while. When they became 3D, walking like zombies all pixellated and such, was amazing to look at and equally quite terrifying. Before hand back when Clara and Rigsy were in a victim’s house, and they realise the ‘mural’ on the wall is in fact the victim’s nervous system, was aweeesssommmmeee, and a bit grim.
Fast forwarding to towards the end of the episode, The Doctor is forced to put the TARDIS into ‘Siege Mode’. This is a new feature (I think). The TARDIS turns into what looks like a grey version of the Pandorica but with Gallifreyan scribbles over it. It was truly beautiful actually and I hope they release that as merchandise, that is something I would love to have. Anyway, The Doctor is trapped inside with seemingly no way in or out, with energy slowly draining it is up to Clara to try and re-energise the TARDIS and set the Doctor free. What struck me here is that it seemed that he was almost dying, that the TARDIS’s ‘life support’ system was draining and therefore so was his. Are they really linked? In Journey To The Centre of the TARDIS last series the TARDIS essentially died, and the Doctor was fine, so is it something to do with the ‘Siege Mode’ that makes both the Doctor and the TARDIS to go slowly downhill? The mind boggles..
As Clara is forced to take action to re-energise the TARDIS, she enlists the help of Rigsy to spray paint a door like the ones in the tunnels (sidenote: hello familiar tunnels used in The Doctor’s Daughter, Sherlock and probably a couple of other episodes I can’t remember off the top of my head) to trick the now 3D monsters. As they use their energy to open the ‘door’ they end up passing their energy through the wall and onto the cube like TARDIS, where it restores. BAMMMM, the TARDIS is back, the bit where it gets back to original size and lands on the rail track, with that shock wave, was amazing. The Doctor gives another memorable emotive speech, one that packed a real punch so kudos to Moff there. Then the characters click back into place, Clara throws the sonic and the Doctor is back, and he let’s everybody know about it, sending the monsters back to their own dimension naming them “The Boneless” Brilliant.
The climax of the episode as aforementioned, shows the Doctor essentially warning Clara of the dangers of being too much like the Doctor. I’ve found since she started, Clara is constantly seeking the Doctor’s approval, it’s good she’s finally standing her own ground and got some much needed character development however at the end where she says, “Just say it, I was good wasn’t I? Wasn’t I?” It did make me sigh a bit. But that’s not all we have to worry about…
HELLO MISSY. I have been waiting for another teaser, with her IPad that probably isn’t just an IPad in a mysterious looking place, she looks at Clara (seemingly from The Doctor’s eyes from the pictures on the IPad?) and says, “My Clara, I chose well.” WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?! I need to know everything now please I don’t think I can take it anymore.
I have a pretty rubbish theory about Missy but it’s properly rubbish so I’ll stay quiet however, I cannot ruddy WAIT until the finale now.
Next week, In The Forest of the Night. Looks like more of a fun romp this time, and we shall be seeing more of Danny too. Plus, a cool looking tiger. Sounds interesting..
Geronimo!
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