Continuing from where the previous week's "Smile" left off, "Thin Ice", the latest offering of the current series sees the Doctor and Bill in London, in 1814 where the city celebrates the largest Frost Fair in its history. However, the locals celebrating the festivities are being snatched away by an immense sea creature that is chained beneath the bottom of the river. Determined to prevent any more innocent lives from falling victim to the beast, the Doctor with the help of his young companion endeavor to discover who has it chained up and why. Written by Sarah Dollard who wrote series 9's "The Raven", I'm pleased to say that while not a masterpiece, "Thin Ice" continues the up-flow trend in the quality of the series which thus far I'm glad to say is proving to be superior to series 9. Less elaborate in terms of its plot than last week's "Smile", it opts for a more simplistic one with the trope of a human villain behind the plot which has been done befor. Despite this it still makes for a fun, enjoyable romp while still retaining something of a darker edge. It certainly isn't afraid to be a bit daring, with one of the victims of the creature being a young street urchin which I wasn't quite expecting and means Bill who along with the Doctor witnessed the boy's death, struggles to come to terms with and leading to a superbly written and performed moment where her faith in the Doctor is undermined.
We also get to see more of the softer side of Capaldi's incarnation, who is attempting to win the trust of a small group of street urchins seemingly led by Kitty played by young newcomer Atu Koroma, who gives a phenomenal performance for one so young and could potentially be a future star in the making. Displaying compassion and empathy we see a man less reluctant to bond with others, as he quite contently reads a story to the children who he temporarily finds under his and Bill's charge. Pearl Mackie continues to impress as Bill, who as the series is progressing I'm finding myself liking immensely and continues to be spirited and resilient while sweet and caring, the kind of qualities that you want in a "Doctor Who" companion. She is a perfect match for Capaldi's incarnation with the chemistry and the growing relationship between the two being palpably felt when the Doctor makes a noble gesture of trust. A move that cements the faith he is already having in her. This is a man who has previously learned from previous mistakes ie "Kill the Moon", with his behavior neatly contrasting that.
If there are flaws, the story is rather unremarkable and is slightly reminiscent of series 5's "The Beast Below", while Lord Sutcliffe is a rather two-dimensional villain, despite actor Nicholas Burns giving a very solid performance given what he has to work with. Overall, despite these faults, "Thin Ice" still manages to be more than its parts, and although not as clever or imaginative as previous stories it never the less makes for an entertaining, traditional monster story that isn't afraid to dally with the grimmer themes with the story even if it's plot is somewhat hackneyed. And with an intriguing coda which may or may not foreshadow the return of Missy who it has been revealed to return (as is John Simm as his incarnation of Missy/The Master) I await next week's episode, "Knock Knock guest starring David Suchet with bated breath.
We also get to see more of the softer side of Capaldi's incarnation, who is attempting to win the trust of a small group of street urchins seemingly led by Kitty played by young newcomer Atu Koroma, who gives a phenomenal performance for one so young and could potentially be a future star in the making. Displaying compassion and empathy we see a man less reluctant to bond with others, as he quite contently reads a story to the children who he temporarily finds under his and Bill's charge. Pearl Mackie continues to impress as Bill, who as the series is progressing I'm finding myself liking immensely and continues to be spirited and resilient while sweet and caring, the kind of qualities that you want in a "Doctor Who" companion. She is a perfect match for Capaldi's incarnation with the chemistry and the growing relationship between the two being palpably felt when the Doctor makes a noble gesture of trust. A move that cements the faith he is already having in her. This is a man who has previously learned from previous mistakes ie "Kill the Moon", with his behavior neatly contrasting that.
If there are flaws, the story is rather unremarkable and is slightly reminiscent of series 5's "The Beast Below", while Lord Sutcliffe is a rather two-dimensional villain, despite actor Nicholas Burns giving a very solid performance given what he has to work with. Overall, despite these faults, "Thin Ice" still manages to be more than its parts, and although not as clever or imaginative as previous stories it never the less makes for an entertaining, traditional monster story that isn't afraid to dally with the grimmer themes with the story even if it's plot is somewhat hackneyed. And with an intriguing coda which may or may not foreshadow the return of Missy who it has been revealed to return (as is John Simm as his incarnation of Missy/The Master) I await next week's episode, "Knock Knock guest starring David Suchet with bated breath.