World of Who: Under the Lake

This episode was really fun. A classic Base Under Siege story if there ever was one, this may be the best one we've seen in a while. It's hard to put into words exactly how I feel about the episode. It is by no means bad but it doesn't have as much weight to it. The Ghosts are great and I do love the base but the mystery that IS the story requires seeing the end and this is a problem for two part stories. 

This episode is more like Mummy on the Orient Express (my fav season 8 episode) than anything else. A very self contained, mystery based story but it does seem to give the other characters more to do and I do think it comes down to the advantage of having more time as opposed to 45 minutes. A hold over from Mummy is definitely the issue with Clara though this one is a bit more subtle. Instead of Clara trying to understand her new situation with the Doctor, the Doctor is worried that Clara may be getting too used to traveling and I agree. It doesn't help that mostly, Clara seems to be becoming an adventure junkie and the Doctor is noticing. It doesn't help that Clara actually has a job and that is something most companions don't have when joining the Doctor.

The Doctor was fun this episode, very much in line with the Doctor just being someone who likes to travel and see as much of the universe as possible. I do like how he still has to work to care sometimes and it's not that he doesn't but like Eleven, Twelve does get wrapped up a bit in the mystery and forgets the obvious courtesies at times. He forgets to be something he isn't: human.

The "Ghosts" were really interesting and they feel like they were better versions of the Whisper Men from Name of the Doctor. I wish they had more of a uniform look to them but it makes sense that they wouldn't since they are in some form spirits of the dead. I think it would have been interesting to see if they had each gotten a sort of uniform but them wearing what they wore when they died makes more sense and does help bring the idea home that they are dead.

Overall, good-great episode so far but the next part will let us know if it was worth it.

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