by David Finniss
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I was glad to see that the script didn’t wimp out on the idea that this was actually the Devil. The dialogue, at points, seems to want to suggest that it was something else, but no one, not even the Doctor can offer up an alternate explanation. The Doctor even tries to counter his claim, by asking which devil he is, as every religion has their own. The Beast simply responds with “all of them”.
It was nice to see the Doctor’s hyper-rationalism put
in its place. Almost every instance of supernatural activity up until this point has been handwaved by saying “no, it’s an alien” but here we see that there are things beyond even his understanding of the universe. I doubt it will be a frequent occurrance, but it’s nice to see that they can stray from the formula from time to time.
If there is one weak point, it’s that it isn’t quite as creepy as the previous episode. It had its moments, the Ood monologue early in the episode was executed perfectly and augmented by creepy organ music (not to mention the ominous warning that Rose will die in battle), the chase through the ventilation shaft was well handled, and the CGI on the Beast itself was done very well. The sudden reveal that Toby was still under the Beast’s influence when it turned and told the Ood to be silent was also a short, but standout moment in the episode.
Overall, the episode tries to be more thought provoking, where as the last episode just wanted to creep you the hell out. It makes sense, given what they’re facing, but it’s a noticeable shift in tone. It’s more introspective and it becomes a discussion on the nature of religion in general.
I’m rather surprised that they killed off the Beast. It’s a great foe for the Doctor as it not only forces him to question his perception of things, but it’s a very powerful and crafty being with a history that ...
