Who Review: The Woman Who Fell to Earth

Ninteen-year-old Ryan Sinclair is trying to learn to ride a bike with the help of his grandmother, Grace, and her new husband, Graham. Hampered by dyspraxia, Ryan throws his bike in frustration. When he later goes to retrieve it, a series of golden lines appear in the air. Curious, he touches one causing a large garlic-shaped pod to appear. Little does he know that he has granted permission for an alien entity to come to Earth. But what is it here for? And what is the large spaghetti-like blob that preceded it? Ryan, Grace, Graham, and policewoman Yaz investigate, helped along by a strange woman with two hearts who crashed through their train carriage and saved their lives. As usual when the Doctor shows up, lives are in danger. Including their own…

SPOILER ALERT!! My comments may (and likely will) contain spoilers for those that haven’t seen the episode. If you want to stay spoiler-free, please watch the story before you continue reading!

So we begin a new era in Doctor Who history. Incoming show-runner Chris Chibnall has given the series another re-boot with changes all around. A new Doctor, a new logo, a new theme, and a new feel. And I have to say, I’m not at all disappointed.

Let’s get the biggest question over with first and say Jodie Whittaker is great. Yes, if you think of her as being the same character as William Hartnell or Tom Baker, it’s a little weird. But if you take her on her own terms, she was the Doctor. No doubt. I thought she was believable, witty but with a bit of an edge. She reminded me somewhat of the Tenth Doctor–especially with her need to apologize for everything–but she didn’t just do a pastiche of Tennant. The scene where she builds a new sonic screwdriver out of Sheffield steel was a nice departure from the norm. Especially when she enhanced the blowtorch!

The episode itself has the feel of a Third Doctor story–echoes of “Spearhead from Space” in some ways. Innocent people die at the hands (literally) of an alien who is not simply misunderstood but is actually bad. Not only is he from a warrior race who mistreat other peoples, but he’s a cheater too! And the teeth!! Ewww!!! Well done Mr. Chibnall for the first cringey-in-a-good-way moment in Who for a long time.

Those who watched this simul-cast episode on BBC America were denied the pleasure of the new version of the theme during the end credits. It is available to listen to online (see below), and I like it. No orchestra. Much more Radiophonic Workshop-ish. Chibbers (as we shall now refer to the new show-runner) seems to be hewing much closer to the Classic series than either of his predecessors. And I think it’s about time.

We also have three new companions–not yet a TARDIS crew since Thirteen has yet to find her TARDIS. Ryan, Yaz, and Graham are an interesting mix of personalities. Yaz and Ryan knew each other in school and certainly seem to get along okay. But Ryan and Graham have issues. Graham was only married to Ryan’s grandmother for three years prior to this adventure, and Ryan has still yet to accept him. Graham doesn’t seem to know how to handle this young man. So I see some potential sparks and character arcs over the next nine stories.

If you’ve been following these reviews, you’ll know I was not a big fan of Moffat-the-show-runner. There were some good stories during his run, but I thought he tried too often to be too clever. “The Woman Who Fell to Earth” feels like a clean break from that. The only potential “arc” is the hunt for the Doctor’s TARDIS. If they find it in the next episode, then we could be looking at a season of stand-alone stories, something we haven’t had since 1989.

As for the story itself, I thought it was a solid piece of Doctor Who. Not a classic story, but a good story. It kept us entertained and guessing for an hour while introducing us to the main characters as well as the new Doctor. The strongest New Who element was its emphasis on the people around the Doctor. Telling it as Ryan’s story and including a funeral scene are the kinds of things you would never find in Classic Who. But I’ve come to expect that with the New Series. The audience for Doctor Who has changed a lot since 1989, as has television and the expectations of viewers. I’m not always comfortable with the constant tugging of the heartstrings, but I can live with it.

To sum up: Great acting, great effects, and a really good start for the new Doctor. I’m very encouraged by this story. If Chibbers is aiming to try something new (e.g., a female Doctor) couched within a Classic Who sensibility, I think he’s done it. For those “purists” who swore off Doctor Who when Jodie was announced, give it look. You might be surprised how much you enjoy it.

And for my US friends, here’s the new theme: