DOCTOR WHO: BOOM (TV) (2024, UK, 46m, PG) ****
Sci-Fi, Adventure
dist. BBC; pr co. Bad Wolf/BBC Wales; d. Julie Anne Robinson; w. Steven Moffat; exec pr. Russell T. Davies, Julie Gardner, Jane Tranter, Joel Collins, Phil Collinson; pr. Vicki Delow; ph. Chas Bain (Colour | 2.00:1); m. Murray Gold; ed. Tim Hodges; pd. Phil Sims.
cast: Ncuti Gatwa (The Doctor), Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday), Varada Sethu (Mundy Flynn), Joe Anderson (John Francis Vater), Bhav Joshi (Canterbury James Olliphant), Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy (Carson), Caoilinn Springall (Splice Alison Vater), Susan Twist (Ambulance).
A war-torn world on the farthest reaches of the galaxy, Kastarion 3 is all traps, smoke, mud, danger and ruins. The Kastarions themselves can’t be seen, hiding in the fog. The Doctor finds himself trapped, Ruby’s in more danger than ever before, and they’re both about to meet someone who might, one day, change their lives forever. At last, after the two decidedly mixed opening episodes, we finally get one that has suspense and allows Gatwa to display a more serious side to his Doctor. Written by Steven Moffat, there is much to like and enjoy here. Moffat has referred to a scene from the Tom Baker classic Genesis of the Daleks and expanded it into a full episode. That, for the most part, it works wonderfully is down to the quality of Moffat’s writing and the excellent performances of Gatwa and Gibson. Unfortunately, the story’s conclusion is weak and resorts to cheap sentimentality to tug at the heartstrings. Otherwise, this is a real return to form for the series, which will hopefully continue with the rest of the run.
