I love Doctor Who. How do I know this? I’ve been watching the show since its return in 2005, I often quote it, and as I write this and rewatch the episode I’m drinking out of a TARDIS mug. Previously I’ve spoken about my excitement for this series and its eventual return, so it seems only right to write about it soon after each episode. So until March expect to hear about a weird alien who can transform their appearance, age, gender, accent, and everything with their newest team! Gang?… Fam?

“Spyfall,” part one of the two part split between New Year’s day and yesterday is a Chibnall episode if I’ve ever seen one. I’ve detailed a small bit of my displeasure towards Chris Chibnall and his previous particulars in the Doctor Who universe. That said, I can enjoy some of his work either way. I loved his work with Malorie Blackman during the last series on “Rosa,” which is by far his best work to date. I also enjoyed “The Power of Three” during Matt Smith’s run as the 11th Doctor, however, it does get a bit hard to enjoy towards the end. “Spyfall Part One” has that problem again, but throughout the entire episode.

I’ll avoid major spoilers this early on; but towards the end, I’ll tell you when to bow out, watch it, and come back. “Spyfall” starts like anyone could expect after a year away: it has been a few months, the team of Yas, Ryan, Graham, and The Doctor have been traveling, and we’re only catching the interesting bit after that time. Following a bit of maintenance to the TARDIS, and some family time the crew is ready to go. A fine set up.

Men in black, black cars, and “you’re coming with us,” set up the mystery. The issue is how inconsequential it feels. Most of it is to set up the action-packed car stunts, something for The Doctor to do, and a bit for Graham to yell something like “Worst Uber ever!” Sure, it fills out character, it lets the Doctor be fun and happy at being taken somewhere while the companions worry as always, but it is filler. For my tastes, it leaned too much into a mystery we’re being told nothing about.

It will make sense when we talk about the end twist, but it felt like Chibnall and the writers knew where it was going and we’re dragged along to get to the end. Again, it is messy when you think of the entire episode because we know men in black and the title so they are spies. Yet somehow we’re expected to know a little more than that; almost like we’re one step behind where we should be at all times.

Nevertheless, aliens are set up in pre-credits, someone is killed, and there’s a beckoning from Stephen Fry playing the wrong role for Stephen Fry. The men in black were MI6, with Fry as their boss, C. Honestly, for a man as towering, knowledgable, and Stephen Fry-like as Stephen Fry is, he should be a villain or just possibly a little more arrogant than he is here. There is one moment where the Doctor gets to put him in his place with “I’ve had an upgrade,” but he’s bland and does nothing. It is Fry, give him several four-syllable words and he’s where he needs to be.

Of course with MI6, spies, and aliens it all seems a bit ambitious and open. This is my big issue with the episode, it is too big, grand, and messy. Fifteen minutes in there isn’t a goal for the characters to work towards, nothing to say the episode will end when they get that (or for the two-parter). There are just more characters to go find, another set up to find out something else with no end goal. It is using “and then,” to move forward into the next thing.

This is where I think it is time to start saying, it is an episode you should watch once, but it doesn’t feel like what Doctor Who should be. It is an ok set up for the series arc, but nothing special and nothing that will stand out for years to come. Aside from the end, there is nothing memorable about the episode because it is such a mess of ideas, locals, and themes. The spy bit for the Doctor and the team doesn’t work and who thought it did should be smacked for that. Whoever the script editor was, they needed to watch Doctor Who at least once; at least what’s referenced.

If you want a score early without the spoilers, I’d give it about a 6 out of 10. Alone it is not a great episode, maybe with “Part Two” it will wrap up well. So if you don’t want spoilers, go away now and come back after.

Spoilers Ahead – Read at your Own Risk

VOR is a stupid name. As a tech company that is meant to control the world, it feels like no one thought to google anything. The name reminds me of those BDSM Teletubbie-like perverts that were the Voord. Directed by the ridiculous cartoon villain and ex-MI6 agent, Daniel Barton. Meanwhile, Fry is killed at MI6 after expositing someone else to go meet, O. So Yas and Ryan talk to Barton, while The Doctor and Graham speak to O.

Another downfall of this episode is the globetrotting adventure. Yes, the show is about adventures, but three separate countries in a single time for one episode again feels sloppy and too ambitious. There is a complete lack of focus when it comes to the episode, and now I’ve said there will be spoilers I can say why. It is a forced cognitive dissonance to make The Master reveal come far out of the left field. It also makes for the feeling the three-act structure isn’t being observed unless you connect both parts. “Part One” just feels like act one with one of Chibnalls biggest issues, the lack of focus.

The new alien race, Kasaavin, again feels like a distraction to pull you from the reveal. This also goes back to the script editor, there could have been something to reference their multidimensional form and Rose, who’s on another dimensional earth. They are like the Cybermen: they are slow, harmless, and dull. Not to mention, they are hardly memorable when they are blinding white figures crawling out the walls. They aren’t creepy, threatening, or cartoonish.

Barton is another distraction, a reasonable one, but his role in the episode is to set up another Bond set-piece. The party is a great chunk to develop characters, show bonds, and have fun with it. The Doctor playing Snap at the poker game is brilliant and what a fun Doctor is all about; it might also be a good reference to The Goon Show. Yet, it might have been a better way of using up time with a montage of teaching The Doctor Poker, defining roles, and giving off an Ocean’s Eleven vibe than a quirky James Bond before the serious bike chase. The bike chase is yet another stunt piece that deflects and wastes time.

Let’s just point that out, Doctor Who is about running. Running away from danger, running towards the aliens, a lot of running away from aliens, sometimes from explosions. The Chase might be the name of a show Bradley Walsh (who plays Graham) hosts, but Doctor Who isn’t about chasing someone or something like that. Bikes, guns, and humans (mostly)? It was a complicated mess using up the budget because no one at the BBC has to pay Jeremy Clarkson now. My point is don’t do that! Keep it sci-fi and simple.

So the reveal, it might be from the left field but it was good. In fact, that’s where most of my score goes, it was the only well-written piece throughout. However, the build-up that O is The Master and that O has been a friend with The Doctor for years, as I’ve said, was just too messy to make it perfect. It was ruined by yet another busy and complicated hodgepodge at the end too.

Barton’s disappearance on the plane, what a disaster that was. Barton flies the plane, the reveal happens, Barton is then replaced by a bomb. How? Scriptwriting 101, show don’t tell and I’ve got a feeling it will be told in the second part, or it will not be referenced at all. I’d assume the Kasaavin took him, but with their electric tentacle world Yas is taken to for the cliffhanger, he’s not there. There is only one word I can use to describe this episode and I’ve used it too many times: it is full of clutter to push that reveal to the end and mislead.

As for the characters, in contrast to the previous series Yas had something to do and showed she’s a cop. Ryan continued to be just fine in his role. While Graham continued to exposit everything and bring up the rear when it came to action. In other words, it was a better balance overall.

The episode as a whole is just a bit crap. I’m not a fan of the action and I don’t really like how quick The Master, The Doctor’s former best friend and all-time enemy, returned after killing herself twice just two series ago. The Master’s reveal speech is good, it also brings an air of Harold Saxon back to the character. Though it is not an episode for someone new or returning to the series should watch first as I’m sure some did. It is certainly not an episode I’ll purposefully return to for it alone; It doesn’t even have Kylie Minogue, why would I?

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Doctor Who "Spyfall Part One"

6

Score

6.0/10

Pros

• Great reveal speech.
• Yas has something to do.
• Snap!

Cons

• Messy plot.
• An overabundance of action.
• Idiots playing with guns.
• Too grand of a scope.