Class - Ep3“The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight…”

Not Bethlehem at the first Christmas, but Shoreditch in 2016, as the impossible seems to happen (yet again) to the group charged by the Doctor with protecting Coal Hill. It’s a brave move to do an episode that is so character-led this early in the run of a show, but Patrick Ness and the team have deserved faith in their lead actors – in particular Vivian Oparah and Katherine Kelly whose characters get a lot of attention this time around in the A plot. Some of the groundwork for the former’s scenes was set up in episode 2, but I doubt anyone expected things to be brought front and centre so quickly – although as soon as you see the start of the episode, you won’t be surprised.

The whole story takes place outside the classroom, which allows us to see some other sides to Miss Quill, and it’s illuminating how she handles the situation (and to learn a lot more about her own race, having seen so much regarding Charlie’s up to now). By the way, listen carefully to the music in one of her key scenes! The other characters, including a returning Mateusz, aren’t ignored – far from it, there are plenty of important developments for them all throughout the episode – but it’s the scenes with Tanya that are likely to stay with you long after you’ve finished watching.

Verdict: Another strong episode. 8/10

Paul Simpson