The Monks have always been here. The Monks are our friends. And anyone who thinks otherwise will be dealt with by the Memory Police…

Toby Whithouse’s contribution to the Monks saga will no doubt also get a load of flak fired at it for being reminiscent of previous adventures – certainly there are tropes from some Russell T Davies stories being reworked here – but as with last week’s episode, so much of Doctor Who is about how things are played, even if they are extremely familiar. The lion’s share of the first half of the episode is on Pearl Mackie and Matt Lucas – to the extent that you’d be justified in thinking that it’s intended as a Doctor-lite episode – but once the team is back together, credits are equal. We also get to know a lot more about the contents of the Vault, and exactly what the Doctor thinks he’s going to achieve by keeping the prisoner within.

Wayne Yip’s direction gives the whole episode a downbeat dour feel – very 1990 or the Nigel Kneale final Quatermass serial – and Mackie responds with another strong performance, with Whithouse giving her and Capaldi some great dialogue. Nardole is coming increasingly to the fore, and Matt Lucas balances the humour of the character with a more serious side that works well.

Verdict: Some very good moments, but not quite as strong in terms of the dilemmas at its heart as its predecessor. 8/10

Paul Simpson