The Doctor responds to 9 distress calls – but what secret is the planet Ranskoor Av Kolos hiding?

As the BBC finally confirmed at the end of this episode, we’ve got just one Doctor Who episode to look forward to during 2019 – hopefully 2020 will see a longer season than this. That aside, Series 11 sort of concludes with Chris Chibnall’s script that sees a lot of elements from the season brought back – mostly, it has to be said, from his episodes, with references to the opener, Ghost Monument and Demons of the Punjab to the forefront. (There’s also a couple of nice continuity references to early 21st century stories – although, perhaps oddly, none to a 1978 adventure which this one has some similarities with in plot terms, if not its humour.)

It’s a slow burner for a season finale, with a lot of build up during the first twenty minutes or so, before we get to the meat of the plot – and a lot of the emotional punch revolves around the relationship between Ryan and Graham. Once again, Yaz doesn’t have as much to do – it increasingly feels as if she’s there more to have provided the link to the Punjab for that story – although her determination to stay with the Doctor to the bitter end can’t be faulted. Mark Addy’s presence doesn’t mean comedy – there’s precious little humour in the episode – and it’s good to see Percelle Ascot return to this sort of off the wall science fiction.

Verdict: A solid finale, in many ways exemplifying everything that’s been different about this year – in terms of plotting, scripting, acting and production. 8/10

Paul Simpson