The Doctor and her companions find themselves caught up in a race for survival…

A pattern was set when Doctor Who returned in 2005, followed for a few seasons, where a new companion (or Doctor) experienced an adventure on contemporary Earth, followed by one in space and then one in history. We’re certainly on course to continue that with this tale of an alien world with three suns, and a lot of distinctly unpleasant encounters for the Doctor and friends. Even without the embargo notice, you’d not want me to spoil the twists along the way – and there are some on both micro and macro scales – but suffice it to say that the episode throws up plenty of challenges for the travellers that once again rely on teamwork to solve.

The “we’re in space!” bit lasts for just long enough for it not to get repetitive from the companions, and there’s a little more emphasis on Graham and Ryan (understandable given the loss that they both suffered at the end of the first episode) than Yaz – although she’s by no means overlooked. As with that opener, there really isn’t much that would be altered were the Doctor still be being played as male, and Whittaker exudes the Time Lord’s confidence in a crisis, while still allowing for moments of doubt (although we’re certainly not getting any of the “am I a good person?” that characterised Capaldi’s opening episodes).

The South African locations make the episode’s look very distinctive from anything that’s come before on the show – the term “cinematic” gets bandied about a lot, but there’s certainly plenty of use of the anamorphic lenses’ capabilities, and the effects feel seamless (at least on a preview version) – and Sekun Akinola’s score complements it well (and love the new titles and opening arrangement). Across the board, there’s a confidence in the production that bodes well for the coming episodes.

Verdict: An enjoyable first trip to an alien world for Graham, Yaz and Ryan. 8/10

Paul Simpson