Doctor Who 803: Robot of Sherwood Review

Before I begin with the spoilers, this episode was an excellent fast-paced episode with loads of fun and some excellent character development. 

World-Building: Awesome 

Characterization: Awesome for the 3 main characters 

Plot: Fast-paced 

SPOILERS AHEAD. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! 

This was an excellent episode of Doctor Who on par with many of the best episodes of Russel T. Davies' reign. It may also be Clara's best performance since her debut as Oswin. Doctor Who's historical episodes have always been a little bit awkward... maybe they're too serious, or the plot just doesn't grab you much, or they don't offer enough that's "new" but I don't tend to love them as much as I could. This one is the exception. In Robot of Sherwood not everything is as it seems and while we do get to see the characters and some of the "save-points" from the Robin Hood legend it's still a distinct story with its own plot revolving around the Doctor and Clara and the mystery of the Robots and it moves along quite well! 

With so many characters from the Robin Hood legend it had the potential to get crowded and rushed but they made the choice to focus on the Doctor, Clara, and Robin Hood and leave the others to be background characters, which worked very well and allowed those three characters to grow and interact very well. All three characters are a joy to behold as the story and acting is excellent. 

What really made the world-building for me wasn't the lush green woods and scenery or the castle stuff or their clothes, it was the fact that the Doctor didn't believe it! As he made those constant remarks about the surroundings and how he didn't believe them it somehow made the world more real, made it stand out more. Of course the main purpose behind it was to further develop his character - to say something about him as a hero and about his lack of belief in heroes - but it worked beautifully as an element of the world-building. 

There was yet another mention of the "Promised Land" but thankfully we did not have to see Missy again - a huge relief for me. 

Overall, this was an amazing episode that further solidifies my hopes for this season and turns me back from a skeptic who just wants Moffat to leave into a fan once more. Goodbye Season 7 blues and hello to awesome Doctor Who!