SPOILERS AHEAD
World-Building: Great
Characterization: 2D and contrived
Plot: Great for this episode itself
This episode was well-written, had a great monster that was actually frightening for once, and was quite entertaining a stand-alone episode. My only in-episode regret was Clara's stupid dress, which was much more revealing than all the other dresses worn by background characters and the way that Jenna Louise Coleman was posing for the camera instead of acting this episode. So overall, I loved the Mummy thing and the set-up with the computer "Gus" and all the rest of it. What didn't make any sense was the connection between this episode and what came before it.
They didn't allow us to see the development of the argument between Clara and Doctor - to see the "weeks" in which she was angry at him, to hear their conversation when they decided this was to be their "last Hurrah" and so on, so the fact that this was supposed to be their last trip together was not convincing. Not for me anyway. And that meant that when Clara changed her mind again at the end of the episode it also meant very little. The disconnect between this episode and the one before it robbed the emotional parts of the story of their impact.
I also wondered where Courtney Woods got to. They had handled her story terribly last episode, just suddenly showing her aboard the TARDIS without allowing that to develop before our eyes, and now suddenly she's gone again. Someone please teach Moffat something about character development. Yes, you can have stand-alone episodes to great effect, but if there are minor characters that are just jumping in and out of companion status then it's going to stop making any sense.
Another thing that's been bothering me, character-wise, that I don't think I've mentioned before is: why doesn't Danny want to go aboard the TARDIS? If he has no curiosity or desire to see the universe (which I find very difficult to believe) then shouldn't he at least want to see that Clara's safe on her adventures? Shouldn't we at least see a couple of conversations about him potentially going with them - maybe some arguments between him and the Doctor or something?
I will say one thing for this episode: It made a much better and more believable stab at teasing a season villain with the whole Gus thing and the hints that someone's been trying to entice the Doctor on board for a while. THAT is how you do a good season-long arc, not with those stupid Missy inserts they kept giving us in the beginning of the season!
Anyway, overall it was an entertaining episode with a great monster.
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