New Nu-Who the review – Boom

Steven Moffat is back, and it’s about time! The last Doctor Who episode penned by the Scottish writer aired in 2017 on Christmas Day. It’s no surprise to see him return under Russell T Davies’ leadership, signalling a new era of Doctor Who filled with fan-favourite comebacks. As long as it’s not Chibnall—yes, I heard you at the back of the room!

While Moffat is a gifted writer, I believe he’s at his best with standalone episodes. After all, he gave us “The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances,” “The Girl in the Fireplace,” “Blink,” and “Silence in the Library/The Forest of the Dead”—bone-chilling stories that the fandom admires. In “Boom,” we witness people transformed into urns by a sinister machine known as Ambulance, brought to life by none other than Susan Twist!

Susan Twist’s role is shrouded in mystery, and I predict we’ll uncover more in future series. Eight episodes feel too short for a story arc involving the Pantheon of the Gods. Moffat’s episode, aptly titled “Boom,” is a breath of fresh air after the first three episodes. There’s no silliness, just classic Moffat wit and Easter eggs.

We’re also introduced to the upcoming companion, Mundy Flyn (Varada Sethu), who will return in another Moffat episode—this year’s Christmas Special titled “Joy to the World.” Moffat introducing another companion under Davies gives a sense of history repeating. After all, during Davies’ first tenure, Moffat introduced us to Captain Jack in 2005.

“Boom” builds tension with the Doctor stuck on a landmine in the middle of a battlefield, echoing the 1975 serial “Genesis of the Daleks.” The premise worked brilliantly, keeping me on the edge of my seat. The episode also reintroduces militarized religion, a theme from Moffat’s tenure as head writer. Could the soldiers in dog collars be remnants of the Silence religion, who were intent on the Doctor’s demise? Moffat certainly enjoys combining religion and war in his scripts. After all, politics and religion are often the root causes of war.

In “Boom,” the cause of war is capitalism. Villengard, a struggling munitions company, desperately tries to keep demand for ammunition flowing by orchestrating a war on an empty planet. Fans will remember “Villengard” from the first episode featuring Captain Jack Harkness, as the company responsible for manufacturing his sonic blaster, or should I say squareness gun? We learn the Doctor destroyed the factory, now replaced by a banana grove. “I like bananas, bananas are good!”

This was a good episode. You can tell Moffat enjoyed writing it. I look forward to seeing more of Mundy Flyn and discovering what the Pantheon of the Gods has planned for the Doctor and Ruby. And just who is Susan Twist playing in all of this? Her appearances in different time zones and as different characters remind me of Clara, who was splintered across the Doctor’s past and present adventures. Could Susan Twist be linked to Clara? Is she Susan? Could she be part of the Trickster Brigade?

So many questions! Too many to wrap up in eight episodes. Theories are rife, and it’s been a long time since I’ve speculated about the Doctor’s adventures. Boy, have I missed this! Despite some fans’ protests, I’m really enjoying this series. I feel like I’m 15 again, watching Doctor Who make an explosive return to my television set!

Doctor Who returns Saturday with Episode IV titled “73 Yards.”

Written by Daniel Price
Images from BBC Picture