Doctor Who Series 9: Episode 3 — Under The Lake

You know, I work … 

I thoroughly enjoy working: AND the money it gets me.

It pays for dinner, after all.

But, of course, this comes with downsides.

One of those … ?

Being the fact I’ve only just caught up with Under the Lake: last night’s third episode of this years series — Series nine, so you know — of Dr Who.

And … ?

Yes, I’m impressed.

This series is looking old school good … !

~≈Â≈~

Under The Lake opens in The Drum*: an underwater base off Caithness, in Scotland, in the year 2119.

A base whose UNIT sponsored crew have just discovered what a buried, abandoned spaceship.

One with a missing suspended animation unit and power cell.

The premature activation of the ship’s engines … ?   Kills the base commander.

Who immediately comes back.

When the Dr and Clara arrive, some three days later … ?

The remaining crew are hiding in the base’s version of a Panic Room: in this case, a lead lined Faraday Cage, designed to protect any survivors of a meltdown of the base’s nuclear reactor.

Turns out it’s the only place the ghosts can’t get to … 

~≈Â≈~

Now … 

Impressed … ?

Very, actually.

Under the Lake is a strongly written individual episode: and looks looks like the first half of an equally well written two parter.

It’s also showing us a VERY set of characters: with — for me — Sophie Stone as Cass standing out especially strongly.

Something else that caught my attention … ?

The base personnel — seemingly — members of UNIT.

I can’t help but wonder — in the way David Tennant’s first full series as the Doctor saw Torchwood references made in each of his initial episodes, in preparation for the spin off — if this mention of UNIT is a reference.

Either to the upcoming The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion two-parter.

OR to the upcoming spin-off, Class.

We can only wait and see, now can’t we … ?

*        It’s a base called ‘The Drum’.   A bass drum, in other words.   GOSH how I laughed …