12th May, 2024: an introduction.
Right …
It’s now Sunday.
And … ?
I’ve had some sleep.
I was up late, last night, finishing the first of two reviews: of the opening episodes the new series of Doctor Who.
I say new series … as I’m still not sure about calling it series fourteen — it is the fourteenth series of the rebooted version of the show — or the first.
Which is pretty mush what Disney+, who are helping to fund the show, are insisting on.
At any rate?
This weekend saw the airing of the first two episodes of the new series.
Noticed … and hopefully enjoyed!
With that said?
I’m writing this introduction on Sunday, 12th May, 2024, and will be watching “The Devil’s Chord” tonight, once I’ve had dinner.
I’ll be letting you know what I thought of the episode, late, tomorrow night.
I’ll see you then.
13th May, 2024: “The Devil’s Chord”.Pt 1: a Summary.
Episode 2 — “The Devil’s Chord” — opens in 1925.
And shows us a piano teacher called Timothy Drake: who, whilst teaching a child called Henry, comes to something of a bad end.
As when he shows Henry the tritone, the Devil’s Chord*, Drake finds he’s summoned someone unexpected.
A someone that almost immediately kills the hapless teacher: after introducing themselves as … Maestro.
Post titles?
Post titles, we see the Doctor and Ruby (Ncuti Gatwa, Millie Gibson) in the control room of the TARDIS: discussing where to go next.
Ruby?
Is keen to see one thing.
The Beatles: recording their first album in Abbey Road Studios.
There’s only one small problem.
The recording session shows the Beatles recirding a happy song about a dog: and nothing that Ruby recognises.
It gets even worse: when the pair see Cilla Black recording … and then catch an orchestra recording “Three Blind Mice”.
There seem to be problems, problems caused by the strange face the Doctor and Ruby can only see in the mirror …
~≈🕰️≈~
Pt 2: Thoughts.
Now … what did I make of this second episode?
Of “The Devil's Chord”?
First things first, let’s get the possible problem out of the way, shall we?
Maestro, played by Jinkx Monsoon.
I have to confess: I watch the first two episodes of this series separately.
So … ?
I tried make sure I avoided spoilers, and any online discussion of the episode.
I wanted the episode to surprise me, after all.
I did, however, managed to see a couple of introductory clips of the character: some time before I saw the episode.
I have to admit, I was not, initially, impressed.
At first viewing, something about Jinkx’s presentation of the character didn’t impress me.
That “My … notation … is” line, and the way Jinkx said it … ?
Seemed … very artificial, very exaggerated.
Possibly even too exaggerated.
Yes, I know.
Jinkx is a drag queen: and exaggeration comes with the territory.
However?
It didn’t strike me as good.
But?
I didn’t want to prejudge the character, the person playing the character, or the story, ahead of time.
So I tried watching “The Devil's Chord” with an open mind.
And came away … having enjoyed both the episode, and Jinkx’s performance.
Yes: Jinkx puts in an over-the-top performance as the episode’s main villain.
But Jinkx plays the part with enough menace to offset what I could have found an offensively over-the-top performance.
~≈🕰️≈~
Silly … is possibly another term to use.
Because … ?
We could arguably say that “The Devil's Chord” is an extremely silly episode.
After all, and for the first time in the show’s history?
It finishes with a musical number!
Thankfully?
There were only three songs in the episode: so I’d not call this a musical episode.
Musical telefantasy pieces are something I always feel dubious about: despite how well made “Subspace Rhapsody” and “Once More with Feeling”, the two episodes that come to mind, actually were.
No: this wasn’t a musical episode. More an episode with, and about, music.
A lack of songs, in an episode about a monster trying to keep music to itself?
Would have been odd.
We could argue “The Devil's Chord” is silly.
Is lighthearted.
Is … any number of things.
But?
With a simultaneously menacing and exaggerated protagonist, and moments of darkness scattered throughout?
This is an entertaining episode.
~≈🕰️≈~
Pt 3: Scheduling.
There’s possibly other things to point out.
If you’re in the UK, you’ve noticed that “Space Babies” and “The Devil's Chord” were broadcast in the UK as a double bill: on Saturday, 11th May.
But they were released on the BBC’s iPlayer service, at midnight, on Friday, 10th May.
I’m grateful for that: as it meant I could watch “Space Babies”, early, review it … and then take my time to do the same for “The Devil's Chord”.
You’re reading or watching the results.
But I’m curious about the choice of a double bill.
The only reason I can think of for doing so?
In part?
Was to create a buzz for the two opening episodes.
But also to make sure a musically-themed episode of a popular show … aired directly before this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
It strikes me the BBC wanted to make sure you and me were watching BBC One for a long time!
~≈🕰️≈~
Pt 4: Observations.
There’s other things to point out.
Or should I call them easter eggs?
At any rate, there’s one point where we see a little old lady at her window: and, minutes latter, playing piano in her home: only to be killed by Maestro.
As long term fans will possibly know, the little old lady is June Hudson: better known as the costume designer for Doctor Who — and Blake’s 7 — in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
It’s nice to see her involvement with the show hasn’t stopped there.
Another thing I spotted?
There’s a scene in “The Devil's Chord”: where Ruby tells the Doctor that “… the world did not end in 1963”.
That, for all her life, she’s heard music: knows that music exists, despite the actions of Maestro.
So the Doctor takes her forward in time: from this 1963, to the future that will happen … if the episode’s villain is not stopped.
It’s tense, dramatic, restrained and, for a light-hearted family show, incredibly dark.
And an almost direct copy of a similar scene in the Tom Baker era story, Pyramids of Mars.
Yes: I’m old enough to recognise the new scene’s roots.
And yes, I think Russell T. Davies recycling a scene is a good thing.
Those of us old enough to remember Pyramids of Mars will get a thrill of recognition.
Those of us coming to the show for the first time?
Will find out why the Doctor won’t just leave a dangerous situation.
It’s so he can guarantee destruction is avoided.
~≈🕰️≈~
Pt 5: Next time.
With all that said?
What did I think of “The Devil's Chord”?
I think I can say this: I saw a very good episode of Doctor Who, last night.
One that’s both light-hearted and despairing, musical and menacing … and that, in introducing younger viewers to the Beatles, and to some basic musical ideas, has an educational side not seen for a while.
It introduces us to an interesting antagonist: and contrasts a menacing musical monster with a well played pair of heroic central characters: the Doctor and Ruby.
Frankly?
That means ‘Yes’: I’ll be watching the next episode of Doctor Who’s new season — the Stephen Moffat penned, “Boom” — on Saturday, 18th May: and posting my written and video reviews of it, later that day.
Between now and then … ?
I’ll be watching the next episode of Star Trek Discovery — “Labyrinths” — on Thursday, 16th May: and posting my written and video reviews of it on Friday, 17th May.
I’ll see you the next time I see you!
* The show tells us that the Church banned the tritone in the Middle Ages. A quick google search tells me there’s disagreement about whether it was or wasn’t.
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