Dr Who — Series 7 Part 2: Episode 9 Hide

20th April, 2013.

The 11th Doctor

Jenna Louise Coleman as Clara

Dougray Scott as Alec Palmer

Jessica Raine as Emma Grayling

You know, I have to say: I’m doing it again.

Re-watching this week’s episode of Dr Who — episode 9, if you hadn’t guessed, called Hide — just so I can get the feel of the episode soaked into my skin.

Part 2 of series seven is proving quite compelling, I feel.   Although I’m happy to admit I could well be wrong … 

After all, while I loved last week’s episode — Cold War — I don’t know if I’m as impressed with this … 

Hmmm … 

I’m making something of a pig’s dinner of this, aren’t I … ?

Let’s see if I can’t correct that … 

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21st April, 2013

Hide’s pre-title teaser shows us Dougray Scott and Jessica Raine as Alec Palmer and Emma Grayling, a pair of ghost hunters investigating Caliburn House: with Alec as providing both the house — he owns it — and the technical jiggery pokery, and Emma being the empath who effectively summons the gast.

Which turns up, of course.

Turns up, leaving Emma drained, Alec shocked … 

And in something of a state when the Doctor and Clara arrive, claiming to be ghost-busting staff from the Ministry.

Cue the opening music … 

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21st April, 2013.

Now, I’ll be frank, here, I enjoyed last night’s story, I really did.

But I’m ALSO thinking it’s somewhat on a par with The Rings Of Akhetan: rather than Cold War.

Saying that, where I feel Hide scores is in several respect is in having some great scenes between it’s principles: telling us more of their stories.

Including this scene between Matt Smith’s Doctor, and Dougray Scott’s Alec* … 

And this, between the Doctor and Jenna-Louise Cole’s Clara … 

All told … ?

All told, I think those character set pieces — and the ‘I Don’t Think She Likes Me’ comments from Clara — are what saved this from being a fairly flat — but interesting — episode.

Hmmm … 

I think we’ll have to see how next week’s episode goes …

*        Just as a footnote … ?   The Wikipedia entry for Hide informs us that the North Atlantic reference in that scene as a nod to Jon Pertwee: his naval service during the war was doing exactly that.   Saying that … ?   I originally felt it was a nod to Dougray Scott, himself: after all, his appearance as Tom Jericho, in Enigma, was as a codebreaker helping those convoys.

Enigma: Angels Dancing Upwards

You know, I’ve really got to catch up, at some point.

Because, of cause, I almost forgot to mention that this week’s seen a bit of a double, in terms of movies …

As you may know myself, Adrian and Paul managed to get together on Tuesday, with a copy of Daniel Craig’s debut ‘Bond’ outing, “Casino Royale”.

And as you might guess, last night saw myself, Adrian, and Allison, this time, getting together with a copy of the wartime drama, “Enigma”.

Think Allison was a little overwhelmed by the consequent geek speak that turns up whenever a film about Bletchley Park turns up, but she did rather like the film …

Which is a great thriller, made back in 2001, and based on the Robert Harris novel of the same name. And about an hour or so shorter than the same year’s “Pearl Harbour”. Quite a bit of a plus, that!

Actually,“Enigma” has quite a broad appeal to it. As well as the thriller side to it — focusing on the arcane subject of the Bletchley Park code breaking activities, during World War Two, and makes it very understandable for us without a technical understanding of crytography, or computers — it works a love-story into the tale, as Dougray Scott’s character, Tom Jericho, returns to Bletchey Park after his tortured affair with a co-worker leads to a nervous breakdown … and a blossoming romance with his former lover’s room mate, as they try to understand why the ex has stolen some highly secret messages.

And the attempts of Tom Jericho and Hester Wallace — played by Kate Winslet, who looked rather good in those spectacles — to try and find out what exactly happened at Katyn, in the Ukraine …

All this played out against some nicely filmed scenes of the Battle of The Atlantic, the closed and intellectual atmosphere of Bletchley Park itself, and the hothouse feel of the code-breaking huts.

Character	Actor
Tom Jericho	Dougray Scott
Hester Wallace	Kate Winslet
Claire Romilly	Saffron Burrows
Wigram	Jeremy Northam
Logie	Tom Hollander
Puck	Nicolaj Coster Waldau
Others
Novel by:	Robert Harris
Screenplay by:	Tom Stoppard
Director:	Michæl Apted

Which does raise the actual history, as a side issue. It’s fascinating stuff to browse through, for those of us who take an interest, but, to save myself time, you can read the Wikipedia entry for Bletchley Park, here, the Enigma machines, here, and look at the Bletchley Park Museum, here.

But I’d also look up Alan Turing, as well, who the character of Tom Jericho is very — very — loosely based on. Alan Turing was the scientist recruited to Bletchley Park, as he’d been the man to develop the theoretical basis for modern digital programmable computers. Tommy Flowers, the General Post Offce engineer who designed and built Colossus, the first such working computer, would have had a trickier time, as far as I can see.

Neither man was given credit during the war — understandably — nor after. Which leaves films like this as some of the few times we can mention them.

They are war heroes, after all.