Doctor Who Season 10: 5 Ups And 2 Downs From 'The Pilot'

4. Nardole Proves His Worth

Doctor Who The Pilot The Doctor Nardole
BBC

Like, I suspect, many Who fans, I had concerns when Matt Lucas' Nardole was announced as a series regular for this run. The character, who has appeared in the previous two Christmas Specials, was fine, but not necessarily one you'd want to watch week-in, week-out.

Quite how he develops going forward remains to be seen, but based on this instalment such doubts were unfounded. Although he very much takes a backseat in this new triumvirate, he is nonetheless a more-than welcome addition to the TARDIS.

Effectively working as the Doctor's butler, he is the main source of humour in the episode, and constantly delivers. He's weird, he's snarky, and just really bloody funny, a lot of which comes from Matt Lucas' impeccable comic timing.

There are slight suggestions, too, that they're still holding back with him, and we should learn more about him and see him really develop over time, which is now something to look forward to.

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Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.