Doctor Who: 8 Shockingly Predictable Habits Of Specific Writers

7. Neil Cross Will Hint At His Resolutions Through The Beautiful Dialogue

He may have only written a grand total of two stories for Doctor Who, but Neil Cross is one of the favourites to take over from Steven Moffat, when he eventually decides than enough is enough. It's easy to see why; Cross is a thoughtful, eloquent writer capable of the touchingly sad and absolutely horrifying. He's proven as a showrunner on Luther, and he's a sensible fit for Who. Like Moffat, Neil Cross tends to pull a surprising resolution out from something mentioned earlier in the episode. For example, just as the Doctor realised that he could save River after the conversation about her screwdriver, Clara realised that she could offer the leaf to the creature in 'The Rings of Akhaten'; just as the Doctor realised he could lock Gallifrey in a painting after seeing the technology, he realised that the Crooked Man in 'Hide' was just one half of a couple after contemplating how love brought Hila and Emma together. But where Moffat prefers to use sitcom-like or tragic situations that later relate in some way the resolution, Cross focusses more on the poetic, intimate scenes between a couple of characters, using his love of gorgeous language to fill out seemingly trivial conversations; the chat between Merry and Clara ('Akhaten') and the discussion in the TARDIS about everyone having a grave ('Hide') both became more important than they seemed earlier on. It's a staple of his work.