5 Worst Episodes
5. The Rings of Akhaten
The Rings of Akhaten, written by Who newcomer Neil Cross, marked the first real Clara adventure, so naturally, the show decided to whisk us off to a foreign planet to experience a sadly flawed adventure. The first half of the episode is genuinely pleasing, focusing in on establishing Claras wonder and amazement at being in a new world and breaking her away from the Doctor allowed for an good analysis on her mannerisms and her overall personality, especially her conversation with Merry that felt genuine and actually added some emotional depth that added to the opening scenes of the episode. However, for the promise the episode showed, it never really delivered on the set up. For example, the mummy that had been gradually built up over the course of the episode turned out to be pretty innocuous and frankly forgettable, only serving as the conduit for the big reveal. Add to that the reliance of the Doctor on his trusty screwdriver and it felt like an easy way of reaching the climax. A ludicrously over the top ending with the old god stretches to reach an emotional and evocative reaction that does not fit the episode well at all. While this technique has and will again work very well with Doctor Who, here it feels forced and one questions the reasoning behind the shouting and the orchestral strings layered over Matt Smiths growl. While I find no problem with the message the speech conveys, it felt superfluous and unnecessary. However, the moment of Clara offering the leaf felt incredibly authentic, respective of her character and something that saved the climax from sheer lunacy. However, despite these niggles there are more positives to be found within the episode, for example, the visual effects are possibly some of the best ever experienced in a Doctor Who episode with the planet of Ahkaten gloriously brought to life, with a definite tip of the cap to the planet Saturn. I was also impressed with the design of some of the planets inhabitants created by prosthetic designer Neill Gorton, who in an interview which can be found
here, spoke about drawing aliens in his spare time in case an episode required a diverse range of aliens. His dedication payed off as the plethora of characters roaming around was reminiscent of the Cantina scene from Star Wars: A New Hope, an aesthetic you felt the producers were aiming for. Despite these aesthetic delights nothing with the story really struck me or genuinely intrigued me to want to know more. Not every episode will stir the senses all the time or be as provocative as others and sadly Rings of Akhaten attained a forgettable status. Still isnt it ironic that the singing here was far better than on another BBC show The Voice? You know the one that is apparently a talent show focused on contestants singing?