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

2. A Soft Reboot

The episode is called The Pilot because, well, of the narrative, but there is very much an intended double-meaning to it here. This episode may be a continuation of Capaldi's time as the Doctor, but it's also setup as an easy entry point for new or lapsed viewers as well.

With a new companion in the TARDIS, and the pressure relatively off (because there's such a focus on what Chibnall will do, and who he'll bring in), Moffat has spoken about really focusing on the story and beginning again.

That's what we get here; there's nothing that his detractors can complain is overly complex, it's not a two-parter, it's just a fairly simple, traditional, and fun, Doctor Who adventure.

While I wouldn't say the story works entirely, the pacing of the episode and especially the character beats (which it nails) largely cover for it. This is a period when the BBC needs people to be getting back into Doctor Who, and hopefully this will be an effective way of doing that, whether you got sick of where it went or have never watched it before.