Plot summary
Misfortune seems to follow Nikola Tesla everywhere, but is it because he’s a bad businessman or the target of alien kidnappers?
Notable for:
The episode is set in 1903, timed to the historical moment when J.P. Morgan pulled funding for Tesla’s Wardenclyffe project
Robert Glenister (Thomas Edison) previously played Salateen in The Caves of Androzani (1984)
Anjli Mohindra (Queen Skithra) previously played Rani Chandra in The Sarah Jane Adventures, opposite Bradley Walsh’s antagonist in “The Day of the Clown” — their roles here are reversed
The episode was developed under the working title “Tesla,” with the aliens originally conceived as “the Scorpions” who turned humans into “Electric People”
The Doctor identifies an orb found by Tesla as an “Orb of Thassor,” belonging to an ancient race of explorers and inventors
The Skithra Queen’s “Throne Ship” is a stolen Venusian spacecraft fitted with other stolen technology, including a Klendov warp drive
The story notes that the Empire State Building and Times Square do not yet exist in 1903 New York, though Central Park is already established
Pete commentary:
This might be the most textbook Jodie Whittaker adventure. Historical, good guest performances, unmemorable alien, and sidelining of much of the regular cast since they don’t have enough to do.
Huge props to Goran Višnjić for his performance. It’s unreal how little he’s visibly aged since his time on ER. He says so much with facial expression and has clearly thought deeply about the character, his motivations, and how he’d react to certain situations.
It’s a shame the story is so predictable and cliché monster of the week. Whittaker and Visnjic look like they’ve shown up for a much deeper and more sophisticated story than what’s served up: a plot that’s more like a Doctor Who casserole of leftovers that’s been poorly reheated:
Vaguely insectoid alien with a ship that—of course—is capable of threatening the world
I don’t think it’s ever clearly explained why the “queen” scorpion or whatever looks more human, and the way she talks/looks, it seems like they just reused the Racnoss. In fact, the resemblance is so close, I don’t know why they just didn’t make it the Racnoss.
They shape-shift, apparently. Why do so many alien races seem capable of this? It’s such a waste of a truly incredible ability, but the way it’s used is so uninteresting that you’re never intrigued enough to care how it works or who might be not what they seem.
Why throw in the “Silurian” weapon? It’s so dumb. I suppose the only reason to put in some random alien’s gun is to: a) reuse the prop, and b) emphasize that these guys are “grab bag” scavengers, just using whatever tech they’ve stolen from others. Again, it’s an idea that’s been done before, better in School Reunion. But this is just like the out-of-nowhere reference to Androzani in The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe—it’s clearly just gratuitous and ends up creating a whole bunch of questions in fans’ minds that they clearly have no intention of ever answering. It’s almost like they’re daring us NOT to care about it. Mission accomplished.
Teleports again!
Finally, why the hell do they need the gun if they can shoot frickin’ electrical blasts out of their fingers?
The Tesla-Edison stuff is actually quite good. I liked both of their performances, and it was fun to contrast them as men, inventors, and businessmen. Tesla, the obviously superior genius is stymied by his eccentricity and inability to defend against Edison’s cutthroat tactics. And Edison’s pragmatism ultimately wins: his statement that his factory is the best idea either of them had is another way of saying, “80% of success is just showing up.”
Bold move to kill everybody in Edison’s lab. The one moment of genuine terror in the episode. Kind of syke moment when the assistants are talking—you expect they’re going to be characters.
The opening in Tesla’s lab is quite good, and the Doctor’s entrance is perfect. But the jump to the train is jarring. It’s definitely one of those budget-saving moments, but I think it would have been better to try to pull off a “jump on a moving train” moment, even on a budget. Or do something else! Someone was just shooting at them with a laser. Now we’re on a train, out of danger? Bad transition.
The costuming, like much of the Whittaker era, is very good. Nice to see all the regulars in period gear, and it does look like they were on a jaunt, so it’s believable. Tesla in particular looks great.
The best thing about the script is how it ties neatly into real history, with Tesla receiving the letter from JP Morgan and then the Wardenclyffe tower coming alive that night. Similar to Rosa and Demons of the Punjab, though, there is a bit of afterschool special feeling here, with much of the history being narrated by the Doctor’s asides. It’s a crutch of these Whittaker quasi-historicals.
What did Pete’s family think?
Grace liked it. I could tell she was interested in the historical aspects.
Four Questions to Doomsday - Pete
Why did the Randomizer take us here? Tesla stock is doing super well? After the Monoids, we needed a less sympathetic monster.
What if the evil plot had succeeded? The Skithra kidnap Tesla, he repairs their ship. Let’s assume the queen was exaggerating about destroying the Earth, and Tesla begins his tour as the Skithra’s chief engineer, eventually learning their tech and turning the tables on them. He eventually creates his own weapons and mask, and essentially becomes the Doctor Who universe’s equivalent of Star-Lord. The Doctor, Yaz, Graham, and Ryan? Dead.
Where’s the Clara splinter? She’s conducting the getaway train! Well timed, Clara.
Dalek, Ogron, Professor Hayter, Viscount Banger, Fixed Point in Time, Lady Cassandra, or Zarbi? Lady Cassandra: the period stuff and Tesla himself are aesthetically great, but there’s no real plot here to engage with, and the monster is totally forgettable.