“It Takes You Away” is the ninth episode in the eleventh series of the revived Doctor Who and stars Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor. Mandip Gill, Bradley Walsh, and Tosin Cole are all still along for the ride. Ed Hime wrote this particular story which was directed by Jamie Childs
The Doctor and company arrive in present day Norway where they find a young girl in a remote cabin seemingly abandoned by her father. They hear what sounds like a very formidable creature lurking in the trees. The Doctor’s tenacious curiosity has her find a peculiar portal in a mirror that leads to a tunnel and another very unusual universe that can recreate the past.
This episode started off pretty well. It has some my favorite elements in that there is an isolated cabin in the thick Norwegian forest. A young blind girl has a father who has not been seen for days, and something ferocious appears to be stalking the area. The companions seem to be utilized a little better in this story.
Whittaker still has some moments where she seems to be almost emulating some of her predecessors. I guess that can work for now until the scripts start to have more reliable improvement.
There was some real effort to be original here, however the final manifestation that the entity behind this whole thing was pretty appalling. Once again, the Doctor ends up not being in a real fight for her life against something really intent on killing her.
Although there were some elements that showed some improvement this year, the ending comes apart for me. I hate to say this, however there may be a need to actually bring back a more familiar foe to help remind me this is still the same show I have been following for the past thirty or so years.
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