I love a good scare. As a child I was sent hiding behind the sofa when Mr McDermott is eaten by a Nestine controlled black plastic chair. Doctor Who does it best when it takes the normal and makes it scary. See any Steven Moffatt story from the first four series and the Yeti in the underground. Here Mark Gatiss takes our toys and makes them evil.
So did he pull off the story. Yes and No. We are introduced to George, a small little boy who is scared of everything. We can relate to him because we have been randomly scared of things. His parents are at a wits end to know what to do with him and as he calls out for help and they get the doctor.
The first thing to say was the location was incredible. A rather depressing block of flats and then when Amy and Rory get sucked into the dolls house, a lovely eerie mansion. Again the one thing Doctor Who never shrimps on his production design. This series has been better than ever for that. The creepy dolls that inhabit the world were also very well designed.
I also think the dolls house was beautifully shot. Full of shadows and things that make you want to jump. Richard Clark, the director, has done a great job in getting the best from his cast. Though there were no stand out performances that I could mention. Each actor gave it his or her best and so gave the best for the story. I think Arthur Darvill had another great episode and expect to see more great things from him in the future.
The story was strong. Mark Gatiss is well known for his love of the macabre and this story really excels in that. It’s dark and bleak and seemingly, when the Doctor is trapped in the dolls house, hopeless. And this is my problem with the story. The ending. Though the story was great the ending felt a bit to much like it was done on the fly. It was solved with a hug from George’s dad. However, this still felt like a plausible outcome. Just not the best.
So an enjoyable episode let down slight by the ending.
7/10
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