Review of The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos
Warning: This review contains episode-specific spoilers and wild speculation about future episodes.
I think nothing sets apart the nascent Chibnall era from the RTD and Moffat eras so much as the final regular episode of this first series. Whereas previous showrunners have gone all out with bombastic, plot-heavy tours de force for their series finales, Chibnall… did not.
There are still some familiar elements in The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos, in that a thread begun back in the series opener (and continued in the second episode) was woven back into the TARDIS Team’s lives. Graham, and to a degree Ryan, finally had a chance to come to terms with the death that sent him scuttling into the TARDIS in the first place.
But it was more in the callbacks—both subtle and stated outright—that I was reminded of prior finales. Without the “Tim Shaw” tie-in, TBoRAK would be indistinguishable from any other episode in Series 11, and certainly not readily identifiable to a casual viewer as the series’s “big finish.”
That fact will make the episode a big disappointment for a certain segment of fans. For those who loved Moffat’s twisty, tricksy, over-stuffed plots, Chibnall’s writing will feel far too straightforward. If, however, you’re someone who loves stories grounded in character, there are plenty of satisfying moments to be had.
In particular, Graham’s emotional journey had pride of place. After the Team realizes they’re facing the same creature who was responsible for Grace’s death (with an “I know that voice” moment reminiscent of Davros’s return in the Series 4 finale The Stolen Earth), he pulls the Doctor aside and—in a very “responsible adult” way, I thought—tells her about his intentions.
All that, of course, leads to some heart-to-heart moments with Ryan. Their relationship warms further, with Ryan adding an admission of his love for Graham to his previous willingness finally to call him “Grandad.” When, after they defeat Tim Shaw, Ryan actually returns Graham’s offered fistbump, Graham stands stunned. Here is where the series arc gets tied up in a nice bow.
While the plot side of the episode isn’t the bombastic, series-arching crowdpleaser we’re used to, it definitely calls back to previous stories. I couldn’t look at poor Delph harnessed into that Stenza tech like an ersatz Christ figure without thinking of the Controller from Bad Wolf. And if the way the Ux’s eyes glowed didn’t make you immediately think of the Bad Wolf in Parting of the Ways, then it’s clearly been too long since you last saw the end of Series 1.
Even more obvious was the re-use of the idea of planets ripped from their proper places in space and time to be used for someone else’s megalomaniacal purposes. Whether you’re a neowhovian (The Stolen Earth) or a paleowhovian (The Pirate Planet), you might’ve seen something familiar there.
In fact, the Doctor herself reminds us of the similarities in her plan to send the planets back home when Yaz (who, in very Yazlike manner, has refused to leave the Doctor’s side as she does something risky and dangerous) asks her if it will work. “No idea,” the Doctor answers. “But I once towed your planet halfway across the universe with this TARDIS. And turned a Slitheen back into an egg. So, let’s give it a go.”
The one moment that stood out most for me, though, was one that highlighted the differences between this Doctor and all her other incarnations. The Doctor has often made sacrifices before—asked others to sacrifice to serve her purposes and the “greater good.” But this Doctor recognizes how shitty that is for those others.
“I know this will be painful,” she tells Delph, as they get ready to practically fry him with a kludge of Ux, TARDIS, and Stenza abilities. “I wouldn’t put you through this if I could think of any other way right now.”
“It’s okay,” he replies bravely.
“It’s not,” she says. For perhaps the first time, she openly acknowledges the enormity of what she’s asking of someone in such a situation. “But thank you.”
And thus, with the full consent of her new friends, she proceeds to save the universe—like actual adults. Now that makes for a finale worth watching.
Like you I saw call backs to The Pirate Planet. Mind you that was only after it had been revealed that the contents of the large Key to Time-like objects were shrunken planets and not some kind of large moth (which was my initial thought with what looked like wings flapping!).
You also had the Mentiads in The Pirate Planet but rather than think the Ux were like them, my first thought was of the inhabitants of Logopolis who used maths to create structure in the Universe while the Ux used faith. Potential for a classic science vs religion discussion perhaps? Maybe in a 4 x 25 minute episode structure this could have been looked at but not in the snack size 50 minutes structure we have now.
For me it was Chibnall’s best story of the season and I look forward to seeing the New Years Day episode.
So the season is done, and my first thoughts are that Chibnall tried to be safe. Yes I liked all the episodes (to varying degrees) but only 3 or 4 of them were what I would call strong episodes. There are rumours that he wants to go at the end of the next Season, and whilst rumours often don’t come true, it was until recently only a rumour that Season 12 would be delayed until 2020!
7/10 for Season 11 from me!
It’s interesting that you say you think Chibnall tried to be safe. That was the same reaction on the Verity! podcast! (I believe Lynne said it felt like they had the training wheels on all series.) So yes, I’d agree that it was generally a decent series with a minority of strong episodes.
Not thrilled that we’ll only get the New Year’s special in 2019, but if that allows them to get their ducks in a row and do some more adventurous things with Series 12, I won’t complain about it too much. And I hope the rumors aren’t true, especially as I’ve heard Chibnall’s name paired with Whittaker’s in that leave-after-next-series stuff. Two series aren’t enough for the Thirteenth Doctor.
I haven’t been terribly impressed with the season as a whole. I’ve liked Whitaker’s Doctor and I’ve liked all the companions. Each story separately has been decent with my favorites being the one about the wedding in Pakistan and The Witchfinders. But somehow, it hasn’t seemed to gel for me.
I found the last episode kind of yawnsome. Don’t get me wrong. I LIKED that it wasn’t some huge, action packed extravaganza. I found some of the prior season enders terribly tedious. But this episode seemed too much like the second episode of the season.
Sorry for the lagtime on a response, Kara.
I agree that this episode didn’t feel like a season finale. I got that feel more from the New Year’s special—more on that in my actual review, once it posts. 🙂
And yeah, there were a couple of really solid episodes, but the series didn’t ever feel to me like it really ever got off the ground. Maybe next season Chibnall will feel like he has the freedom to take some more risks and we’ll get some more exciting stories.