DOCTOR WHO “Mummy on the Orient Express” Review

Is this the final hoorah for Clara and the Doctor? Read on to find out.

The official description from BBC:

The Doctor is on the most beautiful train in history, speeding among the stars of the future. But a deadly creature is stalking the passengers. Once you see the horrifying mummy, you only have 66 seconds to live. No exceptions, no reprieve. As the Doctor races against the clock, he is seen at his deadliest and most ruthless.

Will he work out how to defeat the mummy? Start the clock!

What would you do if you came to the realisation that you only had sixty six seconds left to live? This is something that the passengers of the Orient Express have to confront, with a Mummy like creature called the Foretold continuing to kill one passenger after another. Despite the mysterious nature of this episode there is however one other pressing question; where do the Doctor and Clara take things from here, with Clara seeing this outing as their “final hoorah.”

Before I go any further I have to say this easily is the best episode the current series has produced so far. Which was a great relief for me personally, as so far it has seemed like all the episodes I’ve been eagerly looking forward to have turned out to be the more disappointing. Giving a thoroughly enthralling series of events throughout, Jamie Mathieson writes a gripping tale of mystery, with the puzzle of the Foretold being very suspenseful. The creature itself also proves to be one of the more interesting to graced this series, with the mixture of simplicity and specific unique features making it a formidable foe. Another thing I loved was the subtle references, with the “Are you my Mummy?,” and “I’m so sorry,” lines being a nice addition.

Given the way last week’s episode ended, I was eager to see where the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Clara’s (Jenna Coleman) relationship would go. Once again giving strong performances, Capaldi and Coleman capture both the tense and enthusiastic moments brilliantly, with the duo continuing to be a winning combo. Nevertheless it is still Capaldi who stands out, with his cold performance capturing the Doctor’s unsympathetic view on death in an hilarious manor. Joining the duo we get comedian Frank Skinner (Perkins), David Bamber (Captain Quell), John Sessions (Gus) and Daisy Beaumont (Maisie). Though none of these accompanying actors stand above the rest, they do their job well, with Skinner even acting as a witty counterpart for Capaldi, without overshadowing him.

Sometimes it’s nice to get a fun, suspenseful tale that captures your interest for the full 45 minutes. This is exactly what “Mummy on the Orient Express” does, with the mixture of mystery and humour allowing for a very engaging tale that’s easily the best this series has produced so far. Highly recommended.