I've been a fan of Doctor Who since the relaunch in 2006. That prompted me to go back and watch a lot of the older stories as well.
Was this episode on par with "Genesis of the Daleks" or "Blink" or any of the other critically acclaimed episodes? Maybe. I wait to see the second half to decide. But whether it was or not, it succeeded for a few reasons.
1. Current show runner Stephen Moffat seems to favor dark, brooding, mood heavy stories and settings, over some of the more light hearted and fast paced episodes of the previous Davies' era. Whether you like that or not is a judgment call, though it has lead to a certain stagnation of lack of new and exciting ideas. Those dark stories that Doctor Who can do very well seemed to get all kind of "samey." This episode breaks that mold by introducing a new aspect to a classic villain, something not really done since Asylum of the Daleks. In short, it isn't a forced or canned plot, it actually adds something to the show's history. 2. The companion isn't wasted, nor is she overshadowing. So often the companion either gets to just go along for the ride, or becomes the focus of the story. This episode had well-rounded separate story arcs for both Bill and the Doctor. Even the guest star (who turns out to be... SPOILERS...)
The Master... he gets a fair amount of screen time and development, unlike some of the other showings this season for guest stars. 3. Too often, something like the Sonic Screwdriver or even the TARDIS itself gets used as a McGuffin, a magic "solve anything" problem. That hasn't been done too much in the Capaldi era in general, and this episode is no exception. You the audience goes along for the ride as the Doctor tries to confront this issue and move the plot forward. While the plot stagnates around Bill for a certain time, that period is used to develop her relationship with the Master. 4. If you have never seen much (or any) classic Who, many episodes ended on a cliffhanger. For fans of that plot style, much of nuWho disappoints. Either the episode is self contained, or the cliffhanger is only at the end of the season. Even fairly recent episodes that were 2 or 3 parters more or less ended with "Next time...." without much emotional investment of the plot abruptly stopping in mid stream at a critical point. This episode achieves that classic serial cliffhanger.
In short I would say that this is one of, and perhaps the best mix of plot elements, character use and development, and tense rising action in all of the Capaldi era.
Was this episode on par with "Genesis of the Daleks" or "Blink" or any of the other critically acclaimed episodes? Maybe. I wait to see the second half to decide. But whether it was or not, it succeeded for a few reasons.
1. Current show runner Stephen Moffat seems to favor dark, brooding, mood heavy stories and settings, over some of the more light hearted and fast paced episodes of the previous Davies' era. Whether you like that or not is a judgment call, though it has lead to a certain stagnation of lack of new and exciting ideas. Those dark stories that Doctor Who can do very well seemed to get all kind of "samey." This episode breaks that mold by introducing a new aspect to a classic villain, something not really done since Asylum of the Daleks. In short, it isn't a forced or canned plot, it actually adds something to the show's history. 2. The companion isn't wasted, nor is she overshadowing. So often the companion either gets to just go along for the ride, or becomes the focus of the story. This episode had well-rounded separate story arcs for both Bill and the Doctor. Even the guest star (who turns out to be... SPOILERS...)
The Master... he gets a fair amount of screen time and development, unlike some of the other showings this season for guest stars. 3. Too often, something like the Sonic Screwdriver or even the TARDIS itself gets used as a McGuffin, a magic "solve anything" problem. That hasn't been done too much in the Capaldi era in general, and this episode is no exception. You the audience goes along for the ride as the Doctor tries to confront this issue and move the plot forward. While the plot stagnates around Bill for a certain time, that period is used to develop her relationship with the Master. 4. If you have never seen much (or any) classic Who, many episodes ended on a cliffhanger. For fans of that plot style, much of nuWho disappoints. Either the episode is self contained, or the cliffhanger is only at the end of the season. Even fairly recent episodes that were 2 or 3 parters more or less ended with "Next time...." without much emotional investment of the plot abruptly stopping in mid stream at a critical point. This episode achieves that classic serial cliffhanger.
In short I would say that this is one of, and perhaps the best mix of plot elements, character use and development, and tense rising action in all of the Capaldi era.