Doctor Who Review: Extremis (Season 10 Episode 6)

The Doctor, Bill, and Nardole get caught between two worlds on Doctor Who Season 10 Episode 6, “Extremis.”

First of all, if you’re thinking this episode might be an Iron Man crossover and that Pepper Potts is going to swoop in to save the day while all hopped up on Marvel’s version of Extremis, then I have bad news for you. “Extremis” is definitely not that. Just so we’re clear.

But second of all, and most importantly, a person with the surname “Potts” did swoop in. Bill kicks off this episode on a date that looks to be going in a pretty damn good direction before the whole thing gets crashed by the Pope. Can’t a girl have an adorable date with another girl without getting interrupted every five minutes?

BILL: Doctor. Here’s a tip. When I’m on a date — when that rare and special thing happens in my real life — do not, do not under any circumstances put the Pope in my bedroom.

Just kidding. Bill is friends with the Doctor — normalcy definitely isn’t on the table anymore.

“Extremis” only gets going halfway through the episode, leaving the first half’s wordy and theology-heavy antics feeling more like filler and less like setup for the eventual big twist.

Much of this episode feels like a considered and then disregarded plotline for Sherlock. With the involvement of the Church, a hidden puzzle readable only to a select few, and a rash of suicides linked to the revelation within that puzzle, it wouldn’t be entirely out of place for Sherlock Holmes to round any corner and start condescending to the first person he comes across.

For the record, that’s not exactly a good thing.

Luckily, Doctor Who veers off from the murky territory of dealing with the modern day Catholic Church and throws some virtual reality via aliens into the mix. There isn’t much to say about this plot just yet — “Extremis” is the first of a two-parter, and thus the final verdict will be easier to declare once its arc is wrapped up.

Hello, Sweetie

More interestingly, the groundwork from the first five episodes of season 10 finally comes to fruition with the reveal of just what is inside the Doctor’s mysterious vault: Missy.

Because of course it’s Missy.

This episode narratively and thematically ties The Doctor, The Mistress, and River together in a neat little bow. While Missy is facing execution for a yet unrevealed crime (though it doesn’t take much to guess why anyone would want to kill Missy), Doctor Who once again takes a moment to remind us that River was and is a part of the Doctor’s life, even in death.

Unlike seasons past, River is right in the forefront of the Doctor’s mind. There are great stretches of Eleven’s run where River is frustratingly missing from his story — most notably when Amy and Rory argue over conceiving a child while also forgetting to ever mention that they already have a child.

Little things like that make River’s reappearances in that time feel out of the blue, and also serve to disconnect the audience from the idea that she is both the Doctor’s wife as well as the daughter of two companions.

That is not the case in season 10. River is a constant presence in each and every episode thus far.

RIVER: Only in darkness are we revealed. Goodness is not goodness that seeks advantage. Good is good in the final hour — in the deepest pit, without hope, without witness, without reward. Virtue is only virtue in extremis. This is what he believes. And this is the reason, above all, I love him. My husband, my madman in a box, my Doctor.

Here, Twelve’s entire moral quandary over whether to save or kill Missy is eased by the words of his wife, delivered from Nardole and paired with her permission for him to kick the Doctor’s ass should he see fit. (I would pay good money to see Nardole try and take on the Doctor head-to-head.)

 

River’s poetic prose about her husband remind both us and the Doctor that his greatest strength is his virtue, and that he only reveals his truest self when he is faced with the darkest decisions. He continues to hold onto River while facing the idea that the world he, Bill, and Nardole know is actually a false one.

River’s diary serves as the one thing that anchors the Doctor to reality; her belief in him emboldens him to believe in himself. In his darkest hour, who is the Doctor? He’s the one person who is going to save everyone. Just like always.

THE DOCTOR: Well, consider this a warning on the eve of war. I am the Doctor. I am what stands between you and them.

Missy builds further on that message, albeit unknowingly: in her darkest hour, in the face of death, she begs for life.

Sure, she’s lying through her teeth about “turning good,” but the sentiment is there. The Doctor sees fit to save her life. After all, you can’t kill something that is too stubborn to die. I’d call Missy the ultimate cockroach of the universe, but she would be deeply offended.

So, the Doctor is stuck babysitting Missy’s very much alive body, he’s blind, his wife is dead, he’s somehow turned into the guy who gives Bill dating advice, and there’s an alien race around creating virtual worlds to practice killing all of humanity in. I’d say he’s having a pretty bad week.

STRAY THOUGHTS:

• The Doctor is still blind. I am enjoying the compromises he is willing to make to get his eyesight back, but the thing I’m enjoying even more is seeing the Doctor learn to work with a disability. I’m praying that the show approaches this plotline the right way, because there’s a lot of rich ground for representation here that could be meaningful if handled correctly.
• Did Missy do her own makeup for her execution? That blue eyeshadow was quite a look. Do you, girl.
• Bill dating! Bill being a nerd while dating! Bill dating girls! Gay Bill that the show continues to place important emphasis on! The bar is low, but I’m willing to bend for this.

What did you think of this episode of Doctor Who? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9/8c on BBC/BBC America.

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