Doctor Who 7.12: Nightmare In Silver
The Doctor confronts his “upgraded” alter ego in “Nightmare in Silver.”
And for Neil Gaiman’s next trick, he set out to not only resurrect the Cybermen as a viable threat, but to give Clara more leeway to be a hero than we’ve seen so far this season. Mission accomplished on both fronts.
Starting sometime after the staple-gunned coda to “The Crimson Horror,” we catch up with The Doctor as he (apparently) caves in on the blackmail threat put to Clara by her two charges, Artie and Angie. While it’s an economical move to skip hearing exactly how the kids convinced Eleven to go along with this scheme, Angie is immediately written as the most petulant TV tween this side of Sunnydale, which dulls the whimsy a bit, especially for a show still ostensibly pitched to kids. Sarah Jane wouldn’t have put up with this.
At least (and this is no fault of the actors, but there it is) that duo is put out of commission for most of the episode, allowing room for everybody else to shine. As Webley, proprietor of the amusement planet where Eleven lands everyone, the underrated Jason Watkins — who stole the show in the early years of the original Being Human — justifies Eleven’s early Willy Wonka references, and it’s a pity we don’t get to see him interact more with his partner in grift, Porridge (Warrick Davis). Porridge has another secret, of course, but no need to rush into that. The two associates’ con ends up providing a Trojan (Cyber)horse for the silver villains, one that, as the intrepid folks at the Doctor Who wikia point out, has roots in both other adventures and real history.
When nobody’s looking, a phalanx of Cybermites begins the process of upgrading everyone on the planet — and this time, that includes the Doctor himself. The ensuing struggle of Eleven to free himself from the encroaching grip of the Cyber-Planner allows Matt Smith to add another notch on his belt this year; the gimmick of a chess match between forcibly split personalities could have crashed, but Smith gives “Mr. Clever” an extra sneer that carries it, particularly in his attempted seduction of Clara.
There’s a moment in that scene where she appears to want to give in, and it’s her only misstep of the day. Otherwise, she proves to be more than up to the task of assuming control of the platoon of cast-offs in charge of the nominally dead world. The argument that this is making her a Mary Sue is there, of course, but I’m closer to buying the idea after seeing Clara run the gauntlet of on-the-job Companion training. She seems to relish the chance, in fact, of running point on her mission for a change. So much so that when Porridge reveals he’s actually the long-lost Emperor of the forces in question, he asks her to rule by his side.
But, of course, she says no. Whether she’ll admit it or not, she’s drawn to Eleven. And — because this show seemingly can’t go a week anymore without living out past critiques — he’s apparently starting to be drawn to her. It was odd enough to see this Doctor go from “space Gandalf” to hitting on his best friend’s daughter to bossy husband. But the remark about Clara having a skirt that’s “just a little too tight” is as jarring to the viewer as it is to him, and for good reason. I’m not sure you could call it an evolution.
And there’s little time, literally, for either one to dwell on it. Next week, after all, is the season finale, and as the trailer shows us, friends and foes old and new will be involved, as this year’s Big Secret hangs in the balance.
As a bonus, though, have a look at this short “prequel” for the episode. Specifically, consider the fact that it’s related in the past tense.
