The Bells of Saint John

The Bells of Saint John
by Steven Moffat
Originally Broadcasted: March 30th, 2013

The Doctor has been patiently waiting for any sign of Clara Oswald, the woman twice dead, and he finds her through a telephone call to the TARDIS. She becomes one of many victims of the deadly WiFi, under the control of the Great Intelligence. The Doctor sets out to not only save Clara, but also every single person who has been uploaded...

The Bells of Saint John gives us our proper introduction to new companion Clara Oswald, although its not Jenna-Louise Coleman's first appearance. At the beginning of this season, Doctor Who fans got a huge surprise when Coleman appeared in Asylum of the Daleks as a slightly different version of the character she would later play. And then of course in the previous episode, The Snowmen, we got to see a Victorian Clara. But this modern day Clara introduced in this episode has no recollection or knowledge of her other selves scattered throughout time. The Doctor has spent ages looking for any sign of the "woman twice dead", in fact he became an isolated monk waiting for any sign of Clara. In the beautifully written prequel to The Bells of Saint John, the Doctor has a deep chat with a young girl on swings about his situation with Clara, it's only after the girl leaves that it's revealed she is Clara. So you met her without even knowing it Doctor! It's a simple technical question that leads Clara to the Doctor. She calls an internet help line that somehow reaches the phone on the Doctor's TARDIS. This also serves as our introduction to the villain of the piece, quite simply, the WiFi. Click on a certain WiFi link and your soul is uploaded to the server of the Great Intelligence, back once again after a reintroduction in The Snowmen. The Great Intelligence has taken on the likeness of Walter Simeon from The Snowmen, and it's revealed at the end of this episode that it has been behind the WiFi life-draining. I thought the idea of using WiFi as a starting point for an alien invasion was a great one, taking Doctor Who boldly into a 21st century setting. The Spoonheads, while elementary in design, were quite ominous when you consider they could become anything in your subconscious and remove your soul from your body. I loved the scene where Ms. Kizlet uses every person in a cafe to talk to the Doctor. Mind control is always an intriguing story plot and topic, especially in Doctor Who. But beyond the obvious threat, we get some truly great moments between the Doctor and Clara. Whenever a companion or Doctor leaves, I alway shudder to think how they could live up to the greatness of the last one, but Clara Oswald continually impresses me. She's quickly becoming one of my favorite ever companions, and she's also breathing some new life and qualities into Matt Smith's Doctor. And must I say just how much I love Clara's theme that Murray Gold has composed! It has such a feeling of joy and wonder that perfectly complements the character. The Bells of Saint John was a great first episode for the season, and it also brought up some questions that will definitely be answered later in the season, like just what is the Great Intelligence up to?

Luke's Rating: 9/10