REVIEW: Doctor Who, Series 11 Episode Six 'Demons of the Punjab'

 REVIEW: Doctor Who, Series 11 Episode Six 'Demons of the Punjab'

In honour of my recent rewatch of 'Demons of the Punjab', here is my review from the initial time of broadcast.

Wow...that was some episode. I feel like I have watched something very special with Demons of the Punjab; it doesn't just feel like Doctor Who, it feels like quality television drama. You could stick this on at 9pm post-watershed and it wouldn't look out of place.

Demons of the Punjab could move even the most hardened critics to tears. You really feel the injustice of the partition as Manish is prepared to kill his own brother Prem in order to maintain the divide between India and Pakistan. Prem's murder strikes a chord because not only is it betrayal by his own family but it also represents humanity at its very worst.

But it's not all gut-wrenching emotion. This episode has a good balance of fun, adventure and sad moments. The pacing is perhaps the best of any episode this series; it rarely feels like it stops to breathe, and it still finds the time for the odd joke or two - such as when the Doctor laments about having been a man, or the Doctor's suggestion that the Thijarians - the titular demons - may have gone 'shopping'.

Speaking of the demons, how utterly amazing were they?

The Thijarians are without a doubt the best new Doctor Who monster in ages; they look visually stunning, and their status as former assassins-turned-witnesses who honour the dead make for interesting characters. I love the notion that even those who may seem so far removed from compassion can still find their love for other species under tragic circumstances. It's a beautiful idea befitting of Doctor Who; a wonderful twist which helps the Thijarians stand out from Doctor Who's ever growing rogues gallery.

Probably more than any other episode this year, the cinematography is utterly breathtaking. It truly feels like watching a Doctor Who movie, so much that you forget you're watching a primetime BBC1 family drama with a shoestring budget. Demons of the Punjab could easily be shown in cinemas (see my thoughts on a potential future Doctor Who movie here), and it wouldn't look out of place.

I was sold on the cinematography before this episode, however one thing I wasn't quite sure on yet was the change of music composer - but Segun Akinola really knocked it out of the park tonight. His atmospheric scoring of Demons of the Punjab complimented the incredible imagery perfectly, and really made me feel like I was on a historical adventure through 1940s Punjab. It's so great, in fact, that I doubt Murray Gold could have offered much better.

One particular member of the TARDIS crew stood out tonight, one who we had been waiting to have a stand-out moment for a while now after so many episodes where she took a backseat to the Doctor, Graham and Ryan. I'm talking, of course, about Yaz. She really felt like she took centre-stage tonight, and Mandip Gill plays her brilliantly. I love Yaz's very forward approach to situations; as somebody who is used to being in control as a police officer it makes sense that she would be so assertive and strong-willed. Bradley Walsh of course shines as usual, as does Tosin Cole, and Jodie Whittaker gives her best performance of the series, but there's no mistaking that tonight's episode was 'The Yaz Khan Show' - and about time too.

Overall, a moving and heartfelt episode that will go down as an instant classic in years' to come. Writer Vinay Patel couldn't have had a stronger debut than this one.

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What are your thoughts on Demons of the Punjab? Let me know in the comments.