REVIEW: Doctor Who, Series 11 Episode Four 'Arachnids In The UK'

REVIEW: Doctor Who, Series 11 Episode Four 'Arachnids In The UK'

In honour of my recent rewatch of 'Arachnids In The UK', here is my review from the initial time of broadcast.

This was a very interesting episode for me, as each criticism I could find for the episode was swiftly exterminated as soon as it crossed my mind.

Slow pace? Here's a few spiders to send you cowering behind the sofa.

Yaz not doing much? Now she's investigating with the Doctor in the hotel bathroom.

It's like this episode was determined to prove me wrong at every opportunity it had, as though there was some psychic link during the writing process between myself and Chris Chibnall.

Talking of Chibnall, who knew that he had such clear horror-writing skills? Arachnids In The UK is possibly the scariest Doctor Who has been since the Matt Smith era; the spider coming up through the bath tub was terrifying, for instance, and those people in web cocoons sent shivers down my spine. In a way this episode felt like a spiritual sequel to The Green Death, what with the plot involving toxic waste enlarging the spiders and gifting them extraordinary abilities. In time I think this episode will be as fondly remembered as that classic Jon Pertwee serial is today.

Of course the main cast continue to impress. Jodie Whittaker continues to be perfectly cast as the Doctor, and Bradley Walsh remains the best of the companions as Graham. Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole also provide great performances as Yaz and Ryan respectively. I hope we see more of Shobna Gulati as Najia Khan as she has an instantly likeable presence, and I really felt for her when she was fired (quite harshly) by Chris Noth's Jack Robertson - a much better human villain than Krasko last week - for daring to turn up for work a fortnight early and being blamed for the cobwebs in the hotel rooms which were not her fault.

Speaking of the main cast of the Doctor and her 'fam', the TARDIS scene at the end where Graham, Ryan and Yaz decide to join the Doctor and name themselves 'Team TARDIS' is a lovely moment. It's great to see the TARDIS team bonding before they are thrust into their next adventure.

Also: wasn't that new time vortex just amazing? It is perhaps my favourite iteration of it to date. It just looks so lively and vibrant, and feels like a film version of a Doctor Who time vortex.

Overall, a classic horror episode of Doctor Who that I believe will be regarded as 'one of the greats' in years to come.

What are your thoughts on Arachnids In The UK? Let me know in the comments.