S11.E04: Arachnids in the UK

[Meredith Quill]

Airdate: 10.28.2018

Episode Synopsis:

"Something’s happening with the spiders in this city.” The Doctor, Yaz, Graham and Ryan find their way back to Yorkshire – and Yaz’s family – only to find something is stirring amidst the eight-legged arachnid population of Sheffield.

[ApathyMonger]

I liked that one, but it was definitely one of the scarier episodes I can recall. It’s definitely going to give some kids nightmares.

Two episodes in a row without any alien involvement too.

So is Chris Noth coming back later in the season?

I was surprised they actually mentioned Trump by name; I don’t think they’ve ever used real modern-day politicians before.

[John Potts]

Slightly disappointed, given the title, that it wasn't the Sex Pistols that were used to draw the spiders into the panic room. Nor was there any mention that the Doctor had died dealing with spiders before. Also, it seems really implausible for a sociopathic millionaire hotelier to become President...

Other than that, not a great episode. Do like Grace is still getting mentioned and that that's why Graham wants to leave with the Doctor. Less sure why Yaz does - sure, families drive you mad, but she has a real job! And good on the Doctor for pointing out that she can't keep them safe - I'm sure Rory would have appreciated the warning!

Quote

ApathyMonger I was surprised they actually mentioned Trump by name; I don’t think they’ve ever used real modern-day politicians before.

I was too! He was clearly a Trump Expy, but the last time we had an onscreen President it was the fictional President Winters (who was killed by the Master in The Sound of Drums).

Edited October 28, 2018 by John Potts

[Ceindreadh]

Only saw about half this episode. Was hiding behind a blanket for the rest of it. And yeah, okay, guns aren’t the answer but a big forking spider like that, I would have been searching for weapons as well. 

[John Potts]

Spiders don't bother me, so I was fine, but I was wondering how he managed to have all those guns in the UK! It's not impossible (certainly not for somebody rich & connected) but it's fairly hard to get your hands on a private handgun over here. I was expecting it to not work and for the big spider to kill Mr NotTrump.

[PWHCHCH]

I thought this episode was rather weak tbh. The episode specific characters fell flat, especially not!Trump. 

[Kite]

Well, that was a lighter outing! I'm not freaked by spiders so wasn't really scared, but love the scene where the spiders are coming en masse down the hallway.

Four for four episodes with toxic masculinity power corrupts type baddie, I think it's a theme? Definitely one for this age though, Trump being mentioned isn't a coincidence.

I feel this episode was one for the kids, or at least the messages and dialogue in it seemed really super obvious to me.

ETA: There kept being the "spiders don't usually do this" line, and I'm from Australia so I was like "but spiders are dangerous??" and then I remember how an episode of Peppa Pig (UK) got banned in Australia because it irresponsibly told children spiders were friendly. LOL.

Also, I mean, the Guns Are Bad line was super obvious (and actually farmers shoot dying stock and roadkill here as it's considered kinder) but I guess it's not so bad, considering, to have some nationalist identity around "we don't worship guns here". (We have that same pride at not being like the US in Australia.)

Edited October 28, 2018 by Kite

[cambridgeguy]

2 hours ago, John Potts said:

was too! He was clearly a Trump Expy, but the last time we had an onscreen President it was the fictional President Winters (who was killed by the Master in The Sound of Drums).

In Ten's last episode Obama showed up to be converted into a Master.  I

[clack]

Why was the Chris North character world famous? A mere business man, no matter how successful, who is thinking about running for president -- like Bob Iger, head of Disney, who is considering a 2020 run -- wouldn't be recognizable even in the US, not by name, not by face.

I like Jodie Whitaker's Doctor, she has some dimension to her. What I don't like is all the other characters, who are one-note stereotypes.

[benteen]

Definitely the first real weak episode of the season.  It was bogged down in exposition towards the end and completely obnoxious with its political bent.

The saving Grace (no pun intended) is the main characters and their interaction.  The whole last sequence was fantastic, particularly Team Tardis being made official.

Edited October 29, 2018 by benteen

[ae2]

That was atrocious. Bad writing, cheesy dialogue, terrible acting from the guest star, annoying in your face politicizing, and to top it off, the (American) broadcast was so poorly edited that it wasn't even clear that the plot was resolved.

[FormerMod-a1]

I miss the Tardis and I miss aliens.  Hopefully we get more of them soon.

[truther]

Did I miss something?  The main storyline abruptly ended once Chris Noth shot the queen, even though he still had a panic room full of giant mutant spiders and there were others throughout the city and the toxic landfill under the hotel was still there and people were dead and . . . WTF was that?  

That record-scratch moment aside, the episode was pretty weak otherwise.  Lots of blunt-force storytelling and silly situations.  I did like the Tardis scene at the end however.  I am so glad to have companions who are awed by and appreciative of what they're experiencing.  (Though the Doctor's "I can't ensure your safety" line had me fearful that at least one of these three might not make it to the season's end.) 

[Kite]

6 minutes ago, ae2 said:

That was atrocious. Bad writing, cheesy dialogue, terrible acting from the guest star, annoying in your face politicizing, and to top it off, the (American) broadcast was so poorly edited that it wasn't even clear that the plot was resolved.

I don't think it was just the American one, I got the full length sans ads and it was confusingly resolved. I thought I'd missed something but I don't think so. Plus, we have four villainous types who could come back (I hope they don't)... this one was a real caricature for children though. Over-egged.

[Chaos Theory]

Another good episode.  So far the writing this season has been on point.  I loved the spiders and the connection to the businessman who wanted to be President.  Also the reason the group all decided to continue on with The Doctor felt real and realistic.   I don’t know about anyone else but this episode made me ship The Doctor and Yaz.  The entire scene where Yaz’s mom asked if they were seeing each other was hilarious.  

This season is on a roll.

Edited October 29, 2018 by Chaos Theory

[Terrafamilia]

I hate spiders so I was totally with not!Trump with the kill 'em all bit. What was the Doctor expecting to do with the giant spider in the ballroom after they got it out of the hotel? The spiders in the safe room, wait till they all starved to death? The Kevin-killing spider coming out the bathtub reminded me of an old Night Gallery episode. A guy with arachnophobia keeps killing a spider and it keeps coming back, larger each time...

[cardigirl]

Did I hear it right? Did they lure the spiders to the panic room to die of starvation? Or old age? I thinking shooting them might have been more merciful. 

[phalange]

The transition between the giant spider in the ballroom and the last scene was kind of abrupt. Regardless, I thought it was fun (I like spiders, but my sympathies to people with arachnophobia!). I liked getting to know Yaz's family, and I get why even though she loves them, she needs a break. She has a job, but The Doctor can just get her back to the same day she left. At the beginning when Yaz wondered why no one had texted her, The Doctor said it had only been half an hour since they were in the warehouse at the end of the first episode. Wibbly wobbly timey wimey, etc. 

The Doctor's face when Roberston was talking in the kitchen is the exact face I make when old white male politicians are talking. I love that she thought he was Ed Sheeran and told him he couldn't run for president because he fired Yaz's mom. 

Ryan making shadow puppets in the background while Thirteen and the scientist were talking was great, as was Thirteen name-dropping Amelia Earhart. I don't think there's ever been an episode about her, but there should be.

Also, The Doctor has sisters! I wonder if that will come into play somehow in future episodes.

[clack]

British TV writers famously can't write Americans, but even by British standards, Chris North was written (and horribly acted) as such a ludicrous caricature.

[Galileo908]

I liked this one, but count me in as being disappointed that Not Trump wasn't brutally killed.

5 minutes ago, phalange said:

Ryan making shadow puppets in the background while Thirteen and the scientist were talking was great, as was Thirteen name-dropping Amelia Earhart. I don't think there's ever been an episode about her, but there should be.

Oh yeah, that was great. I thought I was the only one who caught the shadow puppets.

[rur]

What about the spider that crawled into the hood of the Doctor's coat?????????

[Triskan]

Ryan making shadow-puppets.

Enough said.

[elle]

4 minutes ago, Galileo908 said:

10 minutes ago, phalange said:

Ryan making shadow puppets in the background while Thirteen and the scientist were talking was great, as was Thirteen name-dropping Amelia Earhart. I don't think there's ever been an episode about her, but there should be.

Oh yeah, that was great. I thought I was the only one who caught the shadow puppets.

Another project night, so I was glad that this was the scene I was able to see.  I was half expecting the Doctor and the scientist to turn around and see him.  I'm actually glad that it played out in the background as it did.

[Galileo908]

I feel like a Moffat Doctor would've noticed the shadow puppets.

[AnimeMania]

They did not solve the giant spider problem nor solve the cause of the giant spider problem. The toxic landfill is still active waiting for more creatures to become ginormified. The toxic politician is still active waiting to make America more shitified.

[Kite]

41 minutes ago, phalange said:

Also, The Doctor has sisters! I wonder if that will come into play somehow in future episodes.

Wasn't that a joke about being a nun or did I mishear?

ETA: Also, I've been thinking about the Doctor's portrayal in the episode, I don't know for sure, I feel it might have been written as a bit too... vulnerable? What do other people think? So far I've been really keen on 13, but wasn't quite sure about some of the lines in this episode. I haven't watched any Peter Davison episodes for years (as a child I found him a bit boring, unlike 13, the actor plays him as quite testy in the recent audios though) but a lot of people have been drawing comparisons between 5 and 13 re being pleasant and vulnerable. I feel there might be some gender stuff going on re 13 though.

Edited October 29, 2018 by Kite

[RandomWatcher]

That was a whole lot of nope

[howiveaddict]

1 hour ago, Kite said:

Wasn't that a joke about being a nun or did I mishear?

 

I took it to mean a nurse.

[Unusual Suspect]

The TARDIS sailing through the time vortex was hella awesome.

[WatchrTina]

I didn't much care for that one for all the reasons already stated above.  And now I'm annoyed I  missed seeing Ryan making shadow-puppets.

[benteen]

1 hour ago, Kite said:

Wasn't that a joke about being a nun or did I mishear?

ETA: Also, I've been thinking about the Doctor's portrayal in the episode, I don't know for sure, I feel it might have been written as a bit too... vulnerable? What do other people think? So far I've been really keen on 13, but wasn't quite sure about some of the lines in this episode. I haven't watched any Peter Davison episodes for years (as a child I found him a bit boring, unlike 13, the actor plays him as quite testy in the recent audios though) but a lot of people have been drawing comparisons between 5 and 13 re being pleasant and vulnerable. I feel there might be some gender stuff going on re 13 though.

Yes, they do seem to be portraying 13 much like 5 in terms of vulnerability.  

[tkc]

Ah, an episode in true behind the sofa tradition! Really appreciating 13 so far!

[LiveenLetLive]

7 hours ago, John Potts said:

Also, it seems really implausible for a sociopathic millionaire hotelier to become President...

bwahahaha

[hnygrl]

So far, a season not worth space on my DVR.  Dammit. So far the new new who sucks. 

 

Maybe it doesn’t suck large, as in Moffatt, the latter years, but it’s not in any way good either. Instead of being scared of the mama spider? I was thinking ‘damn, what a gorgeous bathroom! ‘ Loved those tiles!

Mama spider? Eh, It’s been done before.  

[Enigma X]

I really did not like this episode and not only because of the spiders. It was not my cup of tea.

[theschnauzers]

For the record, Eleven had Nixon in the Oval Office.

Had to expect a little bit of a letdown after last week’s episode but still a good one as it is yet another contemporary Earth episode after years of almost completely avoiding Earth of the present day throughout Eleven’s and Twelve’s eras.

[rur]

2 hours ago, Kite said:

Quote

Also, The Doctor has sisters! I wonder if that will come into play somehow in future episodes.

Wasn't that a joke about being a nun or did I mishear?

 

I thought I heard both -- first she said she had sisters, then she said she was a sister in a way that I figured "nun." TBH, I'm not fond of spiders, so I don't want to watch the episode again to find out.  This was a good behind the sofa/Halloween episode.

[Cotypubby]

1. If there is a giant man-eating spider running around, shooting it in the head to stop it is a good idea, even if it’s shot by DefinitelyNotSupposedToBeTrump.

2. Causing a roomful of said spiders to die by starvation/suffocation/cannibalism is a much crueler death than a simple shot to the head.

3. So Not!Trump now has a roomful of spiders to deal with?

 

I loved the creepiness of this episode, it was a big old ball of Nope, but the writing of the resolution was terrible. As in, there wasn’t any.

[Llywela]

4 hours ago, Kite said:

ETA: Also, I've been thinking about the Doctor's portrayal in the episode, I don't know for sure, I feel it might have been written as a bit too... vulnerable? What do other people think? So far I've been really keen on 13, but wasn't quite sure about some of the lines in this episode. I haven't watched any Peter Davison episodes for years (as a child I found him a bit boring, unlike 13, the actor plays him as quite testy in the recent audios though) but a lot of people have been drawing comparisons between 5 and 13 re being pleasant and vulnerable. I feel there might be some gender stuff going on re 13 though.

There are a lot of similarities between Thirteen and Five - both coming across as kinder, gentler, more sympathetic characters than their highly charismatic, somewhat overbearing predecessors. I can also see a lot of Eight in Thirteen - bright and sunny and optimistic. So to me her persona doesn't read in a gender way at all, because I can see other Doctors in her personality.

I wasn't thrilled by the plot of this one - felt like something of a rip-off of a couple of old Pertwee adventures (The Green Death had toxic waste in a mine causing giant killer mutant maggots, and Planet of the Spider also featured giant spiders). I enjoyed the character movement, though - getting to learn more about Yaz's family, seeing Graham and Ryan's relationship move forward a step, etc. No one has mentioned it here yet, but there was a key scene for those two when Ryan was trying to talk about his dad's letter: he'd been invited to live with his dad permanently but objected to his dad calling himself 'proper family' - he was protesting that phrase on Graham's behalf, which is as close as he's ever come yet to accepting Graham as his family...but Graham was distracted by the giant spider and so didn't hear him. So I guess, for Ryan, going away with the Doctor again allows him to put off dealing with the decision he now needs to make (stay with Graham or go to his dad) while for Graham, going away to avoid having to get on with his life without Grace is a no-brainer - Yaz is more surprising, knowing how ambitious she is. You wouldn't think she'd want to risk her career, however much her family drive her mad - but then again, having been brought home half an hour after she left will have given her false confidence in the Doctor's ability to bring her home without consequence, and she's not the first to get a taste of interstellar adventure and want more!

There was a lot of humour in the episode, which I enjoyed - I caught Ryan's shadow puppets as well - but the plot wasn't great and I do not enjoy giant spiders!

[Dobian]

Not a fan of this one.  Not!Trump was too over the top as the heartless asshole businessman.  Didn't care much for the premise.  They did a good job animating the spiders, that was about it.  As has been said, let's get these people back into space, we've seen enough earth the past two weeks.

[Kelda Feegle]

Much as I like Noth - I wish that the show hadn't imported an American to play the American character, I understand verisimilitude but it seems like an unnecessary pandering to global sales.

I completely hope I never hear Team TARDIS again.

I am arachnophobic and got a bit twitchy during this episode but I thought that the spiders were not over used or made terrifying in an OTT way.

Loving the theme music, ok with the intro graphics, still wish the TARDIS was the proper blue.

[Sakura12]

What was with the editing this episode or was it the BBC America version. Did they just let the other spiders die of starvation? At that point then I'm with notTrump shooting them would've been a mercy killing or at least do something to make it a quick death. I didn't hear an option of turning them back to their original size. 

This was definitely the weakest ep so far. 

I understand why Graham and Ryan would choose to go with the Doctor, they don't want to have make a decision to move on yet. Yaz has a job that she can get fired from. I did like 13 giving a warning to her companions that she can't keep them safe and that they will never be the same. Some of others could've done with that warning. 

[libgirl2]

The ending seemed so weak. Up until that point, I was enjoying the episode quite a bit. 

Also was Yaz's mother implying that she is "with" the Doctor? Its the vibe I got off of the comments. 

Still like Graham! 

[questionfear]

1 minute ago, libgirl2 said:

The ending seemed so weak. Up until that point, I was enjoying the episode quite a bit. 

Also was Yaz's mother implying that she is "with" the Doctor? Its the vibe I got off of the comments. 

Still like Graham! 

It seemed like Yaz's mom was asking if that was the case...and I cracked up that the Doctor felt the need to check that with Yaz.

[benteen]

I'll also agree the editing was also a mess with this episode, making it difficult to follow what was going on.  The exposition didn't help either and what exactly was causing the spiders to grow like this?

The Doctor's pacifism was taken to extremes this time.  How was it more compassionate to let the spider slowly choke to death than to put it out of its misery with a quick bullet to the head?

[Sakura12]

17 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

The ending seemed so weak. Up until that point, I was enjoying the episode quite a bit. 

Also was Yaz's mother implying that she is "with" the Doctor? Its the vibe I got off of the comments. 

Still like Graham! 

Yaz never brought any friends around or boyfriends or girlfriends. Her mother was trying to figure out who those people were. Of course her family thinks she's dating one of them. Even her sister asked if Yaz and Ryan were together. 

[WatchrTina]

2 hours ago, Kelda Feegle said:

Much as I like Noth - I wish that the show hadn't imported an American to play the American character

I can't help but suspect that they would not have gone to the trouble of hiring a "name" American actor for a one-and-done role.  Alas, I'm pretty sure we're going to see Chris Noth's amoral real-estate developer/wanna-be-president character again (perhaps in the future as an incumbent US president.)  I'm also pretty sure that we're going to see that time-traveler from the Rosa Parks episode again (and he's going to have a bone to pick with Ryan.)  Ordinarily I would applaud the idea of leaving breadcrumbs in the first episodes of the season that will ultimately link to some "big" episode or episode arc later in the season.  But I didn't like Chris Noth's Not!Trump character, nor am I interested in seeing the racist time-traveler in the Rosa episode again, so if I'm right and their characters re-appear this season, that's going to be a drag.

 

EDITED TO ADD:

2 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

Did they just let the other spiders die of starvation? At that point then I'm with notTrump shooting them would've been a mercy killing or at least do something to make it a quick death. I didn't hear an option of turning them back to their original size. 

Yeah I thought that was weird too.  I'm guessing the thinking was that the giant mutant spiders were not the result of intervention by aliens but rather the natural consequence of human activities, therefore it was really up to the humans to clean up their own mess.  I can't think of a previous Doctor Who episode where he steps in to save the earth from the bad things we do to ourselves.  He announces in one episode that "This planet is defended!" (Didn't Eleven Ten declare that to the invading force he faced in the Christmas episode where David Tennant first appeared?)  There is a long tradition of The Doctor saving the earth from aliens from outer space (or those that lurked deep in the earth).  But I can't think of an episode before where he saves us from ourselves. 

Edited October 29, 2018 by WatchrTina

[libgirl2]

10 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

I can't help but suspect that they would not have gone to the trouble of hiring a "name" American actor for a one-and-done role.  Alas, I'm pretty sure we're going to see Chris Noth's amoral real-estate developer/wanna-be-president character again (perhaps in the future as an incumbent US president.)  I'm also pretty sure that we're going to see that time-traveler from the Rosa Parks episode again (and he's going to have a bone to pick with Ryan.)  Ordinarily I would applaud the idea of leaving breadcrumbs in the first episodes of the season that will ultimately link to some "big" episode or episode arc later in the season.  But I didn't like Chris Noth's Not!Trump character, nor am I interested in seeing the racist time-traveler in the Rosa episode again, so if I'm right and their characters re-appear this season, that's going to be a drag.

I didn't mind him too much, but I don't like the racist time traveler much. 

[Enigma X]

I like Chris Noth. I am not sure why this episode did not sit well with me. Maybe it was too "kiddy." I am no fan of spiders either.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the companions though.

[chitowngirl]

I thought since the safe room had food for a human for 6 months, it would be enough for the spiders to live out their natural lives.