Throughout series ten, we’ll bring you a brief, spoiler-free look at the episode to come. This week, a ‘Smile’ costs nothing…but gives death.
Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s ‘Smile’ takes on a decidedly more sci-fi tone than his previous outing. Nevertheless, a rich vein of the fairy tale runs right through the plot thanks to some weapons-grade Twelfth Doctor narration. Emoji-waving robots notwithstanding, the episode plays out as a quick-witted two-hander that keeps a snappy pace. The dialogue between Bill and the Doctor sparkles while Mackie in particular gets some moments to shine as an actor. Overall, this is a story brimming with ideas, clever writing and a neat satirical twist, but could have been a bit longer.
Trivia
- Mina Anwar, who plays Goodthing, had a recurring role as Gita in ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’.
- Steadfast is played by Ralf Little. He previously played Guy Fawkes in final Adventure Game, ‘The Gunpowder Plot’.
- Kiran Shah, one of the suit actors for the emojibots (alongside Craig Garner), played the mysterious figure under the blanket in ‘Listen’. I don’t think the characters are related though.
- Surely an smartphone-controlled emojibot toy must already be in the works.
- Mercifully, no poop or aubergines emojis crop up.
Quotes
“I’m over 2000 years old, I don’t always want to take the stairs.”
“Who needs loos? There’s probably an app for that.”
“Is there going to be food sexism even in the future? Is this Bloke Utopia?!”
Videos
