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» » Doctor Who Deep Breath (2005– )

Short summary

The Doctor and Clara find themselves in London with Madam Vastra and the gang. There are clockwork men and the Doctor is still scrambling to find himself. Clara doesn't understand the regeneration process for the Doctor.

The new opening credits that were introduced in this episode were based on a fan-made YouTube video by Billy Hanshaw. Steven Moffat was so impressed by the video, he got in touch with Hanshaw to get it recreated by BBC Wales Graphics.

At one point, the Doctor asks a pedestrian "Have you seen this face before?" and then continues to go into a rampant speech about never knowing where his face comes from. A reference to the fact that Peter Capaldi's face has been on the show well before he became the Doctor. In S04E02 The Fires of Pompeii Capaldi played Caecilius

Disregarding the special case of Rose, this is the first episode introducing a new Doctor since "The Power of the Daleks" to not show the Doctor choosing his new outfit.

It is the longest normal Doctor Who episode.

Brian Miller, who was the husband of Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), has a minor role.

"Deep Breath" marked the seventh Doctor that Steven Moffat has written for, eight if you count Tom Baker's cameo in "The Day of the Doctor". In addition to penning stories for the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors in their respective eras, Moffat also wrote for the Fifth Doctor in "Time Crash", the Eighth in "The Night of the Doctor" and the War Doctor in "The Day of the Doctor".

During the read-through of the script for this episode, the cast and crew-members filled the room with laughter when Peter Capaldi reached the lines ridiculing his eyebrows. The read-through was also the first time that Capaldi and Jenna Coleman had worked together, as Capaldi had been secretly auditioned.

First appearance of Missy.

At the end of the story, the TARDIS brings the Doctor and Clara to Glasgow, Scotland. Glasgow is Peter Capaldi's birthplace.

This episode attracted Doctor Who (2005)'s best ratings for a series opener for four years, with a peak audience of 7.3 million viewers.

The line Vastra speaks when the Doctor passes out on the beach, "Well here we go again", is a nod to Jon Pertwee's final story Planet of the Spiders in Doctor Who (1963) The same line is said by the Brigadier when the Doctor regenerates into Tom Baker.

No shots of the TARDIS interior are shown before the reveal of its redesign, due to the permanent remodeling of certain parts in the control room for the Twelfth Doctor, which would make the replication of the pre-redecorated console highly tasking.

The "kiss" between Vastra and Jenny was deleted from versions of the episode shown in parts of Asia, due to various cultural stigmas against same-sex intimacies.

Doctor mentions Sweeney Todd, who is a fictional character that was popular in Victorian-era melodrama and was also known as "The Demon Barber of Fleet Street." He would dispatch unwary patrons in his barber shop by pulling a lever and having the barber chair they were in drop into a pit. They would then be cut up with his straight razor and served in pies sold in by his co-conspirator, Mrs Lovett.

Marks the first time a Doctor Who (2005) episode gets a theatrical screening in Iceland, since even the so-called 'universal' screening of the 50th Anniversary special did not make it to Icelandic theatres. It's also the first 'non-special', i.e. plain episode of the show to get an international cinema screening.

A black and white screener of this episode made its way onto the internet nearly a month before airing.

This is the first episode in the new series and the first overall since the first episode in the "The Leisure Hive" story to première in August.

As Half-Face Man awakens in "heaven" a sound, like the faint echo of the infamous cloister bell can be heard in the distance.

Digital raindrop removal was used in the scene where Clara and the Doctor emerged in Glasgow (actually Cardiff), since it was a brisk, overcast day that saw a small downpour during filming. Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman used insulated coats to stay warm when they were not in the middle of filming.

Missy's look was based after the titular Mary Poppins (1964).

Near the day of filming where Peter Capaldi's official costume would be seen in public for the first time, the BBC released an official publicity shot to deter a press leak.

The BBC gave this episode a world tour in seven countries over twelve days.

When the newly regenerated Doctor is confused by the English accents of everyone in the room, Madame Vastra adopts a subtle Scottish accent (to reflect the new Doctor's Scottish accent). Neve McIntosh, who plays Madame Vastra with an refined English accent, is from Paisley, Scotland.

When the Doctor hands the droid a silver platter with which to study its reflection, he can be seen studying his own on the back of the polished surface, as he is still acclimatizing to his new face.

This episode (and its script) was leaked online when stored on a publically-accessible server, with incomplete CGI, watermarks and timecodes in black-and-white, prompting a plea from BBC Worldwide not to watch it. The rough cut held the nomenclature, "Prepared for Marcelo Camargo at Drei Marc".

First appearance of Courtney.

When Clara is trying to get the sonic screwdriver back to the doctor and almost misses, the Doctor says "It's at times like this I miss Amy."This is a reference to Amy Pond, the 11th Doctor's first companion.

The outfit that the new Doctor chooses bears a striking resemblance to the one worn by Peter Capaldi during his November 24th, 2009 appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2005).

The Twelfth Doctor choosing Caecilius's face is is the third time a Time Lord chose the face of a person that they previously encountered for their regeneration. The first was Romana choosing Princess Astra in Doctor Who: Destiny of the Daleks: Episode One (1979) (both played by Lalla Ward), and the second was the Sixth Doctor choosing Commander Maxil in Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani: Part Four (1984) (both Colin Baker).

When the Tardis lands on the bank of the River Thames, there is a metal frame that looks like the internal structure of the upper part of a Dalek's body, where the gun and plunger are mounted.

This episode takes place in the 1890s.

The Doctor discovers that the cyborgs made the restaurant out of parts from a spaceship called SS Marie Antoinette, which is a sister ship to the SS Madame de Pompadour. In "The Girl in the Fireplace", also written by Steven Moffat. The SS Madame de Pompadour was a 51st century spaceship, ran by clockwork robots, which the Tenth Doctor, Rose and Mickey discovered had repaired the ship by using parts from the ship's crew. The robots were also using time windows to stalk 18th century French aristocrat Madame de Pompadour, which the ship was named after, as her head was required to complete the repairs of the ship.

When the Doctor was ripping off the face of the cyborg while in the larder when Clara reached back, the face was a mask of Matt Smith.

Peter Capaldi's predecessor Matt Smith makes a surprise cameo as The Eleventh Doctor.

User reviews


  • comment
    • Author: Ddilonyne
    Deep Breath stars the newly regenerated Doctor, Peter Capaldi. This episode will be important for the sole purpose of introducing us to him and evidently, there has been lots of change.

    But did these changed work?

    They worked remarkably.

    Peter Capaldi not only brings new depths to the Doctor, but brings back Classic Doctor Who traits. He reminds me a lot of Tom Baker or sometimes Jon Pertwee. His rough attitude with his companions is quite new for those who haven't watched Classic Who, but fans from way back will love it. The New Doctor brings back the mysterious and serious Doctor which was proved to be shown in the episode. Attitudes and Traits aside, The New Doctor is fantastic and all the fan girls who still miss Tennant and Smith will love Capaldi in this episode. As for Clara, she has become more interesting beside Capaldi, as she misses Matt Smith's Doctor and has to cope with him from now on. But, NO. That episode fixes it with a heart warming ending which will touch the hearts of any Doctor Who fan new or old. Clara with Capaldi's Doctor is quite entertaining to watch Capaldi is like a Father Figure now to Clara just like the previous Doctors as they were to their previous companions. The Paternoster Gang were entertaining as well. The Villains for this episode were not the best, but for an episode centered on the new Doctor, I guess you could say, it was well done.

    In the end, Capaldi is a serious, meaner and sometimes rude character. He will bring the Doctor in to new heights and will not be afraid to drop the bow tie and tie, the childishness and the looks. And did I mention how his Scottish accent was great in this episode?

    With a Fantasitc Doctor, Entertaining moments with him and Clara, a heartwarming ending and an Overall great introduction to Peter Capaldi.

    I'll be marking my calendar for the next episodes already.

    Verdict: 8.9/10
  • comment
    • Author: Mallador
    It's far too early to draw any conclusions as to how Peter Capaldi and the writers will define the Twelfth Doctor -- but that isn't going to stop me or any fan of the series.

    First, the episode is pretty much of a corker. With a new, weird opening sequence, we start out with a story involving a dinosaur, the Paternoster Gang and cyborgs in the Victorian Era. Most of the fun lies in figuring out who the new Doctor is.

    Of course, all the Doctors are variations on the basic character laid down half a century ago by William Hartnell. Even so, there is enormous room for variation and the better episodes have taken advantage of the actors' strengths. Capaldi's predecessor, Matt Smith, was brilliant at playing an alien so bizarre that he did not understand how weird he seemed to humans. The comedy would frequently overwhelm the stories. Capaldi is equally adept at comedy, but he is not playing the clown that Matt Smith does. When he babbles, you can hear the confusion that he feels. If show-runner Steven Moffat and Capaldi mean to go on in this way, then we have not just a regenerated Doctor to look forward to; we have a regenerated show.
  • comment
    • Author: Mori
    It wasn't perfect, but Deep Breath was a fantastic return for Doctor Who tonight. Following a series that offered more disappointment than wonder, I really feel Doctor Who could be heading in the right direction for the first time since the fifth season's opener back in 2010. Peter Capaldi is nothing short of an absolute triumph. We're still only getting to know his incarnation, but he gave a near faultless performance as a lost Doctor who knows less about himself than he does the people the around him. From his delightful pyjama-wearing horse- riding, to his more sinister moments in the episode's crescendo, he nailed every scene with ease. Matt Smith, for me, won't be an easy act to follow, but Capaldi is certainly on the right tracks.

    Also, as surprising as it is satisfying, Clara finally became a character this evening, rather than a mere plot point to allow an episode to cheat its way to a close. She's still considerably weaker than other companions we've been treated to, but this feels like a fresh start for her. Coleman, too, gave a terrific performance. As for the plot? This is where the episode struggled. 75 minutes was far too long anyway (60 would've been perfect), and nothing really happened for the first half an hour. It gave the characters some calm time to talk, but the pacing fell apart early on and struggled to pick itself back up again. That said, the "Deep Breath" sequence was terrifically executed, and the T-Rex was beautifully animated, if fairly irrelevant to the plot.

    But when we're being introduced to a new Doctor, plot must come second. Moffat balanced plot and character fairly well throughout the episode, there was just too much filler in a story that didn't need to be as long as it was. The actual standalone plot of the episode wound up as the most uninteresting thing here, but when Capaldi was such a great presence on-screen, that can hardly be criticized. I was hoping for a simpler, yet darker, more assured series of Doctor Who, and if Deep Breath is anything to go by, they may well have done just that.
  • comment
    • Author: Via
    As this episode opens one could be forgiven for thinking you were watching an episode of 'Primeval' as we see a tyrannosaurus rex rampaging through London… that is until it becomes apparent that this is Victorian London and it coughs up the Tardis! The Doctor who emerges from it is quite a bit older than the one in the previous series and he is having difficulty with the names of people he should know and with his new appearance. The Doctor and Clara are taken to Madame Vastra's house but the Doctor wanders off. It looks as if he and Clara are to be separated but she spots an advert in The Times which could only have come from The Doctor; it leads her to a restaurant where they are reunited and he tells her how he found her advert! Clearly it was a trap; they are in a room full of creepy automata and it would appear they are on the menu!.

    The first episode of a new Doctor is always a little difficult to judge; the character is familiar yet also unfamiliar; both for the viewer and the characters who know him. Much of the first half of the episode was given over to getting Clara, and through her the audience, to accept the change… then the real action started. The villain of the story was suitably creepy without showing us what he did in any detail… a family show can't show organ harvesting robots who have made a balloon from human skin! It isn't all scares though; we get a few laughs too, mostly from Strax.

    Peter Capaldi got off to a fine start in his first full episode as The Doctor; it certainly looks as though he will be quite different when compared to the other 'new-series' Doctors. He is still somewhat manic, so much so that I feared he'd end up in Bedlam as he wandered around London in a nightshirt! Jenna Coleman continues as assistant Clara Oswald so we don't need to get used to two new protagonists as we did when Matt Smith took over and the presence of Madame Vastra, her wife Jenny and Strax provide more familiar faces. The episode is almost double the usual length but at no point did I think the story was dragging. Overall I found this to be a fairly enjoyable episode and have a feeling I'll like this new Doctor.
  • comment
    • Author: Jogas
    Well that was an excellent and fun episode of Doctor Who. I tend to like the ones that are set in historic English settings and I find that trio of characters in London, the reptilian woman, the human woman and the potato like fellow, to be very entertaining.

    I've been doing a bit of browsing the web for other perspectives on this Doctor Who and I see that some people like to criticise the script writing of Stephen Moffat. I have not seen every Doctor Who episode by a long way, however I have seen others written by Stephen Moffat and his script writing is excellent as it was in this Deep Breath episode. Stephen Moffat seems to be particularly good at story design. He also sets up rather fine situations. I don't wish to be specific because I prefer not to include any spoilers, however the conclusion to the main drama in this episode really was beautifully done, leaving a great ambiguity about the new Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi.

    Peter Capaldi looked to me like a first class Doctor Who. I did like Matt Smith and Tenant but to me Peter Capaldi is the real deal. The first Doctor Who I remember is Pertwee and as a child I loved Tom Baker. However I lost interest in the series after Tom Baker left as I became an older teenager. It was a joy to watch Peter Capaldi in his new role. He is a bit mysterious and dark which I really like. He is so capable, he is able to do the comedy but maintain this slight darkness.

    There was one thing which I didn't like about the episode which was the mechanism used to reconcile Clara with the new Doctor near the end. I haven't described it because I don't want to include spoilers. I think Clara should have decided to go with this new strange Doctor all on her own, I think there should have been a scene where she weighed it up, and on balance decided she would join him in his journeying through space and time.

    All in all a great episode. Moffat is a great writer and Capaldi is looking like he will be a great Doctor.
  • comment
    • Author: Priotian
    To say that the latest season of Doctor Who was much anticipated would be one hell of an understatement. With over a year to go before its premiere, a new actor stepped up to the plate: Scottish actor Peter Capaldi, known for his gutter mouthed presence on the BBC Two satirical series The Thick of It. His first appearance was by way of minimalism in the 50th Anniversary Special,- a shot of his hand, and a shot of his eyes. He then filled Matt Smith's clothing in the 2013 Christmas special, with the question that left us hanging: "Do you happen to know how to fly this thing?" And now, he's here. The Twelfth Doctor's opening story isn't exactly a million miles away from what we've seen in previous first episodes in the previous 51 years the show has been on the air- for one, there's the obvious "post-regenerative crisis", the story is rather familiar, and most importantly, it's mostly a set-up episode.

    And yet at the same time, it manages to accomplish a lot in the first episode. For one, it's feature length at 87 minutes long, and the episode manages to accomplish setting the tone for Capaldi's less wacky and more grounded portrayal- though that isn't to say he doesn't have his outbursts of zaniness. The plot bears a lot of similarity to the third Doctor's opening episode "Spearhead From Space", with the main threat here being humanoid automaton-type clockwork robots. The threat is established quite late into the episode, but it does work. When we first see the Doctor, he's stuck in something of a daze- he blurts out a lot of nonsensical phrases, mixes people's names up, and, of course, faints. A dinosaur romps through Victorian London and spits up the TARDIS- before continuing to roam through London in a very confused and afraid state. Of course, in a later scene, during The Doctor's post-regenerative crisis, he attempts to tell the dinosaur that he'll get him back to his time, but he dies. He disappears for a while continuing to struggle to accept his latest regeneration, but when he does accept it, it's here where he and his companion Clara get tangled in a dangerous plot- they become prey to murderous automatons.

    It's a pretty simple plot, really, and sometimes, simple is what's best. Here, Moffat doesn't delve too much into the techno-babble that has plagued the previous season, and leaves it to The Doctor, Clara, Madam Vastra and Jenny, and our favourite potato-shaped Sontaran Strax to carry the episode with their wit and charm. Capaldi is full of his usual snarky and cynical charm, and you can tell right off the bat that he's going to take the show for quite the walk. Coleman really gives an excellent performance as Clara as per usual- she emotes a lot more and watching her struggle to accept the new Doctor is very powerful. Of course,a s per usual Doctor Who tradition, the imagery is the strongest point- with the special effects really having come a long way, and gorgeous cinematography, it's no wonder Steven Moffat wanted to be seen on the big screen.

    Of course, the episode isn't entirely perfect. For one, the new version of the Doctor Who theme is really quite awful- not the episode's fault, obviously, but the new theme's main hook played on a rather off-key sounding synthesizer, it is kind of distracting. The main baddie "Half Face" is quite lame- he isn't in the episode much, and for a reason. He isn't really given much to work with, and while he does shine a bit near the end, it's a bit half baked. Also, a rather gratuitous cameo by Matt Smith near the end felt very unnecessary and gratuitous, seemingly thrown in there to pander. But these faults don't detract from what is an overall solid episode- after all, it's an opener, and it does its job. Let's just hope the next 11 weeks will hold up. And based on the preview shown before the ending credits, it looks like we are in for one hell of a ride.
  • comment
    • Author: Wishamac
    I was vastly let down with the bulk of "Deep Breath." I feel this episode, all 120 minutes of it, only communicated two ideas: 1)"Please don't hate 12th Doctor." and 2)"Clara is much tougher and brighter than you think." That's it really! An hour and a half's worth of dialog and action summed up. The episode seemed without a core plot but rather snippets patched together. I can imagine a meeting of the head writers: "Okay team, the BBC gave us a content quota: dinosaurs, creepy Victorian era, a crying scene, and lesbian action*. I don't care how you wanna include it, fellas, just make sure it gets in the episode. Oh, and make sure the tone seems darker than last season..." I wanted to get to know this Doctor better and start on a new story arc. But I got a bunch of Madame Vastra/Jenny romance, Strax slapstick, and a villain heavy on macabre but light on actual cunning.

    What is really disappointing is that I actually DO like the new Doctor, and Clara rose several notches in my esteem. I'm afraid I simply don't feel like having to sit through the poor storytelling and cheap thrills to enjoy them. Sorry Mr. Moffat, I just don't like it.

    *I felt the suffocation/holding breath scene was a blatant excuse to have two females kiss. "Let me share my lungs with you" Oh. Come. On!
  • comment
    • Author: Vizil
    Not the best of openers, but does it's job. Introduces Twelve in a unique way. I wasn't too fond of the episode as a whole, as it seemed rather silly at times. The humour was on and off, with some jokes being downright hilarious ("Don't look into that mirror; it's furious!") and some being rather cringeworthy (see: Pasternosta scenes). The episode succeeds in being darker, that's for sure, in both the writing and directing. Above average TV, but not impressive by Doctor Who's standards.

    The writing was rather up and down, with many unnecessary scenes and bad dialogue, yet many amazing scenes that make way for a great first series for Capaldi (hopefully I won't look back at this in a few months time and realise just how wrong I was). Apparently Moffat started this episode by thinking of a great first scene, the dinosaur scene, and work from there (he said this in the Q&A after the cinema broadcasts). This was apparent in more than one way. The dinosaur was just unnecessary in my opinion, and I do think that was just the result of Moffat writing the first scene first with no idea on the story. But yeah, up and down writing. Very different from before, but still clearly 'Moffat'

    The directing is to be hugely complimented. The episode was very atmospheric and dark. Ben Wheatley never ceases to amaze. It seemed quite cinematic, which makes sense given Doctor Who's huge budget now and the length between series, but the directing deserves applause and certainly helped the episode along. You can't help but be impressed by the scale of things in a mere TV show.

    The characters and acting were on and off too. I still fail to see the point in the 'Pasternosta Gang', consisting of Vastra, Jenny and Strax, and don't like them. They're very 'Moffat' characters in that he makes them seem like huge, important characters to the show and the Doctor whereas they're just there for comedic affect, bad advice from Vastra and support for homosexuality (which is great if done well). However, Twelve strikes me as a great character, I just hope he stabilises and becomes himself soon, because he feels all over the place. Maybe that's needed right now. Nonetheless, Capaldi's a great actor. I finally like Clara to a degree. She's still annoying to me, but enjoyable a lot of the time.

    Murray Gold never ceases to impress either. The 'I Am The Doctor' variations are gone and it's a completely new, different soundtrack. I tried to pick out Twelve's theme, but I didn't know which it was; or even if this Doctor has one. Somehow Gold's music remains gold even now, working for every scene. It doesn't seem to blast out as much in this episode either, unlike before. Aye, the music is possibly just as impressive as the directing.

    Smith's cameo was really appreciated by me. Unlike Tennant and Russell, who had Ten say thing like "I'll die and some new guy goes sauntering away" and "I don't wanna go", making many fans hate Moffat and Smith before they'd even started, Smith and Moffat had the Eleventh Doctor openly welcome Twelve. To me, the scene wasn't just speaking to Clara, but to the audience. "It's alright. Help him become him. He's still me. He's the Doctor". That along with Capaldi saying that he remembers saying that made me realise that they are the same person, not that Eleven had died and Twelve is "sauntering away". I think it was needed for this darker Doctor and is possibly my favourite thing about the episode.

    The villain is extremely well done. I didn't like many things about it, such as the way the ending was handled, but it looked very well done and I think that some themes surrounding it, such as the skin balloon, were quite dark by Doctor Who's standards. It's stretching the whole 'children's show' thing is originally had. I rather liked the comparisons with the Clockwork droids back in 2006, but I wish they either took that further or just ignored the comparisons, as it felt unnecessary.

    Not a fan of where all of these arcs are going. I was hoping that Moffat had ditched that and was going simpler. The whole 'where did I get this face from', 'promised land' and 'woman in the shop/restaurant' thing doesn't become too big and take up lots of time. I have faith, though, as Moffat seems to recognise his flaws and is trying many new things, such as the much darker episodes with more death and implied scenes.

    One thing I was looking forward to was the 'breathing room', something series 7B didn't have. We definitely got that, but if don't think it was put to good use. A lot of silly running around scenes and pointless discussions just for the sake of it. But I loved the scenes like the restaurant scene and the TARDIS scene at the end. Much preferred to 7B's story after story with no character development and rushed plots, though. If it continues like this I'll prefer the show to last year.

    Overall, isn't an amazing episode by Doctor Who's standards, but is still worthy of a good 6 or 7 out of 10. I'll be nice and go with 7/10. It's definitely not for everyone and is very different to Smith's era. I found myself enjoying it in a very different way to how I enjoyed Smiths' series. I've found most Doctor openers to be fairly average, if not below or slightly above, and this is really no different. Capaldi has potential and I hope I'm not disappointed in the future.
  • comment
    • Author: Amerikan_Volga
    The Doctor lands in Victorian London where a Large dinosaur is on the loose. The Doctor has regenerated into his latest incarnation and is behaving very erratically. On site are the Doctor's Victorian trio, Madam Vastra, Jenny and Strax. Parts are being taken from people, eyes, organs etc, and even the Dinosaur is killed for parts. The Doctor discovers a foe with similar to behaviours to one he'd previously encountered, but there is a darker foe waiting in the wings.

    I utterly loved Peter Capaldi after this one episode, he has managed to bring a mass of energy and craziness to the role, I found it incredibly infectious. It felt like a true crossover from Classic Who. Interesting conversation with the tramp about his face, possibly a recognition from Pompeii.

    I also find this the strongest performance from Jenna Coleman too, a brilliant Clara story. The phone call she does brilliantly.

    I don't mind saving I have grown to utterly love Strax, didn't get the appeal at first, now I love the Victorian trio.

    I love the Doctor and Clara's scene in the restaurant, it's a really creepy realisation, when they discover the other guests aren't eating.

    The opening credits took a bit of getting used to, I didn't like them initially but I grew to love them, reminded me of those used in Tom's last series.

    Love Missy at first sight, wasn't that the Garden from the Girl who waited? It was obvious Missy would be something special.

    The story itself is truly brilliant. I'm always up for a bit of Victorian drama, and this hits all the right notes, it's a seriously clever, beautiful looking episode. It's also very dark and engaging, such a great opener. 10/10
  • comment
    • Author: Gralmeena
    I didn't know what to expect at first but I was very shocked to see Clara not wanting to be a part with the Doctor. Her and Strax are hilarious together which gives lot's of laugh out loud moments. The episode is very chilling and frightening. A great start to Peter Capaldi's era. The Clockwork Droids were super and scary but not like old times. Great CGI. Sometimes it can become long winded but the script is fierce and frightening! Overall, it is a must see episode but the title song is quite weak for Doctor Who. And a good look into future episodes. Clara is fantastic and portrayed very well by Jenna. Super skills!
  • comment
    • Author: TheMoonix
    Peter Capaldi certainly starts his era on a high note with "Deep Breath"! While the new Doctor's personality hasn't been fully defined yet, he's still a joy to watch and is a wonderfully sharp change from Matt Smith's kinder and more welcoming Doctor. Capaldi brings a vibe of unpredictability to the role that shrouds this new Doctor in a veil of mystery. How far will he go? Where does he cross the line? I don't know and I can't wait to see how his role develops!

    Jenna Coleman absolutely shines in this episode as Clara Oswald. In fact, this episode is as much Clara's as it is the Doctor's. Clara's reactions to the new Doctor and the situations she finds herself in feel very believable. Her conflicted feelings about the Doctor's change bring an emotional punch to the episode and she really starts to come into her own as one of the best companions the show could ask for. As with Capaldi's Doctor, I can't wait to see how Jenna's Clara continues to develop!

    I've always loved the Paternoster Gang and it was a delight to see them make a reappearance for Capaldi's debut episode. All of them get a fitting amount of screen time as well as flat out awesome moments of action and dialogue.

    The main villains of the episode, not to give anything away, are intimidating and very interesting. They also act as a very nice reference to a previous episode (and I won't say any more than that).

    Overall, "Deep Breath" is just a great start for the Twelfth Doctor's era with nice emotional moments, welcome development for its characters, and several interesting surprises.
  • comment
    • Author: The Sphinx of Driz
    It's insulting when a TV show episode tells me how I should think about its characters by using weak, expository dialog. It's even worse when a plot isn't really a plot, rather a "vehicle" that makes some sponsored points but few impressions.

    This episode starts with an excellent setting/premise: a Victorian steam-punk mystery starring Vastra et al. and a new Doctor, plus throws a Tyrannosaur into the heart of London! You've got a smashing episode, right?

    Nah, sorry. Basically, all this episode does is repeatedly stuff certain concepts down one's brain through limp dialog, while failing to deliver on the plot side. The best I could describe it is "fun, I guess."

    Vastra/Jenny, with their proved character potential, are all but wasted in this episode. Moffat, instead of writing Vastra some of the cool investigative intricacies of Sherlock, just throws her a "game is afoot" line (duh, got it), some moralistic posturing at Clara, with tons of tweenishly awkward interpretations of an interspecies lesbian relationship which verge on adolescent slashfic. Look, we get it already.

    Straxx? As always, a great job at comic relief. It's just that in this episode, there's nothing really heavy to get comically "relieved" from.

    Clara, with her whole "OMG, the Doctor's old!" thing, is one of the most slighted characters in this episode. Do we really think that Clara loved the 11th Doctor because he was "young and hot?" All of the sudden a faithful Who companion is turned into a person who thinks mainly with her hormones (her subconscious full of young men having sex, per Straxx's exam), and requires a knock on the head from 3+ characters to "finally" hug an "old" man. If he were, say, made of rotting green bacon, then this whole subplot would've made sense. But no, the new doctor's just an older-looking guy. It's not like he's asking her on a date, after all. What're the writers so insecure about?

    The villain in this episode could have been so much cooler. I mean, multiply steam-punk by millions of years... a sci-fi writer's dream! At least, he could have been relevant and/or made logical sense. But no, robots who only know you're not a robot if you breathe, and will hack at you with swords until you decide to hold your breath. And if they can make a blimp out of skins, how come El Honcho's missing half his face?

    Capaldi? Yeah, he's good. I appreciated the occasional tributes he did to previous doctors, but most importantly, by taking the crappy script he got this time and making it OK, he's gonna carry the role well.

    In all, an entertaining episode, though with insulting writing aimed at the LCD. I hope they don't saddle Capaldi with having to save every episode.
  • comment
    • Author: blac wolf
    Totally a question of my age (58), I'm sure. The episode went totally over my head, found it overwrought and incomprehensible. The production values are amazingly good as are the special effects (gone are the days of "Doctor Eyes" against a blue screen. I'm afraid I prefer drama that's vaguely comprehensible, and liked the old Hartnell, Troughton and Pertwee doctors. Sorry, didn't think much of Capaldi - I'm sure he's a great actor otherwise. Shows how out of touch I am with public thinking, but to me the show takes itself too seriously. Hoping there'll be a retro version of Doctor Who that I'll be able to relate to.
  • comment
    • Author: Dorilune
    Remember Matt Smith when he came in ? "The Eleventh Hour" !

    The one liners, the funny eccentric Matt Smith, lovely Amy Pond, and of course, the showdown in the end of that episode. That showdown was excellent with the Doctor calling the alien back. Lines like "The doctor is in" , "Basically... run !" were delivered so well. The holographic images of all the doctors, through which Matt Smith walks out in the end !!!

    Well, absolutely none of that cleverness was there in this episode. It was quite a simple one. Looks like Moffat ran out of ideas for a story and for showcasing a Doctor.

    A simple story about a dinosaur who combusts and the Doctor searches for the serial killer. Clara was as good as always. No difference there.

    One neat thing was the way they set up this Doctor's personality really well. they make it quite clear that he is not like Matt Smith and not a pseudo boyfriend to Clara.

    Nevertheless, if you are as big a fan as I , you need to see it !

    Update: I saw the second episode "Into the Dalek" and still not impressed.
  • comment
    • Author: Ariurin
    The curtain raiser for Peter Capaldi's tenure as the Doctor in truth for me didn't do a lot more than that. I could have guessed that the first half-hour would contain little more than some "getting-to-know-you" exposition as the Doctor finds his post-regenerative bearings, which of course means irrational behaviour, emotional outbursts and an identity crisis the latter of which only gradually resolves itself as the story progresses.

    As well as Jenna-Louise Coleman's Clara's accompaniment as the "impossible girl", more familiar faces are also present in the forms of Madame Vastra, her same-sex wife Katie and their hilarious Silurian sidekick Strax as ever, wielding subtlety like a flying mallet. Eventually the doctor saves the day against the cyborg enemy and with a welcome cameo from Matt Smith, by the end, both he and Clara have something to build on for their adventures to come.

    For me the problem though was that there was little sense of danger to the Doctor, even as he fought with the Cyborg leader high above London. There were some neat touches in the script, like the scene where the Doc and Clara are surrounded by clockwork assassins, a daring same-sex near-kiss between Vastra and Katie plus, being Scottish myself, I enjoyed Scottish-born writer Moffat's employment of a Scottish Doctor, using some vernacular-ish Scottish phrases complete with accent to match, recalling of course David Tennent's successful stewardship of the role two Docs ago.

    In this scene and character-setting episode, there was a sense of something being held back although there may be an intriguing back-story emerging concerning the mysterious Missy which I hope will eventually pack a punch. For now the story here was the equivalent of early-round sparrings; we can only hope for some knockout episodes further down the line.
  • comment
    • Author: Tygrarad
    The first episode proves to be a more darker story as capaldi is introduced. Once again we meet Strax, Vastra and that other woman who start off the episode quite slowly with unnecessary and long scenes ( e.g. when strax examines Clara). The first 30 minutes turn out to be pretty boring with nothing really leading anywhere, apart from capaldi trying to come to turns with his new appearance. As the episode progresses, things pick up pace and we get introduced to a new villain, who wants to get human skin for his ship (not sure why). It's interesting how the scenes develop, especially the underground confrontation, as Jenna Louise Coleman (Clara) tries to vent the confusion and anger she has about the doctor on the cyborgs. Her acting has definitely improved - giving emotive performances during intense scenes - however I still feel some of the lines she says feel unnatural, especially during scenes where they are in danger. The best way to describe it is you wouldn't talk in a slightly cheerful tone when you are being pointed at with a sword.

    Capaldi however certainly feels different to previous doctors. I really enjoyed his darker scenes, as we can see the tone at which then series will progress with. His facial expressions and overall reactions to situations feels a lot more natural and believable.

    To the technical side, I think some things need to improve as this has been happening for a while. Story wise, it was okay. That's probably my best description for it. No real plot apart from some cyborgs trying go reach some promised land. I didn't really connect with the villain and his plans, meaning I didn't care for him at all. The setting in Victorian times has been done so many times before in doctor who, I was hoping for something more exciting for an opener. E.g the opening episode for series 6 and 7. Victorian London felt bland and done before. In terms of CGI, I understand the budget issues with the show, but some of the scenes felt off And unnatural. I always see this with doctor who - when there is a CGI heavy scene, they tend to have the scene motionless - ie camera on a tripod. Even adding some camera shake in post production would have made the scene feel natural and I wouldn't have noticed the off CGI. The lighting was also off with the CGI, giving it a 'soft' unusual look. Obviously, with the budget they have, it still looks acceptable and not a major problem - however a bit more refinement with the CGI and the overall feel of the episode would have been more positive.

    In terms of the music and the score, I'm still pretty disappointed they still use orchestra music in many of the scenes. I understand this is to make the doctor look ' magical ' and amazing, but with capaldi we are transitioning to a darker doctor, meaning this type of music doesn't really work in most of the scenes. I constantly felt annoyed by the fact that almost cheerful string music was being played during scenes with a different tone. Something a bit more ambient and 'sci-fi' ish would have suited better in my opinion - something that better suited the events happening in scenes. However, I did notice some different music during capaldi scenes, definitely more mysterious, which I enjoyed.

    Overall, the first episode proves to be a decent episode, despite the usual comedic side that doesn't fit during darker scenes. It interrupts the flow and makes me wonder what tone the show is trying to establish. A slightly boring story which doesn't lead anywhere and a villain who you don't really care for in the end. A mixed bag of acting - capaldi and Clara doing well to show their emotions about this change, but characters like strax who don't really add anything to the episode apart from adding a bit of unnecessary comedy ( well I guess its the writing not the actors themselves).

    I hope the next episode will be better (but seeing as they spoiled the villain during the next time preview I probably won't be that excited).

    6/10
  • comment
    • Author: Arryar
    I like Peter Capaldi; he's a terrific actor and he manages to shine even in this lackluster script from Mr. Moffat. Clara turns in one of her best performances yet. The visual effects are better than ever.

    Yet somehow throughout this whole episode I couldn't shake a terrible case of deja vu. It's not that I don't like Moffat's scripts; some of his episodes are really amazing. I just would be very hard pressed to point to any aspect of this episode and say, "that's new," or "that's thought provoking." Still, if this purpose of the episode was to introduce Twelve, then I guess it was decent enough.

    I just hope that Moffat and Co. can get their act together to put together some of the best Who ever while they've got the chance with Mr. Capaldi. This kind of run-of-the-mill, rehash writing just won't cut it.
  • comment
    • Author: Xig
    I really wanted to like the new doctor and I hope with time I will. This however was not the way to introduce him. A heavy handed story with all the wrong elements. Let's start with the weak villains that could have been so cool. We did steam punk robots before and they were scary, these were laughable. I was continually jarred by CGI that was horrific and clunky, case in point the Dinosaur. Then there were the obvious continuity issues throughout the episode. At Demons Run Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax were good fighters. Here, they look pathetic. We even had to have manufactured side drama between Jenny and Vastra just to bloat the run time. The same thing with Strax and Clara. Clara continues to be a weak and wooden character. This troubling trend of one-dimensional assistants has been going on for while though Clara is by fare the worst. I blame the writer(s) and director(s) for this. I really hope this is not an indicator of the quality of the show but I am worried.
  • comment
    • Author: Matty
    Spoilers alert! 9/10 ! What an introduction!! The TARDIS out of a dinosaur and the 3 that help comes along.

    So how does a dinosaur combusts , and what is a mechanical man doing in 1800 London? Surprise is what Moffat is an expert at! SS MArie Antoinette! Whoops robots that managed to time travel.

    Maniacs are on the loose.

    How to stop them? Hopefully put the Doctor in the trap.

    And don't breathe or the droid will react.

    All right so these robots murder for spare organic parts.

    THe Doctor is still going through a regeneration crisis.

    He could not recall the repair droids gone mad.

    Worth watching if you are into minor complex plots and surprises.

    The old Doctor coming back and encouraging Clara to help his new self. What a whooper.

    After all while in London, Clara was going is this the same person? And the machine getting to Heaven? Hmm.

    I look forward to next week.
  • comment
    • Author: Steel_Blade
    ***May be some spoilers here--OK, there ARE spoilers--lots of them***

    Sooooo, here I go...

    Been a Doctor Who fan for a very long time back to the classic shows. For the most part, I've enjoyed a lot of the new versions from Christopher Eccleston onwards, though there were definitely some stinkers and so-so's mixed in from time to time. And, so here we are with the latest incarnation.

    Having finally gotten Series 8 from the local library, I did a Doctor Who marathon and watched the entire season in two days. Honestly?? I was ready to pack it in by about the 4th or 5th episode. Don't want to do too many spoilers, but here is my overall take rather than going through and commenting on individual episodes:

    1. Capaldi is OK but the Doctor, other than occasional bursts of brilliance, is a disappointment. 2. Clara needs to go. Enough with the lying and lecturing already. 3. Can we please have some stories that are actually really good? 4. And what is the problem with revisiting old villains (or friends) and they are basically pointless? 5. When is the Doctor actually going to be The Doctor?

    Now to address this episode, the start of it all in this version:

    1. Hello, Doctor, hello? Where are you? Who are you (pun intended)? 2. Clara, come on, are you really that stupid? Grow up girl and get your act together. 3. Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax: too bad your characters were completely wasted and we had to focus so much on, ahem, things not in any way advancing the plot--speaking of which... 4. Oh, plo-oootttt, come out, come out wherever you are! 5. Is it at all possible to make the villains actually villains? 6. Oh you poor, poor dinosaur. So much potential gone up in smoke for what, what I ask? 7. And lady at the end of the trail, I assume you're going to be significant to the story arc at some point, right? Can you tie up all your little loose ends in a nice little package so we know how it all fits together, or is that too much to ask?

    I am really disappointed. I wanted to like it. In fact, I wanted to love it, but, with a couple of exceptions, most of this drivel is unwatchable or likable. Too, too bad.

    JMHO for what it's worth. I know, not much.
  • comment
    • Author: Nicearad
    I had high hopes for this new incarnation of the Doctor, but after a very few minutes of viewing, I realised those hopes are likely to be dashed in this coming series.

    Capaldi makes a very nice Doctor. It's nice that an older actor has been assigned the role again. I always thought Chris Ecclestone was a good choice to reboot the series and Capaldi has a similar gravitas that, frankly, neither Tennant and certainly Matt Smith lacked.

    That said, Capaldi is utterly wasted here. The scriptwriting is uniformly terrible and calls for yet more of the clownish buffoonery that sadly has become so prevalent in the last two Doctors' tenancies.

    I'd hoped for more. I'd hoped for a more serious Doctor. I realise it is early days for the new Doctor, but on the strength (or lack thereof) of this first episode, I expect things to descend into inanity and endless scenes of "Look at me! Aren't I clever!"

    It's a shame, really. A new Doctor is the ideal time to steer the show in new directions. Instead it seems to be intent on sailing over the same old territory again. I note the next episode is to feature Daleks, for goodness sake! Have they no imagination anymore? In short, the episode was too long, too foolish and too muddleheaded to be more than a casual diversion. In other words, exactly the same as the last couple of series, which is to say, frivolous nonsense that you will forget (thankfully) minutes after it is over.

    SUMMARY: Weak start to the new Doctor. They are badly in need of a new direction and new writers.
  • comment
    • Author: Adoraris
    It's good to be back! It's been over a year since its last formal season but finally the doctor and Clara return to our screens. The new doctor played by Peter Capaldi is definitely, as was expected, a darker doctor. His demeanor is more serious and he always says exactly what is on his mind, good or bad. Nevertheless, Capaldi remains the doctor in its entirety as he manages to capture the character and add his own touch. The scene in the café made me Capaldi really start to grow on me. Throughout the rest of the episode, he delivers strong performances all the way until the end, where we really begin to see a darker probably more sinister figure than what we are used to. Regardless, Capaldi manages to satisfy me as "the doctor".

    The weakest part of this episode was the first half. This was mainly due to the paternoster gang. They just don't work anymore. They just don't. Moffat has constantly thrown them into the openers and finales but yet they always seem to kill the atmosphere that he is trying to create. Most of the jokes they throw fall flat as Strax seems to try to hard and much of Jenny and Vastra's relationship seems to be overdone and too emphasized as honestly nobody cares about their personal lives!

    Despite the entire first half of the episode, Clara manages to deliver a strong performance in the second half. Clara finally gets a role where she has to fend for herself and it is beautiful to see how she deals with. Moffat does a great job of leading us into the running story arc and starts to make the viewer figure Capaldi's doctor out. Who is he? What is he like? Is he a good man? All these questions will hopefully start to be answered throughout the season.
  • comment
    • Author: Molotok
    Event television doesn't get anymore eventful than 21st Century DOCTOR WHO arrive with a new actor in the title role . This goes beyond event television and DOCTOR WHO has become the new Beatlemania with Capaldi and Coleman attending trans-continental publicity events in Asia and South America to be greeted by ecstatic teenage fans . It's times like this I am genuinely proud to be a fan of the show . The only question is does the show live up to the hype ?

    Thankfully the signs so far are very good . Capaldi comes with a lot of hype and there's a danger of alienating NuWho fans who are under the impression the show is a light hearted romp with some relatively young pretty boy , running around trying to cram in as many words as possible in to every sentence . Historically the show hasn't been about this and from what little I've seen of the 12th Doctor I have been very impressed . It looks like proper DOCTOR WHO has come back

    The downside is that every time Capaldi is off screen I didn't find anything else that held my attention . Once again Moffat shows the audience he's a one trick pony . Concepts used previously alongside returning characters . You understand why this is done . When Jon Pertwee morphed in to Tom Baker the transition was made easier by introducing the new Doctor in a UNIT story that was more indicative of the third Doctor than what most third Doctor stories were . Here however The Pasternoster Gang are even more painfully unamusing than normal . A lesbian Silurian , her wife and a comedy Sontaran ! Not good characters to begin worth and here they're downright embarrassing and achieve nothing except to drag this viewer out of what little drama there is at the start of the episode . In fact I can't help thinking the first twenty minutes are amongst the very worst television we've seen transmitted under 50 years of the DOCTOR WHO banner . They're similar to the embarrassing mess of the climax of the 1967 CASINO ROYALE Bond spoof . What's the use of an extra long episode if you're going to pad out the running time with silly nonsense ?

    What makes this doubly disappointing is that this episode was directed by acclaimed director Ben Wheatley who had previously given British cinema KILL LIST and SIGHTSEERS . Not exactly the pinnacle of British creative cinema but good enough to make Wheatley's name be remembered by the critics and whose film did mix black comedy with a brooding atmosphere . Instead of anything idiosyncratic the episode feels that it was directed by a journeyman director but to be fair television remains a producer's medium

    To be fair it's an introductory story for a new Doctor and even in this introduction he impresses and gives hope that even with the most sub standard of material he can still carry an episode and make it watchable . Unfortunately with Moffat still remaining as show runner this might mean Capaldi having to carry the show on his shoulders while Moffat remains . Willing to be proved wrong and Moffat can go in a different direction
  • comment
    • Author: Boraston
    it was a average start to be sure and i am hoping for better as the series continues for me the jury is still out on the 13th Doctor Calpaldi i give to end of the series before i give my verdict as for Mr Moffatt its more of the same no plot utter confusion i Think Moffat should step aside and give some one the riens so they can save this show before its to late

    the Opening music and credits are awfulis it necessary to change the music and opening credits every time there is a new doctor

    i also don't understand why people think Calpaldi is the 12th Doctor heres why

    1. William Hartnel 2. Patrick Troughton 3.John Pertwee 4. Tom Baker 5. Peter Davison 6. Colin Baker 7. Syvester McCoy 8.Paul Mcgann 9. John Hurt 10. Christopher Ecleston 11. David Tennant 12. Matt Smith 13. Peter Calpali

    to be Honest Steven Moffat has Messed the whole regeneration thing up so no wonder its confusing

    all in all i am keeping my Fingers Crossed that it gets better
  • comment
    • Author: IWAS
    Well that's it, Moffat needs to be sacked and the BBC producers need a stern talking-to. Yet again they've managed to create a video-clip for some really boring, overbaked orchestral music, with no plot.

    I had some small hope - a smidgin - that the new series might show some kind of up-turn in the writing. My big, liquid eyes were upturned in big, liquid hope.

    But no, sadly, the Moffat we-MUST-make-dr-who-crap boot squad dashed my hopes, kicking me a big one right in the middle of my cute, puppy face.

    No plot, nothing particularly interesting, more of the same constructs we've seen before... Oh, and endless DWELLING on LGBT stuff! Sure, its quite reasonable to have a few LGBT characters, its 2014 and we are supposed to reflect reality not some 1950's fantasy. But this isn't a soap-opera, it's a sci-fi series. Well, it's supposed to be anyway...

    Every time Moffat rips my heart out like this - and his predecessor the deeply, amazingly un-talented RTD - I say I won't keep watching. But for some reason, I just cling to this notion that it will become good.

    What actually happens is you get a handful of good episodes. No, sorry, that's an exaggeration. You get maybe two, if you are lucky, per season. And these are enough to make me pretend the series shouldn't be canned.

    Poor Peter Capaldi.

    Oh and one more thing: no, the scots accent is NOT acceptable. I love Peter's native accent, especially in the 'Thick Of It'. But Doctor Who is ENG-LISH, and MALE.

    DEAL. WITH. IT.

    If you change something enough, it stops being that thing - John Nathan Turner and his idiot predecessor discovered that in the 80s when they drove the series into the ground.

    Then again, it's a soap-opera now. Somebody DID change it.

    It's certainly not Doctor Who.
  • Episode cast overview, first billed only:
    Peter Capaldi Peter Capaldi - The Doctor
    Jenna Coleman Jenna Coleman - Clara
    Neve McIntosh Neve McIntosh - Madame Vastra
    Dan Starkey Dan Starkey - Strax
    Catrin Stewart Catrin Stewart - Jenny
    Peter Ferdinando Peter Ferdinando - Half-Face Man
    Paul Hickey Paul Hickey - Inspector Gregson
    Tony Way Tony Way - Alf
    Maggie Service Maggie Service - Elsie
    Mark Kempner Mark Kempner - Cabbie
    Brian Miller Brian Miller - Barney
    Graham Duff Graham Duff - Waiter
    Ellis George Ellis George - Courtney
    Peter Hannah Peter Hannah - Policeman
    Paul Kasey Paul Kasey - Footman
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