Review: Doctor Who - In the Forest of the Night

Doctor Who

In the Forest of the Night

This episode of Doctor Who finds Clara, the Doctor, Danny, and some school children facing a home invasion! But this home invasion is of the Earth and not by sinister aliens, but by nature itself.

This episode didn't really do too much for me or move the characters forward too much. The premise was an interesting one, with a massive forest sprouting up over night. At first, no one is sure what is going on and assumes something sinister is about to strike the Earth. 

I quite liked the ultimate idea that came out near the end, that the Earth was fighting back against a solar flare, protecting the inhabitants of the planet by creating excess oxygen that would burn off when the solar flare hit the planet. However, this story was mucked up by some trivial relationship issues between Clara, Danny, and the school children. 

I would have loved to have seen more with the firefly-like creatures that did not get enough screen time or explanation to really understand what they were all about. The addition of children into this series seems interesting, as if to keep some sort of child-like presence in a series and themes that are more adult than previous series. The kids just kind of slow down the action and the story and do not always fit well into this version of Doctor Who. Perhaps there is a bigger message about growing up here that I'm missing. 

Final Thoughts:

I liked the premise quite a bit, but something was off in this episode. The story did not get the attention it deserved and the characters seemed a little flat in this one. But overall, I really like the idea of trees saving the Earth!