This time round the trio find themselves at NASA, as they launch the probe in its poles and they're asked what they're doing here. Bill (Pearl Mackie) asking if the man in the photo is Neil Armstrong. The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) shows them his ID and then finds the message 'God Save The Queen' written on the surface of Mars. Mars has graffiti artists perhaps? Naturally this intrigues him, but as is the case, he must go there (even though he knows the outcome.) They wear spacesuits and Nardole (Matt Lucas) finds the burning fire and takes off his helmet as it's a breathable atmosphere with oxygen, which the Doctor remarks could still have been dangerous. As Bill explores she falls down a hole, well nothing new for her. She would be the one to get herself into trouble. The Doctor tells Nardole to get ropes from the TARDIS, er, wouldn't it have been easier to just take the TARDIS there. But no, as no sooner does Nardole step in to it, that it vanishes. Hey get the feeling the TARDIS wanted to get back home and lead him to Missy (Michelle Gomez) to get her out of her prison for some reason (to help or hinder the Doctor eventually?) Not for the sake of it, it was as though she got inside its mind.
Hey just as I said wooden door and he hasn't used the Sonic, the Doctor says it too, couldn't he just make a hole in the rock, or how about that blue light you could see there. Another one of those eps where the Doctor must rescue the natives, the Brits again, this time on Mars and try and talk some sense into them about peace and not being gung ho. But the Victorians were not into peace. As Bill says to the Colonel Godsacre (Anthony calf) his named sounded like 'God forsaker,' 'forsaken') she's a woman and yes women were in the police cos he couldn't believe it with his Victorian attitude which Bill finds sexist, even if he really is a Victorian and they were like that.
The Doctor finds himself confronted by the reptilian and a snooty Brit officer known as Catchlove (Ferdinand Kingsley) and he takes them to their leader, where they share tea, even if supplies are low. Bill being asked if she prefers Chinese or Indian, what take away?! Ha. The reptilian is their Man Friday and the look on Bill's face kind of said it all. Yeah as we know Friday was black and a manservant in the same way this alien was used too, no matter they did save his life when he was stuck in his cryogenic pod. And they got access to the Gargantua and he promised them riches. Of course the Doctor knows who the reptilian is and knew his ulterior motive was to get back here for the rest of his kind and he's not the last of them as they think.
The soldiers fire and unearth the tomb but the Doctor warns them against meddling with it as they'll awaken the others. Of course one wouldn't listen and goes ahead and opens it. Awakening the Ice Queen. And experiences her wrath firsthand. When he gets neatly wrapped up in a package! Well it was funny. The photo of Queen Victoria hanging in the cave. Also how one soldier talks of his Alice and how they'll be married when he gets back and he doesn't want to see red again. Too late cos he's also thrown at the Ice Queen (Adele Lynch) by Catchlove. Who was rather bigoted and takes over command. He tells them about Godsacre and how he was hanged for desertion but they couldn't get it right and he survived. So as was the case, he was sent here to lead this 'expedition' as a disgrace and never expected to return.
The Doctor tries to negotiate on their behalf with Catchlove defying Godsacre's orders at every possible turn and begs for mercy for them. After one of the soldiers shoots at her. She's not one for mercy but promises them a quick death. Catchlove mans the gun again and Bill stops him by turning it the other way and it promptly causes a cave-in. Which lets he Queen awaken the other warriors who burrow through the ground. With Man Friday letting them out since they need the Doctor to make peace. Godsacre runs away cos he's a coward and Catchlove holds her hostage attempting to leave in the lift with her. Bill causes a distraction wanting to talk woman to woman as she valued her opinion before and says she can stop this. Godsacre returns in the lift and shoots Catchlove for being a mutineer and he wants her to kill him for desertion and being a coward. However she says that he wasn't a coward and she will make sure he does die one day but not today. He will die in battle.
The Doctor sends out a message so they can be rescued by any ship in the area as Mars is dead and they get a message from Alpha Centauri (Ysanne Churchman). They need the planet marked so they know where to land. Nardole meanwhile asks Missy for help with the TARDIS and she agrees to it but it will be easier for her to show him. Now for someone who didn't want her out of the prison and was adamant the Doctor should guard her, he had a change of tune, even if it was to return to him.
As Bill and the Doctor get to the surface of the planet, they leave markings on the surface reading, "God Save the Queen" in reference to the Ice Queen of course and the Doctor, as said knew this all along. As he tells Godsacre his actions will be remembered by everyone one day. A rather change of pace in a Mark Gatiss episode and film references galore.
Films mentioned: The Terminator which the Doctor hasn't time for since he's very busy. But puts it on his list when she mentions it has killer robots and killer accents!! ha. "I'll be back" as the Doctor always returns!
The Thing having similar caves and he'd have liked that too.
The Viking's where he had his eye gashed out stopping short in her tracks when she notice's Friday's face.
Frozen when the Doctor says he can use the Gargantua and make the ice fall on top of them leaving them in a frozen land.
Films I thought of and could've mentioned were Carry On Screaming with the Ice Queen's 'tomb, very Rubber Titi. "Frying tonight!" Carry On Up The Khyber very Brit army orientated and the time of the British Empire. Then the Ice Warrior reptilian, Friday reminded me of the Robomen in the Dalek's film with Bernard Cribbins. Dalek's Invasion Earth:2015 AD. (We're past that year now!) Heck they could've had him in this! As well as Zulu (it was the uniforms!) and how they fought, like they did in the film with the Ice Queen here. The Ice Queen was rather Spider-woman looking hat ep??? Also Mutiny on the Bounty or as I called it, 'Mutiny on Mars.'
With an allusion to the Tomb of the Cybermen thrown into one scene. The Doctor adding it's "a simple choice, we must live together or die together." Of course the belligerent Irxxa would choose to die, they were warriors after all. Though asking for a female perspective was refreshing to see. As was Iraxxa's appropriate reference to the soldiers as "pink skinned" and "fleshy worms." Yes highly apt for Catchlove (no love in his 'eart!) not really a soldier but only in it for the spoils of war (or peace, but mainly war.) Pauline Collins played Queen Victoria in Tooth and Claw (2006) ep. Funnily Ferdinand Kingsley (son of Sir Ben Kingsley who played Mahatma 'get the Brits out of India' Ghandi!! ) As Ferdinand played the chef, Francatelli in ITV's Victoria series. Alpha Centauri appeared in The Curse of Peladon (1972) and The Monster of Peladon (1974) from Jon Pertwee's era.
And by gum if we don't get Missy being cryptic again asking the Doctor if he's okay, regeneration, or did she suspect something amiss about him for some reason, whatever, the Doctor seemed puzzled or was trying to conceal something...
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