WARNING: Due to the nature of this episode, this review will contain spoilers - I recommend reading it after you watch the episode if you do not wish to be spoiled from any of the major plotlines present in this episode.
So just as I predicted, Jenna Coleman has just bowed out from Doctor Who after three years and three different versions of Clara 'Oswin' Oswald in tonight's episode, courtesy of this season's second female writer Sarah Dollard (the first being The Woman Who Lived). With the return of fan favourite Rigsy from last year's only great episode Flatline alongside multiple classic monsters and Maisie Williams' Ashildr, we can only have an episode that is destined not only within the Whovian history books (and not just because we have a companion departure not by a lead writer for the first time for the Steven Moffat era) but possibly as being one of the best of the Peter Capaldi era...but is it actually any good?
When the Doctor and Clara receive a phone call from one-time ally Rigsy (Joivan Wade) about a sudden tattoo on his back, they initially just see it as a simple request to undo a drunken mistake. But upon closer inspection it seems to be a lot more than that, so the trio reunite to travel across London to find where Rigsy went and what happened to him. But when they come across a hidden street where alien refugees of all races are hiding under the ownership of old friend Ashildr (Williams), who reveals that the tattoo represents how long he has left following the murder of one of the asylum-seekers, they only have a small amount of time to either clear Rigsy's name or find an alternative...
So as I mentioned before, I guessed as early as Coleman's public announcement that Face the Raven would be the episode she would be leaving in (see above for proof), meaning that the long quest and necessary concerns about her well-being throughout the season in the form of "foreshadowing". But as the no-so hidden main point of the episode, the big question remains whether or not it was a satisfying enough conclusion of the story of Clara Oswald...and it's good to say for once that it was. Certainly, with the last little hints in the first act of her demise and the overarching theme of her turning into a Doctor 2.0 – complete with rules and lies – the foundations of it work out really well in an episode which has a good enough story while not entirely putting a large focus on her leaving in the same veins as the last companion departure story The Angels Take Manhattan (Dark Water/Death in Heaven don’t count because Danny Pink wasn't a companion and if I keep ignoring it it'll never have existed), and even though they place a big signpost into how stupid she is with sacrificing herself for Rigsy because of his sudden family – I assume it's been quite a while since the events of Flatline – it at least to an emotional finale that gives fans of the character enough space to get worked up about.
And thankfully it's also a well-written episode. With Sarah Dollard at the helm of this episode, the humour isn't as present (although any that is remains a tad forced) and the progression of the story feels natural; beginning with a search across the streets of London before becoming a mystery within the refugee street, and then of course switching to the necessarily overlong farewell – and it works great. If we could have more female writers in future seasons like we have had this year, then we would have a stronger season and actual growth during a period of Doctor Who where interest has been wavering across the board. So seriously, bring Dollard back.
Speaking of returning, welcome back The Doctor! Largely absent throughout Peter Capaldi's run spare a handful of episodes, this may be his most Doctorish portrayal yet, thanks to a perfect blend of sincerity and comedy, with the standout of course being how he reacts to Clara being marked for death. Lord knows how next week will go when he's by himself, but if he's anything like he was in the last 5-10 minutes then great stuff, and up there with his recent speech against war in The Zygon Inversion. Also great was Jenna Coleman in her last performance as Clara (although I presume a splinter version of her will appear in the finale, judging by photos and Doctor Who Magazine), but it's easy to call this her best performance in her entire three year run. Wade is still as good as he was last year but mellowed down slightly thanks to his sudden parenthood, and Williams remains as stoic and filled with poise as she was before. Any other cast member is mostly relegated to the background for a alien cameo or two (with lots of Cyberman talk, oddly enough), but costume and set design speak louder than these characters.
I predicted that Face the Raven will be Peter Capaldi's best episode, thanks to the return of Ashildr, a lack of guitar playing and the end of Clara Oswald – a character who I've liked but never jumped on the bandwagon for due to her lack of personality. And boy was I right, thanks to a superb screenplay by Dollard and some great performances. Structured well and with only a number of small niggles – such as the really out-of-sync opening credits – and plot contrivances, Face the Raven proved that this era of Doctor Who still has legs. And arms. And fingers (oo fingers, lots of fingers). 9/10.
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