Rate and Discuss: The Battle Of Ranskoor Av Kolos

[Alex]

So here we are, at the end of the season already, bar the New Year's Day special. But what did you make of it? Was it Ransace or Ranspoor?

[Alex]

I thought it was pretty decent for once, Tim Shaw was much more threatening than in his first appearance and the Doctor and co actually seemed in danger for once. As season finale's go I do wish it had been spread over two episodes, there were a lot of ideas they could have explored but didn't bother with (the bit about the neuro transmitters being needed to stop the planet screwing with your mind turned out to only give Yaz and the Doctor a mild headache which was a real let down) but it was fun and fast paced, and gets a 7.5/10 from me.

[Andrew Curnow]

(the bit about the neuro transmitters being needed to stop the planet screwing with your mind turned out to only give Yaz and the Doctor a mild headache which was a real let down)

Exactly what I thought, that seemed to go nowhere - I was expecting some real trouble with the Doc & Yaz hallucinating, a bit of real dramatic 'will they save the day?' sort of stuff and yet... any possible tension was oddly lacking. Likewise, I thought when Graham stayed behind and Ryan left they were going to try and make us think maybe Graham had died, but they didn't even try and fool us.

So, once again, I enjoyed it and yet... for the finale of a drama, it was oddly lacking in drama. And I must admit the opening scene with the Ux was like Star Trek at its worst - two human actors with some basic facial prosthetics to make them alien, talking to each other in a portentous manner for no good reason, and (as far as the plot is concerned) for no purpose.

And yet, beggar that Chibnall, I'd be reluctant to say I didn't like it - I still found myself enjoying it. But perhaps crucially, I've yet to feel the urge to watch any of season 11 again.

[Jason Thompson]

But perhaps crucially, I've yet to feel the urge to watch any of season 11 again.

Interestingly, I've found that pretty much with every season since season 4, but revisiting after about a year or so and I;ve enjoyed almost all of them, even if I found the seasons a bit 'meh' on first viewing.

[Andrew Curnow]

Oh well, in that case, fingers crossed! Maybe I'll give it all a second spin over Christmas.

[Stuart Wallis]

Alright-ish... Could have done with a bit of research - "Keeping this many planets this compacted and close together without something happening? But that's impossible!" - except for the time some psychotic pirate captain managed to do it perfectly well - and the planets here were kept in containers that looked like segments of the Key To Time! And the Time Lords are meant to be able to do it with stars as well!

Tim Shaw actually sounded threatening, although it's odd that he was suddenly able to get out of his life support system. The story was decent enough, but as Andrew says, it could have done with a little more umph, or, as with all of Chris Chibnall's episodes this year, could have been better paced and lost ten minutes.

Oh, and a bit of nit-pickery again, but there wasn't much of a battle, was there?

6/10