What do you do when the Doctor misses the space between the stars? Many adventures take place at the surface of planets or other celestial bodies, but the Doctor travels through time and space, so this place is part there. Even when, as he says, ‘Space – the final frontier. Final because it wants to kill us.’ – Star trek fans will recognize the reference.
This time The Doctor, Bill and Nardole answer to an emergency call and arrive to a space station. The future way of business makes some problems to the visitors: the oxygen is sold only in quantities required for the people living there, and the surplus is recycled only to be sold again to everyone visiting the space stations. When the Doctor extend the habitable space around the TARDIS on the station it suddenly appear an unexpected excess of oxygen – and the station take the necessary steps, and the visitors are stuck.
More: the asteroid mining operation lack of efficiency triggers other necessary measures (from the perspective of the Company). The people are going to be replaced, so they are killed to stop them consuming the priceless oxygen using the automated suits. ”Us against the suits” becomes a struggle against the automated suites and the people in the superior hierarchy inside the Company.
Until the end the trio gets out of there, with some survivors, but the Doctor becomes blind. A disadvantage that his enemies will profit by, maybe as soon as the next episode.
Directed by Charlie Palmer, written by Jamie Mathieson. Cast: Peter Capaldi (The Doctor), Pearl Mackie (Bill), Matt Lucas (Nardole), Kieran Bew (Ivan), Katie Brayben (Ellie), Peter Caulfield (Dahh-Ren), Lewis McGowan (Brother), Mimi Ndiweni (Abby), Justin Salinger (Tasker).
Next time, the sixth episode of series 10, it’s Extremis: In the Haereticum – the Vatican’s secret library of blasphemy – there is an ancient book known only as The Veritas. Throughout history, anyone who has ever read it has immediately taken their own life. Now a new translation is online, and the danger is spreading. The Vatican appeals to the Doctor. Will he read The Veritas? But can even the Doctor survive the ultimate truth?