Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror by Nina Metivier

I work for the future, and the future is mine.

The final line of this episode is an adapted real quotation from Nikola Tesla that goes "The present is theirs; the future, for which I have really worked, is mine." For a second, I thought the story was about to go all Vincent and the Doctor on us and I'm glad that it didn't. As much as the moment where the Doctor shows Vincent Van Gogh how much he is admired in the future is one of the most beautiful moments this show has ever produced, trying to replicate it seems like a totally doomed endeavour. Instead, it's a much simpler resolution. And that's a good way of describe this episode: simple. It's nuts and bolts Doctor Who, taking a well worn idea of the celebrity historical and executing it well, without ever threatening to break new ground or give us a classic for the ages. All of this is a long-winded way of saying, it's pretty good.

The episode is anchored by two absolute powerhouse guest performances from Goran Višnjić as Tesla and Robert Glenister as Thomas Edison. Višnjić in particular absolutely oozes charisma and makes Tesla one of the most memorable one-off characters for some time. He also shares some very effective chemistry with Jodie Whittaker and the parallels between the two characters are not hard to spot. Although, the cynic in me wonders if Tesla essentially being a well meaning but ultimately powerless and inconsequential figure isn't too close a metaphor for the Thirteenth Doctor than the writers would like to admit.

Edison meanwhile is portrayed as the shit he basically was, but he's not without moments of redemption in the story either. He seems genuinely horrified when a load of his workforce are killed and also helps the Doctor and co clear the streets of civilians before the Skithra attack. This kind of moral ambiguity hasn't always been present during the Chibnall era, and it's nice to see the show grapple with a historical figure with a little less of a rose-tinted view than it has before (yes, we're talking about you Victory of the Daleks). The central conflict between Tesla and Edison of idealism versus pragmatism helps keep the episode feeling grounded as well as mirroring the scavenger nature of the Skithra, who are a parallel for Edison's world view, even down to adopting Tesla as their engineer. It's not deep thematic resonance I know, but it is at least a theme.

The major flaw is that the strong guest characters also serve to highlight the shortcomings of the regulars. This was the episode when I realised that the three companion model just isn't working, particularly when you combine it with stories that move at breakneck speed through their narrative. I struggle to remember anything notable that the companions did, and their roles in the episode are pretty much interchangeable. Even Bradley Walsh, who provided so much of the good material in Series 11, is poorly served here, despite a fun moment when he struggles to remember anything that Tesla actually invented. Three companions hasn't really worked since the First Doctor's era, and is even trickier to pull off when your stories only last 50 minutes. This is also another example of the Thirteenth Doctor's baffling morality. Guns are bad, but it's all right to destroy an alien spaceship with a bolt of lightning. OK.

The Skithra themselves work well enough for what the episode needs them to do. The design is strong, even if the Queen is a little too reminiscent of the Raknoss from The Runaway Bride. They serve as good foil for the Doctor, who genuinely seems disgusted by them, but there's little substantive to say about them apart from 'scavenger scorpions'. This seems to be a recurring problem for the show with its monsters. I'm struggling to think of any memorable original villains in the most recent seasons of Doctor Who. It's probably The Silents, and they were introduced nine years ago.

To end on a positive note, the episode looks great. It's no secret that the BBC is far more adept at making period drama than it is at episodes set in the future, but the production values here feel particularly strong. The direction is solid, especially during the action sequences (I enjoy the little additions to the Skithra like having them scuffle with each other when they collide during the chase scenes) and the effects are all very good. A lot of this season has lent on a more global setting for the show, but often this has felt superfluous to what's actually going on. This episode feels authentically like it's set in America and it's all the better for it.

Random musings

• I see we don't need to mind wipe Tesla and Edison after this adventure. Maybe it's just women who aren't allowed to remember stuff. Get some consistency Doctor.

• I like that the episode gives Edison the chance to articulate his reasoning that brilliant ideas aren't worth anything unless you can make them sell. It's pretty clear who Nina Metivier wants you to sympathise with, but the room is there for the audience to disagree.

• I focused a lot on the two major guest stars, but a shout out to Anjli Mohindra as well, who chews the scenery nicely as the Skithra Queen.

• They don't get much to do, but the companions all look great in their period dress.

• Small gripe, but the Silurians aren't aliens and probably shouldn't be described as such.

Verdict

The Doctor and Nikola Tesla seems like the sort of combination that someone should have come up with before now. The similarities between the characters are not hard to spot: both outcasts, with ideas far ahead of their time. Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror is a solid, workmanlike episode of Doctor Who that has all its pieces facing the same way and broadly coheres into something that works. For an era of the show that often borders on almost incoherence (and having just seen Episode 7, there'll be plenty more to talk about this later), this feels like no small achievement. The Chibnall era definitely works better when set in the past. It's probably the best episode of the season so far but that doesn't feel like a particularly good place to be. Four episodes in and I'm still waiting to be seriously impressed. Luckily...

Rating

7/10