The premise of “Boom” is simple, but effective. The Doctor puts his foot on an alien landmine and is forced to deal with this week’s greater threat without moving an inch. This episode has been on fans’ radars for several reasons, but the return of Who alumnus Steven Moffat has piqued interest. It’s an extraordinary case for Moffat to return and pen more Doctor Who; he’s responsible for the infamous Weeping Angels among other iconic villains, was the showrunner for seven years, and is now synonymous with the show’s most critically acclaimed episodes. He also arguably produced his best work in one-off epics, and it’s exciting to see him return in a similar vein for the new season.
“Boom” is filled with all of Moffat’s tells. The dialogue is snappy with hearty leaps to each comedic yet darkly undertoned one-liner, and there’s a twinkle of arrogance to The Doctor even while he stares death in the face. But, Episode 3 is also a departure from Moffat’s preferred type of villain: Instead of our heroes fighting a single childhood terror, they’re up against multiple threats. This includes “Anglican Soldiers,” profit-driven AI ambulances, and a lost child searching for her deceased father.
Surprisingly, a member of the Anglicans is Mundy Flynn, portrayed by Varada Sethu. She’s due to board the TARDIS in Season 2, but turns up unexpectedly in “Boom” to cause chaos. While Mundy isn’t particularly memorable, I still enjoyed her role as part of the hybrid religion-military outfit, and her presence propels the episode forward, keeping things interesting while sticking to a single location.
Everything starts surprisingly calm when The Doctor initially treads on the landmine, and there’s a strange sense of serenity as he sings to calm his nerves. Yet, a slow drip of terror fills the pit he’s stuck in, and everything gets worse by the minute. This is the first time we’ve seen this TARDIS team jeopardized to this extent. The problem can’t be solved with wishful thinking or a magical melody (like in past episodes), because they’re stuck in the trenches of a dangerous conflict.
“Boom” is at its best when it ramps up the tension between scenes. The dread is palpable, and bedlam ensues as more chaos seeps in. There’s a hypnotic fear in The Doctor’s eyes as he contemplates his and Ruby’s untimely doom, and it’s exhilarating as he toggles through emotions in a desperate, motionless attempt to save everyone around him. Ruby tackling the lost child is another hair-raising incident, and “Boom” often becomes a brilliant showcase of her tenacity – a trait she’ll certainly need throughout the rest of the season.
The landmine is a terrifying piece of production design, a futuristic smart device equipped with a handy loading bar that progressively fills up as its hair-trigger sensors detect a lifeform nearby. I could feel my adrenaline surging as it clicked towards annihilation – signaling The Doctor’s death at any moment. It felt melodramatic, but I rather enjoyed the idea of The Doctor being so timey-wimey that death by landmine could also cause a whole planet to go up in flames.
As the third act of “Boom” reaches its climax, the episode's cutting social commentary becomes increasingly apparent. In this world, people have been reduced to numbers in an algorithm – a stark reflection of contemporary issues. The relentless pursuit of profit at the expense of human welfare is a theme that runs through the episode, underscoring the brutality of unchecked capitalism.
These themes hit hard, and “Boom" sets expectations for a conclusion that’s as heart-racing as the rest of the episode. Unfortunately, everything resolves too easily. I’m not a big fan of “love saves the day” endings, and that’s especially true in this case, where Moffat’s script creates such a realistically terrifying sci-fi setting. While Ncuti Gatwa’s gravitas still expertly sells the exposition, there’s a disappointing neatness to how the overwhelming danger is settled.
Despite this so-so conclusion, “Boom” still does a lot right, and serves up another exceptional performance from Gatwa as The Doctor. Each rousing speech lets us see a different side to this mysterious new face: vengeful anger lurks at the surface, but the episode culminates in a joyful note to love. He’s only been playing the role for a few episodes, but Gatwa is consistently delivering iconic moments in this new season of Who – long may he continue.
