The Doctor is finally back after a year of being away. This is a classic episode as we believe we know what it is happening and then the writers throw in a curveball that completely changes our understanding of what we thought we knew.
This episode sees the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and her friends, comprising of Graham (Bradley Walsh), Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Yas (Mandip Gill) being recruited by MI6, with a guest appearance by Stephen Fry as the head of MI6, to help solve a mystery. Strange beings have been attacking spies and changing their DNA. The Doctor and her team investigate into NAME by player Lenny Henry and discover that he is only 93% human. We also meet an ex MI6 agent known as O (Sacha Dhawan) who MI6 wouldn't take seriously so he left. O helps the Doctor until we discover that O is hiding a secret that no one expected. We are left on a final message that "everything we know is wrong". At the end of this episode, the Doctor has been taken into an unknown place or world, while the rest of the team are in a plane that is crashing.
Spyfall is very much like a James Bond film, not just because we are dealing with alien spies but the look and the music used throughout this episode. There are little moments are obviously Bond inspired but Spyfall feels like it came from the James Bond world and it worked well! The locations used in this episode are beautiful and very cinematic. It makes the action taking place in these locations more enjoyable to watch.
Whittaker's performance as The Doctor is very strong as she fully knows who this character is now and made it her own. She isn't as ditzy as when we first met her but she still has moments and that makes her likeable. Little moments like when she gets off the phone and talks about how French saying kisses at the end of phone calls adds the relief we need in this episode. Moments like this add relief to what is a very busy and mysterious episode. Whittaker takes charge as the Doctor would and we see a different side to the Doctor. She is struggling to understand what is happening and who these monsters are. Anyways at the end of the episode we feel as if the Doctor has missed all the clues staring right at her.
The rest of Team Tardis put on great performances in this episode, however a particular moment between Yas and Ryan really pulls at our heartstrings. We see Yas being emotional and Ryan comforting in a way we haven't seen before. Yas as a character really struggled to make a good impression in the previous series, hopefully with such a good start in this episode, Yas will be more loved this series. It was nice to see how strong the friendship between Yas and Ryan has become, at times they are like siblings while at other times it feels as if there is a romantic connection between these characters. The status of these characters is unknown but we know at least they have a great friendship.
Sacha Dhawan puts on a fantastic display as O and the Master. This is a shocking surprise that no one expected. It is a thought that crosses your mind at times during this episode that maybe O isn't as good as he seems but the revelation, we receive isn’t what any of us expected. Dhawan is incredible once he owns up to be the Master, we can easily recognise this iconic character by the mannerism and wild behaviour that is displayed. Dhawan puts on an outstanding performance that makes this episode so good.
Spyfall is a fantastic episode for fans that have waited so long for a new episode. A lot happens in this episode but it means that at no point are you bored. A James Bond inspired episode that is pulled off excellently in all aspects. We are given surprises that we aren't expecting and left in suspense as we await the next episode to see the outcome of the Doctor and her friends and to see what more trouble the Master will bring!
