The Doctor duels Robin Hood with a spoon. There, article over. Goodnight people.

But just to pad things a little…

I won’t lie, the start of Series 8 was very rocky for me. As I discussed in an earlier article, the press for this season promised us a much darker tone and direction for Doctor Who, and a darker Doctor to accompany them. While ‘Deep Breath’ had its fair share of laughs, thanks to the patented zaniness that is post-regeneration crisis, moral questions regarding the sinister Half-Faced Man and his clockwork droids, and a thrilling lead-in to a new mystery with Missy and the “Promised Land”, something was just missing in the long run. The episode effectively frames the mood from Clara’s perspective, that of an overarching dread towards the new Doctor, and that he may just not be the same man she once knew, but this does little to ease the audience through the transition. Clara’s acceptance of the new Doctor towards the end comes off as a bit rushed, no doubt leaving some development for upcoming episodes, but nevertheless a sour taste remains in the mouth of the audience.

Where ‘Deep Breath’ was bittersweet, however, ‘Into the Dalek’ was just a miserable stew. In my last article regarding Series 8, I pointed out my concerns with the idea of the Doctor dwelling on whether or not he is a good man, as we have seen him countless times, the most significant examples being fairly recent even, prove that he is nothing but. ‘Into the Dalek’ sees the Doctor encounter a Dalek that has come to find the Dalek mandate, exterminating all life that is not Dalek, to be futile, as life is an inevitability in the Universe, and thus the Daleks must be opposed in their goals. When trying to find the source of this supposed “good” Dalek, the Doctor inadvertently sets it back to its original programming. Wishing to correct his correction, the Doctor attempts to bombard the Dalek’s mind with his own view of the Universe. The Doctor becomes disheartened when the Dalek, a being engineered to only know hate, finds instead all the Doctor’s hate for the Daleks, and he irritatingly takes this as an answer to the question he posed to Clara. Clara’s insistence that “at least you tried” comes as hollow consolation to both the Doctor and the audience.

I had a plethora of issues both going into and coming out of ‘Robots of Sherwood’, because the episode is by all accounts great. It is also the first episode this season not to be written by Steven Moffat, which lead me to fear that perhaps the showrunner had lost some of his dexterity in writing, and that lighter episodes here or there would be drowned out by more grim storytelling. ‘Listen’ quickly put these fears to bed, quite literally in a certain sense, which allowed me to enjoy ‘Robots of Sherwood’ even more so in retrospect.

There is simply too much to say about this episode. Inaccuracies and contrivances abound with the occasional plot hole in there for good measure, but these cons are easily overlooked in favor of the pros. The setting is beautiful, with Sherwood Forest serving as a fantastic backdrop for the adventures of Robin Hood. Speaking of the Earl of Loxley, Tom Riley plays the character with the perfect mixture of daring adventurer, silly sprite of the forest and tortured avenger of the people. His childlike banter with the Doctor really highlights some of the best qualities of both characters. It was not until this episode that I really felt like Peter Capaldi became the Doctor. The same positive impact can be seen in Clara as well, showing just how endearing it is to be able to inspire one of your historical heroes, much in the way Amy did for Van Gogh. Coupled with her sheer competence and tour de force, Clara truly shines as a companion this episode.

The episode also provides everything you could want from a Robin Hood story; the Merry Men, while receiving little screen time, carried themselves remarkably well onscreen, both as individuals and as a unit. There could be no question in the minds of the viewers that this was a close-knit band of brothers. The Sheriff of Nottingham, like his heroic counterpart, balances both serious and comedic elements that render him a truly memorable villain; while we can’t agree with his goals, we also can’t help but perk up whenever he’s onscreen. Swordplay and archery abound, creating fast-paced action more than capable of holding the viewers’ attention.

And, as I mentioned before, seeing the Doctor hold his own in a sword duel with nothing more than a spoon is nothing short of heartwarming, and quick cameo by Venusian Aikido, once spotted, will delight any fan of Classic Who. Another piece of the “Promised Land” puzzle is the cherry on top of a downright solid episode. While I can say this of very few episodes of Doctor Who, ‘Robots of Sherwood’ will hold a special place for me, as it serves as an important reminder: that no matter the time, actors, or writers, Doctor Who is, and always will be, fun.