It has to be said; Cold War has taken it’s place alongside The Doctor’s Wife as my joint-all-time-favourite episode! Everything about it felt like a classic (and, dare I say, proper) episode of Doctor Who. With the welcome return of the truly classic aliens, the Ice Warriors, the building tension in this seemingly unwinnable situation, and the genuine sense of foreboding and fear, Cold War certainly ticked all the boxes for me. In many ways, aspects of the episode felt comparable to Ridley Scott’s Alien; a single, formidable alien creature stalking the crew in the confines of the narrow corridors of a ship, slowly and expertly picking them off one by one... That, combined with the atmosphere of being trapped on a submarine that’s stranded some 700-odd meters below sea level, and you’ve got the recipe for a perfectly tense and gripping episode of Doctor Who.
It’s always a tricky task, taking an alien from the classic series of Who and bringing it into the 21st Century; will they stand the test of time and be equally as interesting to the modern world as they were some 30 or 40 years ago? Especially when dealing with the Ice Warriors; a race whose appearance in the original series seems to be the epitome of an old-school, low-budget 1970’s monster. Thus, successfully bringing an Ice Warrior - last seen in 1974 - to 2013 is no mean feat, but is something that Cold War pulls off fantastically. The familiar armour of these Martian warriors is wonderfully recreated in a style that’s identical to the old yet doesn’t feel out of place in our world of modern TV wizardry. The fact that the presence of a single Ice Warrior (dear ol’ Grand Marshall Skaldak) in this episode can create such a sinister sense of tension, foreboding and fear is surely a testament to this (and please pardon the pun) timeless foe. Cold War felt like the perfect re-introduction for this classic race, and given the conclusion of this episode I hope this isn’t the last we see of Skaldak and the Ice Warriors.
Much like the 2005 episode Dalek, Cold War shows just how impressive and threatening a single monster can prove to be. By focussing on the single enemy and fully explaining its motives, it makes it feel all the more tangible and menacing and, by extension, makes the episode a more engaging watch.
Both Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman continue to provide superb performances and build on their onscreen chemistry; they’re now perfectly in-synch as Doctor and Companion. Since her inaugural episode, Coleman has gone from strength to strength, and in this episode she conveys a truly captivating mix of bravery and fear throughout. For what is essentially her fourth proper episode, Coleman has well and truly established herself in the role of Clara, and feels as much a part of the show as the TARDIS itself. And Matt Smith is, well, Matt Smith! He never ceases to be on top form, and I still maintain that he’s the definitive Doctor. (And if anyone happens to know where one might be able find a Teddy Boy style drape jacket similar to the Doctor’s, please leave a comment below!)
In addition, David Warner was superb in the role of Professor Grisenko; one could feel the genuine warmth and caring his character evoked as he calms Clara when the true horror of their circumstances hits her. He and Liam Cunningham’s Captain Zhukov helped bring more gravitas to the situation, and their wonderfully natural performances certainly brought a sense of gripping realism to the episode.
With its tense and claustrophobic atmosphere and the revival of a classic enemy at its heart, Cold War proved to be a spectacular and thoroughly enjoyable episode, continuing what I feel has been a particularly strong run of episodes. It’s certainly up there as one of the best in recent years, with its engaging narrative, tense atmosphere and truly effective use of a single, lethal monster. It felt like proper, classic Doctor Who; I might even go so far as to call it perfect. Might.
If you missed Cold War, you can catch it on BBC iPlayer here.
Next week, the Doctor and Clara go ghost-hunting in what looks set to be a phenomenally creepy episode, Hide.
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