Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror - The First Review

WARNING! THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR DOCTOR WHO: SERIES 12 EPISODE 4! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Nikola Tesla (Goran Visnjic) and their friends watch in horror as they hear a terrifying scream of "BENNI!"

Starring Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole, with Goran Visnjic, Robert Glenister and Anjli Mohindra.

Written by Nina Metivier.

Directed by Nida Manzoor.

1903. On the edge of Niagara Falls, something is wrong at Nikola Tesla's generator plant. Who or what is sabotaging the maverick inventor's work? Has he really received a message from Mars? And where does his great rival Thomas Edison fit into these events? The Doctor, Yaz, Ryan and Graham must join forces with one of history's greatest minds to save both him and planet Earth.

The Doctor, Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Graham (Bradley Walsh)
find that the Peaky Blinders convention they are attending is
more eventful than they were expecting...

This episode proves one thing about the Chibnall era: the historical episodes are easily the best. "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror" has to be one of the most solidly enjoyable episodes of the show since "Kerblam!": an interesting plot and good characters combine with fantastic production and excellent acting to create a wonderful story that keeps you engaged for fifty minutes. It certainly isn't the most original Doctor Who story, however when a story is as enjoyable as this, I don't particularly mind.

Set around the turn of the 20th Century, "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror" focuses upon the inventor and his rivalry with Thomas Edison, inventor of the modern light bulb. But, of course, this being Doctor Who, there's an alien incursion to deal with as well. This script wonderfully weaves historical fact and science fiction together, so that, even though this is a story about giant alien scorpions attempting to fix their ship, the audience is constantly learning more about Tesla and his work. Writer Nina Metivier skilfully weaves the genuine science with the added alien elements, so that it feels natural that these creatures would be in a story like this. While basically a standard pseudo-historical adventure, the plot is engagingly told, and it allows the historical detail and research to come front and centre. I was amazed at how detailed Metivier's script actually is: each character feels part of a place in this world, and the smaller cast than last week gives us a chance to get to know each of them in detail. Certainly, it doesn't feel as expansive as the opening two-parter, or even "Orphan 55", but it allows the story to tell its own thing on its own scale. In many ways, this had all the pace and feeling of a classic series story, even down to the over-the-top villains and the outlandish acting from some of the guest actors. That's what I love about the Chibnall era; taking classic series story ideas and re-appropriating them for a modern audience. I did find the beginning a little difficult to grapple with: the sequences on the train, and the teams immediate arrival in New York was hard to get my head around for some reason, and maybe if a bit more time had been dedicated to these sequences, it might not have been so difficult. Once this was out of the way, however, the story really started engaging, with clear stakes and tension. I really like the villains of the piece as well, the Skithra. A race of scavenging scorpions is right up Doctor Who's ally, and the story doesn't treat these villains as simply monsters of the week to be discarded with a wave of the Doctor's buzz-y magic wand Sonic Screwdriver. The use of science in this story as part of the resolution is wonderful, and shows a genuine understanding of the historical figure the show is working with. It might seem slightly abrupt, but it at least works, and it shows a perhaps darker side to this Doctor is starting to come out, which is quite nice.

"Are they here to see me or you?"
"Neither. They're here for Bradley."

The characters, however, are where this story really excels. The presentation of Tesla and Edison are what makes this story so enjoyable, as you can see the clear differences between the two men, and why one ended up making a lasting footprint on history, while the other ended up being little more than an interesting footnote. Tesla is a great inventor, while Edison knows how to mobilise ideas into practical products that people can market and buy. The conflict between the pair of them is well drawn, and the Doctor's interaction with them is varied as a result. Most historical stories generally only focus upon one major historical figure, apart from if it is around a key event in history. Focusing upon the rivalry between two scientists is something that hasn't often been seen in Doctor Who before, and Metivier manages to offer enough focus for each of them in the story. I would say that Edison comes across as a little antagonistic slightly too often, however it isn't too obtuse and ultimately it makes sense for the point Metivier is trying to make. Both Goran Visnjic and Robert Glenister are fantastic as Tesla and Edison respectively, both taking the difference in approach that the scientists have towards a problem and running with it as much as they can. Anjli Mohindra and Haley McGee round out the main guest cast with two committed performances as Dorothy, Tesla's assistant, and the Skithra queen. McGee makes the slightly thankless part of Dorothy, with an instantly watchable quality that means you never really notice that the character doesn't really have a lot to do. And, as for Mohindra, well, she basically steals the show, with a performance that is in the traditional Who mould of chewing as much scenery as possible. It is a far cry from her earthy performance as Rani Chandra in The Sarah Jane Adventures nearly a decade ago, and shows how far the actress has developed since she last crossed paths with the televised Whoniverse. This is a delightful showing, helped by the leads giving some fantastic performances. Jodie feels like she has really settled into the role now, especially considering her Doctor has now got some bite behind her, and the companions are pretty fun throughout, especially Bradley Walsh, who has some killer one-liners.

The production on this episode is absolutely standout, and just shows how far Doctor Who has come since its revival. In the Russell T Davies era, one imagines that this episode would have been treated to little fanfare, and possibly may have shown signs of being unable to completely convince regarding its setting (I'm particularly thinking of "Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks" in that regard). However, "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror" looks as polished and extravagant as a feature film, and the look helps suck the viewer into the world of the story. Director Nida Manzoor brings the script to life with style and panache, and the world of the story feels rich and detailed. The sets look amazing, and you somehow get the feeling that this is New York, despite the fact that a lot of prominent landmarks can't be featured due to the fact they hadn't been built when the story is set. The action sequences are brisk and well shot, and the Skithra spaceship looks sutibly moody, although, if you were picking holes, you could argue that it looks a lot like a number of spaceships that have featured in New Who previously.

When the photographer asked the Skithra Queen (Anjli Mohindra) to give them a smile, that wasn't what they had in mind.

In all honesty, I don't have too much to say about "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror" other than it is a decent story that is pretty enjoyable, and will easily keep you entertained for fifty minutes. It pulls a few unusual tricks, features a very sympathetic portrayal of an interesting historical figure, and is a bit of light relief after the previous three episodes. It may not be a particularly memorable story, but, in terms of uncomplicated, enjoyable fun, it's hard to beat this episode. Doctor Who is at its consistent best when it's just telling good, enjoyable science fiction, and this is no exception.

All photos copyright to the BBC. Thank you very much for reading.