"Would you like to think that about me? Would that make it easier? I didn't know if I could save her. I couldn't save Quell, I couldn't save Moorhouse. There was a good chance that she'd die too. At which point… I would have just moved on to the next… and the next, until I beat it. Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones, but you still have to choose."
Episode #259: Mummy of the Orient Express.
Companions: The 12th Doctor and Clara Oswald.
Air Date: 11th October 2014.
After their previous trip to the moon ended on a sour note, the Doctor decides to take Clara on a final trip in the TARDIS - "our last hoorah!" The destination? There have been many trains that took the name Orient Express, but there's only ever been one that traverses space! However, they find their luxury trip may take an unexpected turn when they discover there's a supernatural passenger...
Mummy on the Orient Express is the sort of story that harks back to the days of classic Who. Swap the fancy sets for flimsy board and polystyrene, and you could easily have the 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane on a starship called the Orient Express playing out this very scenario. It is a great throw back to how classic and new Who can easily gel together.
Our two time travelling companions decided to have one last adventure together but it turns out to be somethign more than expected. The premise was originally set up at the end of the 11th Doctor story The Big Bang, when they received a phone call in the TARDIS to say about an Egyptian princess lose on the Orient Express. Seems they never did take up that adventure and the individual behind it all has tried on repeated occasions to get the Doctor to go. Nice tie in.
It is another horror themed adventure with some great special effects, make up and atmosphere. Just what you want from Saturday tea time telly. Capaldi gets to shine in this story with some wonderful dialogue and just the right grumpiness that doesn't push over into the absurd like the previous episode. This time though it seems to be Clara who takes a funny turn. From being so hurt by the Doctor while they were on the Moon she seems to have happily leapt back into the TARDIS with him with little concern for what had happened last time and in part, this time.
Other than finding out that the mummy was a former soldier from an ancient war, there is no explanation as to who the mysterious Gus was and what they wanted with the mummy. The episode plays into the theme of this season which is the Doctor's dislike of soldiers but I had wondered whether it was anything to do with the "afterlife" plot with Missy but nothing ever comes back to it so I assume not.
Mummy on the Orient Express is a great episode and I would recommend it as one to watch. One of the best of Capaldi's run on the show.
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