Doctor Who – The Eaters of Light

By: Sharon Kurack

From Mars last week back to Earth this week, we find our time-traveling trio (say that three times fast) meeting Romans and Picts (Early Celts) rather than Victorians. The 10th episode, perhaps considered the penultimate as it’s been said that the season finale is a two-parter beginning next week, begins in not-always-so-sunny Scotland. Music can be heard as Scottish siblings play around rock formations similar to Stonehenge. A crow then appears and caws “Doctor,” which then prompts the camera to pan down the rock on which it’s perched to reveal a TARDIS that had been etched into it.

Not in the same era; however, is our time-traveling trio. They are still in Scotland around the second century. We open with Bill (Pearl Mackie) and the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) bantering back and forth with poor orange-robed Nardole (Matt Lucas) stuck in between. Both Bill and Twelve believe they know more about the ancient Romans than the other, specifically what happened to the 9th Legion. Our quirky companion believes it to be alive (just disappeared or lost) while our sour Scotsman Doctor believes it to have perished. Eventually, we find that both of them are correct in a sense, but not before separating to prove the other wrong. (Because that’s always a good idea.)

Let’s begin with Bill’s adventure first, shall we? As she’s off on her own, night has already fallen and we see “something” stalking her. As Bill continues to search for any proof that she was right about the 9th Legion, she stumbles upon a Pict woman mourning the loss of her family. The woman (who reminds me a lot of Ygritte from Game of Thrones) sees Bill as a threat (because let’s face it, her clothes are a few centuries ahead) and gives chase. While fleeing, Bill falls into yet another hole (Seriously, it’s like the third of the season), but luckily finds a Roman solider from none other than the 9th Legion. Bill and he talk, which surprises her at first because she clearly doesn’t speak Latin and English isn’t developed yet at this point in time. However, clever girl that she is, Bill realizes that it’s the TARDIS’ “telepathic field” enabling this communication. Because of this, she starts to question what happened to the Romans.

As they climb out of the hole and converse whatever had been stalking Bill earlier continues to do so. It turns out this soldier is one of a handful of survivors and is leading her to the rest. Survivors of what, you ask? Remember our stalker? As the question is answered, the creature gives chase to Bill and the solider, eventually taking said soldier. Luckily, Bill manages to find the cave that the remaining Romans are in before she becomes the next victim, although a little tentacle goo is left on Bill who then passes out. When she comes to, we’re introduced to a few of the survivors: Cornelius (Billy Matthews), Vitus (Sam Adewunmi) and Lucius Malfoy (Brian Vernel) who ends up being a little sweet on Bill. This then leads up to a great bit where Bill tells the soldiers that she’s a lesbian. Their reaction? Proud (that she likes what she likes) as most Romans were bisexual or sexually fluid (Vitus is gay, by the way). They see it as no big deal, that people like what they like, even going as far as to call Bill “restricted” in her preferences. Talk about times changing! The soldiers decide that they need a plan in order to not rot in the underground caves and follow Bill to find the Doctor.

Here is where we’ll pick up Twelve and Nardole’s side of the adventure. While Bill searches for survivors, our now duo searches for the remains of the Roman army. As they come across a crow that seems to be keen on saying “Doctor,” they also find the bodies they had sought. However, the bodies seem to lack bones, as if something literally sucked the skeletons from the skin (ew). Before Nardole and Twelve can Sherlock the heck out of this, a group of Picts takes them prisoner by spear point. They await Kar (Rebecca Benson), seemingly the leader and “Keeper of the Gate,” to decide their fate. When she arrives, it’s not a mystery that she and the rest are very much against the Romans, but it is also important to note that she and the rest of the Picts are extremely young. Before much more can be determined, Twelve creates a popcorn diversion and escapes with Nardole.

They come across what looks like a portal (Gateway between Worlds) in one of the caverns. It seems to open only during sunrise, which luck would have that be the current time. The gate opens and Twelve’s curiosity causes him to walk through. He sees what looks likes dragon-creatures (by the thousands) that may remind some fans of a previous creature seen on Class. What is a portal like that doing in Second century Scotland? Although to the Doctor it’s only been a few minutes, when he emerges he finds out that two days have passed, indicating that the portal is an inter-dimensional rift and time passes differently. He returns to an assimilated, face-painted Nardole, who still has not found Bill. Twelve then confronts Kar, the Gate Keeper, and calls her a child who has no idea what she’s dealing with in that portal. She explains the creature is an “Eater of Light” and that in every generation the slayer Gate Keeper must go into the portal to fight so that the creature doesn’t break through. What’s different this time around is that the creature did break through because Kar let it. Why? Kar’s plan was to use the Eater of Light against the Romans, then kill it after they had weakened it. Unfortunately, her plan is an ultimate fail as the creature not only kills the Romans (mostly), but also threatens eat all light. Even more bad news? There are thousands beyond the gate waiting to take its place. (Epic fail, Kar.)

So, what do we know? The portal only opens when the dawn sunlight hits it. They need to close the portal once the Eater returns after “feeding.” How will they lure the creature? Sound, the Doctor concludes, is what draws it. Before any more of the plan can be discussed, Bill and the surviving Romans climb up from the caverns into the waiting hovel of the Picts. A standoff ultimately occurs between the two quarreling groups, but Bill mediates, pointing out that they can all understand one another (Thank you, TARDIS tech!) and that they all sound like children. Everyone can either get along and defeat the Eater or kill one another. With that settled, Twelve reveals his plan to stop the “cycle” of the creature and Gate Keeper.

As sunrise approaches, the Romans and Picts lure the creature with music and then push it back into the portal. However, the Gate Keeper still needs to hold the portal so the Eater of Light cannot return through. It is at this point the Doctor’s plan changes the cycle. Rather than have Kar enter the portal, Twelve volunteers (as tribute) to go in her stead as his extremely long life expectancy will aid in holding back the creatures. Bill and Nardole vehemently disagree with this solution. Who will guard the vault? What about other gates? Neither believe the Doctor’s self-sacrifice as the correct solution, but before any more can be discussed, Kar accepts her destiny as Gate Keeper. She is not alone; however, Lucius and a few others (both Roman and Pict) decide to work together to hold the gate, entering with her. Too many flooding the gate is enough to close the portal with unstable energy, thus preventing any more straggling Eaters from returning. Kar’s brother vows while speaking to a crow that his sister will be remembered, which then results in the crow repeating the name “Kar, Kar.” Guess the crows aren’t sulking after all, but remembering Kar. It also turns out that both Twelve and Bill were right about the 9th Legion always being there, so much so that some can still hear the music that lured the creature.

With the world saved, our trio reunites in the TARDIS to find Missy (Michelle Gomez) doing engine repairs. There’s a little tension, but part of her rehabilitation may be to help the Doctor. (Besides, the controls of the TARDIS are bio-locked to her.) Twelve and Missy talk about the music and Missy doesn’t seem to understand the significance, almost like a child. As if he were speaking fondly to his old friend, Twelve claims that although Missy understands the universe, sees it and grasps it that she has never learned to hear the music. Until the next moment when you see her, Missy does hear the music and cries. Does she understand how and why it affects her? Perhaps said more to himself that her, Twelve questions if it’s time for them to be friends again and claims that hope is hard to resist. In a very tender gesture, he clasps Missy’s hands, but then lets go as if it pains him to have hope. Hope is always a huge risk, but as we’ve seen in this episode, compromise can only happen when everyone comes to an understanding. And that understanding, in this case, is hope.