One thing 21st century Doctor Who does much better than the 1963-1989 run is building up the emotional departures of companions. Rose, Donna, Amy and Rory all left the TARDIS in quite tragic circumstances. Science fiction plot developments contrived to permanently separate these companions from the Doctor. However until now, the new series has not risked traumatising fans with the death of a companion. Although Jenna Coleman is expected to be seen in some role in the series finale, Clara's demise in Face the Raven has a powerful impact.
The episode has great tension from the pre-titles sequence onwards. Rigsy (Jovian Wade), who we previously met in the excellent Flatline, phones the TARDIS after discovering a countdown tattoo on the back of his neck. The Doctor explains that Rigsy has been "retconned" which is why he cannot remember how he got the tattoo. This term was first used in the spin-off series Torchwood and the dark premise of this episode would have fitted well within that show. The Doctor realises that Rigsy's tattoo is in fact a "chronolock" and it will kill him when it expires. A countdown is an effective plot device for a suspenseful single episode and has previously been used in 42 and The Mummy on the Orient Express. Although this series has sometimes drawn on too much continuity, the reappearance of Rigsy works very well within this episode. Face the Raven raises the emotional stakes by putting a likeable returning character, who is now a father, under threat.
The Doctor leads Clara and Rigsy in a search for a mysterious "trap street", a rumoured alien enclave hidden within London. Wearing the sonic sunglasses, Clara hangs out of the TARDIS door looking for the trap street below. Although it seems implausible that this was the best way to locate the street, this scene illustrates Clara's increasingly reckless behaviour which will lead to her downfall. If Clara had not been sidelined so often in previous episodes of the series, this character development could have been explored more. Although it is likely that the loss of Danny Pink has affected her, Clara's behaviour may across as quite foolish and this is a shame for a character who was established as intelligent in Series 7 and 8.
The concept of the trap street will be familiar to fans of Harry Potter but it is original to Doctor Who and the set design of the street is excellent. The street is explained to home alien refugees and this thematically ties in with the Zygon two-parter. The camp is governed by Ashildr or "Mayor Me" in her third appearance this series. The episode would have worked fine using a new character in this role but the reintroduction of Maisie Williams adds a further level of intrigue. Ashildr is a morally ambiguous and predictable character: neither the Doctor or the audience quite know what to expect of her. It is another strong performance from Williams and is unlikely to be her last appearance.
Ashildr explains that Rigsy has been sentenced to death for murder and when the timer runs out, the Raven, a quantum shade, will take his soul . When the Doctor and Clara split up to investigate what really happened to the murdered alien Anah, she discovers that the chronolock can be passed on to someone else. It is a terrible misjudgement when Clara persuades Rigsy to pass on the chronolock to her. She confidently thinks this is a clever Doctorish plan but hasn't fully understood the process. However, she is also motivated by compassion for Rigsy and his family.
The Doctor eventually works out that he has been set up. Anah was in fact alive and had been trapped in a statis field. By releasing her, the Doctor is locked to a teleport chain which will transport him away to an unknown destination. The audience's concern for the Doctor is diverted by the realisation that Clara is doomed: she cannot be released from the chronolock. The acting between Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman is superb. The Doctor is talked out of his rage by Clara who bravely faces her death. She tells him to remain a doctor rather than a warrior remembering the John Hurt's broken "War Doctor". When Clara's finally faces the raven, Coleman's performance and Murray Gold's music stir the emotions although Capaldi's reactions are more controlled than those of David Tennant and Matt Smith would have been in the circumstances,
Although the series hasn't served Clara's character that well, this is a flawless episode which provides a superb ending to her story. Writer Sarah Dollard has crafted a brilliant plot which is fresh, unpredictable and very moving. Showrunner Steven Moffat has a high standard to maintain in his final two episodes. If he succeeds, this could go down as one of the greatest series of Doctor Who of all time.
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