'Doctor Who's War Story "Boom" Is an Ode to Things That Last
Doctor Who launched Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa's first season in the TARDIS with a pair of episodes that represented much of what this show is supposed to be and do. One episode is set in the future, and the other looks back to the past. One is a campy romp, the other a lore-littered face-off with one of the franchise's most intriguing new villains in some time. But the one true constant in Doctor Who is change, so it probably shouldn't surprise anyone that the season's third episode turns everything on its head again.
Penned by former showrunner Steven Moffat, "Boom" is a war story, but perhaps not quite in the way most expected it to be. Although many of us (read: me) lodged our fair share of complaints against Moffat during his time helming the series, he's always been a cracking good writer responsible for crafting some of the best episodes of Doctor Who's modern era. While "Boom" doesn't necessarily reach the heights of, say, "The Empty Child" or "Blink," it's a compelling hour of television that features genuine, almost painful tension the show rarely gets to explore.
Set on a planet torn apart by conflict, the episode is deliberately limited in scope. The story is straightforward and save a scene or two, is set in a single, specific location. Upon arriving at Kastarion 3, the Doctor hears what sounds like someone in distress and rushes to help. On the way, he steps on a landmine, a glowing disc with green edges that will explode if he shifts his weight. The rest of the hour is spent trying to figure out how to prevent the landmine from exploding and killing the Doctor, Ruby, several new friends, and half the planet they're standing on.
