the m0vie blog

The temptation discussing The Giggle will be to start at the end, with the various implications – both cynical and sincere – about the story’s second half.

After all, much of the publicity around The Giggle was built on the promise of shocking revelations. Davies teased that the commentary would be essential listening and recorded a video advising viewers to watch live. The episode certainly delivered on those terms, with a closing few minutes that fans will undoubtedly be unpacking and dissecting for months and years ahead. At the same time, those choices somewhat overshadow the bulk of the episode, which is effectively a good old-fashioned Davies-era finale, albeit with an updated twist.

Both The Star Beast and Wild Blue Yonder suggested that Davies had lost none of his urgency and engagement on returning to Doctor Who. After all, Davies had spent his time away from the series writing charged miniseries like Years and Years or It’s a Sin. Davies’ writing was always angry and vital, and he spent a significant portion of his original run on Doctor Who holding up a mirror to contemporary Britain in the same way that Andrew Cartmel had done before him and Steven Moffat would do after him.

The Giggle begins as a biting piece of social commentary, a Davies-era finale for the modern world. However, like so many earlier Davies-penned finales, the narrative unravels in its race towards the climax. There’s a certain clumsiness and broadness to the story’s resolution, a narrative sleight of hand that neatly sidesteps a lot of the story’s bigger ideas in favour of a more emotionally satisfying resolution. This isn’t a problem. There’s a reason why fans look back fondly on episodes like Doomsday or Journey’s End. Certainly, after the past five years, it’s reassuring to know that Doctor Who has a heart again. Two, even.

There’ll be dancing in the street…

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