Watching NuWho I often find myself comparing it to how a story from the classic series would have structured the narrative . With Robot Of Sherwood by Mark Gatiss it's very easy to see how this story would have ended up if made from 1963-89
Episode 1 ) Introduces most of the major characters
Episode 2 ) More development of the story
Episode 3 ) Revelation of most of the mystery of the story and the villain's plan
Episode 4 ) Resolution of plot . Goodbyes are said
Here in a 45 minute episode the format constricts the story in to something unsatisfying . It's not a brevity of storytelling but a rather deeper problem . It's a somewhat frivolous episode which is something to be expected via the title , camp adventure with Robin Hood and his men but is there any need for the Doctor to join in the fun ? I loved Capaldi's performance from the last two episodes but here I wasn't impressed mainly due to the writing , and did we need a story featuring robots so soon after the droids from the season opener ? Get some new ideas Mr Moffat or change the running order of the season
Being 45 minutes it's the same format as a two episode story from the old show but again one can't feel in those days the production team would have developed the story better with dramatic pauses . Here however much of the so called drama is relegated to bickering dialogue between the Doctor and Robin . If you've got 45 minutes to play with concentrate on plot and don't waste it by having disposable scenes in dungeons . I did notice Gatiss trying to bring in a Marxist subtext with some of the dialogue and paint Robin Hood as a communist freedom fighter but it's hardly DOCTOR WHO at its most thought provoking and cerebral . The episode is almost ruined by some of the laziest resolution seen in an episode which leads you think if Gatiss had 30 seconds to resolve the story
In summary this is one of those episodes that you know in advance is nothing more than light disposable fun but you're still left with a nagging disappointment after seeing it . It's not quirky or funny enough to be genuinely amusing and it's not dramatic enough to be entirely serious enough . Perhaps worst of all it's not good enough to suspend your disbelief and comes across as 45 minutes of very disposable television
Episode 1 ) Introduces most of the major characters
Episode 2 ) More development of the story
Episode 3 ) Revelation of most of the mystery of the story and the villain's plan
Episode 4 ) Resolution of plot . Goodbyes are said
Here in a 45 minute episode the format constricts the story in to something unsatisfying . It's not a brevity of storytelling but a rather deeper problem . It's a somewhat frivolous episode which is something to be expected via the title , camp adventure with Robin Hood and his men but is there any need for the Doctor to join in the fun ? I loved Capaldi's performance from the last two episodes but here I wasn't impressed mainly due to the writing , and did we need a story featuring robots so soon after the droids from the season opener ? Get some new ideas Mr Moffat or change the running order of the season
Being 45 minutes it's the same format as a two episode story from the old show but again one can't feel in those days the production team would have developed the story better with dramatic pauses . Here however much of the so called drama is relegated to bickering dialogue between the Doctor and Robin . If you've got 45 minutes to play with concentrate on plot and don't waste it by having disposable scenes in dungeons . I did notice Gatiss trying to bring in a Marxist subtext with some of the dialogue and paint Robin Hood as a communist freedom fighter but it's hardly DOCTOR WHO at its most thought provoking and cerebral . The episode is almost ruined by some of the laziest resolution seen in an episode which leads you think if Gatiss had 30 seconds to resolve the story
In summary this is one of those episodes that you know in advance is nothing more than light disposable fun but you're still left with a nagging disappointment after seeing it . It's not quirky or funny enough to be genuinely amusing and it's not dramatic enough to be entirely serious enough . Perhaps worst of all it's not good enough to suspend your disbelief and comes across as 45 minutes of very disposable television