This week’s Doctor Who was big on scares — a spooky setting, a spooky monster, and the most spookiest element of all: student accommodations! But no, seriously, the Doctor and Bill went on one hell of a creepy adventure tonight, and now you can discuss it all in spoilery-detail in our weekly open thread!
“Knock Knock” relied on one of Who‘s most beloved tropes giving a sinister, alien reason for those everyday occurrences in life — in this case, the creaking we all hear in houses that we really think is just the structure settling, but is apparently, in Doctor Who, down to a horrifying space lice infestation.
The dryads made for one of the most disconcertingly creepy Doctor Who monsters in a while. Some of the scenes of them crawling around and devouring Bill’s fellow housemates were genuinely unpleasant, especially for a show that more often than not prefers to keep grisly deaths as off-camera as they can be. Of course, by the end it got turned around into a random-feeling “everybody lives” moment as the day was saved and all the devoured students came back to life — but honestly, as groanworthy as that can be, I think if it hadn’t happened here it might have been a step too far for a family show like Who. I’m not sure Bill would have been able to handle it either, given how much seeing her first death in last week’s episode shook her.
And yet, there was a ton of emotion and heart in “Knock Knock” and its climax, mainly thanks to a frankly incredible performance from guest star David Suchet — one of the best guest stars the show’s had in years, or perhaps ever. I don’t know how well known he is beyond the shores of the UK other than for his legendary work as Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, but his performance as the Landlord here was a masterclass, chilling one moment and heartbreaking the next.
Personally, I can’t remember the last time Doctor Who has been this consistently good quality. But you’ll find out the rest of my thoughts in our regular Doctor Who recap — for now, share your thoughts in the comments section!