Doctor Who Series 11 Episode 6 - Demons Of The Punjab - Review

Starring: Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole & Mandip Gill

Written By: Vinay Patel

Directed By: Jamie Childs

As episode titles and synopses were gradually released for Series 11, 'Demons Of The Punjab' quickly became my most anticipated episode of the run. An episode set in 1940s India fulfilled a long-time hope I've had for the show - a historical set somewhere in likes of Asia or Africa. 'Doctor Who' is hardly short on historicals, but not since the William Hartnell era has the TARDIS ventured outside of Europe or America. 'Marco Polo' proved it could be done all those years ago, so do we reach similar highs with 'Demons Of The Punjab'? 

After celebrating her nani Umbreen's birthday, Yaz is curious to learn more about her past, and asks the Doctor to take her to Punjab in 1947. Upon arriving, Yaz becomes curious when she discovers that Umbreen is engaged to a Hindu man, Prem, despite her family having Muslim roots. Tensions in the region are escalating, and the Doctor soon discovers why: they have arrived on the 14th August, the day before the partition of India. As British India is about to be split into India and Pakistan, Yaz is about to learn of a dark time in her family's history... 

Unlike 'Rosa', 'Demons Of The Punjab' isn't centred around the actions of one individual. Although we spend a lot of time with Prem and Umbreen, this is an episode focusing on one massive national event. The partition of India is a great topic for the show to explore, and an enlightening one too given that I previously knew next to nothing about this bit of history. It's clearly a topic close to writer Vinay Patel's heart too. However, it's a challenge to represent such an event on a show like 'Doctor Who'. Partition affected millions of people and you can't realistically hope to depict something of that scale on 'Doctor Who's budget. But Patel has found a smart way of getting around this by focusing on one family and the effects partition has on them. As the country is literally spilt, so too are Yaz's ancestors. It's a smart move and it works really well. 

'Demons Of The Punjab' was originally broadcast on Remembrance Sunday, and given the prevailing theme of paying tribute to the fallen, there's no way that's a coincidence. The show pays tribute, not merely by having shots of the Doctor and co. running through poppy fields, but in the bones of the story itself. Take the Thijarians, originally thought to be the titular "demons". They're gorgeously designed and leave an intimidating first impression, as they project their loud, distorted words into the Doctor's head. (Spoiler Warning!) But eventually they're revealed to be observers who travel the universe paying tribute to those who die without witness. It's an excellent twist after so much effort has gone into building them up as the bad guys, and allows us to focus on the real "demons" at play. Millions perished alone in the conflicts of partition, much like the soldiers on the battlefields of WWI. Being there for those who died alone is a core aspect of 'Demons Of The Punjab', one that's beautifully executed and fitting that it was first shown on Remembrance Day. 

(Skip ahead to the next paragraph now to avoid spoilers!) As the plot unfolds and the pieces of the puzzle gradually begin fitting together, it becomes inevitable that Prem isn't going to survive, and Yaz is going to discover precisely why her nani never told her about him. When Prem confronts his brother as he leads the Hindu nationalists to their home, it's a phenomenal scene. My heart breaks every time Prem realizes his brother has become consumed by hatred, crying "My baby brother... what happened to you?". He's about to get shot by one of the men who previously fought alongside him. The swelling music, the direction, that perfect use of lens flare as the trigger is pulled - it's absolute perfection and it guts me with every viewing. You'd think the shot of Prem's soul ascending into the "heavens" to join the others would be pushing things a bit far, but it doesn't. It's a breathtaking visual, and again features some of Segun Akinola's best music for the show to date. 

In fact, the episode as a whole contains most of Akinola's best stuff yet. Up until now, his style has been noticeably different from Murray Gold's. Whereas Gold was bombastic and made his presence known, Akinola is more understated and blends more into the background. But 'Demons Of The Punjab' gives him the opportunity to go front and centre, even including (in what might be a first for 'Doctor Who') some Punjabi classical vocalists. It works seamlessly with the rest of the episode, and it was a nice surprise hearing a Punjabi-style rendition of the 'Doctor Who' theme over the credits. Meanwhile, just when I thought Mark Tonderai had bagged the title of Series 11's best director (so far at least), with his work on 'The Ghost Monument' and 'Rosa', Jamie Childs returns to give him some serious competition. 'Demons Of The Punjab' may well be the new best-looking episode of the series. Everything has a golden glow to it once again, the colours are warm and vivid, and the sunny Spanish countrysides make a terrific stand-in for the Indian rurals. The Doctor, Graham, Ryan and Yaz arriving at the farm on the back of a cart pulled by cows, the costumes, the interior design work, including the design of the Thijarians' ship: everything feels remarkably authentic. 

There's also an equally talented cast working alongside its talented crew. Shane Zaza as Prem joins the likes of Sharon D. Clarke, Chris Noth and (the current prize-winner) Vinette Robinson, as one of the best guest actors in the series so far. Hamza Jeetooa meanwhile does a great job as Manish, a character indoctrinated by a harmful, divisive rhetoric but so utterly convinced that he's doing the right thing. Turning in another great performance, I still really can't help but enjoy Jodie Whittaker's Doctor each week. Her speech about love when delivering Prem and Umbreen's wedding service is so lovely. You also get scenes which are almost a complete 180-degree contrast to this, such as her confrontation with the Thijarians. How anyone can still say she doesn't feel like the Doctor after seeing her bear her teeth and angrily deliver lines like "Leave these people alone, they're under my protection now" is beyond me. 

But at the end of the day, this was the episode that finally tested Yaz, and … I'm sorry to say she still hasn't passed that test for me. If I have one complaint with 'Demons Of The Punjab' (though in fairness, it isn't entirely the fault of this episode alone), it's Yaz. A Yaz-centric story like this should have really given the character a kick, but I still feel almost the exact same ambivalence I've had with her throughout the series. I know more about and are more engaged with Yaz's ancestors than her, and it's annoying because Mandip Gill is so warm and likeable in this role. Even Graham, in an episode that has very little to do with him, manages to upstage her; first when talking to Yaz about their travels, and again when helping Prem prepare for the wedding. It's telling that we're six weeks in and this is the first time we've seen Graham and Yaz have a conversation with each other. I suppose on the bright side, this is still the best material Gill has had to work with for Yaz thus far, so hopefully we can at least keep that up. 

Minor complaints about Yaz aside, what's the verdict on 'Demons Of The Punjab'? In almost every other way this is a rich, layered, utterly beautiful tale, and ranks as one of my new favourites from the show. Those who haven't been impressed with Series 11, or who think it's been too light or insubstantial, 'Demons Of The Punjab' might just be able to prove otherwise. Like the last historical, this one challenges the TARDIS crew a lot and this is heavy, at times draining stuff. But it's important too and once again it's impeccably realized - an episode that feels unlike many other 'Doctor Who' stories. 'Demons Of The Punjab' is proof that episodes like 'Rosa' weren't just a one-off, and this new era has a lot of potential.

Demons Of The Punjab

9/10