Doctor Who Series 11 Episode 8 - The Witchfinders - Review

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

Written By: Joy Wilkinson

Directed By: Sallie Aprahamian

With the Doctor's recent gender change, opportunities opened up to put her in times and locations where the fact that she's now a woman could prove a severe hindrance for her. We could debate for a long time about what these different times and settings could be, but I think it's pretty safe to say that the witchcraft trials of the 17th Century are a solid contender. How lucky therefore that that's exactly where we're headed for this week. Up until now, Series 11 has mostly opted to take a passing note of the gender change, so with this change of circumstances, it'll be interesting to see how it's approached... 

The TARDIS crew arrive in the unfamiliar village of Bilehurst Cragg in early 17th Century England. As they arrive, they notice celebrations being held in the village but soon discover it to be in service of a much more sinister event. The village landlady, Becka Savage, is putting the latest in a long line of women on trial for acts of witchcraft. At the same time, the village has a rather notable visitor in its midst: King James I. Here to assist Becka in her hunt to root out any witches, can the Doctor break them out of their superstitious beliefs?

Fun fact: together with the Russian revolutions and the English Civil War, one of the topics I covered during A-Level History was the witchcraft trials. So unlike say 'Demons Of The Punjab' which dealt with the partition of India (which isn't covered in most British schools - can't imagine why), the witch hunts were something I was relatively familiar with going in. I'm by no means any kind of expert but from everything I remember, 'The Witchfinders' provides a neat encapsulation of many things that went on during the trials. For instance, it dodges the myth that those deemed guilty of witchcraft were burnt at the stake, which while true in some cases in Europe, in England, hanging or beheading was the preferred method. The religious link to Satan features prominently, as do methods of trials such as dunking. But aside from these base elements, what I really liked about Joy Wilkinson's script was the exploration into why the witchcraft trials took off in the first place. Although religion was used to justify it, the real reason they became so widespread was often because it was a convenient social tool that could be used to get rid of inconvenient people, all the while disguising it among a culture of fear. Becka Savage appears committed to her belief in witchcraft, but the real reason Old Mother Twiston was dunked and killed at the start of the episode is because she refused to do what Becka asked of her. She even tries to do the same with the Doctor, deflecting her questions and accusing her of witchcraft rather than confess the things that she's seen. 'Doctor Who' may have dealt with the witch trials before, notably in Big Finish plays such as 'The Devil's Armada' or 'The Witch From The Well', and while you'll find greater depth in these stories, for the limitations of a 50-minute television slot, 'The Witchfinders' does a commendable job. 

As said in the beginning, this is an interesting point in history to put this new Doctor in, and like the rest of the series, it addresses the gender aspect rather well. Series 11 has had the odd joke here and there, or referenced that the Doctor is now a woman in passing, and that's the best approach they could've gone with in my opinion. What better way to normalize the fact that like humans, Time Lords can change gender than to treat it as this everyday unremarkable thing? 'The Witchfinders' continues this approach for the bulk of its runtime, but does take care to mention how the Doctor's gender puts her at a heightened risk in this context. I'm sure someone reading this by now would be quick to tell me that the witch trials weren't exclusively targeted at women, and yes I am aware of that, but let's not downplay the fact that women were the majority target. Even if you remove gender from the equation altogether, this is still a great time for the Doctor to visit given the obvious theme of science vs. superstition that dominates this period of history. The 13th Doctor's rekindled love of science rears its head again when she is tied up and trying to talk King James down from his superstition. It's probably one of Jodie Whittaker's best moments so far on the show. It's a shame that the companions don't really get any scenes on the same kind of level. Yaz gets to fight off some sentient mud with a shovel... er... Ryan gets to be the object of King James' affections... yeah, they don't get much to do. Not even Graham fares much better, although he does spend most of the episode in a witchfinder's hat which looks ridiculous, and the fact that no-one even mentions it makes it funnier still. 

Though the companions mostly disappoint, 'The Witchfinders' does to its credit have one of the strongest guest casts so far this series. The obvious standout is of course Alan Cumming's turn as King James I. Almost everyone seems to have fallen in love with his performance, and quite right too. Cumming knows full well he's in a 'Doctor Who' episode and hams it up irresistibly. King James is camp, charming and over-the-top in just about every way, and I was glad the episode didn't conveniently forget that this was a king who was rather likely bisexual. He's a delightful bundle of fun, but can still pull off some more serious moments just as well. Really the only problem with this portrayal is that it can kind of seem at odds with the rather grim and nasty setting, which doesn't always sit right tonally. Even so, Cumming is just too good in this role to not find enjoyable. While he may firmly eclipse the rest of the cast, it would be remiss of me to skip over them. Siobhan Finneran is a natural when it comes to tough roles, and she is fantastic as Becka Savage. She really gets across that iron will and regularly feels like an intimidating presence. Tilly Steele is also great as Willa, a character who goes some way in offsetting the OTT King James. Willa helps to make sure the episode doesn't become too obsessed with its royal celebrity, reminding the viewer that the witch hunts affected everyday, innocent people - something that shouldn't be forgotten when discussing this point in history. 

'The Witchfinders' further sees the return of Sallie Aprahamian in the director's chair following her work on 'Arachnids In The UK'. 'Arachnids' and 'Witchfinders' were part of the same production block, which may help explain why they're probably the two least visually remarkable episodes of Series 11. There's not too much to comment on when it comes to the overall look of 'The Witchfinders', but understandably so. The colour palette is drained to mostly greys and muted browns, but given the location and rather bleak period of history we're in, it makes sense. While it may not be as remarkable as some other locations this series, there are still some really nice shots here and there - such as the initial reveal of the Morax mud monsters. The camera panning to reveal a forest full of animated corpses shrouded in mist is definitely one of the most striking images in here. 

Unfortunately, much of what I have to compliment 'The Witchfinders' on is sadly absent when it comes to the last ten minutes. The moment that the Morax Queen is introduced is where I'm pulled out of the episode, and from what I can gather this seems to be where it loses most people. Now the inclusion of a central alien threat is not in itself a bad thing. Were this the case in other historicals such as 'Rosa' or 'Demons Of The Punjab', then it might read as disingenuous given the heavy topics at play and how recently they took place. With 'The Witchfinders', it's dealing with something bizarre enough and that took place long enough ago that the "It was aliens all along!" explanation is justified. But the problem with the Morax is... they're just really generic. Becka's transformation into the Morax Queen is genuinely unsettling, but beyond that there's nothing distinctive about them. They're just another evil alien warrior race with a modulated voice and who want to conquer. They're as generic as you get, and while they may please some people who haven't been keen on the lack of monsters in Series 11, it really doesn't do anything for me. Series 11 has very much been the series of the human villain which may not be to everyone's tastes, but when this is the alternative, I'll gladly take the human villain. 

It's a shame that the last stretch of 'The Witchfinders' disappoints, because until that point it had been another solid entry to an enjoyable series. It's mostly run of the mill stuff for 'Doctor Who' granted, but it was a decent historical with a lot to like. The fact that 'The Witchfinders' ends on such a flimsy, generic alien reveal does leave you feeling a bit deflated overall though, just by virtue of it being the last act of the episode. Ending aside however, 'The Witchfinders' while not the most remarkable bit of television to grace a screen, is consistently entertaining.

The Witchfinders
7/10