I must assume “Arachnids in the U.K.” wasn’t a fun time for fans with arachnophobia. And it isn’t the first time the Doctor has been up against giant spiders. In fact it was in defeating the Metebelis Eight-Legs that brought about the death of her Third incarnation in the classic “Planet of the Spiders”. Ten regenerations later, it would make sense for her not to be too keen on them.
Abnormally large spiders have been turning up around Sheffield, killing and cocooning people in webs when the Doctor and friends return. Upon further investigation, the Doctor is led to a luxury hotel run by a callous American businessman who had just that day fired Yaz’s mum Najia. There the gang discover the source of these anomalies and set about to contain the spiders before any more damage and death can result.
The story is pretty decent, with plenty of the expected investigation through strange and dark environments broken up by the occasional monster attack and the Doctor formulating a plan. It’s not told especially uniquely, but once again has some admirable cinematography and visuals. I especially love one shot early in the episode that darts through the opening vortex and ends by diving into the TARDIS. The spiders look good by the standards of Doctor Who and in one or two moments even conjure memories of Shelob (though they’re more wolf spider and tarantula-like than widow). In other scenes the influence of Aliens is clear. The episode is sufficiently thrilling and matches that with some good humour. There are a handful of funny exchanges, particularly among the Khans, though the Doctor gets in a few good ones (“is he Ed Sheeran?”). And of course, Ryan luring the spiders to the kitchen with his terrible music is a great gag.
One of the most interesting things about this episode is how the monster of the week isn’t some alien influence, but rather just plain old radioactive spiders created by our own carelessness with toxic waste. And there have been plenty of human-spawn monsters, villains, and problems on the show before, but this one seems especially pointed in how it squarely places the blame on the recklessness of people. These spiders born out of industrial waste have the origin of many a superhero and don’t act particularly unnaturally aggressive. They behave just as spiders do, only on a larger scale, which unfortunately makes them more dangerous. Because of this they’re not as despicable or monstrous as they might otherwise have been (again, unless you’re arachnophobic in which case, this is your nightmare). The episode actually has a fair bit of commentary to it, though it’s mostly surrounding the grand hotel and the moron who runs it.
The big villain of the episode is actually the tycoon referred to only as Robertson, played by a hammy Chris Noth, who’s excessively rich, brash, unreasonable, egotistical, quick to judgement, and even has aspirations for the U.S. presidency. It isn’t hard to see who he’s supposed to represent -it’s not a huge leap to replace English hotels with Scottish golf courses after all. Noth plays the part over-the-top but intentionally so, incorporating unusual behaviours and the familiar gestures anyone who regularly watches the circus of American news would recognize. He throws his bodyguard under the bus as soon as it conveniences him, mispronounces Najia’s name, and to that regard seems to have a penchant for firing people. The strange thing though is that Trump is referenced a couple times in the episode in the context of being the President, and Robertson is seen to have deep-seated resentment for him, refusing to even hear his name uttered. This is the fatal flaw of the character. He is an incredibly thin pastiche already, quite poorly and lazily written. Doctor Who’s rarely been great with subtlety when it comes to politicians -look at the brutal Margaret Thatcher stand-in from “The Happiness Patrol” for example. But Thatcher was never really referenced in a contemporary context as Prime Minister on the show. Trump deserves the “Happiness Patrol” treatment for sure, it would be cathartic to have him represented as a slightly more literal inhuman despot. But it muddies the waters to actually have him exist at his current position in the world of the show, while this other character acts as his caricature. I think the episode is trying to suggest that Robertson has been a lifelong business rival of Trump, and yet for as much as he hates him, he’s really just a mirror image. But this isn’t strongly conveyed (though I wouldn’t necessarily want it explained; even as just a reference Trump has no place in this show). Rather we have a guy who has presidential aspirations, hates the president but is just like him in his level of ignorance and greed, and even uses Trump language in the form of an atrocious one-liner when killing the queen spider against the Doctor’s wishes (his trigger-happiness may be a pot-shot at America as a whole). Unfortunately he isn’t given a brutal death either which may indicate he’s not completely gone from the show -his hotel is still situated in the new home-base of Sheffield after all.
I rather like that we’re back in Sheffield though, if only that it gives the modern world a different home than London. I liked more the idea of the characters continuing to travel through time and space in an effort to get home long-term, but I’ll admit a lot of that is just a lingering nostalgia for the shows’ earliest seasons. And bringing Ryan, Yaz, and Graham back allows more of their lives to be explored. Here we get to meet Yaz’s family: her father Hakim, sister Sonya, and mother Najia. And it’s evident by this home-life why she wants to get away. Hakim is a mad rubbish collector, keeping bags of trash in his living room because of some conspiracy, Sonya has a typically contesting relationship with her sister, and Najia …well Najia seems fine, played with confidence and concern by a great Shobna Gulati; but it isn’t difficult to see how Yaz could be irritated by them. We learn a lot about Yaz from her family too though. That she doesn’t bring many friends home, seemingly not having much of a social life (Sonya mocks her for being “married to her job”), and that she’s not very open with them. Most of all, you can feel the pressure she’s under by them, with her father wanting to take advantage of her job as a police officer and her mother eager for her to find a partner (asking at intervals if she’s “with” the Doctor or Ryan -the former possibly indicating that Yaz may be bi). It’s some good development and gives us a fuller understanding of the mundane and unfulfilled life she leads.
Meanwhile Graham goes home for a bit where he’s confronted by the spirit of Grace. I’ve been watching The Haunting of Hill House so I was initially suspicious at seeing her again, but she’s not literal. The episode does a great job in this solitary scene to show Graham’s discomfort with being in an empty house for the first time in years, and how he’s still pained by the death of his wife. Her appearance, simply reminding him of the day-to-day chores, has a real sweetness to it, emphasizing the little things that hit most in the aftermath of loss. A letter has been left on Graham’s mantel from Grace’s son, Ryan’s dad, and he gives it to Ryan later in the episode. The distant relationship between Ryan and his dad was set up in “The Woman Who Fell to Earth”, but here it’s revealed he’s now trying to reach out to his son, inviting him to come back and live with his “proper family”, phrasing that Ryan doesn’t take kindly to. He reveals this to Graham in another somewhat out-of-place scene while they’re looking for spiders and it’s clear he’s starting to warm more to Graham, or at least realize that Graham, and the late Grace of course, and even Yaz and the Doctor are more family to him than his asshole father.
They do already feel like a family, even after such a short span of time. When the Doctor is awkwardly letting them go at the start of the episode, you feel that genuine connection -and it’s kind of adorable at how quickly she leaps at Yaz’s invitation to tea. Chris Chibnall (who with this writes his fourth episode in a row) has made clear he wanted there to be a companion for everyone to relate to, and whether or not that’s true there certainly is something about this group that makes them eminently likeable. It’s notable that once again the Doctor doesn’t have much of a story compared to her companions this week, further redefining the show as being ensemble focussed. And I think of course it’s a credit to the actors for bringing to life their characters and relationships so well and swiftly.
The best part of the episode is the very end, where after the conflict is resolved, not by the Doctor for a change, but rashly and inappropriately by Robertson, Yaz, Ryan, and Graham are each considering their immediate future. For each, we see sadness in their life: Yaz uncomfortable at home and not willing to be confronted by her mother, Ryan having to face a difficult choice with his dad, and Graham not ready to be alone yet. They come to the TARDIS together and ask the Doctor to continue travelling with her. She warns them of the dangers and tells them they won’t come back the same, making sure they know the gravity of their choice. But they still choose to come, accepting these things, and there’s an earnestness (especially from Graham) that I haven’t felt from a companion in a long time.
My god, is Jodie Whittaker’s smile heartwarming after this, and it’s wonderful to see the newly christened “Team TARDIS” pull the lever together that will take them who knows where.
The best stuff in “Arachnids in the U.K.” has little to do with the arachnids in the U.K. Though Noth’s Trump analogue is a weak element made weaker by a bizarre writing choice, and for Tanya Fear’s good performance, her arachnid expert character is mostly superfluous, the spiders themselves are good, the episode’s entertaining, and the character development and performances are excellent. The ending is a superb beginning, and I have a real confidence wherever it goes the TARDIS is manned by a worthy crew.
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