Face the Raven
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Doctor Who episode
| number = 260
| serial_name = Face the Raven
| show = DW
| type = episode
| image =
| image_size = 275px
| caption = Clara finds the Quantum Shade.
| doctor = Peter Capaldi – Twelfth Doctor
| companion = Jenna Coleman – Clara Oswald
| guests =
- Maisie Williams – Ashildr
- Joivan Wade – Rigsy
- Naomi Ackie – Jen
- Simon Manyonda – Kabel
- Simon Paisley Day – Rump
- Letitia Wright – Anahson
- Robin Soans – Chronolock Guy
- Angela Clerkin – Alien Woman
- Caroline Boulton – Habrian Woman
- Jenny Lee – Elderly Woman
| director = Justin Molotnikov
| writer = Sarah Dollard
| script_editor = David P Davis
| producer = Nikki Wilson
| executive_producer = Steven Moffat
Brian Minchin
| composer = Murray Gold
| series = Series 9
| length = 47 minutes
| date = {{Start date|2015|11|21|df=y}}
| preceding = "Sleep No More"
| following = "Heaven Sent"
}}
"Face the Raven" is the tenth episode of the ninth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 21 November 2015, and was written by Sarah Dollard and directed by Justin Molotnikov.
In the episode, the alien time traveller the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi) is lured to a hidden trap street populated by extraterrestrial refugees in the centre of London after a death sentence, in the form of a countdown tattoo, has been placed on the Doctor's friend Rigsy (Joivan Wade) by Me (Maisie Williams), the street's mayor. In an attempt to buy more time, the Doctor's companion Clara (Jenna Coleman) puts her life in danger by having the tattoo transferred to her.
The episode was watched by 6.05 million viewers and received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances of Capaldi and Coleman.
Plot
Rigsy contacts the Twelfth Doctor and Clara for help. He shows them a number tattoo on his neck, counting down, with no memory of how he got it or the events of the last day. They trace his movements to a trap street in present-day London that houses extraterrestrial refugees, using telepathic alien worms to appear as humans to the Doctor, Clara, and Rigsy.
Me,{{refn|group=N|Listed in the credits as her original name, Ashildr.}} the immortal mayor of the trap street, explains that she sentenced Rigsy to death after he was accused of murdering Anah, a two-face Janus. They gave him a Chronolock: a tattoo which counts down with each passing minute. When it reaches zero, a Quantum Shade (a being that takes the form of a raven) is summoned to kill him. However, they also had to give Rigsy an amnesia drug to forget the trap street's existence. Me allows the Doctor and Clara to prove Rigsy's innocence. Clara learns that the Chronolock can be transferred to another willingly. Believing Me will not let her die, Clara takes Rigsy's Chronolock without the Doctor's knowledge to buy them more time.
File:Doctor Who Experience (25307760809).jpg
The trio meets Anah's psychic daughter, Anahson, and learns that Me used Rigsy to bring the Doctor to the trap street and that Me is afraid of someone Anahson cannot identify. The Doctor realises from the medical data in the stasis pod Anah is stored inside that Anah is still alive, and Anah is locked in by a device compatible with the TARDIS key. However, when the Doctor uses his key, the lock device clamps a metal ring around his wrist and takes the TARDIS key. The band is a teleportation device to send the Doctor far away to keep the street safe from attacks by unnamed people Me made a deal with. Me demands the Doctor's Confession Dial. Me then goes to remove the Chronolock from Rigsy only to discover Clara has taken it; Clara broke the contract Me had made with the Shade and she cannot undo it. The Doctor becomes angry and threatens Me, demanding that she save Clara, but Clara calms him down, asking him not to be upset or avenge her death. Clara says her goodbyes and then steps into the street to face the Shade before it kills her. Back in the house, the Doctor warns Me to keep away from him in future. Me then activates the band, sending the Doctor away.
=Continuity=
The Doctor once again consults his response cards, first seen in "Under the Lake", in "an effort to be nice" before breaking the news to Rigsy of his impending death.{{Citation | title = 'Face the raven' hits teasers set | date = 19 November 2015 | publisher = Doctor Who TV | place = UK | url = http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/face-the-raven-hints-teasers-set-1-78154.htm}}.
Rigsy is injected with Retcon, a substance introduced in the Doctor Who spinoff, Torchwood, to cause those that take it to lose their memory of meeting members of Torchwood and having alien encounters.{{cite web | url = http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-11-21/did-you-spot-the-torchwood-reference-in-this-weeks-doctor-who | title = Did you spot the Torchwood reference in this week's Doctor Who? | first = Huw | last = Fullerton | date = 21 November 2015 | access-date = 22 November 2015 | work = Radio Times }}
Among the disguised aliens living on the trap street are a Sontaran, Judoon, an Ice Warrior and an Ood caring for a Cyberman.{{Cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-11-21/did-you-spot-the-hidden-monsters-in-this-weeks-doctor-who|title=Did you spot the hidden monsters in this week's Doctor Who?|work=Radio Times|year=2015|access-date=22 November 2015}}
Me asks the Doctor for his confession dial, first seen in "The Magician's Apprentice" and retrieved by the Doctor in "The Witch's Familiar".{{cite web|url=http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/doctor-who-series-9/37921/doctor-who-series-9-geeky-spots-in-face-the-raven|title=Doctor Who series 9: geeky spots in Face The Raven|work=Den of Geek|date=21 November 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/face-the-raven-hints-teasers-set-2-78168.htm|title=Face the Raven: Hints & Teasers (Set #2)|work=Doctor Who TV|date=20 November 2015}}
Clara mentions her deceased lover Danny Pink, saying that if he could face death (as he did in "Death in Heaven"), then so can she.{{Citation | newspaper = Forbes | date = 2015-11-21 | title = Doctor Who recap season 9, episode 10 'Face the raven': Clara Oswald's finest hour is her last | url = https://www.forbes.com/sites/reehines/2015/11/21/doctor-who-recap-season-9-episode-10-face-the-raven-clara-oswalds-finest-hour-is-her-last/}}.
As Clara entreats the Doctor not to take revenge on Ashildr, she tells him "don't be a warrior.... be a Doctor". This is the same plea she made to the Eleventh Doctor when he planned to destroy Gallifrey to end the Time War in "The Day of the Doctor".{{Citation | title = Doctor Who series 9: geeky spots in 'Face the raven' | date = 21 November 2015 | publisher = Den of Geek | url = http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/doctor-who-series-9/37921/doctor-who-series-9-geeky-spots-in-face-the-raven}}.
=Outside references=
Clara mentions having a romantic relationship with writer Jane Austen. In "The Magician's Apprentice", she even calls her "a great kisser". Earlier in "The Caretaker", the Doctor disputes with Clara about when Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice.
As they prepare to investigate, Clara suggests that she and the Doctor employ the good cop/bad cop interrogation method, with her as the 'good' cop. When the Doctor asks why he can't play 'good cop', Clara says that his face won't allow him.{{cite web|url=http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/face-the-raven-hints-teasers-set-1-78154.htm|title=Face the Raven: Hints & Teasers (Set #1)|work=Doctor Who TV|date=19 November 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2015/nov/21/doctor-who-series-35-episode-10-face-the-raven|title=Doctor Who series 35, episode 10 – Face the Raven|author=Dan Martin|work=The Guardian|date=21 November 2015}}
Production
The read through for this episode was on 28 May 2015 and filming ran from 8 June to 25 June.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/39WJPdfdy1wTqTq8W2sflRP/face-the-raven-the-fact-file|title=Face the Raven: The Factfile|work=BBC|year=2015|access-date=8 December 2015}}
=Cast notes=
Joivan Wade originally appeared as Rigsy in "Flatline" in Series 8. Maisie Williams featured as Ashildr/Me in "The Girl Who Died" and "The Woman Who Lived". Robin Soans appeared as Luvic in The Keeper of Traken in Season 18.{{cite web |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/keepertraken/detail.shtml |title=The Keeper of Traken |website= Doctor Who |publisher= BBC |access-date=17 November 2015}} Simon Paisley Day made an appearance in "The End of the World" from Series 1.{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0562997/|title= The End of the World |website=IMDb |date= 17 March 2006 |access-date= 17 November 2015}}
Reception
The episode was watched by 4.48 million viewers overnight in the UK, a 19.9% audience share.{{cite web |url= http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/doctor-who/news/a774877/uk-tv-ratings-jenna-colemans-doctor-who-exit-watched-by-45-million/ |title=UK TV ratings: Jenna Coleman's Doctor Who exit watched by 4.5 million| first =Ben | last = Lee|work= Digital Spy|date=22 November 2015}} It received an Appreciation Index score of 84.{{cite web|title=Face the Raven – AI:84|url=http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2015/11/face-raven-ai84.html|website=Doctor Who News|access-date=November 23, 2015|date=November 23, 2015}} The consolidated figures were 6.05 million viewers.{{cite web|url=http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/doctor-who-series-9-2015-uk-ratings-accumulator-76154.htm|title=Series 9 ratings|work=Doctor Who TV|year=2015|access-date=22 November 2015}}
=Critical reception=
{{TV ratings
| aggregate1 = Rotten Tomatoes (Tomatometer)
| aggregate1score = 80%{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/doctor-who/s09/e10/|title=Face the Raven|date=3 March 2019|work=rottentomatoes.com}}
| aggregate2 = Rotten Tomatoes (Average Score)
| rev3 = The A.V. Club
| rev4 = Paste Magazine
| rev5 = SFX Magazine
| rev5Score = {{rating|5|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/doctor-who-face-raven-review/|title=Doctor Who S9.10 – "Face The Raven" review|author=Jordan Farley|date=21 November 2015|work=GamesRadar+}}
| rev6 = TV Fanatic
| rev6Score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tvfanatic.com/2015/11/doctor-who-season-9-episode-10-review-face-the-raven/|title=Doctor Who|author=dferrel|work=TV Fanatic|date=21 November 2015}}
| rev7 = IGN
| rev8 = New York Magazine
| rev8Score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.vulture.com/2015/11/doctor-who-recap-season-9-episode-10.html|title=Doctor Who Recap: Tattoo You|work=Vulture|date=21 November 2015 }}
| rev9 =The Daily Telegraph
| rev10 = Radio Times
}}
On Rotten Tomatoes, 80% of 20 critics gave the episode a positive review, with an average rating of 8.7 out of 10. The website's consensus reads: "'Face the Raven' delivers the much anticipated departure of a beloved Doctor Who character in a farewell handled admirably by both Coleman and Capaldi."
In The Independent, Jon Cooper praised the episode, describing it as "A heady mixture of science fiction, Gothic whodunnit and emotional rollercoaster, it doesn't just leave you breathless – it leaves you wanting more."{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/doctor-who-face-the-raven-tv-review-fans-left-reeling-by-shock-ending-to-gothic-emotional-a6743601.html|title=Doctor Who – Face the Raven, TV review: Fans left reeling by shock ending to Gothic emotional rollercoaster|author=Jon Cooper|date=21 November 2015|work=The Independent}} Conversely, Patrick Mulkern's review for Radio Times was more critical, stating that it was "at best, pedestrian. It's mostly dull and uninvolving."{{cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-11-21/doctor-who-face-the-raven-review-a-pedestrian-dramatic-cul-de-sac-with-a-poignant-dead-end|title=Doctor Who: Jenna Coleman's Clara Oswald dies in Face the Raven – review|author=Patrick Mulkern|work=RadioTimes}}
{{clear}}
In print
{{Infobox book
|name = Face the Raven
|image =
|caption =
|author = Nancy Taylor
|series = Doctor Who novelisations
|release_number =
|release_date = 10 September 2019
|publisher = Pearson Education
|pages =
|isbn= 9781292206196
}}
Pearson Education published a novelisation of this episode by Nancy Taylor{{cite web|url=https://www.bookdepository.com/Level-3-Doctor-Who-Face-Raven-Nancy-Taylor/9781292206196|title=Level 3: Doctor Who: Face The Raven : Nancy Taylor : 9781292206196|first=Nancy|last=Taylor|website=Book Depository}} for students of English language reading on 26 July 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://online.flippingbook.com/view/922832/173/#zoom=z |title=Pearson ELT Catalogue 2018 |format=pdf |page=173}}{{cite web|url=https://readers.english.com/products/detail/9781292206196|title=Level 3: Doctor Who: Face the Raven - Pearson Readers|website=readers.english.com|access-date=6 April 2018}}
Notes
{{Reflist|group=N}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{wikiquote|Twelfth Doctor}}
- {{BBCDWnew|year=2015|id=b06qqp67|title=Face the Raven}}
- {{TardisIndexFile |Face the Raven (TV story)|"Face the Raven"}}
- {{IMDb episode|4701538|Face the Raven}}
{{Doctor Who episodes|N9}}
{{navboxes|list1=
{{Twelfth Doctor stories|selected=Television}}
{{Cyberman stories|selected=Television}}
{{Ice Warrior stories}}
{{Judoon stories}}
{{Ood stories}}
{{Silurian stories}}
{{Sontaran stories}}
}}
Category:Twelfth Doctor episodes
Category:2015 British television episodes
Category:Doctor Who stories set on Earth
Category:Television episodes about death