I'm a fan of Moffat's work in Coupling and Sherlock, but he doesn't seem to do well with sci-fi and fantasy. I loved his early episodes, made allowances for seasons six and seven and still somewhat enjoyed his management of the show despite some sloppy writing, but it has gotten worse and worse. I think Moffat needs limits to thrive, not a show like Doctor Who.
Regarding this episode: I'm surprised it is rated so highly as it is a prime example of more poorly thought out complexities by Moffat. I wanted to enjoy the episode for its powerful story but it never made a lick of sense even while watching it. The list of inconsistencies is very long:
So as with the whole Capaldi era... Capaldi is superb but wasted on bad writing.
Regarding this episode: I'm surprised it is rated so highly as it is a prime example of more poorly thought out complexities by Moffat. I wanted to enjoy the episode for its powerful story but it never made a lick of sense even while watching it. The list of inconsistencies is very long:
- The resetting of the castle: On the one hand even tiny details like his own blood stains, the shovel and the dug-up earth get reset every time, but other random things don't get reset: His messages to himself, his clothes, his skulls, the Azbantium. Why?
- The Veil monster is so slow why can't he evade it with speed?
- There is machinery right next to the Azbantium. Can't he rip out a piece and use that instead of his hands? (Or run out of the room as soon as he remembers and before the monster arrives, to get a tool?)
- If confessions freeze it, even simple ones like how he is afraid to die, why can't he find more to confess besides the Hybrid? He has thousands of years of material to confess!
- If he keeps coming back and freezing the monster with the same confessions every time, then obviously the same repeated confession works as well to freeze the monster! Simple solution...
- Why would anyone set up this world to torture him for confessions and then let him confess the same thing over and over for 2 billion years!? Come to think of it, why would they set up a monster to kill him before he even confesses?
- I'm guessing 2 billion years worth of his skulls is going to make quite a mountain - there isn't going to be any water to dive into. Funny plot-hole, this one.
- Why aren't 2 billion years worth of identical clones of Time Lord regenerating?! Scary thought but a valid question...
- If it's so easy to keep a full backup of the Doctor Who in a drive, why doesn't he backup himself and his companions every day? A prime example of a lazy deus-ex-machina that is powerful enough to ruin the whole show...
So as with the whole Capaldi era... Capaldi is superb but wasted on bad writing.