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The Hungry Earth & Cold Blood

Writer: Chris Chibnall | Director: Ashley Way

UK Broadcast Date: 22nd May 2010 & 29th May 2010

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Synopsis

It's the year 2020 in the small and nearly deserted welsh village of Cwmtaff. At the drill site just outside the village Nasreen Chaudhry and Tony Mack celebrate the drill reaching a depth of 21km before handing over to night-watchman Mo. But as Mo starts his shift he feels a tremor underneath his feet as one-by-one the security cameras fail. When Mo investigates, a hole opens up in the ground and something pulls him beneath.

Much to Amy and Rory's annoyance, the TARDIS – bound for Rio de Janeiro – lands in Cwmtaff. Upon arrival the Doctor believes there is something unusual about the ground beneath his feet. His companions' chances of a quick exit are dashed when he discovers patches of blue grass and a mining operation.

As Amy and the Doctor head for the drill site, Rory puts Amy's engagement ring back into the TARDIS for safe keeping. When he emerges, he is greeted by Ambrose and her son Elliot, who tell him that the graves have been "eating people".

Things worsen when drilling is restarted by Nasreen and Tony. After looking at the drill's readings, the Doctor tells them to stop drilling immediately. However, it's too late as more holes appear in the floor and Amy is dragged beneath the ground. Worse still, the creatures responsible for the holes are making their way to the surface.

"So, if you shut the drill down, why can I still hear drilling?"

Memorable Quotes

Rory: Can't you sonic it?
Doctor: It doesn't do wood.
Rory: That is rubbish!
Doctor: Oi! Don't diss the sonic!

Malohkeh: From the clothing, the human female appears to be more resistant to the cold than the male.
Amy: I dressed for Rio!

Eldane: Shush now Restac. Go and play soldiers. I'll let you know if I need you.

Review

I must confess that I was initially worried about a second Chris Chibnall-penned Doctor Who story. Although his first, 42, was a reasonably good episode, I am not a big fan of Torchwood and Law & Order: UK – both of which he had a big hand in. However, I'm happy to report that I was quite pleased with The Hungry Earth and Cold Blood.

Taking much of its inspiration from Pertwee-era episodes – especially Doctor Who and the Silurians and The Sea Devils, Chibnall did a very good job of setting up the conflict between the Humans and the Silurians. Both the events that unfold and the characters are believable and very plausible. If Torchwood would have been written more along these lines I would have liked it a lot more.

The most interesting human protagonist was Ambrose, who (without wanting to spoil the story for those that haven’t seen it) was the Humans' weakest link with the most to lose in the situation. Her character acted a lot more desperately than the others, who largely kept a cool head, and gained villain status because of it.

The Silurians were nicely diverse in character. Both the captured Alaya and her military commander Restac were eager to start a war, scientist Malohkeh was genuinely interested in Human development and the leader Eldane (played by Stephen Moore of Hitchhiker's fame) was a positive example of a leader – something that the new series rarely showcases.

The regular cast were more variable as usual. The Eleventh Doctor got to practise being the third Doctor, Rory shone when left in charge of Alaya, Ambrose and her father Tony. As always Amy was the weak link. Like The Time of Angels and Flesh and Stone, the two episodes benefited when Amy was kept at arm’s length and substituted. Like River Song, Nasreen made more of a positive impression as the Doctor's companion than Amy Pond. Amy was particularly bad during the negotiation scene where she seemed incredibly bored. Like all previous episodes, the quality of her dialogue was poor.

In conclusion, Chris Chibnall wrote a good story, albeit heavily influenced by past ones. The closing moments are quite sad and give a teaser of what will unfold later in the series.

Next week the Doctor pays a visit to Vincent Van Gogh.

Reviewer: Dan Ludlow