Much of the press coverage of the new Doctor Who series pertained to the difference between Matt Smith’s incarnation of The Doctor vs. Peter Capaldi’s version.  In essence, all of the indications, right down to the promotional videos, pointed to a much darker side of The Doctor.  I think a number of Capaldi’s fans were looking forward to that sort of take, especially after so much went into explaining why The Eleventh Doctor was so comedic at times.

So why is it that the writers insist on amping up the almost petulant wisecracking from The Twelfth Doctor?  Where is all that aforementioned darkness?  Some of it was present during “Into the Dalek”, but it was overshadowed by the kind of sarcasm and silliness that pervaded this installment.  And believe me, any Doctor Who episode devoted to the legend of Robin Hood was going to be up against stiff odds in the “seriousness” department.

It might not have mattered if the audience hadn’t been primed to expect something very different.  Is this their attempt at showing the “young man in the old body”, as a contrast to Matt Smith’s opposing performance?  I have no idea, but this script in particular felt closer to something out of the Matt Smith era, without a doubt.  Capaldi does everything possible to make it work, but like all of his material thus far, it just seems like the time needed for Capaldi to get his bearings is protracted.

The episode also fumbles, not unlike the previous installment, with the larger metaphor at the heart of the tale.  The Doctor is both real and a legend, which is applicable both in terms of the series mythology as a whole and the meta-commentary at play.  The Doctor has long since taken on iconic status in the pop culture pantheon, and so it makes sense to honor that.  It pertains indirectly to The Doctor’s search for identity, as he must learn to parse between the legend and his true past, yet it’s something that might have worked better in different circumstances.

Clara’s character act continues to grow and transform, as she becomes a mature foil to The Doctor’s ridiculous antics.  That’s to be appreciated, but given that I want The Doctor to jettison this echo of The Fourth Doctor’s worst excesses, the dynamic will need to continue to evolve.  If it doesn’t, one is going to have to consider why it is that Clara is willing to put up with it.  On the other hand, that could very well be the reason why she turns to others in her life, and they end up in the TARDIS as well.

In the background, we have yet another reference to “The Promised Land” and this apparent “heaven”.  That the majority of those looking to find and inhabit this place seem to be robotic is intriguing, but there also seems to be a connection to The Twelfth Doctor and his interaction with these beings that cross into the space.  It’s been far from subtle as a developing season arc, but at least there is an ongoing thread to follow.