What initially feels like an episode designed to save a bit of money across the series, hides some hidden depths as the nature of The Doctor is explored again.
Whilst in present day Cardiff, to recharge the Tardis, The Doctor (Christopher Eccleston), Rose (Billie Piper) and Jack (John Barrowman) are joined by Mickey (Noel Clarke) for some down time. That is until they discover that their old Slitheen enemy is also in Cardiff and continuing to masquerade as Margret Blaine (Annette Badland) who, as Lord Mayor, is announcing a Nuclear Power Station, in the centre of the Welsh Capital.
If I can divert away from talking about the episode for a moment. I understand that people have their agendas and opinions on where "Doctor Who" is in 2020 and I don't agree with most of it, but I do think that the decision to move away from an overall season arc, alongside the individual stories (the "Buffy" model, for the want of a better term) during the Moffat years was a mistake. Since then the shows been afraid of telling any stories more complex than a couple of episodes and storytelling (which is the only thing that really matters) has suffered because of it.
But back to "Boom Town". Overall I felt it was solid rather than spectacular. The CGI of the Slitheen transformation hasn't gotten any better and the devastation of Cardiff Bay following the time quakes isn't great. But the acting in the scenes between Eccleston and Annette Badland, when they discuss that he never sticks around and whether he's prepared to send her to her death is great. Badland in particular is great, and her relishes some of her lines, such as the "Dinner and bondage" one. The scenes between Mickey and Rose are less successful but it appears, for the time being, that Rose has drawn another line between her former life and Tardis time. It's also the first time they acknowledge the "Bad Wolf" through thread although the way they dismiss it doesn't feel particularly natural. The idea of recharging the Tardis again doesn't appear to rear its head either.
Not the best episode of the run but still pretty solid.
