It’s comparatively rare that a pre-titles sequence starts with the Doctor and companion heading off in the TARDIS, but Smile, the second episode of Doctor Who Series 10, does it brilliantly. Normally, anything before the titles establishes the threat, or at least the mystery. Smile does this too, effectively making the first 15 or so minutes of the narrative a great example of dramatic irony. Nonetheless, before showing us the thrust of the plot, i.e. the Vardies and their smiley-loving robots, the episode takes us inside the Doctor’s ship to catch up with the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) straight after The Pilot ends. It’s a beautiful little scene that essentially implies to the audience that the story is largely a two-hander.
Sure, there’s a dash of Ralf Little, a minor helping of Mina Anwar, and a hint of Nardole, but, aside from the actors inside the Emojibots, Smile is mainly about the Doctor and Bill. Naturally, Capaldi and Mackie absolutely shine — the latter in particular is so joyous, a real blast of fresh air.
Picking an underrated moment in Smile was tough because I think Smile itself is hugely underrated, and filled with glorious little moments. This one stands out, though, because the Doctor and Bill come at things so wonderfully. Their approaches to life differ, but they reach an enthusiastic accord, and Ms Potts is, appropriately, happy happy happy. It means, when the Doctor Who theme tune kicks in, we’re happy too.
It is worth mentioning Nardole, however, who breaks into this scene and potentially taints this happiness with his insistence that the Doctor can’t leave Earth, and the Doctor says he’s only taking the TARDIS back up to his rooms, so asks Nardole to put the kettle on. Even Bill thinks they’ve got to stay. Instead of this being a downer, writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce and showrunner Steven Moffat use this as an opportunity to give us something exciting: “Between here and my office, before the kettle boils, is everything that ever happened or ever will.”
Utterly thrilling.
