Doctor Who - The Empress of Mars

NASA's discovery of human writing on Mars leads The Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and Bill (Pearl Mackie) to the red planet in 1881 where they find British soldiers helping an Ice Warrior mine the planet. The group's effort leads to the discovery of a tomb that hides something far more dangerous than the riches the soldiers believe. The men's curiosity and greed, and the fact that the TARDIS takes Nadole (Matt Lucas) and leaves without warning, push events forward faster than The Doctor can control, especially once the Empress of Mars (Adele Lynch) is awoken and provoked by a trigger-happy captain (Ferdinand Kingsley) with delusions of grandeur.

While there's not really anything wrong with it, there's nothing that really stands-out about "Empress of Mars." It's a pretty standard Doctor Who story which would seem to fit any number of Doctors and companions. With the help of Bill, a heroic act by the deposed human colonel, and the testimony of the Ice Warrior saved by the humans, a peaceful solution is achieved... although the sudden appearance of an entire army of Ice Warrirors loosed on the universe could be have some unintended consequences down the line. While mostly used for comic effect and to allow a reason to get Missy (Michelle Gomez) out of her cage, Nardole's raises some questions about the TARDIS' motives and foreshadows consequences of its own now that the character has had a taste of freedom.