Whenever a new Doctor comes in on Doctor Who, there is a bot of an adjustment period. Typically, it takes a couple of episodes for the new Doctor to find his place, as he shakes off the mantle of his predecessor before taking the role on as his own. Sometimes, through no fault of their own, that transition can feel as though it takes longer, as was the case with Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor.
Capaldi had the unfortunate issue of being saddled with what may have been the most disliked season on Doctor Who. Not only did fans of the show lament the focus on Clara’s relationship with Danny Pink, pushing the Doctor to the background as he was trying to find himself, but he had some truly dreadful episodes. While ‘Kill the Moon’ is the one that most often comes to mind when those episodes are mentioned, ‘Robots of Sherwood’ may be a close second.
After all, the premise of the episode was not exactly the greatest. Robin Hood does truly exist, leading to he and the Doctor fighting like squabbling children. An archery contest, robot guards and a need for gold to repair the alien spacecraft are all a part of the story, ending when the Doctor, Clara and Robin Hood work together to fire a golden arrow into the craft, allowing it to reach orbit where it safely detonates. Right……..
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Yet, lost in all of the ridiculousness in that episode is the fact that this may have been when Peter Capaldi truly made the Doctor his own. While the bickering betwixt Robin Hood and himself seemed sort of childish at best, we saw that the Doctor would not be that lighthearted being that his previous incarnation was. Indeed, as the episode maintained it’s meandering, joking ways, the Twelfth Doctor remained the same somber individual we would come to recognize.
It was also in this episode where the Doctor’s refusal to pander to those he felt beneath him truly came in to play. Throughout much of the episode, he treated Robin Hood like an insolent and annoying child, making him prove himself to the Doctor. That same attitude towards others manifested itself throughout Series Eight, particularly in the Doctor’s reaction to Danny Pink.
Through all the inanity, and despite the mediocrity of the episode, Robot of Sherwood is where Peter Capaldi truly made the Doctor his own. Those sarcastic remarks, and his subtle use of his middle finger when speaking to Robin Hood, set the stage for what the Twelfth Doctor would be.
It may not have been one of the best episodes of Doctor Who, but Robot of Sherwood will always be a significant part of the Twelfth Doctor. It is in this episode that we truly see what he would become.