The Doctor Who Review - S10E10 - The Eaters Of Light

Last updated on 3 January 2025

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The Doctor Who Review Season 10 Episode 10 the eaters of light — Image from BBC.

WARNING! SPOILER ALERT! Welcome back to the Doctor Who Review, where I recap the week’s episode and give some thoughts and opinions on it. Please do not read if you have not seen this week’s episode. There are major spoilers ahead. You have been warned. Check out the rest of the Doctor Who Reviews here.

Title: The Eaters of Light

Written by: Rona Munro

Into the Roman times near Aberdeen, Scotland we go with the Doctor, Bill and Nardole. Bill wants to prove that she knows more about the Romans than the Doctor does, so off they go their separate ways – Bill to find and bring back a Roman solider from the ninth legion who she thinks have just disappeared rather than be slaughtered, and the Doc and Nardole to prove everyone died and to find the bodies.

Both and yet neither, turn out to be both right and wrong. Bill discovers a small group of soldiers hiding underground from a monster with light-tentacles, and Twelve and Nardole are captured after finding the rest of the ninth legion’s bodies, by Scottish teenagers with face paint and spikey weapons. The ‘Gatekeeper’, or the girl running the group of Scots, tells them about the monster, and the Doc figures out there’s a portal that the monster is using to get in, and there are more on the way.

As he checks that out, he’s gone for 2 days (although only a few seconds in real time), and Nardole is left to look for Bill (which he fails) so instead he paints his face and learns to speak in a Scottish accent, as only Nardole would do.

Eventually Bill and her soldiers meet up with Twelve, Nardole and the Scottish teenagers, and together all defeat the light-monster.

My Thoughts on The Eaters of Light

I quite enjoyed this episode, and I think it’s mostly due to the fact that we were on earth, and we were deep into history and I love that in a Who episode.

The story line was an interesting one, and I loved the idea of Bill thinking she knows more about that time in history than the Doctor. The crows were a fun touch, and while I hate crows with a passion (that and ravens *shiver*), I now understand why they’ve been in a bad mood for so long.

Nardole was his excellent quirky self, and I can’t help but feel there will be a gap in the dialogue whenever he leaves the show. Bill seems to be growing in personality, skill set and character over the episodes, and while we’ve only had her for 10 eps now, she’s a companion who has noticeable growth throughout the course of the season. I’m looking forward to see how she bounces off the new Doctor, who hasn’t been announced yet.

Speaking of which, with only 2 episodes to go for both Season 10 and for Peter Capaldi (is he in the Christmas episode? No idea…although I assume so?), there’s a lot that has to happen in the next 2-part episode. We still haven’t seen the Master’s face, Missy has been doing maintenance in the TARDIS rather than being in the vault, and she seems to have a bit of remorse about life and wants to be friends with the Doc again. But I’m having none of that. What’s she up to? Seriously.

Overall thoughts on The Eaters of Light

It was a good episode, not one that I might rush back to watch again like some in the past, but a decent enough one that I was left feeling good and fine with it.

What did you think of The Eaters of Light?