Like Kill The Moon, todays episode has a rather interesting
title. Any title that has the orient express in it is likely to make people
think that Agatha Christie isn’t too far away and that would be the wrong
because it’s the train orient express and its in space. The pre-title scene is
quite good cause it pretty much sums the story up in 66 seconds and has a mummy
in it. The friction between the Doctor and Clara does seem to have disappeared
a bit because the first time they appear in the episode they act like things
are normal. Although there is a line that seems to suggest this might be Clara’s
final adventure. I think that it was obvious that she wouldn’t be leaving
because some announcement would have been made or an announcement made about
her successor so it seems a bit silly to act like she is leaving. There is a
moment when Clara lies to Maisie and it seems like she the Doctor.
There are two names in this episode which are well known.
Well I say well known because I had never heard of Foxes who sings ‘Don’t Stop
Me Now’ at the beginning of the episode. Normally this would mean that she
would play a bigger part in the story but that isn’t the case.\The other big
name is Frank Skinner who has done a lot of things but at the moment is the
host of Room 101. I quite Frank Skinner on that show and most of the things
that he has done over the years but sadly I think that he wasn’t very
convincing in this. It didn’t seem like he was acting but just giving the sort
of performance a fan would give thinking it was a Laurence Olivier type
performance. Christopher Villiers plays Professor Moorhouse and this is a
return for him after appearing in The Kings Demons as Hugh. Janet Henfrey
appears as Mrs Pitt and previously appeared in The Curse of Fenric as Miss
Hardaker.
Captain Grumpy plays a small part in this episode and whilst
he was quite positive I still think that he is Captain Grumpy but even grumpy
people can have a bit of cheeriness in them.
The truth about the train is that everyone on the train is
either a hologram or a scientist and the train changes to look like a lab. This
is when the episode shifts a gear and really find its feet. The Mummy is a
great costume design and despite not saying anything it is quite a good
monster. It’s purpose is explained and there is a phrase that makes it stop and
it is We Surrender and this means that the mummy is a soldier. There is then a
quick burst of tension as the Doctor tries to stop everyone from suffocating.
There is sadly no answer to who came up with Gus or why the mystery of the
mummy needed solving. There is one visual effect shot where its hand goes
through the Doctor’s head and I thought that was one of the coolest shots of
the story.
The final scene with the Doctor and Clara is a nice one and
one which seems to mend their relationship. By the very end of the episode it
seems like they are on the same team and they go on more adventures. It might
have taken much longer than it needed to but it seems like things are back to
normal. I liked this story but I can’t say that it’s the best story of the series.
This was the first story for Jamie Mathieson and he has done well with it. The
idea in it was well conceived and worked out really well. 
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