Doctor Who's ventures into history so far this year have been rather sober reflections on humanity, but while the latest jaunt into the past, from writer Joy Wilkinson, reflects plenty on the mistakes of yesteryear, it also has something to say about the series itself – and its lead character. At least, the current form in which they both exist.
'The Witchfinders' employs atmospheric location work and a murkier-than-usual colour palette to effectively recreate 17th-century Lancashire, a time and place where everything from a bad harvest to mental-health problems was presumed to have a supernatural explanation.
A surprise visit from King James I to the village of Bilehurst Cragg only serves to encourage the witch-hunt hysteria – but while the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) might resent his arrival, it proves an absolute treat for viewers.
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If, after a grim opening few minutes that see an innocent old lady put to death, you're finding, like Ryan (Tosin Cole), that 'The Witchfinders' is "way too dark" for you, then Alan Cumming on flamboyant form as the outrageous monarch should help balance things up.
Cumming's King boasts a fine line in scathing putdowns, but while the Emmy and Golden Globe nominee is of course expert at bringing the laughs, he's also capable of much more, with Wilkinson's script – in particular, exchanges between James I and the Doctor – revealing both a vicious anger and a broken heart buried beneath the theatrics.
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Doctor Who's recent trend of giving us 'bad guys' with nuance extends not just to England's sovereign but also to Becka Savage (Happy Valley's Siobhan Finneran, brilliantly fiery), a woman quite literally possessed who's determined to save the souls of her villagers, "even if it means killing them all".
King James I and Becka both are acting out of fear and ignorance rather than malice, but if you're one of those fans who's been yearning for more straightforward villainy, then 'The Witchfinders' ticks that box as well: traditionalists will thrill to this week's alien miscreants, who plot to fill humanity "with rage and hate" and deliver lines like "Kneel before Morax, feeble human!" with a total lack of irony.
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Axe-wielding zombies animated by extra-terrestrial mud, the Morax are the genuinely unsettling monsters that this series has arguably so far been lacking.
Their means of possession is both described and portrayed vividly on-screen – "It's all bubbling away inside you," the Doctor observes, as a single dark tear oozes from Becka Savage's right eye, while Savage's eventual transformation into a full-blown mud monster is the stuff of kids' nightmares. (It is slightly disappointing that the Morax attack by way of a generic 'energy blast' – though maybe having them absorb their victims would just be too horrific?)
As with last week's 'Kerblam!', pitting our heroes against a more tangible threat gives Jodie Whittaker the opportunity to play more emphatic hero moments than her Doctor has previously been allowed.
Giving team TARDIS a mystery to unravel (Why is there no historical record of the events at Bilehurst Cragg?) also ensures that, unlike previous historical 'Demons of the Punjab', they're mostly proactive and avoid being relegated to the role of bystanders, with an emotional reveal from Yaz (Mandip Gill) about her struggles with depression serving as a brief but powerful addition.
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'The Witchfinders' is also the first episode of this series to have the Doctor's gender make a significant impact on the narrative. To have kept avoiding the topic throughout all of her trips into history would have rung false and it's fitting that the moment finally arrives in this episode, set at a time in England when "if [women were] not being drowned, [they were] being patronised to death".
Even before she's branded "Satan's acolyte", the Doctor faces numerous accusations of being "just a woman", with Graham (Bradley Walsh) having to assume the guise of Witchfinder General after King James I scoffs at the idea of a female bearing the mantle. (Sound familiar?)
One line of dialogue here in particular rings true on more than one level, addressing both the Doctor's critics on-screen and Whittaker's off it: "If I was still a bloke, I could get on with the job and not have to waste time defending myself," she laments.
Savage is in many ways a victim of the same misogyny, and it's driven her to become the ruthless village elder we meet here. "I have tried to be a benevolent leader," she says, "But it's very difficult in these times, especially for a woman."
But there's a sense of optimism in there, too, with once-meek Willa Twiston (Tilly Steele) being inspired to become a doctor after her experiences with the Doctor surely another knowing nod, this time to the positive impact of Whittaker's casting.
'The Witchfinders' rides high for much of its pacy and entertaining 50 minutes… but doesn't quite stick the landing. The climax fails to hold together, as the Doctor wins the day through leaps of logic and pure luck – how did she know that smoke from the 'tree' would be toxic to the Morax, and why exactly does the quickest of prods from her flaming torch send every last one of the aliens back to their bio-mech prison?
A frustrating finale is practically the only black mark against it though – with terrific performances, a strong sense of menace and deft handling of some difficult themes, this is a fun and frightening story that has more than a little magic about it.
Doctor Who airs on Sundays on BBC One.
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