Doctor Who: The Beast Below

"A horse and a man, above, below. One has a plan, but both must go. Mile after mile, above, beneath. One has a smile, and one has teeth. Though the man above might say hello, expect no love from the beast below..."

Although I feel that Series 5 of Doctor Who has been beset by somewhat rushed plots, which in turn have hindered characterization, episode 2 of the series definitely stands out as the gem of the series IMO. Unlike The Eleventh Hour, Moffat did what he does best in regards to writing for the series-the absence of any true antagonist (despite early hints in the episode, likely intended to mislead the viewer) with individuals performing morally heinous actions because they simply have no other choice to.

Case in point-the Starship UK, the whole of the United Kingdom bolted together after solar flares force the people of Earth to search for a new home (have to wonder why other human colonies in the far future couldn't provide this, but that's my inner nerd talking). Of course, one has to wonder, why there isn't an engine on the ship, as the Doctor and Amy discover. Secrets are being kept on the starship, no doubt related to "the Beast below"-some kind of infestation growing from the bowls of the ship.

Only it's not an infestation, but rather the mode of transport. The "beast" is the last star whale, captured and imprisoned by humanity three centuries ago and kept in terrible pain to drive it forward across the stars, fed with food scraps and dissidents (though won't eat children for some reason). The Earth was burning, children were screaming and the star whale was the only way they could escape. And that leaves the choice of what to do-let the whale endure centuries of more agony, release it at the cost of everyone's life or, as the Doctor chooses, effectively euthanize the whale-reduce it to a vegetable and end its agony, while still allowing it to carry the starship.

As Amy discovers though, there's a fourth option-release the whale and let it carry the ship without being driven via torture. The last of its species, old and kind, it, just like the Doctor (the last Time Lord) couldn't sit by and let children cry as the sky burned. It wasn't coincidence that brought it to Earth, but compassion. And after centuries of torture, of being a prisoner, it continues to carry the starship because of that continued compassion.

In a sense, the episode is a more in-depth version of Omeleas, the question of whether it is moral to let an individual suffer if it benefits the greater whole. Here however, an answer is provided, which makes the story all the better for it. Christopher Eccleston once said the theme of Doctor Who is "to respect life in all its forms." And in a situation without any true monsters, in a situation where compassion leads to the best result, I felt this rang true. Defiantly the best episode of Series 5 so far.

In bed above we're deep asleep.
While greater love lies further deep.
This dream must end, this world must know:
We all depend on the Beast below.