For Tonight We Might Die

Last updated

01 –"For Tonight We Might Die"
Class episode
For Tonight We Might Die.jpg
The Doctor (Peter Capaldi, right) is summoned when the school prom is attacked by Corakinus (Paul Marc Davis) and the Shadow Kin.
Cast
Starring
Others
Production
Directed by Ed Bazalgette
Written by Patrick Ness
Script editorEmma Genders
Produced byDerek Ritchie
Executive producer(s)Brian Minchin
Steven Moffat
Patrick Ness
Music byBlair Mowat
SeriesSeries 1
Running time50 minutes
First broadcast22 October 2016 (2016-10-22)
Chronology
← Preceded by
—		Followed by →
"The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo"
List of episodes

"For Tonight We Might Die" is the first episode of the British science-fiction television series Class , a spin-off series of Doctor Who . It was written by Patrick Ness and directed by Ed Bazaglette. It was released online by BBC Three on 22 October 2016 to generally positive critical reviews.

Contents

In the episode, a group of students are forced to work together when the school comes under siege by an alien race called the Shadow Kin, ahead of the school's autumn prom. The episode features a guest appearance by Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor, the then incumbent Doctor.

Plot

April (Sophie Hopkins), a student at Coal Hill Academy, asks Tanya (Vivian Oparah) to help with the decorating for the prom. Tanya has to decline, so April asks Charlie (Greg Austin) to be her date. He rejects her, to the amusement of Ram (Fady Elsayed). The four all attend class with Miss Quill (Katherine Kelly), a blunt and sharp woman. April hands out fliers after school for help with the decorating the prom hall.

Ram attends football practice, and watches as a separate shadow attaches to the shadow of another player. Tanya decides to help out with the prom decorations, before she is chased away by another shadow, and returns home to her strict mother. Charlie lives with Quill, and he questions her about a missing student and whether she killed him. She recalls giving the student her gun, and the student exploded into smoke after firing off a shot.

The headmaster leaves a key with April so that she can decorate the hall. April is trapped by a shadow, Quill demands that she uses her gun to shoot the monster. The shot glances the alien, Corakinus, resulting in him sharing April's heart after his own is displaced. Charlie reveals that he is an alien prince and that his people were at war with the Quill, and "Miss Quill" was the leader of the opposition. She was captured and forced to serve and protect Charlie. Rhodia was attacked by Corakinus's people, the Shadow Kin, who wiped out all but Charlie and Miss Quill, who were rescued by the Doctor (Peter Capaldi).

Tanya is able to attend, while Ram attends with his date, Rachel (Anna Shaffer). Corakinus appears and kills Rachel, severs Ram's leg, and crushes Quill's gun. The Doctor arrives to rescue them. Corakinus reveals that he is here for the Cabinet of Souls, the resting place for Charlie's people after they die; the Kin believe it to be a weapon. Charlie says that the Cabinet is empty. Tanya, with assistance from the Doctor, turns on the gym's flood lights to eliminate the shadows that give the Kin substance.

Ram slams Corakinus back into the rift, and the Doctor closes the breach. The Doctor gives Ram a prosthetic leg from the TARDIS, and instructs the five students and Quill to safeguard the school against alien attacks. Quill muses that she would have used the Cabinet of Souls to wipe out the Shadow Kin, however Charlie disagrees. Charlie looks into the Cabinet of Souls, revealing that it's not empty, and reassures his people with his presence.

Production

Development

Peter Capaldi guest-starred in the first episode as the Doctor from Doctor Who. Peter Capaldi June 2014.jpg
Peter Capaldi guest-starred in the first episode as the Doctor from Doctor Who .

The series was created by young adult fiction writer Patrick Ness. [1] The idea for the show came from Doctor Who itself and was almost a story contained within that parent program — Ness had previously been requested to write an episode treatment for Doctor Who, and this engagement later morphed into his entire own spin-off series. [2] Ness drew upon influences from his previous young adult fiction book called The Rest of Us Just Live Here and specifically from creatures in that book called The Chosen Ones. [2] Steven Moffat is an Executive producer on the show. [3] The production staff aimed to gear the audience towards the young adult demographic, the prior area of fiction writing expertise of Patrick Ness. [1] [4]

The writing style for the show was influenced by prior TV series in the adolescent genre including The Vampire Diaries and Buffy the Vampire Slayer — with both series being directly name-dropped in the first episode itself. [5] Executive producer Brian Minchin said that he planned to not make the series as dark as prior Doctor Who spin-off show, Torchwood . [2] In an interview with Radio Times Minchin explained that the division to create a Doctor Who spin-off was in part the fact that Patrick Ness at the helm of the show was involved. [2]

Filming

"For Tonight We Will Die" was directed by Edward Bazalgette. [6] Various references to Doctor Who were placed throughout the new show by the production staff. Producer Derek Ritchie, told Radio Times : "We’re kind of peppering the show with little easter eggs wherever possible." Ritchie went on to explain further: "So there’s little nods throughout, in design or wherever, that will always link it to the Doctor Who universe. Because that’s so important to our audience as well. To feel part of Doctor Who, but a new part of Doctor Who as well." [2] The first episode was filmed inside of and around the location of Cardiff. [7] The main studio used is Roath Lock Studios in Cardiff. [2]

Release

"For Tonight We Might Die" first premiered, alongside "The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo", on BBC Three on 22 October 2016. [4] The episodes were each 45 minutes in duration. [8] They were also released on the same day on BBC iPlayer. [5] After the initial 22 October broadcast, the show had planned airings next on BBC One in the United Kingdom and Australian Broadcasting Corporation — followed by a scheduled broadcast for BBC America in the United States during the year 2017. [5]

Critical reception

The episode was met with positive reviews from critics. Writing for The Guardian Phil Harrison praised the episode writing: "Ever since the sad demise of Torchwood, Doctor Who fans have been looking for something to fill those fallow months when the Tardis is away in another part of the galaxy and Who is missing from our screens. Now they might finally have it." [1] Digital Spy enjoyed the writing style of the episode: "Ness's script zips all over the place, demanding a huge emotional range from Greg Austin (Charlie), Sophie Hopkins (April), Fady Elsayed (Ram) and Vivian Oparah (Tanya) and these kids knock it out of the park, nailing every single beat." [4]

Den of Geek recommended the series and critic Louisa Mellor summed it up as: "Witty, energetic Doctor Who spin-off Class wears its influences well and gets a great deal right for its target audience." [9] WalesOnline gave the series first couple episodes a rating of five starts out of five, with writer David Prince summarizing the show as: "It's a bit like a British Buffy and Cardiff looks amazing - but it's not for kids". [7] CNET 's Richard Trenholm praised the acting particularly that of Elsayed. [5]

Writing for Brisbane Times Melinda Houston gave the episode a rating of three and a half stars out of four. [3] The Daily Telegraph wrote that the first episode was a bit disorganised getting itself off the ground, and comparatively said the writing style had improved by the second episode. [8]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Harrison, Phil (22 October 2016), "Catch-up and download: from Class to DJ History", The Guardian , archived from the original on 23 October 2016, retrieved 22 October 2016
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fullerton, Hew (22 October 2016), "11 things you need to know about Doctor Who spin-off Class", Radio Times , archived from the original on 23 October 2016, retrieved 23 October 2016
  3. 1 2 Houston, Melinda (22 October 2016), "Television highlights: Being Evel, Class, Shadow Trackers and Say Yes to the Dress Australia", Brisbane Times , retrieved 22 October 2016
  4. 1 2 3 Jeffrey, Morgan (22 October 2016), "Class episodes 1 + 2 review: does Doctor Who's Young Adult spin-off get top marks?", Digital Spy , retrieved 23 October 2016
  5. 1 2 3 4 Trenholm, Richard (22 October 2016). "'Class' takes 'Doctor Who' back to school with extracurricular aliens". CNET . Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  6. ↑ Moreland, Alex (21 October 2021). "Class Doctor Who spin-off: An oral history of Class 10 years on". Radio Times . Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  7. 1 2 Prince, David (22 October 2016), "We've seen the first episodes of Doctor Who spin-off Class at last - but is it any good?", WalesOnline , archived from the original on 23 October 2016, retrieved 22 October 2016
  8. 1 2 Gee, Catherine (22 October 2016), "Class: this young adult Doctor Who spin-off doesn't shy away from gore and nudity", The Daily Telegraph , archived from the original on 23 October 2016, retrieved 23 October 2016
  9. ↑ Mellor, Louisa (22 October 2016), "Class episodes 1 & 2 review: For Tonight We May Die & The Coach With The Dragon Tattoo", Den of Geek , archived from the original on 27 February 2017, retrieved 22 October 2016
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