Wednesday, December 07, 2016

My Review of Class's 1x06: "Detained"


Written by Patrick Ness
Directed by Wayne Che Yip

Charlie (to everyone): "Is detention always like this?"

The Breakfast Club episode. It had to happen and to be honest, I would've been a little disappointed if Class hadn't done it. Quill decided to lock Charlie and the gang in a classroom while she went off on her own little unseen (til the next episode) story.

Except she didn't really lock them in a classroom. They were actually locked outside of time and with a deadly asteroid/meteor/rock containing a deadly unseen prisoner, the gang were forced to spend more time with each other than usual and with that came it's own problems.

The obvious one being everyone of the gang forced into revealing the very things they would've preferred to have kept hidden from each other. Matteusz talked about coming out to his grandmother and being afraid of Charlie's alien side while Tanya recalled a tale of nicking sweets and feeling like the rest of the gang simply tolerate her.

Keeping with Tanya for a moment - Patrick Ness gave her some truly cringey dialogue in this episode. I'm all for Tanya calling out racism but seeing her attack people (April mainly) who aren't even being racist to begin is something of a sore point in this episode. On the other hand, I did like that Tanya figured out that the gang could get the rock to actually give them information along with making them confess things.

As for the rest of the confessions, both Ram and April talked about their feelings and by the end of this episode, it seemed that their fast developed relationship has come to a standstill. I don't think this episode overall succeeded in making me care for them as a couple and while Ram had some good moments, he also had a few unpleasant ones too as the creature's influence grew on the gang.

Then there was Charlie. He spent most of the episode having a panic attack (the guy really doesn't like small spaces) and then reacting badly to the gang's confessions before picking up the rock and revealing a bit more about himself. None of which was too surprising but it was well played as Quill reentered the fray and took out the prisoner and the gang effectively legged it out of the room.

It seems that in the space of forty five minutes, a day has passed for Quill. Her hair has become longer, she's got a rather fetching scar around her eye and the Arn has also been removed from her. If I were Charlie, I'd be very nervous about now.

- It really was one set this week with the action in that classroom. I thought the use of Charlie's claustrophobia played well into things here.
- Wayne Che Yip who directed this episode and the next one will be directed two episodes for Series 10 of Doctor Who.
- No Dorothea in this one but it seems like she'll have a bigger role in the Quill episode.
- Chronology: Not long from where Brave-ish Heart left off.

Detained was an interesting venture. We've had bottle episodes on the main show (Blink and Turn Left, anyone?) and they've produced something great and here, we got a satisfying episode. However it seems like Quill's adventure will be the more thrilling prospect.

Rating: 7 out of 10

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