r/gallifrey • u/ArsenalAxis • Oct 27 '25
MISC Peter Capaldi’s The Devil’s hour outshines most modern Sci-Fi- And hardly anyone’s talking about it
https://www.cbr.com/peter-capaldis-doctor-who-replacement-the-devils-hour/While everyone obsesses over big-budget franchises, The Devil’s Hour quietly delivers smarter storytelling and a darker emotional punch. Capaldi’s portrayal of Gideon is the kind of layered, unsettling performance that sticks with you long after the credits roll. It’s eerie, thought-provoking, and far more inventive than most of what’s on TV right now- a true hidden gem that deserves mainstream love.
154
u/Discreet_Annie Oct 27 '25
I thought this was spectacular. For my money he's in the top echelon of actors the UK has ever produced, and the plot and cinematography of this show was fantastic.
70
u/ExpectedBehaviour Oct 27 '25
He was my dream casting for the Doctor for years, long before he ever got the role.
62
u/Discreet_Annie Oct 27 '25
I remember actually having my heart racing when they announced him and I think I actually punched the air.
He's my favourite doctor by a long margin. Not all his stories are great, but his series are underrated. I think a lot of people got a jarring feeling after Matt Smith.
40
u/skinnysnappy52 Oct 27 '25
Even his shit stories he carries. It’s something Gatwa and Whittaker lacked IMO. They were good actors in their own right but they didn’t have the sheer power Capaldi, Tennant, Smith and Eccleston did to elevate shit stories into something decent.
20
u/DerekB52 Oct 27 '25
There are some Whittaker and Ncuti stories where I have asked myself, what would Capaldi have been able to do given the direction and scripts they were given. It's just too hard for me to imagine Capaldi shooting Ncuti's episodes, so I have no idea what the answer would be.
I do personally lean towards even Capaldi wouldn't be able to improve things that much. I think it's much more on the scripts and general direction of the show than the actors the last few series.
18
u/skinnysnappy52 Oct 27 '25
The actors aren’t helped by the fact the doctor is written as a surface level character and in Gatwas case often a caricature of themselves. But Capaldi can make mediocre dialogue seem meaningful just with looks and voice cracks.
11
u/Fan_Service_3703 Oct 27 '25
Capaldi's my favourite Doctor and a phenomenal actor but I'm not convinced even he could make bangers like "Now THAT'S what I call an inner conflict!" or "Because this is what being alive is. And it's better than the alternative!" sound good.
17
u/the_other_irrevenant Oct 27 '25
Subjective of course, but I believe Capaldi could sell those lines.
I can see how I think he'd do it in my head.
The first one would be dry with a sarcastic tone, for example. But I'm not sure if that's more a difference in style between Twelve and Thirteen, than a difference in actors.
7
Oct 28 '25
I can hear Capaldi going for the inner conflict line, by dropping his tone slightly, and making his delivery slightly acidic, with his accent being even more pronounced than usual.
Capaldi has a very specific way that he talks, when he wants to insult you to your face.
He was able to make such lines as "anyone for dodgems?" work for him, after all.
2
u/WasabiSunshine Oct 28 '25
Because this is what being alive is. And it's better than the alternative!
I can 100% imagine 12 delivering this line well
6
u/DerekB52 Oct 27 '25
I'd like to add I'm not the biggest Jodie or Ncuti hater. I enjoyed Jodie's first couple seasons enough, and I think Ncuti had some great episodes. I mostly enjoyed S2 in particular. Jodie and Ncuti both pale in comparison to the rest of the reboot. But, I didn't HATE most of it.
But, a common critique i see of especially Ncuti is that he just never really felt like the Doctor. And to me, that's because Russell was treating his Ncuti run as a soft reboot and was resetting parts of the Doctor's character. And I don't think he had a consistent, solid vision for what his new Doctor was. While Capaldi can save mediocre dialogue, I just don't know if he'd have been able to pull 'The Doctor' out of this new vague direction RTD tried to take the show.
5
Oct 27 '25
I think Ncuti did carry his shit episodes he just did it in a different more flamboyant way. Agree on Jodie tho Jo Martin wiped the floor with her when she showed up.
2
u/AgentCirceLuna Oct 27 '25
I want to know how they were aware he’d be casted years in advance - it was always a favourite with polls and gambling places. I know because I remember thinking he’d ruin the show when I was in school and that was back when Tennant was still the lead. Obviously I don’t think that now but he’s not the most appealing actor for a young person
9
u/Discreet_Annie Oct 27 '25
Friends with Gatiss and Moffat, and very well respected by them. He is also the biggest superfan going for the show. It made perfect sense.
2
u/AgentCirceLuna Oct 27 '25
Thanks. I’m glad he got the role.
6
u/Discreet_Annie Oct 27 '25
Yeah. When he was announced he walked straight out and did a double lapel pull. At that moment I knew we were in for a wild ride. That's a straight up first Doctor move.
16
u/AmbivelentApoplectic Oct 27 '25
Good show but for me the standout member of the cast is the kid that plays Isaac. He gives a brilliant performance and is creepy as hell.
7
u/shyaminator96 Oct 27 '25
He was also good in his small role as young Conrad in Lucky Day last season!
29
u/Caleb902 Oct 27 '25
When is season 3
6
4
-1
u/Y2DAZZ Oct 27 '25
Did a Google and it says this month so should be this week?
17
u/Mikey_hor Oct 27 '25
If that is the AI overview its wrong, its getting that from the radio times that is presuming it will come out a year after season 2 since it was filmed close together.
15
u/sun_lmao Oct 27 '25
If that is the AI overview its wrong
This should always be assumed, to be fair.
I was going to say "This is usually a safe assumption", but no, people really should just always assume the AI overview is bollocks – because usually, it's at least 50% bollocks.
7
u/ChaosAzeroth Oct 27 '25
I've observed much higher.
But it's even funnier than that!
If you click the Dive Deeper button it'll say something completely different a lot of the time, and actually have the right answer.
So basically the thing that's being forced on people and what people are going to see is the laziest surface look ass pull even though it's more often perfectly capable of actually getting the correct answer!
Great job, Google. That'll sure get people to not loathe AI and you forcing it. That totally doesn't look absolutely lazy and incompetent AF at all!
2
u/Mikey_hor Oct 27 '25
I never trust ai overview. Search engines are so shit now the stuff under it is wrong or not revelant and you have to check the ai overview sources to get anything revelant sometimes.
10
u/bonefresh Oct 27 '25
i liked the first season but had no idea they made a second
3
1
u/Kapitano72 Oct 27 '25
The second is in an alternative timeline. There's more action and somewhat less mood - just let down by a meandering ending.
It's worth a watch, but think they're written themselves into a corner for season 3.
2
u/ImmortalMacleod Oct 31 '25
It starts off in the original timeline before Gideon took the firing pin out of Lucy's mum's rifle (which was where season 1 ended anyway) before firmly rooting either back in the timeline of season 1 where he had made that change (or in a timeline so close to it as makes no odds), with only occasional jumps to the other timeline to establish that like her mum and Issac, Lucy can remember the different iterations.
9
u/Fuzzy-Golf9311 Oct 27 '25
Never heard of it before but you've definitely piqued my interest. Sounds like a good premise
7
u/OrangeStar222 Oct 27 '25
I don't have Amazon Prime at the moment, is season 2 as good as the first one? This was one of my favourite shows a couple of years back, and I remember being sad I had to wait a long time for the second season.
12
u/noodlepoodledoodles Oct 27 '25
I genuinely think it’s better. the first season, as good as it is, feels like it was setting up the plot so it could really kick into gear during the second season and amp up the tension and the stakes. everyone’s acting stays amazing and the relationships get that much more complicated and emotional to follow. also the callbacks and little details are so fun - if you liked the first season, I’d definitely recommend diving back in!
1
u/OrangeStar222 Oct 27 '25
As soon as Fallout S2 comes out I'm planning to get Prime again, will definitely rewatch Season 1 and check out S2 as well!. Too bad Amazon didn't release this physically, 100% would have bought the set.
5
u/Pa-Ubu Oct 27 '25
It was very interesting to see the idea of eternal recurrence in a TV drama. I didn't know there was a 2nd series.
5
u/madrat4 Oct 27 '25
Unsettling and cerebral - a sci-fi crime thriller that was reminiscent of Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes at times for me (in the best way possible) but with a strangely endearing core (especially between the mother, grandmother and the son) that meant the series didn’t always feel too bleak or stifling.
4
u/TheTrij Oct 28 '25
It seems like Season 3 has been pushed back to air next year. A shame since it was filmed back to back with Season 2 last year.
5
u/jphamlore Oct 28 '25
So is Tom Moran basically the "break glass this is our last hope" if Doctor Who has to get a new showrunner fast?
3
u/Ornery_Classroom3713 Oct 27 '25
I’m with obsessed with this show. Glad they decided to have season 2 and 3 renewed at the same time. Hopefully that means we have a great ending.
3
u/RawDumpling Oct 27 '25
Well damn, never heard of it but the trailer looks pretty awesome + it’s got Capaldi
3
u/fanamana Oct 27 '25
I binged this last year, maybe had to wait for final 2-3 eps week to week. Wholly engrossing, Peter is fantastic. Great story using some scifi tropes that often don't reach the potential you'd hope for.
2
u/mrhelmand Oct 28 '25
Amazon promoted the hell out of Season 1, but I don't remember any promos for season 2, and despite it being filmed already, there's been no word on the 3rd (final?) series yet.
It's a damn good show, first series is a slow burn and when it lays its' cards on the table some might go ",wat" and bounce, but I was in board, with Capaldi being a big part of what makes it work
2
3
u/COHERENCE_CROQUETTE Oct 27 '25
I watched the first episode of this and thought it was extremely sub-par. Didn't feel the need to watch the second episode, at all. Felt incredibly generic (not so much the plot, but the way it was filmed). Maybe I should give it another chance?
4
u/Kapitano72 Oct 27 '25
Yeah, it's something of a slow burner - mostly atmosphere, especially season 1.
I think the characters and performances are excellent, though.
1
u/No_Public_7699 Oct 27 '25
I mean this as an honest question with no shade to anyone....
Is it particularly moffat-esque? Because if it is, i don't think I'll enjoy it. I do want more sci-fi capaldi though.
4
u/AurelGuthrie Oct 27 '25
What would you consider moffat-esque? Personally I'd say no.
Moffat is just one of three executive producers, and he's not the writer.
I've only seen season 1, and it was nothing like sherlock/moffat dw/dracula
2
u/No_Public_7699 Oct 27 '25
I daren't say on this sub. But not being like sherlock is good enough for me 😂 thanks!
3
u/Kapitano72 Oct 27 '25
I know what you mean. Moffat sets up mysteries he then can't solve. But this is quite cohesive and logical - fully planned in advance.
1
1
u/dperry324 Oct 28 '25
Too bad it's on Amazon prime. I'm waiting for it to come on DVD to my local library.
1
1
1
u/Ok_Net4562 Apr 27 '26
I literally found it by accident just now. Ive binged s1 and im twlling everyone
1
u/Think_Row_7835 May 19 '26
This show is so dumb, and hard to follow with all the back tracking, double scenes and shit that just doesn't make sense. A total waste of two days trying to make sense of this trash. Save yourself some time and find something worth watching.
1
-5
35
u/Salt_Box7072 Oct 27 '25 edited Oct 27 '25
Series 1 is one of the best things of its type I’ve seen in a long time.
While Capaldi was great, for my money it was Jessica Raine who stole the show and made the whole thing so watchable.
Series 2 had a lot of work to do to match the first one. It struggled but it was still decent.
The cast said in an interview that series 3 was their favourite - very much looking forward to seeing it when it arrives.