It has only just started, but already the Doctor Who spinoff series, Class, has us hooked and wanting to see more. However, the show about Coal Hill School has also raised a number of questions that we’d like to see addressed in the coming episodes. These questions range from simple queries to much deeper questions about the nature of the show and where the producers plan to take us from here. We’re sure you have questions too – likely many of the same questions as us. So here are the 10 biggest questions we have about Class, which, so far, has us excited for more.
10. What’s up with the crack?
Let’s address the elephant in the room first, shall we? What’s up with the crack that seems to be a portal that allows evil creatures and beings from throughout the universe to enter the school? Doctor Who has described Coal Hill as a “…beacon across all of space-time, to any being who might want to make mischief with it.” Are we to assume that aliens and other creatures will enter the school to make mischief and wreak havoc using the tear? If so, can the tear be sealed or closed? And how does the tear at Coal Hill relate to the Torchwood rift? So many questions, and possibilities, to consider. As long as a Dalek makes its way through the crack at some point, we’ll be okay with it.
9. Who dies next?
What helped hook us immediately with Class was the fact that the show is not overly shy about killing off its characters. In the very first episode, for goodness sake, Raj’s girlfriend Rachel ended up impaled on the blade of the Shadow Kin leader (ouch). In the second episode, the school’s headmaster, Mr. Armitage, got eaten by a dragon. (double ouch). So our question is: Who’s next? And which characters will make it through the entire first season in one piece? Currently, our bet is that Charlie’s new boyfriend will eat it next. But that’s just a hunch, really. No telling who exactly will end up gone by the time the first season concludes.
8. Which Doctor saved Miss Quill and Charlie?
The more overt links to Dr. Who that can be made in Class, the better. What makes this show exciting is that it links to the Time Lord. So it was intriguing to us to see the TARDIS and a Doctor save Miss Quill and Charlie from the Shadow Kin. But which doctor was it? Are we to assume it was the current Doctor, played by actor Peter Capaldi? Or could we be treated to cameos from Doctors of the past? Some online chatter has suggested the music playing when the TARDIS appears is the theme used for the Ninth Doctor. Not sure if that’s true, but the prospect of seeing many different Doctors is cool. Why not bring back Christopher Eccleston, or Tom Baker for that matter, in a cameo at some point in the not-too-distant future? Fans would be made for it!
7. Will Miss Quill turn evil?
So far, the most intriguing character on the show is Miss Quill? In the first few episodes, she’s been portrayed as a Snape-type character from the Harry Potter series – a seemingly unhappy malcontent who is nevertheless good and wants the best for the kids at the school. Revealed to be an alien freedom fighter who was convicted and sentenced to act as a bodyguard to Charlie, the crown prince of the ruling alien class she was trying to overthrow. Bitter and vindictive, Miss Quill seems to be totally unsuited to babysitting the wide-eyed Charlie. So, will she eventually turn on Charlie and the other kids at Coal Hill? Will she be revealed to be evil? This would certainly make things interesting. But will it happen?
6. Who is April’s father and why won’t she talk to him?
Speaking of evil characters, what’s up with April’s father? In the first few episodes of Class, April seems to be portrayed as the show’s resident “nice girl,” though she also seems to feel like an outsider due to that kindness. Or is it something else that is making her uneasy? We ask this because, from what we’ve seen so far, April seems reluctant to speak to her dad. Why? Who is her father and why won’t she speak to him? Right now, we don’t know. But the program has made a definite point of showing that there is something not quite right about April and she definitely has reservations about her pops. What will we learn about her father in coming episodes, and what will it tell us about April? Dunno. But it should be intriguing. The general feeling is that April’s dad is bad news.
5. Why is it so dark at Coal Hill School?
This is both a question and bit of a pet peeve. In case you haven’t noticed, the school seems eerily dark… as in the lights are off a lot of the time. While this may give the program an eerie atmosphere and help raise the tension that scary things are coming through the crack, it doesn’t really help the plot of the show or the characters at the school. This is especially true when you consider that the main villain, the Shadow Kin, have an affinity for the dark. If you know this, then why not just turn on the lights?! It just makes sense! Or, turn off the lights when the Shadow Kin make an appearance. But keep them on the rest of the time. Don’t worry about the environment, worry about the universe at large. Just sayin’.
4. Do the Doctor and Miss Quill know each other from the past?
When Doctor Who (Peter Capaldi) appeared in the first episode of Class, viewers got the sense that he and Miss Quill already knew each other? Had they met in the past? If so, where and when? There is speculation that it was Doctor Who himself that gave Miss Quill the reference she needed to get a teaching job at Coal Hill School. If that’s the case, why would the good Doctor give Miss Quill a reference? What would his motivations be for doing that? Whatever the case may be, it will be interesting to see the relationship between these two characters revealed in more detail in coming episodes. If, indeed, there is a relationship?
3. Will the Shadow Kin continue to be the main villains?
Given the prominent role that the characters of Charlie and Miss Quill play, it is natural to assume that the evil Shadow Kin (who want to destroy Charlie) will reappear and continue to serve as the primary villains of the program. But is this really going to be the case? Or will other villains take center stage on the program? We can’t know for sure right now. But given that Class has been set-up to feature multiple and different aliens and evildoers entering the school through the crack, it would definitely seem possible for the show to bring forward other villains to be front-and-center. Though don’t get us wrong. The Shadow Kin have proven themselves to be a worthy villain and protagonist so far. Super worthy, in fact.
2. Will Class stick to its ‘monster of the week’ formula?
As mentioned, Class is set-up to follow a “monster of the week” formula, with something new and eerie coming through the crack at the school each episode. But will the show adhere strictly to this formula, or will it venture off into other storylines and expand the Doctor Who universe in adventurous ways? So far, it appears that Class is sticking closely to the weekly monster/alien invader plot line. But there’s no reason to think this approach can’t change and evolve as the show finds its legs and gains confidence with viewers. It may take some time for Class to find its voice, but once it does, there is no telling where the program could go, and where it could take viewers with it.
1. How often will we see Doctor Who?
The current Doctor was featured prominently in the first episode of Class, and for good reason. He basically established the show’s premise and set the action in motion. However, he then disappeared. So the question is how often can we expect to see the TARDIS arrive and the Doctor to reappear? Often, we hope. But it is not clear if that will be the case. As mentioned previously, it would be great to see Class feature many different incarnations of the Doctor, as well as the current Time Lord. How realistic that is, and the likelihood of it happening, remains to be seen. But there’s no harm in dreaming, right? Keeping a close connection to Doctor Who and having Class firmly anchored in that universe will be the key to the show’s long-term success though. So here’s hoping we get many great storylines featuring the Doctor… or many Doctors!
