For Your Consideration #6

As we enter the final days of voting for this year’s SFX Awards, the team reveal some of their own personal choices. Today, production editor Russell Lewin reveals his favourite plot twist of the year

For Your Consideration

Doctor Who, “He will knock four times”

For: Best Plot Twist

To me this was genius writing, in part because it was totally impossible to guess. Totally impossible. Who could have said: “Yeah, what will happen is that Wilf will head inside one of those box things when there’s a mad melee going on in the room involving Time Lords and stuff, and the only way he’ll be let out of it later is by the Doctor going in the other one, thereby absorbing tons of radiation and killing himself... Simple!”

How tragic that the Doctor should die because of an impetuous, but understandable, action by a brave and valiant man who is one of the finest the Doctor has ever met. And how tragic that the Doctor knows – instantly – that he MUST save Wilf. He simply has no choice. The Doctor never for one second considers not doing it.

Besides the brilliant writing of the scenario and the immortal dialogue, the acting of both Tennant and Cribbins here is faultless. I especially love the look on Tennant’s face, it’s heartbreaking, completely heartbreaking.
When Wilf knocked on that glass a shiver shot down my spine, a thrill jolted through my heart. That’s why I’m voting for it as best plot twist.

here

The SFX Awards 2011 will be announced at the SFX Weekender 2 at a star studded ceremony. Buy your tickets to the SFX Weekender by calling our ticket hotline on 08700 110034 or visit www.sfxweekender.com for more details.

Dave is a TV and film journalist who specializes in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He's written books about film posters and post-apocalypses, alongside writing for SFX Magazine for many years.