Doctor Who spin-off review: Class: Sweet Nothings
By James Aggas
The last episode of Doctor Who spin-off box set Class: Volume 3 features a new Miss Quill in the form of Dervla Kirwan. Does she live up to Katherine Kelly’s definitive performance of the character?
The third episode from Doctor Who spin-off box set Class: The Audio Adventures: Volume 3 focuses on everyone’s favorite sardonic teacher, Miss Quill. She is far from satisfied with living on Earth, and can only find joy through making others miserable. (This is especially true of Charlie, but honestly, pretty much everyone is a target of her sarcasm and venomous comments.)
When the Man arrives (seriously, that’s the name he uses), she’s offered a chance of a break from Earth. A break from everything. Is it possible that she can find true happiness? Or is there more to the Man than she knows?
To say that Miss Quill is one of my favorite characters in Class is a bit of an understatement. To be honest, it would be more accurate to say that she was the biggest reason I kept watching the show. She was such an intriguing and conflicted character, one who was just a little less moral than the students she taught and a lot funnier. Writing-wise, she was fantastic.
A new Quill
But what really made the character work so well was Katherine Kelly’s fantastic performance. She completely threw herself into the role, and was always fantastic to watch. Hearing her return in the previous volumes of The Audio Adventures was an absolute joy, especially when hearing her meet Ace in volume 2.
Unfortunately, we weren’t quite so lucky with the latest two volumes of the series. This time, Dervla Kirwan is playing the part. Doctor Who fans will probably recognize her best as Miss Hartigan from the Tenth Doctor Christmas special The Next Doctor.
Kirwan does a good job of making the role her own. She knows how to play the character just right, making Miss Quill appear strong and hard-edged on the surface, but also knowing how to portray the hidden vulnerabilities of the character, too. But I can’t lie: it’s hard not to miss Katherine Kelly’s portrayal of the character, and it’s going to take a while to truly get used to Kirwan in the role.
More from Winter is Coming
- For All Mankind finally gives us information in Episode 405, “Goldilocks”
- Watch a stunning VFX breakdown of The Wheel of Time season 2
- Of course Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon) thinks Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen) should rule Westeros
- Confirmed: The Last of Us season 2 will air in 2025
- Final season of Star Trek: Discovery will have “a lot of action, a lot of adventure, a lot of fun”
Miss Quill and Charlie
As for the episode itself, it’s a bit of a low-key one. In some ways, it’s about Miss Quill developing a relationship and being almost genuinely happy for once. But in other ways, it’s a close examination of her relationship with Charlie.
These two always shared a somewhat antagonistic relationship in the TV series. Is it possible for them to move past their history and difficulties? (Considering that this episode is set in the middle of the TV series, you can probably guess the answer to that.)
Sweet Nothings is an interesting examination of Miss Quill, and shows us how much of a good fit Dervla Kirwan is in the role. It won’t make you forget about Katherine Kelly in a hurry, but it’s an enjoyable episode of Class that’s refreshingly low-key.
Next. Could Big Finish recast Roger Delgado’s Master in 2021?. dark
What are your thoughts on Miss Quill in Class? Was she one of your favorite characters? Let us know in the comments below.