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'Doctor Who' Series 12 Episode 5 Review: Old characters shine in the most thrilling story of the season so far

The episode brings back a number of characters and devices from the Russell T. Davies era including the Chameleon Arc

This article contains spoilers for 'Doctor Who' Series 12 Episode 5 'Fugitive of the Judoon'

'Doctor Who' Series 12 has so far been quite promising with three of the last four episodes being extremely enjoyable. That said, Episode 5 has elevated the season to a whole other level with one of the most thrilling and confusing stories yet.

The episode brings back a number of characters and devices from the Russell T. Davies era including the Chameleon Arc, which allows Time Lords to hide away as humans, and the episode villains, the intergalactic police-for-hire called the Judoon. The rhino-faced space cops are as brutal and woefully inefficient as ever in the episode but it's their target that really steals the show.

That target is none other than a new version of the Doctor, played by Jo Martin, of 'Holby City' and 'The Crouches' fame. The first-ever black Doctor was an absolute revelation, owning her scenes with characteristic grace and self-confidence.

The new Doctor has more in common with John Hurt's War Doctor than any other version of the Time Lord we've seen so far, and not just because they both carried guns and messed up the canon. Martin delivered a truly memorable performance, leaving the fans wanting a lot more from her and we're sure we'll see her on the show again soon.

Episode 5 also brought back the beloved former Time Agent Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman). It's a return that we've been eagerly waiting for and Barrowman did not disappoint, delivering a performance that was as fun and energetic as ever.

Jack's return didn't affect the actual plot of the episode all that much but he did deliver a cryptic warning that teases the return of classic villains the Cybermen. Though he didn't get to meet the Doctor in the episode, he did promise to be back soon and hopefully it won't take another decade before we see him again.

'Doctor Who' Series 12 Episode 6 'Praxeus' will air exclusively on BBC America on February 2.