| 248 – "Kill the Moon" | |||
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| Doctor Who episode | |||
| Cast | |||
Others
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| Production | |||
| Directed by | Paul Wilmshurst | ||
| Written by | Peter Harness | ||
| Script editor | David P Davis | ||
| Produced by | Peter Bennett | ||
| Executive producer(s) | Steven Moffat Brian Minchin | ||
| Music by | Murray Gold | ||
| Series | Series 8 | ||
| Running time | 45 minutes | ||
| First broadcast | 4 October 2014 | ||
| Chronology | |||
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"Kill the Moon" is the seventh episode of the eighth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 4 October 2014. The episode was written by Peter Harness and directed by Paul Wilmshurst.
Set in 2049, the episode has the school teacher Clara (Jenna Coleman), student Courtney Woods (Ellis George), and astronaut Lundvik (Hermione Norris) facing a time-sensitive moral dilemma over whether to kill a giant creature under the surface of the Moon—which is an egg, inside which the creature has been slowly growing—or to let the creature hatch, the three of them being uncertain what will happen to the people on Earth.
The episode received polarising reviews from television critics, though Coleman's performance and the final climactic scene between Clara and the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) received universal praise. Whilst some critics acclaimed the episode and labelled it the best of the season, others criticised the scientific inaccuracy and thematic content.