Class 04: Co-Owner of a Lonely Heart

In which the consequences of the Shadow Kin attack at the school prom begin to make themselves felt...

The displacement gun which Charlie had used on Corakinus had caused he and April to become temporarily merged. On separating, however, it was found that they now shared the same heart - existing in both our dimension and the Underneath - realm of the Shadow Kin. The death of one would lead to the death of the other.

Corakinus instructs his people to find a way to safely separate him from the Earth girl. Their efforts, however, have a negative effect on her. She begins to demonstrate anger management issues, arguing with teachers and fellow pupils at school. Things come to a head when her estranged father Huw turns up unannounced, recently freed from prison. He had attempted to kill himself by crashing his car - with April and her mother on board.

In her fury at him she manifests a Shadow Kin sword and threatens him with it.

Charlie, meanwhile, decides to inform Matteusz about the Cabinet of Souls which he brought from his home planet. The Rhodian souls within could be brought back to life, but only by taking over the bodies of others. Miss Quill overhears this, and is angry that Charlie holds a potential weapon that could destroy the Shadow Kin. Matteusz is worried that his boyfriend could even contemplate genocide.

At the same time April is suffering her difficulties, a mass of seemingly harmless pink flowers begin to appear around the district. They reproduce at an alarming rate, however, and what is worse is that they feed on flesh and blood and begin to kill people. They are alien in origin, having come through one of the space / time rifts.

Miss Quill is informed about this threat by Dorothea Ames, the new Head of Coal Hill School. She reveals that she knows all about her and Charlie, and has been specially selected by the Governors to run the school. She also reveals that she may have the power to remove the implant which enslaves Quill to Charlie and prevents her from using weapons

At the Shadow Palace, a Shadow Kin named Rannus comes up with a plan to help Corakinus - an anchor which will tie the heart exclusively to him. This plan fails, and Corakinus has Rannus executed.

Another adviser, Kharrus, came up with a variation on Rannus' anchor plan. This would entail anchoring Corakinus to a whole person, not just via the heart. Corakinus elects to proceed with this plan - but he will travel back to Earth and slay April and take the heart for himself.

When the plan appears to fail, Corakinus had Kharrus executed as well, despite her being his lover. 

It transpires that he had acted too soon, and the plan has actually succeeded.

As Corakinus rages against Kharrus for her failure, April is once again furious with her father who has arrived at her home. This triggers a switch, as Corakinus is transported to Earth, and April is sent to the Underneath. Ram leaps through the portal after her just before it closes...

Co-Owner of a Lonely Heart was written by Patrick Ness, and first broadcast on 5th November 2016. It is the opening instalment of the series' first proper two-parter, ending on a cliff-hanger. April and Ram have been transported to the Underneath, whilst Coal Hill is threatened by carnivorous flowers.

The Shadow Kin return from the opening episode, led once again by Paul Marc Davis as Corakinus. We get to see their home planet and meet some more of their kind. The two advisers - Rannus and Kharrus - are actually portrayed by the same actor - Kelly Gough.

Headmaster Mr Armitage had been killed off in the second episode, and this instalment introduces his replacement - Dorothea Ames. Whilst he had clearly been none the wiser about the odd things going on around his school - until one of them ate him - she is a much more sinister figure. She knows all about the background of Miss Quill and Charlie, in some detail, and is familiar with the space / time rents. 

She is working for the mysterious Governors, who had employed an android to spy on Miss Quill in the dragon episode.

Ames is played by Pooky Quesnel. Also joining the cast this week, as April's father Huw, is Con O'Neill.

Overall, we have a lot of character development and it is nice to get away from Coal Hill School and the monster-of-the-week format which the series was in danger of falling into.

Things you might like to know:

• Pooky Quesnel had previously featured in the 2010 Doctor Who Christmas Special A Christmas Carol, as the captain of the crashing spaceship.
• The episode title was inspired by the 1983 Yes song Owner of a Lonely Heart.
• Though Kelly Gough plays two different Shadow Kin, Rannus is voiced by another actor - Neil McCaul - to help differentiate them.
• Mr Armitage's name has been a added to the school memorial board, which already lists Clara Oswald and Danny Pink.
• Miss Quill shows a physics video to her class. We don't see it, but the voice shows that it is one of Brian Cox's programmes. He had cameoed in The Power of Three, as well as presenting The Science of Doctor Who as part of the 50th Anniversary build-up.