Class 06: Detained

In which Miss Quill has Charlie and all of his friends placed in detention after school, going so far as to lock them in the classroom. She has things of her own to do, and does not want Charlie interfering...

He had only been a couple of minutes late, and is unhappy about being locked in as he suffers from claustrophobia.

As the youngsters talk together, one of the tears in Space / Time opens and a small meteorite smashes into the room, embedding itself in the wall. At the same time, they discover that the classroom has been transported into a black void.

Suspecting initially that this is the work of Miss Quill, they then come to realise that this is something to do with the glowing meteorite. Matteusz picks it up, intent on tossing it out of the door, but it has a strange effect on him. He finds himself telling everyone about his life back in Poland. He mentions very personal details, and tells Charlie that as much as he loves him he is also frightened of him as he isn't human. He is unable to let go of the rock, until April knocks it out of his hand.

Matteusz is unable to explain why he said what he said - other than he felt compelled to tell the truth. As they discuss what has happened, Tanya notices that everyone is quick to lose their temper. She realises that this is the work of the meteorite. It makes the holder tell the truth, whilst affecting the mood of the others. She takes hold of it, hoping that it will allow her to communicate with it. Like Matteusz she feels compelled to talk. She states that none of the other students are real friends, and everyone looks down on her as she is younger than them. She decides to persevere and ask the stone some questions. They learn through her that it is a form of prison containing a sentient presence, and it needs their help. Holding it too long will damage the brain of the holder, so Ram knocks it from Tanya's hand.

Charlie finds that anything thrown out of the room bounces back in again, and they surmise that it has become part of the meteorite prison - trapping them all here.

Ram holds it next and expresses his feelings for April before discovering that the prisoner was a mass killer, and being forced to tell the truth was part of his sentence. April also takes the stone and talks about her love for Ram. They learn that in this void dimension they will never age or die and so be trapped for all eternity.

The anger issues amongst the group mount. Finally Charlie decides to tell everyone what he thinks of them and all about his desire to have used the Cabinet of Souls to kill all the Shadow Kin, even if Matteusz hated him for it. By telling the truth now, unforced, he thinks that the stone will have no power over him and so takes hold of it. His wish for genocide overpowers the meteorite and they find the classroom returned to Coal Hill School. However, the prison now sees Charlie as a greater criminal and attempts to imprison him along with the current occupant. For a Rhodian, thinking about a crime makes you just as guilty as committing it.

Miss Quill suddenly walks in and destroys the meteorite - now able to wield weapons. She has a livid scar down her face, and her hair is noticeably longer than when she locked them in. She reveals that the creature implanted in her head to prevent violent behaviour, enslaving her to Charlie, has now been removed - and things are about to change...

Detained was written by Patrick Ness, and first broadcast on 19th November 2016. It was made back to back with the following episode, which reveals what Miss Quill was doing whilst the younger characters were trapped in detention. You could call it the "Miss Quill-lite" episode.

The episode features only the regular cast in a single room and uses the confines of this setting and situation to further develop the younger ones. Each takes hold of the strange stone and reveals something about themselves and their relationship with the others.

Whilst it may have been necessary to have a focus on the others whilst Quill was away, such an episode might have better suited an earlier slot in the series. We've sort of found out a lot about everyone through the preceding episodes anyway. We know who loves who, we know of Tanya's issues about her child prodigy status, we know of Matteusz's unhappiness at Charlie's temptation over the Cabinet of Souls...

The most interesting aspect of the episode turns out to be Quill's appearance at the end.

Generally, many US TV series have what is called a "bottle episode", which is designed to be the cheap schedule filler. It usually features only the regulars in a limited setting (the main one being used throughout the series). They often arise from another script falling through, necessitating a last minute replacement, or simply a way of balancing the budget. (The worst type of bottle episodes are the clips shows, which rely on flashback sequences).

The revived series of Doctor Who has featured episodes which might fit the "bottle" description - but somehow transcend it. This is mainly because they have been given the same level of attention as more conventional episodes, and concentrate on good story-telling and great performances. Just consider Midnight (or The Edge of Destruction back in the day).

Where Detained really wins is in the performances. Everyone is given a chance to shine but it is a particularly good episode for Greg Austin and Jordan Renzo.

There is one additional member of the cast - the voice of the alien prisoner is that of Ferdy Roberts.