This episode and The Tsuranga Conundrum make for an amazing double bill in my opinion! Two absolutely fantastic episodes. I really really really like this one, and this is absolutely going to be a gushing review.

Vinay Patel's script is amazing. On a script level, I think it's the best in S11 so far for sure (and from memory, the best full stop). It's a really interesting premise to go into Yaz's history, he juggles taking a look at her grandmother's past really well with the aspects regarding the Partition of India. The episode is really interesting in that, I didn't know anything about the Partition before, and Patel does a really good job at condensing it into a 50m episode. It's such an interesting period of history he taps into that I knew nothing about before. It's also incredibly emotional, really really emotional for Doctor Who. The last 10 minutes are really something else, so tragic, and it's a really nice insight into Yaz as a character too. The twist about who the Thijarians are is great too, there's a lot of mystery set-up in the first half around what they are and what happens with Yaz's family that makes it all really interesting and is genuinely exciting to find out what happens, but when we find out who they are, and what will happen to Prem, it makes for a really tense second half. The structure is really nicely put together, and that shot towards the end of the episode with all the faces in the Thijarian Hive almost makes me cry every time I see it.

The direction is amazing too, from a production point of view it's the best put together episode of S11 so far. Childs' direction is top-notch, the weird effects when the Thijarian's invade the Doctor's mind are awesome, and the last 10m are handled beautifully. Lots of terrific shots, the slow-mo works really well, the whole thing is just handled really tensely. I really especially like the shot of Prem walking out of the house and the handheld camera following behind him - it really gets you inside his head.

Speaking of Prem, Shane Zaza's performance is really really brilliant, one of the best guest star performances in S11 I think. He gets to the emotion of his character really well, there's a lot to juggle between the chemistry with Umbreen, the relationship with Manish, and then of course the heartbreaking ending. The rest of the guest cast are good, but none as amazing as Zaza.

The final piece of the puzzle is Segun Akinola, who really gets to properly shine in this episode. He juggles the synthetic/guitar-heavy soundworld he's created for the show with the Indian instrumentation here effortlessly. The shehnai theme for Umbreen and vocal theme for Prem are fantastic, and the use of tabla as opposed to Western drums to create tension is a nice touch. The piece I Love You Nani, which covers the entire last 10m of the episode, is one of the highlights of the S11 soundtrack. It's incredibly tense and incredibly emotional, underscoring the final 10m of the episode perfectly.

So yeah, I really fucking love this one. Like Tsuranga, I'd give it a strong 9/10, and only really have nitpicks as problems, because as a whole the episode is so concrete and so emotional. I think my only tiny flaws would be that the Doctor's sonic breaking two episodes in a row feels a bit weird, and the use of hyperbole (the densest matter/the deadliest assassins, after the deadliest creature the Pting last week) makes for too many weird coincidences with Tsuranga. But I mean those are tiny flaws, cause this is a really wonderful episode.