Critic Reviews

While the show knows how to juggle the heavier issues and high-concept scenarios, it doesn’t skimp on the fun. There are plenty of wicked pop culture references, over-the-top set pieces, old-fashioned fight scenes and all manner of gross blood and chunky viscera.

The performances are solid, the actors--especially the younger set--are sympathetic and appealing. Ness has made an effort to make them seem like real high school kids, even having a gay couple sleep together.

While Class clearly has potential, it’s definitely way too early to say it comes close to rivaling Joss Whedon’s masterpiece; the show’s not nearly as subversive or as fun. And that’s perfectly okay because what we get is still pretty entertaining--even when it gets lost in its own darkness--thanks to a talented cast and a few standout episodes.

Class could have benefited from a slower approach to its world building. Despite those weaknesses, however, Class is a highly engaging, highly watchable addition to the Doctor Who universe.

Class is a spinoff that doesn’t seem all that excited to be associated with or inspired by its source material. It’s more teen horror than the science fiction implied by its shared fictional universe.

Class isn’t afraid to dive into its strangeness, but not always successfully. It’s kind of like a high school dance--fraught with crazy drama but not always as memorable as it’s supposed to be.

Mixing teen themes and tropes is the source both of humor and drama, as when characters argue about their relationship as monsters stand waiting, with surprising patience, to try to kill them. ... But as TV storytelling it feels muddled and mechanical.

It generally riffs on the kinds of plots and premises that have been Doctor Who’s stock in trade for decades, but on “Class,” those storylines feel a bit threadbare and padded.