Closing Time is an interesting episodes that has caused sides to be thought between fans. Gareth Roberts script is, in my opinion, a mixed bag. He has portrayed the Doctor, approaching his death, with brilliance. I get the same feeling watching Matt Smith’s performance as I did when David Tennant muttered those words. I don’t want to go. Before bursting into a baize of regeneration energy.
Matt Smith performance can not be faulted and I would put this as one of his best. Here we see the doctor with a few hours to live, having already accepted his fate, get involved with something he shouldn’t.
That something is the Cybermen. This is where the fans have been split. The Cybermen are, in this story, a monster of the week, and I honestly thinks that belittles their menace. I had the great pleasure of watching this episode with two Dr Who newbies. They had never had the pleasure of watching the Cybermen erupt from their tombs or the sewers behind St Paul’s cathedral.
I can not think of a worst death, in Dr Who, than becoming a Cybermen and to see James Corden’s character of Craig Owen become a cyber leader will be an enduring image. I will pause here to congratulate James Corden on another decent performance. However this is somewhat ruined by the fact that the emotional inhibitor is wiped by a baby’s cry. It sort of ruins the menace of becoming a Cybermen.
This is the biggest let down in the story and I think it mars the story. I think the script is well done. I love the idea that the Doctor would visit old friends before his death. He’s done it once before in the sickening ending to the End of Time.
Both Matt Smith and James Cordon have produced a fine display of acting. There is something about this episode that is lacking. And I am not sure what. It may be the way the Cybermen were treated or something else. I will watch it again and have a think.
As the episode concludes we are teased with a brief foray into next week and we find out who was in the astronaught costume. I think this was slightly unnecessary and a little over long. My two new converts to Dr Who (and they did enjoy it) were left baffled by this. I have no complaints as it’s a good scene and I can’t wait to find out what happens next. But I can see people arguments that this season has been a little deep and intellectual for some.
So for this episode.
7.5/10
Tuesday 27 September 2011
A scary hotel
Toby Whithouse's The God Complex is an episode of Doctor Who at its very best. The idea is simple, a group of strangers, plus the Doctor and his companions, are chased around a hotel by a monster. It takes me back to the sixties with regular stories of bases being under siege. Then he adds to it.
The crux of this episode, in my opinion, is what the Minotaur does to you. It breaks your faith. This is why it was refreshing to see a non-Christian in the Muslim character of Rita, who even makes a quip about how we see all Muslims as terrorists.
This is what Doctor Who does best. It takes a simple things and makes it scary. To lose your faith is a big, life changing deal, and to have it taken away in this manner, in my opinion is a great idea. Toby Whithouse has produced the best script of his three. The ideas of the story are great and now it takes the talented production team at upper boat to fulfill his vision.
Thankfully they did not let down. The Sets were and design was fantastic. The Hotel is a depressing place and would not be a place I would want to stay. The casting is spot on. I was worried when they announced David Walliams was to be in this episode that he would not be up to the role.
However his acting ability easily outstrips his comedic abilitly. His character was so beautifully written and acted. I was at times if this seemingly innocent and meager character was not in fact charge of the hotel. I will also want to praise Arthur Darvill comedic acting he did. He got some funny lines and brought them alive in away that is not deliberately funny, but a way to lighten the load.
Finally we get to Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. A lot of this episode’s burden was laid at their feet. If it went wrong it would because of them. However, they didn’t. Matt Smith slow realization that he hurts the people closest to him. They way Amy and the Doctor leave (and that was a shock ) was so well done, it was hard not to have a tear in the eye.
This episode was a bold move, someway more daring that the Doctor’s Wife, with a script with little action and more thinking required. I think they have done it well and with the last scene chaning the game I look forward to seeing how it pays off.
8/10
The crux of this episode, in my opinion, is what the Minotaur does to you. It breaks your faith. This is why it was refreshing to see a non-Christian in the Muslim character of Rita, who even makes a quip about how we see all Muslims as terrorists.
This is what Doctor Who does best. It takes a simple things and makes it scary. To lose your faith is a big, life changing deal, and to have it taken away in this manner, in my opinion is a great idea. Toby Whithouse has produced the best script of his three. The ideas of the story are great and now it takes the talented production team at upper boat to fulfill his vision.
Thankfully they did not let down. The Sets were and design was fantastic. The Hotel is a depressing place and would not be a place I would want to stay. The casting is spot on. I was worried when they announced David Walliams was to be in this episode that he would not be up to the role.
However his acting ability easily outstrips his comedic abilitly. His character was so beautifully written and acted. I was at times if this seemingly innocent and meager character was not in fact charge of the hotel. I will also want to praise Arthur Darvill comedic acting he did. He got some funny lines and brought them alive in away that is not deliberately funny, but a way to lighten the load.
Finally we get to Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. A lot of this episode’s burden was laid at their feet. If it went wrong it would because of them. However, they didn’t. Matt Smith slow realization that he hurts the people closest to him. They way Amy and the Doctor leave (and that was a shock ) was so well done, it was hard not to have a tear in the eye.
This episode was a bold move, someway more daring that the Doctor’s Wife, with a script with little action and more thinking required. I think they have done it well and with the last scene chaning the game I look forward to seeing how it pays off.
8/10
Sunday 25 September 2011
Hotel, Minotaur, Holiday Inn....say what?!
A Minotaur who stalks the corridors of a nondescript hotel, seemingly feeding on the fears of the visitors whose worst nightmares lie behind a door somewhere.....yep I'm in.
I've craved a bit of base-under-siege action and I suppose, in the current climate, this is the nearest we get to just that. The creepy hotel is one of those ideas that seems so right for Doctor Who that it's a wonder it hasn't been done before.
The key to any claustrophobic Doctor Who drama is a small cast of decent one-off characters - and to a varying degree Toby Whithouse's The God Complex gives us that - especially with Rita and Gibbis. The latter played pretty well by David Walliams, easing any fears of an over the top Little Britain performance that this reviewer held.
As the show wears on we begin to realise that the God Complex is less about the Minotaur's 'praise him' brainwashing of his victims and much more about the Doctor's pressure to save everyone from every situation he finds himself in. Matt Smith continues to add a weary depth to the Timelord as he heads towards his death at Lake Silencio and is strong again here.
The revelation that the monster feeds on faith rather than fear strayed a little down the 'emotional resolution' line once again (see my review of Night Terrors) and was perhaps a little disappointing. Still it's good that the minotaur didn't turn about to be a generic villain.
The Doctor then drops his companions off at their dream marital home (the one they're in when they get the blue envelope?) and bids them farewell (althought they will surely be back in a couple of weeks?)
The Doctor's sad but subtle realisation that he can't always win gives this episode a strong theme and the minotaur, hotel setting and strong guest characters meant this was a much more satisfying outing than the past two weeks for me.
7.5/10
I've craved a bit of base-under-siege action and I suppose, in the current climate, this is the nearest we get to just that. The creepy hotel is one of those ideas that seems so right for Doctor Who that it's a wonder it hasn't been done before.
The key to any claustrophobic Doctor Who drama is a small cast of decent one-off characters - and to a varying degree Toby Whithouse's The God Complex gives us that - especially with Rita and Gibbis. The latter played pretty well by David Walliams, easing any fears of an over the top Little Britain performance that this reviewer held.
As the show wears on we begin to realise that the God Complex is less about the Minotaur's 'praise him' brainwashing of his victims and much more about the Doctor's pressure to save everyone from every situation he finds himself in. Matt Smith continues to add a weary depth to the Timelord as he heads towards his death at Lake Silencio and is strong again here.
The revelation that the monster feeds on faith rather than fear strayed a little down the 'emotional resolution' line once again (see my review of Night Terrors) and was perhaps a little disappointing. Still it's good that the minotaur didn't turn about to be a generic villain.
The Doctor then drops his companions off at their dream marital home (the one they're in when they get the blue envelope?) and bids them farewell (althought they will surely be back in a couple of weeks?)
The Doctor's sad but subtle realisation that he can't always win gives this episode a strong theme and the minotaur, hotel setting and strong guest characters meant this was a much more satisfying outing than the past two weeks for me.
7.5/10
What about the boy who waited?
The Girl Who Waited explored another lesson in the downsides of time travel for the Tardis' husband/wife team of Rory and Amy.
This time we saw Amy stumble into a different time stream to 'her fellas' and age 36 years before the boys could catch up and save her.
The first thing to say about this tale is that it certainly conjured up some memorable imagery. The stark whiteness of Apalapucia's 'kindness centre' is simple but effective, as are the sinister 'handbots'. Over and above the scenery we get to see 'Old Amy'. Here the makeup team earn their corn by ageing the show's youthful leading lady with remarkably good attention to detail.
The makeup is one thing though, but it is up to Karen Gillan to pull off a pretty difficult dual role - something she manages very well. I haven't felt this has really been her series - with the focus on her diluted by excellent companion roles from Rory and River - but Karen does revel in the chance to reclaim centre stage here.
The concept of her being stuck for all those years is certainly excellent story fodder but, like with Night Terrors, i'm not quite sure the screen time was there to explore the drama properly. We don't really see enough of the wilderness years to appreciate Amy's transformation from happy-go-lucky traveller to embittered loner.
Plus I couldn't help thinking that, bad as Amy's confinement was, what about Rory? I was urging him to remind his wife about the time he waited for 2,000 years to make sure she was safe. 36 years is a mere half an hour at the bus stop compared to Rory's 'Lone Centurion' effort.
Perhaps I let that cloud my judgement too much but I struggled to enjoy this. I wanted to, and the ending was suitably emotional and in fitting with an intriguing "The Doctor Lies" theme of this half of the series, but I felt again that this was a 60s four-parter struggling to work out which bits to drop in 45 minutes.
The emotional stories are fine but what about a standalone romp? Or a simple yet effective base under siege story? It's great to be challenged but I'm sure the kids (and us adults) might fancy a week off for some straightforward monster-fare...
5/10
This time we saw Amy stumble into a different time stream to 'her fellas' and age 36 years before the boys could catch up and save her.
The first thing to say about this tale is that it certainly conjured up some memorable imagery. The stark whiteness of Apalapucia's 'kindness centre' is simple but effective, as are the sinister 'handbots'. Over and above the scenery we get to see 'Old Amy'. Here the makeup team earn their corn by ageing the show's youthful leading lady with remarkably good attention to detail.
The makeup is one thing though, but it is up to Karen Gillan to pull off a pretty difficult dual role - something she manages very well. I haven't felt this has really been her series - with the focus on her diluted by excellent companion roles from Rory and River - but Karen does revel in the chance to reclaim centre stage here.
The concept of her being stuck for all those years is certainly excellent story fodder but, like with Night Terrors, i'm not quite sure the screen time was there to explore the drama properly. We don't really see enough of the wilderness years to appreciate Amy's transformation from happy-go-lucky traveller to embittered loner.
Plus I couldn't help thinking that, bad as Amy's confinement was, what about Rory? I was urging him to remind his wife about the time he waited for 2,000 years to make sure she was safe. 36 years is a mere half an hour at the bus stop compared to Rory's 'Lone Centurion' effort.
Perhaps I let that cloud my judgement too much but I struggled to enjoy this. I wanted to, and the ending was suitably emotional and in fitting with an intriguing "The Doctor Lies" theme of this half of the series, but I felt again that this was a 60s four-parter struggling to work out which bits to drop in 45 minutes.
The emotional stories are fine but what about a standalone romp? Or a simple yet effective base under siege story? It's great to be challenged but I'm sure the kids (and us adults) might fancy a week off for some straightforward monster-fare...
5/10
Saturday 24 September 2011
Night frights
Mark Gatiss picked up the post-Hitler baton and delved straight from the bizarre River Song madcap mystery tale into classic Doctor Who fodder - the monsters in the bedroom cupboard.
There's something refreshing about the time travelling trio's return to Rose Tyler-ville - a working class estate where there's a little boy in need of a Doctor.
The set up work here is brilliant - macabre dolls and toys, the Doctor as the eccentric alien promising to fix things, Rory and Amy stuck in a giants doll's house - all the ingredients for a belter.
In fact I particularly enjoyed the chap being sucked into the floor - very plastic chair in Terror of the Autons
But something just didn't quite work from there.
I can only put it down to the ending - with Daniel Mays' beleaguered dad's love saving his troubled alien 'son' - not quite delivering on the spooky build up.
As I think back there wasn't anything essentially wrong with that ending, it's just that these 'emotion can win through the moment' endings have become a little too common now and it just felt a little samey.
Maybe it also needed a little extra time? This would have been an excellent four-parter in the late 60s I'm sure..
Others have already said that this was "Fear Her done properly" - and that's probably about right.
6.5/10
There's something refreshing about the time travelling trio's return to Rose Tyler-ville - a working class estate where there's a little boy in need of a Doctor.
The set up work here is brilliant - macabre dolls and toys, the Doctor as the eccentric alien promising to fix things, Rory and Amy stuck in a giants doll's house - all the ingredients for a belter.
In fact I particularly enjoyed the chap being sucked into the floor - very plastic chair in Terror of the Autons
But something just didn't quite work from there.
I can only put it down to the ending - with Daniel Mays' beleaguered dad's love saving his troubled alien 'son' - not quite delivering on the spooky build up.
As I think back there wasn't anything essentially wrong with that ending, it's just that these 'emotion can win through the moment' endings have become a little too common now and it just felt a little samey.
Maybe it also needed a little extra time? This would have been an excellent four-parter in the late 60s I'm sure..
Others have already said that this was "Fear Her done properly" - and that's probably about right.
6.5/10
Saturday 17 September 2011
I'm still waiting.
Its a week later and I am still waiting to calm down after the emotional train ride of the Girl Who Waited. Tom MacRae has crafted an episode who made me laugh, smile and cry. Well almost cry. The basic plot is very simple. What happens when the companions get separated from the Doctor. However, here is when it gets complicated. Instead of being chased around a base by the monster of the week. They are separated by time lines.
At the heart of this story is dealing with what happens if the Doctor abandoned you, by accident. Amy gets older and bitter. Karen Gillan has a hard job of playing her older self and she plays it fantastically. The bitterness to the Doctor and the intense love she has to Rory come out fantastically. I often say how good the acting is, but this week I think we have seen the best yet.
I will say here that the design of the episode is simple, but effective. The Handbots are off putting but not scary, which is what they were designed to be. The gardens look generally fantastic and the back rooms of the hospital dark and gritty.
However the key point to this story is the acting. If the acting were not at the very best this story would horribly flat on his face. I have already mentioned how good Karen Gillan was. But Arthur Darvill and Matt Smith were also fantastic. Arthur had to face a difficult dilemma about his wife. Whilst the Doctor had to deal with the consequences of his mistakes.
Though I am starting to long for a base under siege story, and I am hoping that tonight’s The God Complex has high hopes for this. I am happy to say that this was another good story. Please keep bringing these great stories Mr Moffatt.
9/10
At the heart of this story is dealing with what happens if the Doctor abandoned you, by accident. Amy gets older and bitter. Karen Gillan has a hard job of playing her older self and she plays it fantastically. The bitterness to the Doctor and the intense love she has to Rory come out fantastically. I often say how good the acting is, but this week I think we have seen the best yet.
I will say here that the design of the episode is simple, but effective. The Handbots are off putting but not scary, which is what they were designed to be. The gardens look generally fantastic and the back rooms of the hospital dark and gritty.
However the key point to this story is the acting. If the acting were not at the very best this story would horribly flat on his face. I have already mentioned how good Karen Gillan was. But Arthur Darvill and Matt Smith were also fantastic. Arthur had to face a difficult dilemma about his wife. Whilst the Doctor had to deal with the consequences of his mistakes.
Though I am starting to long for a base under siege story, and I am hoping that tonight’s The God Complex has high hopes for this. I am happy to say that this was another good story. Please keep bringing these great stories Mr Moffatt.
9/10
Monday 5 September 2011
Is it the toys or something else
I love a good scare. As a child I was sent hiding behind the sofa when Mr McDermott is eaten by a Nestine controlled black plastic chair. Doctor Who does it best when it takes the normal and makes it scary. See any Steven Moffatt story from the first four series and the Yeti in the underground. Here Mark Gatiss takes our toys and makes them evil.
So did he pull off the story. Yes and No. We are introduced to George, a small little boy who is scared of everything. We can relate to him because we have been randomly scared of things. His parents are at a wits end to know what to do with him and as he calls out for help and they get the doctor.
The first thing to say was the location was incredible. A rather depressing block of flats and then when Amy and Rory get sucked into the dolls house, a lovely eerie mansion. Again the one thing Doctor Who never shrimps on his production design. This series has been better than ever for that. The creepy dolls that inhabit the world were also very well designed.
I also think the dolls house was beautifully shot. Full of shadows and things that make you want to jump. Richard Clark, the director, has done a great job in getting the best from his cast. Though there were no stand out performances that I could mention. Each actor gave it his or her best and so gave the best for the story. I think Arthur Darvill had another great episode and expect to see more great things from him in the future.
The story was strong. Mark Gatiss is well known for his love of the macabre and this story really excels in that. It’s dark and bleak and seemingly, when the Doctor is trapped in the dolls house, hopeless. And this is my problem with the story. The ending. Though the story was great the ending felt a bit to much like it was done on the fly. It was solved with a hug from George’s dad. However, this still felt like a plausible outcome. Just not the best.
So an enjoyable episode let down slight by the ending.
7/10
So did he pull off the story. Yes and No. We are introduced to George, a small little boy who is scared of everything. We can relate to him because we have been randomly scared of things. His parents are at a wits end to know what to do with him and as he calls out for help and they get the doctor.
The first thing to say was the location was incredible. A rather depressing block of flats and then when Amy and Rory get sucked into the dolls house, a lovely eerie mansion. Again the one thing Doctor Who never shrimps on his production design. This series has been better than ever for that. The creepy dolls that inhabit the world were also very well designed.
I also think the dolls house was beautifully shot. Full of shadows and things that make you want to jump. Richard Clark, the director, has done a great job in getting the best from his cast. Though there were no stand out performances that I could mention. Each actor gave it his or her best and so gave the best for the story. I think Arthur Darvill had another great episode and expect to see more great things from him in the future.
The story was strong. Mark Gatiss is well known for his love of the macabre and this story really excels in that. It’s dark and bleak and seemingly, when the Doctor is trapped in the dolls house, hopeless. And this is my problem with the story. The ending. Though the story was great the ending felt a bit to much like it was done on the fly. It was solved with a hug from George’s dad. However, this still felt like a plausible outcome. Just not the best.
So an enjoyable episode let down slight by the ending.
7/10
Some answers and more questions.
And we are back with a bang and a rather confusing story. But not for me. Mr Moffatt has written a complex story with time lines over lapping and Hitler in a cupboard. However, I managed to keep on top of the story. My friends have noted how could Mels be Amy and Rory’s friend and not tell them the truth. I seemed to accept this and not really get confused. I did like the idea of Mels introduction. In fact I had the idea that it was River from her entrance as it was shot in the usual way for River. Which helped me understand the story better.
Matt Smith was on fine form and his acting when he was dying was superb. Alex Kingston was given a role of a baddie and she acted it superbly. Her delivery of the lines made her different from the usual River Song, but still similar enough. Arthur Darvill again was his normal self, whether punching Hitler, riding a bike, or being miniaturised. Karen Gillan was very good as a mum desperate to find her child.
The design of the episode was great. Whether it is in side of the human robot or Nazi German. I particularly loved the Nazi German so effectively created in a back corner of Swansea. I do have to agree with my colleague that Nazi Germany was so brilliantly recreated it would be a shame not to see another story set there.
I enjoyed this story a lot. However there were a few things that I was a little unsure about. River/Melody joke about a party covering all the racial groups that the Nazi exterminated in the concentration camps. As well as Hitler. I am sorry it felt wrong with Hitler being there and was a wasted opportunity.
However despite these misgivings. I loved it. It answered many questions, however there are still more to be answered and let it continue.
8/10
Matt Smith was on fine form and his acting when he was dying was superb. Alex Kingston was given a role of a baddie and she acted it superbly. Her delivery of the lines made her different from the usual River Song, but still similar enough. Arthur Darvill again was his normal self, whether punching Hitler, riding a bike, or being miniaturised. Karen Gillan was very good as a mum desperate to find her child.
The design of the episode was great. Whether it is in side of the human robot or Nazi German. I particularly loved the Nazi German so effectively created in a back corner of Swansea. I do have to agree with my colleague that Nazi Germany was so brilliantly recreated it would be a shame not to see another story set there.
I enjoyed this story a lot. However there were a few things that I was a little unsure about. River/Melody joke about a party covering all the racial groups that the Nazi exterminated in the concentration camps. As well as Hitler. I am sorry it felt wrong with Hitler being there and was a wasted opportunity.
However despite these misgivings. I loved it. It answered many questions, however there are still more to be answered and let it continue.
8/10
Saturday 3 September 2011
Back....and bonkers
Let's Kill Hitler marked the bizarrely-titled beginning for the second half of this year's run with the now-typical blend of fun and confusion.
Amy and Rory catch up with the Doctor after a seemingly fruitless search to find Melody/River, only this time with 'friend' Mels in tow. Mels was drawn straight from the 1970s Master playbook of having one of those character names that in retrospect is an obvious clue to their true identity but, for me at least, wasn't immediately recognisable as being Melody herself. She wasn't quite Roger Delgado/Anthony Ainley in a wig/beard combo so I'll forgive myself for not spotting the link.
Given that this is a mid series opener we do start to at least get some answers to the puzzles set by arch quizmaster Moffat. Mels lets slip it was her character that regenerated at the end of episode two, we finally see the 'first' meeting of River and the Doctor and we see why River cannot regenerate further (thus leaving the library two-parter in tact). That's a decent start to what had become an almost-overlong list of questions to answer (and there were possibly others I've forgotten!).
The episode seems to pass by leaving Amy and Rory as confused as some of the viewers. I suppose understandably given that their mutual friend was in fact their daughter, who regenerated into River Song, but it is not Amy and Rory's strongest showing here. In fact the star of the show is undoubtedly Alex Kingston - revelling in the fun she can have with an earlier incarnation of her character who has been trained to kill the Doctor and who does just that (sort of). Luckily there's still more than enough we don't know about her character to warrant a return for the brilliant Kingston.
The most disappointing thing about the episode had the be the missed opportunity of the Doctor vs Hitler. Poor old Adolf (well, ok, no sympathy for him) was a comedy aside and the fantastically realised bits of 1930s Germany left me pining for a story that used the setting even more. The shape shifting robots were decent and have potential for a return. In fact, they join the list with 1930s Germany of 'aspects of this story that would have made a story in their own right'.
Was there too much crammed in here to make it enjoyable? Not quite. This was still a fun return for this half of the 2011 run and it did at least start to provide solutions to the riddles of the first half (and before). As much as I did enjoy it I also hope it paves the way for a couple of standalone tales until we build up for the return to Lake Silencio, and finally answer the mystery of the beginning of episode one...
7/10
Amy and Rory catch up with the Doctor after a seemingly fruitless search to find Melody/River, only this time with 'friend' Mels in tow. Mels was drawn straight from the 1970s Master playbook of having one of those character names that in retrospect is an obvious clue to their true identity but, for me at least, wasn't immediately recognisable as being Melody herself. She wasn't quite Roger Delgado/Anthony Ainley in a wig/beard combo so I'll forgive myself for not spotting the link.
Given that this is a mid series opener we do start to at least get some answers to the puzzles set by arch quizmaster Moffat. Mels lets slip it was her character that regenerated at the end of episode two, we finally see the 'first' meeting of River and the Doctor and we see why River cannot regenerate further (thus leaving the library two-parter in tact). That's a decent start to what had become an almost-overlong list of questions to answer (and there were possibly others I've forgotten!).
The episode seems to pass by leaving Amy and Rory as confused as some of the viewers. I suppose understandably given that their mutual friend was in fact their daughter, who regenerated into River Song, but it is not Amy and Rory's strongest showing here. In fact the star of the show is undoubtedly Alex Kingston - revelling in the fun she can have with an earlier incarnation of her character who has been trained to kill the Doctor and who does just that (sort of). Luckily there's still more than enough we don't know about her character to warrant a return for the brilliant Kingston.
The most disappointing thing about the episode had the be the missed opportunity of the Doctor vs Hitler. Poor old Adolf (well, ok, no sympathy for him) was a comedy aside and the fantastically realised bits of 1930s Germany left me pining for a story that used the setting even more. The shape shifting robots were decent and have potential for a return. In fact, they join the list with 1930s Germany of 'aspects of this story that would have made a story in their own right'.
Was there too much crammed in here to make it enjoyable? Not quite. This was still a fun return for this half of the 2011 run and it did at least start to provide solutions to the riddles of the first half (and before). As much as I did enjoy it I also hope it paves the way for a couple of standalone tales until we build up for the return to Lake Silencio, and finally answer the mystery of the beginning of episode one...
7/10
Saturday 27 August 2011
Smith on Song for finale
So River Song is Melody Pond, Amy and Rory's daughter. Steven Moffat chose to reveal the mystery identity of River to bring the curtain down on the first half of this year's run of Who - and it was a pretty entertaining way to head into the summer break.
A Good Man Goes To War instantly 'upped the stakes' on previous episodes with an entertaining build up to the 'Battle of Demon's Run'. It all felt more epic and cinematic with an unseen Doctor collecting together an intriguing band of warriors to help him rescue Amy and her new-born child from the clutches of Madame Kovarian (eye patch lady!).
I enjoyed the fact it was almost 20 minutes before we saw the man himself, content with some stylish shadow shots as the Doctor cashed in favours across the universe and destroyed a Cyber fleet in the process to prove a point.
Then, after the Doctor appeared amid the ranks of the wonderful headless monks, came the weakest section of the show. It all felt too easy as the Doctor's new army swept the enemy aside and rescued the baby. I know there was still a twist to come but it felt like all the tension of the long build up hadn't really been paid off properly. Similarly when there was a 'battle' between the Doctor's friends and the monks later it lacked the scale the rest of the episode had sought to bring. Maybe it was just me but the evocatively titled 'Battle of Demon's Run' lost a bit of its allure when it turned out to be a bit of a scuffle in an aircraft hanger.
The episode was rescued by a strong finish though. Firstly the revelation that the Doctor, and the viewer, had been duped twice and Amy's flesh baby evaporated into the ether and then River's reveal. Some people had guessed, some hadn't but the beauty of the truth behind Alex Kingston's character was that the solution was something you 'could' guess but was still satisfying and fun enough to pay off the build up regardless (although 'Let's Kill Hitler' was a little distracting as a next episode title to flash up as we comprehended the events). It may be argued though that the shock that Amy was 'not real' may have been a better cliffhanger to leave us hooked for the summer but this was still entertaining fare.
On the whole despite the disappointment of the middle section there was plenty to praise here. Top of the list had to be Matt Smith's portrayal of the wandering Time Lord. His Doctor had all of his usual boyish enthusiasm but Smith was superb in handling his character's realisation that sometimes, no matter how good his intentions, he has a bad influence on the world around him. His goading of Colonel Runaway showed a Doctor whose emotions had bubbled over too much, leaving him open to be tricked about Melody. This was a Doctor that, despite his age and experience, is still childlike in his desire to please his friends and fix the world - and is now starting to realise his own limitations. His performance shone above a couple of ropey guest roles to lift the episode and paper over some of the cracks.
8/10
A Good Man Goes To War instantly 'upped the stakes' on previous episodes with an entertaining build up to the 'Battle of Demon's Run'. It all felt more epic and cinematic with an unseen Doctor collecting together an intriguing band of warriors to help him rescue Amy and her new-born child from the clutches of Madame Kovarian (eye patch lady!).
I enjoyed the fact it was almost 20 minutes before we saw the man himself, content with some stylish shadow shots as the Doctor cashed in favours across the universe and destroyed a Cyber fleet in the process to prove a point.
Then, after the Doctor appeared amid the ranks of the wonderful headless monks, came the weakest section of the show. It all felt too easy as the Doctor's new army swept the enemy aside and rescued the baby. I know there was still a twist to come but it felt like all the tension of the long build up hadn't really been paid off properly. Similarly when there was a 'battle' between the Doctor's friends and the monks later it lacked the scale the rest of the episode had sought to bring. Maybe it was just me but the evocatively titled 'Battle of Demon's Run' lost a bit of its allure when it turned out to be a bit of a scuffle in an aircraft hanger.
The episode was rescued by a strong finish though. Firstly the revelation that the Doctor, and the viewer, had been duped twice and Amy's flesh baby evaporated into the ether and then River's reveal. Some people had guessed, some hadn't but the beauty of the truth behind Alex Kingston's character was that the solution was something you 'could' guess but was still satisfying and fun enough to pay off the build up regardless (although 'Let's Kill Hitler' was a little distracting as a next episode title to flash up as we comprehended the events). It may be argued though that the shock that Amy was 'not real' may have been a better cliffhanger to leave us hooked for the summer but this was still entertaining fare.
On the whole despite the disappointment of the middle section there was plenty to praise here. Top of the list had to be Matt Smith's portrayal of the wandering Time Lord. His Doctor had all of his usual boyish enthusiasm but Smith was superb in handling his character's realisation that sometimes, no matter how good his intentions, he has a bad influence on the world around him. His goading of Colonel Runaway showed a Doctor whose emotions had bubbled over too much, leaving him open to be tricked about Melody. This was a Doctor that, despite his age and experience, is still childlike in his desire to please his friends and fix the world - and is now starting to realise his own limitations. His performance shone above a couple of ropey guest roles to lift the episode and paper over some of the cracks.
8/10
Thursday 16 June 2011
A good man has gone to war
Wow. It’s all I can say. A Good man goes to War left me speechless and my mind on overload. Which is not a good thing when its 12:30 at night and you want to go to sleep. There are lots of things to say about this episode and its revelation. So let’s jump in.
Firstly Steven Moffatt has crafted a great story. It was clear the episode was building up to the big reveal about River Song at the end. But it was still enjoyable. It moved a long at a terrific pace and rarely did it need to pause to allow you to catch up.
I did find the build up to the Doctor’s reveal a little to long for my taste. It took 20 minutes before the Doctor revelled himself and then it was not that surprising. It was nice to see how the Doctor has accumulated a great amount of people who are in his debt. A nice touch was the death of the Sontaron nurse.
The set looked fantastic and gave a great look. Military installations are by their very nature, boring places to look at. However Demon’s run looked great. I also liked the Headless Monks, and they did look a bit gruesome. Which is great.
The main cast were all on fine form and it was nice to see Arthur Darvil’s Rory taking a leading role in the episode. Alex Kingston is always on form as River/Melody. The guest cast were great
There are not many things wrong with this episode as it fulfilled all of my expectations. However, I will give a word of caution. We got reappearances from Danny Boy (Victory of the Daleks) and Captain Every (Curse of the Black Spot) to help move the story on. I don’t mind a character from the past occasionally pop up. But for a few seconds, its hardly seems worth it. It was something that Russell T Davis was fond of doing (journey’s end and Last of the Time Lords) and I hope it does not become too much of a norm.
Though I have to admit I did enjoy the appearances of the Cyberships from the invasion in the opening sequence.
There is of course one major problem with this episode. The fact I have to wait until September to find out what happens next.
10 out of 10.
Firstly Steven Moffatt has crafted a great story. It was clear the episode was building up to the big reveal about River Song at the end. But it was still enjoyable. It moved a long at a terrific pace and rarely did it need to pause to allow you to catch up.
I did find the build up to the Doctor’s reveal a little to long for my taste. It took 20 minutes before the Doctor revelled himself and then it was not that surprising. It was nice to see how the Doctor has accumulated a great amount of people who are in his debt. A nice touch was the death of the Sontaron nurse.
The set looked fantastic and gave a great look. Military installations are by their very nature, boring places to look at. However Demon’s run looked great. I also liked the Headless Monks, and they did look a bit gruesome. Which is great.
The main cast were all on fine form and it was nice to see Arthur Darvil’s Rory taking a leading role in the episode. Alex Kingston is always on form as River/Melody. The guest cast were great
There are not many things wrong with this episode as it fulfilled all of my expectations. However, I will give a word of caution. We got reappearances from Danny Boy (Victory of the Daleks) and Captain Every (Curse of the Black Spot) to help move the story on. I don’t mind a character from the past occasionally pop up. But for a few seconds, its hardly seems worth it. It was something that Russell T Davis was fond of doing (journey’s end and Last of the Time Lords) and I hope it does not become too much of a norm.
Though I have to admit I did enjoy the appearances of the Cyberships from the invasion in the opening sequence.
There is of course one major problem with this episode. The fact I have to wait until September to find out what happens next.
10 out of 10.
Friday 3 June 2011
Pushing towards the finale
Well that's set us up nicely hasn't it? Turns out Amy hasn't been real for, well, we don't know how long yet. Plus the real Amy is actually pregnant and about to give birth under the the watchful gaze of the creepy eyepatch lady.
It was a creepy and unnerving twist to end what was otherwise a two-part story that didn't quite hit too many highs. Especially creepy when we learnt that the Doctor engineered the whole visit to try to out Amy as a fake.
Still, just like my fellow reviewer, you have to feel that this twist totally overshadowed the events the came before.
As with last week there was plenty to like about The Almost People with the moral intrigue of the gangers, the mystery over which Doctor was which and the strong performance of Raquel Cassidy to add depth to the guest cast.
Once again though, those elements weren't really glued together with a plot that was particularly memorable. Effectively the whole episode was spent running about and lacked the suspense that its constituent parts warranted.
Still, luckily for all involved it was rescued by the cliffhanger ending and leaves everyone looking forwards rather than back at pretty average fare. Who is River Song? Where is Amy? How long has she not been the real Amy? It has been a series of questions so far - now, at last, we're about to get some answers.
7/10
It was a creepy and unnerving twist to end what was otherwise a two-part story that didn't quite hit too many highs. Especially creepy when we learnt that the Doctor engineered the whole visit to try to out Amy as a fake.
Still, just like my fellow reviewer, you have to feel that this twist totally overshadowed the events the came before.
As with last week there was plenty to like about The Almost People with the moral intrigue of the gangers, the mystery over which Doctor was which and the strong performance of Raquel Cassidy to add depth to the guest cast.
Once again though, those elements weren't really glued together with a plot that was particularly memorable. Effectively the whole episode was spent running about and lacked the suspense that its constituent parts warranted.
Still, luckily for all involved it was rescued by the cliffhanger ending and leaves everyone looking forwards rather than back at pretty average fare. Who is River Song? Where is Amy? How long has she not been the real Amy? It has been a series of questions so far - now, at last, we're about to get some answers.
7/10
Spoilt by the ending.
So we ended Saturday night’s episode on an amazing cliff hanger. Amy is not really Amy, and is now about to give birth. I’m starting with cliff hanger first, because it changes the episode.
The Almost People is going to be reviewed and rated by the ending. I’ll talk about the cliff hanger itself, later on, but I feel that the cliff hanger changes the story. The Almost People, like the Rebel Flesh, suffers from a poor story.
Last week, in my review, I talked about how the story feels bity. It suffered because instead of flowing from one scene to the next, it jumps, with large leaps. We don’t get to feel the story evolve and grow.
This week the story is better, were treated to a more emotional resolution. With the Doctor, teaching the Gangers and the humans to live in harmony. Its nice to see emotional response from characters. I have discussed with my fellow reviwer about how some stories suffer from stock characters. Planet of the Ood is a good example of this. Here we see our characters, whether human or ganger, being human. Crying, looking forward to their kids birthday and so…
There are many good things to praise with the story. Matthew Graham’s deciding to make two Doctor and deal with the complicated issue of racism was a superb choice. We love Amy, she can’t put a foot wrong, but here she did. However, it was clear that the Doctor would swap shoes to make Amy learn about herself.
The character of Jen is, however, a negative side to this story. She, for no apparent reason, decides to go on a murderous, killing all humans, rampage. Her motives are clear, but how she came to them is not. The rest of the flesh are portrayed as being confused. They want to be treated as nothing more than people. However, Jen, from the onset, is portrayed as spoiling for a fight.
Matt Smith, having to play two doctors, was a fine performance. You couldn’t work out which was the ‘fake’ Doctor and which one was real. That, I suspect, was down to the Director deliberately not showing you his shoes. It was also nice to hear the Doctor speak some of his old lines as well.
I praised the production team for this episode, and I want to do it again. They have chosen perfect locations and got the tone of the episodes right.
So the cliff hanger was brilliant. There is no doubt about it. We expect the story to wrap up nicely with the Doctor, Amy, and Rory leaving them behind in the Tardis, then we go and get this game changer.
I love this cliff hanger, its brilliant and its has been often in my mind over the last week. That is a problem. It has overshadowed the preceding 40 minutes in such a way, that I can barely remember the story. That, to me, is a problem.
So all in all, if I exclude the cliff hanger, this was a disappointing episode. I give the story,
6/10
And the two parter as a whole
6/10
Lets see what next week brings.
The Almost People is going to be reviewed and rated by the ending. I’ll talk about the cliff hanger itself, later on, but I feel that the cliff hanger changes the story. The Almost People, like the Rebel Flesh, suffers from a poor story.
Last week, in my review, I talked about how the story feels bity. It suffered because instead of flowing from one scene to the next, it jumps, with large leaps. We don’t get to feel the story evolve and grow.
This week the story is better, were treated to a more emotional resolution. With the Doctor, teaching the Gangers and the humans to live in harmony. Its nice to see emotional response from characters. I have discussed with my fellow reviwer about how some stories suffer from stock characters. Planet of the Ood is a good example of this. Here we see our characters, whether human or ganger, being human. Crying, looking forward to their kids birthday and so…
There are many good things to praise with the story. Matthew Graham’s deciding to make two Doctor and deal with the complicated issue of racism was a superb choice. We love Amy, she can’t put a foot wrong, but here she did. However, it was clear that the Doctor would swap shoes to make Amy learn about herself.
The character of Jen is, however, a negative side to this story. She, for no apparent reason, decides to go on a murderous, killing all humans, rampage. Her motives are clear, but how she came to them is not. The rest of the flesh are portrayed as being confused. They want to be treated as nothing more than people. However, Jen, from the onset, is portrayed as spoiling for a fight.
Matt Smith, having to play two doctors, was a fine performance. You couldn’t work out which was the ‘fake’ Doctor and which one was real. That, I suspect, was down to the Director deliberately not showing you his shoes. It was also nice to hear the Doctor speak some of his old lines as well.
I praised the production team for this episode, and I want to do it again. They have chosen perfect locations and got the tone of the episodes right.
So the cliff hanger was brilliant. There is no doubt about it. We expect the story to wrap up nicely with the Doctor, Amy, and Rory leaving them behind in the Tardis, then we go and get this game changer.
I love this cliff hanger, its brilliant and its has been often in my mind over the last week. That is a problem. It has overshadowed the preceding 40 minutes in such a way, that I can barely remember the story. That, to me, is a problem.
So all in all, if I exclude the cliff hanger, this was a disappointing episode. I give the story,
6/10
And the two parter as a whole
6/10
Lets see what next week brings.
Saturday 28 May 2011
Less than the sum of its parts
It's a funny old business this reviewing lark. You see, my instant reaction at the end of The Rebel Flesh was that it was a disappointing 45 minutes of Doctor Who. Yet, when I look back to type this there was a lot to enjoy about the first of Matthew Graham's two-parter.
Firstly there was the wonderful castle setting - an instant winner for a Doctor Who you'd think. Lots of spooky rooms and corridors. It was shot well too - the episode was dark and suitably frightening for the kids.
Then we had the 'gangers' - a macabre but intriguing concept that gave the story a three-dimensional 'monster' and moral depth. It's well trodden territory for Doctor Who but the, 'maybe they have a right to live too' stuff is what sets Doctor Who apart from being 'just kids telly'.
Performance wise, Raquel Cassidy was a superb choice as Cleaves - sinister, dogmatic and dismissive of the Doctor, she stole the show for the supporting cast. Rory also came to the fore again this week - continuing to step out of Amy's shadow as an excellent companion. In fact, this really has been Arthur Darvill's series so far - he's been excellent in an understated way and is rightly getting more of a share of the action.
So with all of this going on, everything was in place for another 8/10 right?
Well, no. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, the whole episode built up to the big reveal of the 'ganger' Doctor. Yet the problem was I, and it seems many others as well, had guessed this from very early on. That left us with a cliffhanger that had very little impact and meant I wasn't quite feeling the suspense and tension I should have been.
That had a knock-on effect of making the episode feel sluggish. I actually like a good two-parter to give depth to a series and intriduce characters and scenarios who we can really explore properly, a bit like 'classic' Who, but, coming as it did after last week's episode, this felt slow and formulaic. Lots of running about and chasing after people (a Who staple from the old days I know but still...) and not enough actually 'happening'.
I don't feel the pace was helped by the fact we had a pause in the middle of the episode - when the storm arrives and knocks the not-so-happy campers out. This would've been a great way to end episode one of an old-school four parter but, coming as it did in the middle of 45 minutes it did little to help the pace and suspense.
Still, we're only at the half way point of this story and there is definitely scope for it to be saved. Interesting characters, concepts and a great setting could pave the way for a rip-roaring 45-minute conclusion. It's just a shame that this didn't quite deliver that in its own right.
6/10
Firstly there was the wonderful castle setting - an instant winner for a Doctor Who you'd think. Lots of spooky rooms and corridors. It was shot well too - the episode was dark and suitably frightening for the kids.
Then we had the 'gangers' - a macabre but intriguing concept that gave the story a three-dimensional 'monster' and moral depth. It's well trodden territory for Doctor Who but the, 'maybe they have a right to live too' stuff is what sets Doctor Who apart from being 'just kids telly'.
Performance wise, Raquel Cassidy was a superb choice as Cleaves - sinister, dogmatic and dismissive of the Doctor, she stole the show for the supporting cast. Rory also came to the fore again this week - continuing to step out of Amy's shadow as an excellent companion. In fact, this really has been Arthur Darvill's series so far - he's been excellent in an understated way and is rightly getting more of a share of the action.
So with all of this going on, everything was in place for another 8/10 right?
Well, no. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, the whole episode built up to the big reveal of the 'ganger' Doctor. Yet the problem was I, and it seems many others as well, had guessed this from very early on. That left us with a cliffhanger that had very little impact and meant I wasn't quite feeling the suspense and tension I should have been.
That had a knock-on effect of making the episode feel sluggish. I actually like a good two-parter to give depth to a series and intriduce characters and scenarios who we can really explore properly, a bit like 'classic' Who, but, coming as it did after last week's episode, this felt slow and formulaic. Lots of running about and chasing after people (a Who staple from the old days I know but still...) and not enough actually 'happening'.
I don't feel the pace was helped by the fact we had a pause in the middle of the episode - when the storm arrives and knocks the not-so-happy campers out. This would've been a great way to end episode one of an old-school four parter but, coming as it did in the middle of 45 minutes it did little to help the pace and suspense.
Still, we're only at the half way point of this story and there is definitely scope for it to be saved. Interesting characters, concepts and a great setting could pave the way for a rip-roaring 45-minute conclusion. It's just a shame that this didn't quite deliver that in its own right.
6/10
The Almost story.
I was a little worried about Matthew Graham’s contribution to this years Doctor Who. I was disappointed with his season 2 story, Fear Her. This story, along with Boom Town (Season 1), 42 (season 3) and Planet of the Ood and The Unicorn and the Wasp (season 4), have all been highly disappointing, at least to this viewer.
I had also been disappointed as a whole with Bonekickers and Ashes to Ashe, both penned by Graham and writing partner, Ashley Pharaoh. Both of these series had their own problems, which for me stemmed from the writing and the stories being told. I went in hoping that this would be better.
I was disappointed to find that I was wrong about the Rebel Flesh suffered. The story concept is strong. The idea of your creation turning on you has been a staple for horror and science fiction films for many years. The flesh is a wonderful creation and I can see it reappearing in future stories.
However, the problem with the story is that it jumps to much and I, as a viewer, can’t connect with it. I also found the pace of the first episode was to quick and we have a lot of events that we rush past and are not given full justice.
Beside this there are plenty of good points about the story. I quite enjoyed the cliff hanger ending of a duplicate Doctor, though I did see it coming from early point. I also liked the deepening of the Rory character. Amy, seemingly and quite rightly, is the central companion and closest to the Doctor. Because of this, she gets more time to develop. Rory is becoming his own man, and though we know this love triangle will work out and everything will go back to the status quo, its nice to see him develop.
The director has to be praised for his work. It’s a technical nightmare when you have to have the same person, on screen, in two different positions. Also the locations, though seemingly odd, look great and I fully believed that it is one location and not several, as we discovered in Doctor Who Confidential.
All in all, this episode, to me, is a bit of a failure. I hope that the concluding part, The Almost People, will rescue the story. I doubt it, so I give this story.
5/10
I had also been disappointed as a whole with Bonekickers and Ashes to Ashe, both penned by Graham and writing partner, Ashley Pharaoh. Both of these series had their own problems, which for me stemmed from the writing and the stories being told. I went in hoping that this would be better.
I was disappointed to find that I was wrong about the Rebel Flesh suffered. The story concept is strong. The idea of your creation turning on you has been a staple for horror and science fiction films for many years. The flesh is a wonderful creation and I can see it reappearing in future stories.
However, the problem with the story is that it jumps to much and I, as a viewer, can’t connect with it. I also found the pace of the first episode was to quick and we have a lot of events that we rush past and are not given full justice.
Beside this there are plenty of good points about the story. I quite enjoyed the cliff hanger ending of a duplicate Doctor, though I did see it coming from early point. I also liked the deepening of the Rory character. Amy, seemingly and quite rightly, is the central companion and closest to the Doctor. Because of this, she gets more time to develop. Rory is becoming his own man, and though we know this love triangle will work out and everything will go back to the status quo, its nice to see him develop.
The director has to be praised for his work. It’s a technical nightmare when you have to have the same person, on screen, in two different positions. Also the locations, though seemingly odd, look great and I fully believed that it is one location and not several, as we discovered in Doctor Who Confidential.
All in all, this episode, to me, is a bit of a failure. I hope that the concluding part, The Almost People, will rescue the story. I doubt it, so I give this story.
5/10
Saturday 21 May 2011
Fun and Gaiman
The Doctor's Wife was probably the most hotly anticipated story of the series so far thanks to the teaser of a title and the fact it was penned by big name writer Neil Gaiman.
I have to say that, not being a big sci-fi and fantasy fan outside of Doctor Who he was not someone who I'd heard of, but Neil's episode delivered a thrilling 45 minutes that was the highlight of the series so far.
The wonderfully voiced House, fantastically imagined Tardis junkyard, spooky Tardis corridor scenes and excellent star turn from Suranne Jones (I feared she could only do 'gobby northerner' but I was wrong) added some highly memorable moments to a vivid and fun script from the guest writer.
This story could well have been just a little too ridiculous for its own good, coming from the bizarre premise that the Tardis matrix gets downloaded into a human, who then teams up with the Doctor. Daft as that turned out to be, the episode stayed just the right side of farcical for this reviewer to stick with it.
I worried too that this may stray a little too far down the sci-fi route for the more casual viewer but post-05 Who has proved that it can dabble in the realms of soap opera, action adventure, murder mystery and emotional drama while still keeping its own identity - a variety that is part of the charm of the programme.
I have to say that after a whirlwind 45-minute first watch it took me a second look to definitely decide where i sat on the above two points and realise just how much i'd enjoyed it.
The other thing that the second viewing proved was just how good Matt Smith's performance was as the Doctor. Check out his awkward posture as he realises his fellow travellers have just seen him cry at the demise of Idris for an example of a performance that had real depth and quality. The 'this new lad is no David Tennant' naysayers are, for me, off the mark.
Essentially the tale played on how he loves his Tardis like it's his other half - like a stereotypical bloke and his beloved motor. In that sense this was Top Gear, but actually good. The lines about the Tardis actually stealing the Doctor were a neat little twist that made Smith and Jones' two-handers fun to watch.
I'm still a little disappointed that, of the archived control rooms we couldn't be transported back into the Pertwee era (a sad fanboy pipedream that wouldn't have worked, I know), however I'm sure the sight of the Tennant/Eccleston Tardis ended months of way-off-the-mark internet speculation after it was briefly glimpsed in the series trailer.
Provided you could get past the silliness/sci-fi concept this was thoroughly good fun in a series that is so far getting steadily better as it goes along. What we need now is a thrilling two-parter.....over to you Matthew Graham.
8.5/10
I have to say that, not being a big sci-fi and fantasy fan outside of Doctor Who he was not someone who I'd heard of, but Neil's episode delivered a thrilling 45 minutes that was the highlight of the series so far.
The wonderfully voiced House, fantastically imagined Tardis junkyard, spooky Tardis corridor scenes and excellent star turn from Suranne Jones (I feared she could only do 'gobby northerner' but I was wrong) added some highly memorable moments to a vivid and fun script from the guest writer.
This story could well have been just a little too ridiculous for its own good, coming from the bizarre premise that the Tardis matrix gets downloaded into a human, who then teams up with the Doctor. Daft as that turned out to be, the episode stayed just the right side of farcical for this reviewer to stick with it.
I worried too that this may stray a little too far down the sci-fi route for the more casual viewer but post-05 Who has proved that it can dabble in the realms of soap opera, action adventure, murder mystery and emotional drama while still keeping its own identity - a variety that is part of the charm of the programme.
I have to say that after a whirlwind 45-minute first watch it took me a second look to definitely decide where i sat on the above two points and realise just how much i'd enjoyed it.
The other thing that the second viewing proved was just how good Matt Smith's performance was as the Doctor. Check out his awkward posture as he realises his fellow travellers have just seen him cry at the demise of Idris for an example of a performance that had real depth and quality. The 'this new lad is no David Tennant' naysayers are, for me, off the mark.
Essentially the tale played on how he loves his Tardis like it's his other half - like a stereotypical bloke and his beloved motor. In that sense this was Top Gear, but actually good. The lines about the Tardis actually stealing the Doctor were a neat little twist that made Smith and Jones' two-handers fun to watch.
I'm still a little disappointed that, of the archived control rooms we couldn't be transported back into the Pertwee era (a sad fanboy pipedream that wouldn't have worked, I know), however I'm sure the sight of the Tennant/Eccleston Tardis ended months of way-off-the-mark internet speculation after it was briefly glimpsed in the series trailer.
Provided you could get past the silliness/sci-fi concept this was thoroughly good fun in a series that is so far getting steadily better as it goes along. What we need now is a thrilling two-parter.....over to you Matthew Graham.
8.5/10
Thursday 19 May 2011
So very much in love.
It is hard to start this review, as I have no clue on where to begin. The Doctor’s wife is a big episode, bigger than the 45 minute slot given to it, in fact. There was so much hype about this episode. Firstly the fact the Neil Gaiman was writing the story. Secondly, when it was accidentally announced it was entitled, The Doctor’s Wife. One can be led into wondering if this episode would fail to deliver. The preview, in DWM, even alluded to this fact.
So did this story deliver, yes and no. It delivered so much. The writing was great. The acting, fantastic. The sets, CGI, direction and everything else that went into this episode were perfect. This story has added and enhanced the Doctor Who Mythology. Not in a great sweeping change (such as the Time War) but in little subtle ways. But, after watching it a second time, the wonder of the episode has worn off a little.
I’ll start of with the story. Neil Gaiman has written a terrific story. If any aspiring writer wants to know how to write a stand alone, monster of the week story, look no further. He took a simple story idea, what if the Tardis became human, and took it from there. It wasn’t to convoluted or fancy but hit the right emotional note.
I would like to add the interplay between the Doctor and Idris was perfect. It was written, in my opinion, as an old married couple. Very much in love, but argue their course. The line where Idris says. “I’ll always take you where you needed to be” (or there about) changes all we know about the Tardis and makes her a better machine.
He wrote the characters of the Doctor, Amy, and Rory well. Making sure that thought this was an episode that centered on the Doctor. Amy and Rory were still an integral part. No longer just consigned to the Tardis (Nyssa in The Visitation) but on the run for their lives. Idris, or should that be Tardis, was again well written. However, I think this is down to the performance of Surranne Jones. The early scenes reminded me of Andy Serkis Gollum from the Lord of the Rings.
I have yet to mention Richard Clark. As Director of this show he has responsibility for the look and the feel of the story. It is here where it could have gone so horribly wrong, but yet he got it right. The Tardis junkyard was a sad and lonely place. The mismatch characters of the Auntie and Uncle were brilliant.
There are a few down sides to this story. The resolution, being the first one. After a brilliant 38 minutes or so, I was slightly disappointed about how quickly the monster, called house, was killed and removed from the Tardis. It was just to easy or the Doctor to trick him, her, it. However, this is a slight quibble and doesn’t detract to much from my enjoyment of the story.
I was also disappointed with the interior of the Tardis. We have scene inside the rest of the Tardis, whether it be Romana’s room, the swimming pool, or the eye of harmony, on several occasions. The corridors Amy and Rory ran down were bland and, in my opinion, not in keeping with the Tardis Console room. Which, if we discount Invasion of Time, the Tardis interior has done in previous stories.
I must also say it was nice to see the Eccleston/Tennant console room make a reappearance. As a fan, I was disappointed it was not one of the classic console rooms, but it was nice to see it for one final time.
I enjoyed this epsidoe. However, less so on my second viewing, ( I watch each episode at least twice to give the best review) and I am slightly worried that this episode will lose it’s charm if I watch it repeatedly. This is a dissapointment. I do not know how many times I have seen some of my favourite stories (Warriors of the Deep, Invasion, Girl in the Fireplace, and Eleventh Hour to name a few) I want to watch and enjoy this story, countless times. However I am worried that it won't be as good the third or the fourth.
Despite this, it was a great episode. I have shot myself in the foot with my 10 out of 10 for the The Impossible Astronaught and Day of the Moon. What rating do I give. Easy.
11/10
So did this story deliver, yes and no. It delivered so much. The writing was great. The acting, fantastic. The sets, CGI, direction and everything else that went into this episode were perfect. This story has added and enhanced the Doctor Who Mythology. Not in a great sweeping change (such as the Time War) but in little subtle ways. But, after watching it a second time, the wonder of the episode has worn off a little.
I’ll start of with the story. Neil Gaiman has written a terrific story. If any aspiring writer wants to know how to write a stand alone, monster of the week story, look no further. He took a simple story idea, what if the Tardis became human, and took it from there. It wasn’t to convoluted or fancy but hit the right emotional note.
I would like to add the interplay between the Doctor and Idris was perfect. It was written, in my opinion, as an old married couple. Very much in love, but argue their course. The line where Idris says. “I’ll always take you where you needed to be” (or there about) changes all we know about the Tardis and makes her a better machine.
He wrote the characters of the Doctor, Amy, and Rory well. Making sure that thought this was an episode that centered on the Doctor. Amy and Rory were still an integral part. No longer just consigned to the Tardis (Nyssa in The Visitation) but on the run for their lives. Idris, or should that be Tardis, was again well written. However, I think this is down to the performance of Surranne Jones. The early scenes reminded me of Andy Serkis Gollum from the Lord of the Rings.
I have yet to mention Richard Clark. As Director of this show he has responsibility for the look and the feel of the story. It is here where it could have gone so horribly wrong, but yet he got it right. The Tardis junkyard was a sad and lonely place. The mismatch characters of the Auntie and Uncle were brilliant.
There are a few down sides to this story. The resolution, being the first one. After a brilliant 38 minutes or so, I was slightly disappointed about how quickly the monster, called house, was killed and removed from the Tardis. It was just to easy or the Doctor to trick him, her, it. However, this is a slight quibble and doesn’t detract to much from my enjoyment of the story.
I was also disappointed with the interior of the Tardis. We have scene inside the rest of the Tardis, whether it be Romana’s room, the swimming pool, or the eye of harmony, on several occasions. The corridors Amy and Rory ran down were bland and, in my opinion, not in keeping with the Tardis Console room. Which, if we discount Invasion of Time, the Tardis interior has done in previous stories.
I must also say it was nice to see the Eccleston/Tennant console room make a reappearance. As a fan, I was disappointed it was not one of the classic console rooms, but it was nice to see it for one final time.
I enjoyed this epsidoe. However, less so on my second viewing, ( I watch each episode at least twice to give the best review) and I am slightly worried that this episode will lose it’s charm if I watch it repeatedly. This is a dissapointment. I do not know how many times I have seen some of my favourite stories (Warriors of the Deep, Invasion, Girl in the Fireplace, and Eleventh Hour to name a few) I want to watch and enjoy this story, countless times. However I am worried that it won't be as good the third or the fourth.
Despite this, it was a great episode. I have shot myself in the foot with my 10 out of 10 for the The Impossible Astronaught and Day of the Moon. What rating do I give. Easy.
11/10
Friday 13 May 2011
Pirate material
This week's slice of Doctor Who sidestepped much of the intrigue raised last time around for a swashbuckling foray into world of pirates - and a refreshing one-off romp.
The Curse of the Black Spot couldn't have been timed better really, with the next chapter Pirates of the Caribbean saga set to hit the cinema screens shortly and thus everyones favourite plank-walking, parrot-shoulder-perching, sword-bearing, ship-sailing, treasure-hunting characters bang in fashion.
The story itself had a decent pace and blended dark moments with humour in a way that the best of the Moffat-era episodes have managed to good effect.
Once the obligatory sword fight was out of the way we got into a tale that felt much more like a traditional Doctor Who story.
I could certainly have pictured William Hartnell et al on deck - with Ian and Barbara offering solutions for the siren's appearance and eventually spotting the water/reflection links. You can just imagine them spinning a 4/6 parter out of this, with Bill off screen for an episode while on holiday.
That's certainly no criticism and, if anything, was pretty satisfying after the incident packed two-part opener.
Aside from having all the hallmarks of a classic Who tale, this was also a story of two very notable cameos.
Firstly, Lily Cole was an excellent choice to play the eerie Siren. Her otherwordly looks seemed perfect for the role and, as a star name, it was something of a coup to get her on board.
Secondly, and more prominently, came Hugh Bonneville's turn as sea dog Henry Avery. Bonneville expertly avoided straying into the realms of a camp 'stereotype' performance, and the whole episode lit up during his two handers with Matt Smith's Doctor. The exploration of his background added a bit of depth to take this 45 minutes beyond the 'bit of fun' that it could have lapsed into while he and Smith also handled the humour in the Tardis well.
The main downside for the episode is that the, 'actually the alien was only trying to cure them all' resolution has come before with the gas mask two-parter and the Girl in the Fireplace. It's good to show that not all aliens are the baddies, but it didn't feel like a particularly original twist.
Still, the combination of good storytelling, engaging performances and an excellent look to the action made it a good watch.
8/10
The Curse of the Black Spot couldn't have been timed better really, with the next chapter Pirates of the Caribbean saga set to hit the cinema screens shortly and thus everyones favourite plank-walking, parrot-shoulder-perching, sword-bearing, ship-sailing, treasure-hunting characters bang in fashion.
The story itself had a decent pace and blended dark moments with humour in a way that the best of the Moffat-era episodes have managed to good effect.
Once the obligatory sword fight was out of the way we got into a tale that felt much more like a traditional Doctor Who story.
I could certainly have pictured William Hartnell et al on deck - with Ian and Barbara offering solutions for the siren's appearance and eventually spotting the water/reflection links. You can just imagine them spinning a 4/6 parter out of this, with Bill off screen for an episode while on holiday.
That's certainly no criticism and, if anything, was pretty satisfying after the incident packed two-part opener.
Aside from having all the hallmarks of a classic Who tale, this was also a story of two very notable cameos.
Firstly, Lily Cole was an excellent choice to play the eerie Siren. Her otherwordly looks seemed perfect for the role and, as a star name, it was something of a coup to get her on board.
Secondly, and more prominently, came Hugh Bonneville's turn as sea dog Henry Avery. Bonneville expertly avoided straying into the realms of a camp 'stereotype' performance, and the whole episode lit up during his two handers with Matt Smith's Doctor. The exploration of his background added a bit of depth to take this 45 minutes beyond the 'bit of fun' that it could have lapsed into while he and Smith also handled the humour in the Tardis well.
The main downside for the episode is that the, 'actually the alien was only trying to cure them all' resolution has come before with the gas mask two-parter and the Girl in the Fireplace. It's good to show that not all aliens are the baddies, but it didn't feel like a particularly original twist.
Still, the combination of good storytelling, engaging performances and an excellent look to the action made it a good watch.
8/10
Monday 9 May 2011
Ahoy there.
The non spoiler review on the website, Den of Geek, said that this episode had a lot to follow after the opening two part story. I agree with this, The Curse of the Black Spot had a lot to follow. Den of Geek said that it failed to live up to this and there I disagree.
It is true that this story is nothing more that a story of the week but it was done very well. Firstly, kudos must be given to the production department. They have produced a wonderful looking pirate ship. Also praise must be given to the director, Jeremy Webb, and his camera crew who managed to produce a highly convincing stranded ship which in reality was moored in a dock in Cornwall.
Stephen Thompson, the writer of this episode, must also be given praise as well. I am not sure how much other TV writing he has done, I only know of his Sherlock episode from last year, has produced a good, solid story. As Steven Moffatt mentioned in Doctor Who Confidential, if you do Pirates, you have to have all of the associated trappings. So we had swashbuckling, laughs, walking the plank, and treasure.
Stephen Thompson took this in his stride and managed to merge them into the story that didn’t feel forced or put in because they can. I also quite like the clever twist of the siren turning out to be a goodie instead of an evil killing machine. In fact I quite enjoyed the Doctor being three or four steps behind, a refreshing break from the norm.
The cast, again, was on stunning form. The emotional ending sequence between Rory and Amy was superbly acted out in my opinion. Arthur Darvill and Karen Gillan are coming along to be tremendous actors and have made the roles their own. The supporting cast as well were well chosen. Lily Cole was an interesting choice as the siren. She played it well and was alluring when she needed to be and down right scary when that was required. Hugh Bonneville was a good choice as Captain Every and played the part well as a man split between two different loyalties.
However there is a big problem with the story that does hamper the story. The lad of Captain Every stabs a man with a cutlass and then we never see or hear from him again, until the end when he walks into the cock pit and looks out into the stars in a Blake 7esk ending. When did he get taken by the Siren, he just disappeared and is not mentioned again. It is a shame that this happened as it ruined, for me, a very good story. It’s a plot hole in the story and stands out quite jarringly. I noticed this on both of my viewings of the episode.
So as we come to a close, I really enjoyed this story. Yes it’s a story of the week but it’s a great one. The reviewer on den of geek said the episode was spoiled by the fact none of the questions from last week were answered. I say that was a good thing. With the brief glimpse of eye patch woman and is Amy pregnant or not we’ve been teased with things to come and I can’t wait to find out.
So I am going to give this story,
8/10
It is true that this story is nothing more that a story of the week but it was done very well. Firstly, kudos must be given to the production department. They have produced a wonderful looking pirate ship. Also praise must be given to the director, Jeremy Webb, and his camera crew who managed to produce a highly convincing stranded ship which in reality was moored in a dock in Cornwall.
Stephen Thompson, the writer of this episode, must also be given praise as well. I am not sure how much other TV writing he has done, I only know of his Sherlock episode from last year, has produced a good, solid story. As Steven Moffatt mentioned in Doctor Who Confidential, if you do Pirates, you have to have all of the associated trappings. So we had swashbuckling, laughs, walking the plank, and treasure.
Stephen Thompson took this in his stride and managed to merge them into the story that didn’t feel forced or put in because they can. I also quite like the clever twist of the siren turning out to be a goodie instead of an evil killing machine. In fact I quite enjoyed the Doctor being three or four steps behind, a refreshing break from the norm.
The cast, again, was on stunning form. The emotional ending sequence between Rory and Amy was superbly acted out in my opinion. Arthur Darvill and Karen Gillan are coming along to be tremendous actors and have made the roles their own. The supporting cast as well were well chosen. Lily Cole was an interesting choice as the siren. She played it well and was alluring when she needed to be and down right scary when that was required. Hugh Bonneville was a good choice as Captain Every and played the part well as a man split between two different loyalties.
However there is a big problem with the story that does hamper the story. The lad of Captain Every stabs a man with a cutlass and then we never see or hear from him again, until the end when he walks into the cock pit and looks out into the stars in a Blake 7esk ending. When did he get taken by the Siren, he just disappeared and is not mentioned again. It is a shame that this happened as it ruined, for me, a very good story. It’s a plot hole in the story and stands out quite jarringly. I noticed this on both of my viewings of the episode.
So as we come to a close, I really enjoyed this story. Yes it’s a story of the week but it’s a great one. The reviewer on den of geek said the episode was spoiled by the fact none of the questions from last week were answered. I say that was a good thing. With the brief glimpse of eye patch woman and is Amy pregnant or not we’ve been teased with things to come and I can’t wait to find out.
So I am going to give this story,
8/10
Monday 2 May 2011
Questions, questions
Two episodes in and this series has already posed more questions than a series of Mastermind - but is that a good thing?
There's no doubting that Steven Moffat wants to challenge the viewer with this run, keep us on our toes and infuriate us with half-clues, yet more questions and mysteries.
This episode continued in that vein - ending with a massive mystery - just who is 'that girl' and how/why was she able to regenerate?
The problem with reviewing these tales is that you get to the end feeling like the events you have seen pale into insignficance given what is still to be resolved, chiefly - the identity of River, who it was that killed the Doctor at the start of episode one, 'that girl' and Amy's pregnancy.
In some ways it's a fabulous way to set things up and get us coming back for more - in other ways it may alienate some of the casual viewers who aren't prepared to agonise over and memorise every chunk of what they have seen.
This episode, and the two parter in general, felt like they posed too many questions and mysteries to be enjoyed in their own right. There was so much 'shock' and 'event' that the wonderfully spooky moments in the children's home, the clever new alien concept and the excellent performance of Arthur Darvill as the unsung Rory almost passed me by. In fact, they all did until a second watch. Less loyal viewers won't come back for second helpings.
You almost feel as though, building on what I said last week about pitching for the American audience, this series is borrowing from the style of Lost, 24 et al. That may open up a new audience but the people who watch those shows, without wishing to generalise, would appear to me to prefer a more adult drama and probably wouldn't give Who the time of day for being British and a bit silly. Maybe I'm wrong but this two-parter did have a very different, non-Doctor Who feel.
All that makes it sound as though I didn't enjoy it. I did, but I just feel as though so much is up in the air that it is hard to judge how clever this set up material was until we get the threads tied up. It is, however, better to have too much going on than not enough.
If you take the action purely on its merits there was much to enjoy. Aside from the highlights mentioned above - Canton's character grew to the point that he deserves another outing, River Song continues to bring fun to the team and Moffat still found time for some humour amid the dark, creepiness - with witty remarks about David Frost and a welcome return for the Tardis swimming pool.
The American excursion also yielded some spectacular scenery that worked much better than the Dubai visit in giving a dramatic backdrop to the action.
That said, the Area 51 detention of the Doctor didn't really make much sense to the plot, nor did the 3 month Silence hunting gap between episodes. I also thought Nixon's character was a little over the top, much like Churchill was last year. Still, it was passable and didn't grate too much.
7/10.
There's no doubting that Steven Moffat wants to challenge the viewer with this run, keep us on our toes and infuriate us with half-clues, yet more questions and mysteries.
This episode continued in that vein - ending with a massive mystery - just who is 'that girl' and how/why was she able to regenerate?
The problem with reviewing these tales is that you get to the end feeling like the events you have seen pale into insignficance given what is still to be resolved, chiefly - the identity of River, who it was that killed the Doctor at the start of episode one, 'that girl' and Amy's pregnancy.
In some ways it's a fabulous way to set things up and get us coming back for more - in other ways it may alienate some of the casual viewers who aren't prepared to agonise over and memorise every chunk of what they have seen.
This episode, and the two parter in general, felt like they posed too many questions and mysteries to be enjoyed in their own right. There was so much 'shock' and 'event' that the wonderfully spooky moments in the children's home, the clever new alien concept and the excellent performance of Arthur Darvill as the unsung Rory almost passed me by. In fact, they all did until a second watch. Less loyal viewers won't come back for second helpings.
You almost feel as though, building on what I said last week about pitching for the American audience, this series is borrowing from the style of Lost, 24 et al. That may open up a new audience but the people who watch those shows, without wishing to generalise, would appear to me to prefer a more adult drama and probably wouldn't give Who the time of day for being British and a bit silly. Maybe I'm wrong but this two-parter did have a very different, non-Doctor Who feel.
All that makes it sound as though I didn't enjoy it. I did, but I just feel as though so much is up in the air that it is hard to judge how clever this set up material was until we get the threads tied up. It is, however, better to have too much going on than not enough.
If you take the action purely on its merits there was much to enjoy. Aside from the highlights mentioned above - Canton's character grew to the point that he deserves another outing, River Song continues to bring fun to the team and Moffat still found time for some humour amid the dark, creepiness - with witty remarks about David Frost and a welcome return for the Tardis swimming pool.
The American excursion also yielded some spectacular scenery that worked much better than the Dubai visit in giving a dramatic backdrop to the action.
That said, the Area 51 detention of the Doctor didn't really make much sense to the plot, nor did the 3 month Silence hunting gap between episodes. I also thought Nixon's character was a little over the top, much like Churchill was last year. Still, it was passable and didn't grate too much.
7/10.
Sunday 1 May 2011
The Eagle has landed.
So with the ending of the Day of the Moon we have been left with a lot of questions. I’ll come on to discuss those in a bit but first, did I enjoy it.
Yes, yes I did. The story picks up a few months after the cliffhanger ending. Amy is being chased and shot by Canton in the desert. The Doctor is being put into a perfect prison. River jumps out of a building and Rory dies on top of a dam.
Were back in the prison where we soon realise that this has been a masquerade and no one is really dead. They soon catch up and we find that they have been hunting down the silence.
Amy and Canton head to a creepy orphan whilst the Doctor breaks in to Apollo 11. Amy is soon kidnapped by the silence, after discovering she maybe the mother of the child in the space suit.
They rescue Amy from the space ship, first seen in last year’s The Lodger, and were treated to a shocking ending as the girl in the space suit regenerates.
So I enjoyed the episode, especially after it left me stunned with all of the revelations that have been made. The questions are many such as, Who is River? Who are the Silence? Who is the girl? Is Amy pregnant? These are the biggest questions in my mind.
But because there are so many questions left unanswered it has led to some negative criticism from reviewers and Doctor Who fans alike. However, I love it. I am a big fan of the TV show, Lost. Lost was a TV show never gave you direct answers but gave you more questions that stemmed from the answer and this is why I loved the show.
And Doctor Who is doing the same. I like not knowing the answer to everything as it makes me want to come back and watch more. The episode not only answered some questions and gave us even more. It was also a very good stand-alone story.
The story moved forward very quickly and unlike last week, where there was one scene that slowed the story down, there was nothing that seemingly hampered the story. It was a mix of action, humor, darkness, and seriousness all at the same time. I especially enjoyed the Doctor and River flirting.
I felt the passing gay remark, though historical accurate, was rather pointless. It didn’t add to the story or move the story along. I may be biased when it comes to this thing.
Toby Hayes has done very well in both parts. He got the best performances from all of the four leads and the supporting cast. He got some great sets and edited the show to give a good pace. One of the opening shots of Amy being chased, taken from a helicopter, was stunning.
I am generally a positive person when it comes to Doctor Who. There is only one story that I am not a big fan of, and that’s the 1970 story Inferno. I enjoy the story that who fans seem to hate, such as Warriors of Deep and Timelash and so I do find it hard to find things I don’t like.
However with this story there was only one thing I felt was done badly and that was the start. It looked beautiful and the epic scope of America looked fantastic. However I felt that going from Amy shooting at the end of last week’s episode to the beginning of this was wrong and didn’t sit right.
So in total.
Day of the moon 10/10
And for both episodes 10/10
Yes, yes I did. The story picks up a few months after the cliffhanger ending. Amy is being chased and shot by Canton in the desert. The Doctor is being put into a perfect prison. River jumps out of a building and Rory dies on top of a dam.
Were back in the prison where we soon realise that this has been a masquerade and no one is really dead. They soon catch up and we find that they have been hunting down the silence.
Amy and Canton head to a creepy orphan whilst the Doctor breaks in to Apollo 11. Amy is soon kidnapped by the silence, after discovering she maybe the mother of the child in the space suit.
They rescue Amy from the space ship, first seen in last year’s The Lodger, and were treated to a shocking ending as the girl in the space suit regenerates.
So I enjoyed the episode, especially after it left me stunned with all of the revelations that have been made. The questions are many such as, Who is River? Who are the Silence? Who is the girl? Is Amy pregnant? These are the biggest questions in my mind.
But because there are so many questions left unanswered it has led to some negative criticism from reviewers and Doctor Who fans alike. However, I love it. I am a big fan of the TV show, Lost. Lost was a TV show never gave you direct answers but gave you more questions that stemmed from the answer and this is why I loved the show.
And Doctor Who is doing the same. I like not knowing the answer to everything as it makes me want to come back and watch more. The episode not only answered some questions and gave us even more. It was also a very good stand-alone story.
The story moved forward very quickly and unlike last week, where there was one scene that slowed the story down, there was nothing that seemingly hampered the story. It was a mix of action, humor, darkness, and seriousness all at the same time. I especially enjoyed the Doctor and River flirting.
I felt the passing gay remark, though historical accurate, was rather pointless. It didn’t add to the story or move the story along. I may be biased when it comes to this thing.
Toby Hayes has done very well in both parts. He got the best performances from all of the four leads and the supporting cast. He got some great sets and edited the show to give a good pace. One of the opening shots of Amy being chased, taken from a helicopter, was stunning.
I am generally a positive person when it comes to Doctor Who. There is only one story that I am not a big fan of, and that’s the 1970 story Inferno. I enjoy the story that who fans seem to hate, such as Warriors of Deep and Timelash and so I do find it hard to find things I don’t like.
However with this story there was only one thing I felt was done badly and that was the start. It looked beautiful and the epic scope of America looked fantastic. However I felt that going from Amy shooting at the end of last week’s episode to the beginning of this was wrong and didn’t sit right.
So in total.
Day of the moon 10/10
And for both episodes 10/10
Monday 25 April 2011
Here we go again
And so we're back. The blog and, more importantly (yes we're humble), the Doctor.
Matt Smith's incarnation made a much heralded return to the screens on Saturday night and this time showrunner Steven Moffat embraces the good ol' US of A for a two part opener which, I suspect, has more than a nod toward breaking the American market.
In fact the 'getting the gang back together' beginning seems perfect for those across the pond (not Amy and Rory Pond...!) to jump on board. Sadly much of the start is a cheesy throwaway and the website prequel, where President Nixon takes a call from the creepy child spooked by the 'spaceman', would serve as a much more chilling window into the story.
That aside, there's no room for the viewer to warm up because we're straight into the Doctor dying. As in proper dying. Shot by an unseen spacesuited figure mid regeneration.
Moffat and his crew had warned us they wanted to start with a death and a shock to get things going and this certainly delivered. I've a feeling we'll have great fun working back to this moment at some point further on in this story/series.
The death is set against the gloriously photogenic skyline of the American countryside. Presumably as comfortingly familiar to the Stateside viewer as ex-ER girl Alex Kingston (River Song) and a few others in this story.
Still, whatever the reason, it was a suitably dramatic backdrop for a suitably dramatic moment.
Then, once the Doctor (200 or so years younger than the one who just died) returns to the action, we get into the alien plot. The Silence tick the boxes in being menacing enough to frighten the kids and with a clever enough concept (that they are forgotten as soon as you turn away from them) to make them a fantastic foe to start this run off with.
Post-05 Doctor Who has struggled with its lack of memorable new 'baddies' (the exception being Moffat's own Weeping Angels) and the villainous Silence could turn out to be one of the better additions to the Doctor's enemy list at this rate.
You feel we haven't really got all that far when we reach the cliffhanger - but Amy shooting the child in the spacesuit is still pretty hardhitting for 6.45pm on a Saturday night and leaves us another puzzle to be solved - coming straight after the revelation of her pregnancy.
The regulars all pretty much slot back into place as before, with a noticeable edge to their dynamic added by the fact that River, Amy and Rory have all seen the Doctor die, but don't want to let on. Hopefully that'll avoid the series slipping into the cosy love-in of the later Tennant years.
The team were joined by the fantastically titled Canton Everett Delaware III (played by another US-pleaser Mark Sheppard) who, name aside made little impact in this part.
Like Canton the episode is difficult to rate. It contained much to enjoy and set out a host of new questions to be answered. Let's hope the next fulfills its promise.
7.5/10
Ps: Please follow us on our new Twitter page @phantom_piper
Pps: Like the main series we're embracing America with a new look to the blog, enjoy!
Matt Smith's incarnation made a much heralded return to the screens on Saturday night and this time showrunner Steven Moffat embraces the good ol' US of A for a two part opener which, I suspect, has more than a nod toward breaking the American market.
In fact the 'getting the gang back together' beginning seems perfect for those across the pond (not Amy and Rory Pond...!) to jump on board. Sadly much of the start is a cheesy throwaway and the website prequel, where President Nixon takes a call from the creepy child spooked by the 'spaceman', would serve as a much more chilling window into the story.
That aside, there's no room for the viewer to warm up because we're straight into the Doctor dying. As in proper dying. Shot by an unseen spacesuited figure mid regeneration.
Moffat and his crew had warned us they wanted to start with a death and a shock to get things going and this certainly delivered. I've a feeling we'll have great fun working back to this moment at some point further on in this story/series.
The death is set against the gloriously photogenic skyline of the American countryside. Presumably as comfortingly familiar to the Stateside viewer as ex-ER girl Alex Kingston (River Song) and a few others in this story.
Still, whatever the reason, it was a suitably dramatic backdrop for a suitably dramatic moment.
Then, once the Doctor (200 or so years younger than the one who just died) returns to the action, we get into the alien plot. The Silence tick the boxes in being menacing enough to frighten the kids and with a clever enough concept (that they are forgotten as soon as you turn away from them) to make them a fantastic foe to start this run off with.
Post-05 Doctor Who has struggled with its lack of memorable new 'baddies' (the exception being Moffat's own Weeping Angels) and the villainous Silence could turn out to be one of the better additions to the Doctor's enemy list at this rate.
You feel we haven't really got all that far when we reach the cliffhanger - but Amy shooting the child in the spacesuit is still pretty hardhitting for 6.45pm on a Saturday night and leaves us another puzzle to be solved - coming straight after the revelation of her pregnancy.
The regulars all pretty much slot back into place as before, with a noticeable edge to their dynamic added by the fact that River, Amy and Rory have all seen the Doctor die, but don't want to let on. Hopefully that'll avoid the series slipping into the cosy love-in of the later Tennant years.
The team were joined by the fantastically titled Canton Everett Delaware III (played by another US-pleaser Mark Sheppard) who, name aside made little impact in this part.
Like Canton the episode is difficult to rate. It contained much to enjoy and set out a host of new questions to be answered. Let's hope the next fulfills its promise.
7.5/10
Ps: Please follow us on our new Twitter page @phantom_piper
Pps: Like the main series we're embracing America with a new look to the blog, enjoy!
Sunday 24 April 2011
The Impossible Astronaut
So were back with a bang and a dead Doctor. Ohh should have mentioned this blog will contain a lot of spoilers. Last night, Doctor Who returned with the first installment of the sixth season. A season that will, if the first episode is anything to go by, be fantastic. Even if it is split in half with an agonizing wait to suffer over the warm summer months.
But we have six more episodes before that wait starts so let us enjoy ourselves. So in the first episode the Doctor, Amy, Rory and River Song are all called together, seemingly by the Doctor, to defeat the menace of the mysterious Silence.
The Doctor is soon killed off, mid regeneration, by a mysterious astronaut. Before he walks on the grieving trio, earning a slap from River. They are soon headed back to 1969 and the Oval Office and are soon tracking down the mysterious voice on the end of President Nixon’s phone. Were left with a terrific cliffhanger. Rory and River under attack in the new Tardis, first seen in the Lodger, and Amy shooting at something, just after her own shocking revelation.
Toby Haynes, the director, has assembled an excellent cast for this story and really bring Steven Moffat’ script to live. Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvil, and Alex Kingston were, as usual, all on fine form. Arthur, playing Rory Pond, is growing as a Doctor’s companion. The ‘not quite so sure’ interplay between River and the Doctor was expertly acted by Matt Smith and Alex Kingston. Toby Hayes has to be praised for the ability to being able to get the best performance out of his lead actors. The locations were expertly chosen to give us a sense of America. The sets were also well produced. The Oval Office, a set I know well from watching the West Wing, was beautifully produced. Even the rundown factory was well lit.
The story was Mr. Moffat on fine form. Since taking the reigns as the showrunner on Doctor Who he has only produced, in this reviewers opinion, one notably poor script, which was the Beast Beneath. It moved the story on at a quick pace and had lots little touches for the hardcore Doctor Who fan like the invisible Tardis, (first seen in the 1968 eight part Serial, The Invasion), several mentions of Fez (the Eleventh Doctor’s headwear of choice, first seen in the 2010 story Big Bang) and even the more obscure use of the term Braveheart (notably used by the Fifth Doctor to his then companion, Tegan) and these are just a few that I have pointed out.
The Silence have been mention at least three times in 2010’s fifth season. Firstly in The Eleventh Hour by patient zero, secondly in the Vampires of Venice by Lady Rosanna and finally in the Big Bang by the Doctor. Here, for the first time, we get to meet them. They are wonderful creatures, with a slight hint of the central character from Munich’s painting The Scream. Steven Moffat made them, potentially scarier than the Weeping Angels, a bad guy you forget as soon as you don’t see them. Brilliant.
Even the more comedic moments were well done. Humor is a hard thing to get right in Dr Who. The 1979 story City of Death is an excellent example of humor done well. I will never forget some of the lines that Douglas Adams wrote. However, humor has been badly done in Dr Who. The 2008 season opener, Partners in Crime, spent the first 20 minutes showing the Doctor and Donna missing each other. Here, the humor of the Doctor being caught digging the Great Escape tunnel, caught in the Nude, and dancing with Laurel and Hardy, were well done and quickly over. Leaving us to laugh and then move on with our heroes quickly reunited.
There is only one scene that I did not enjoy and though it may have importance for things to come, it did leave a lasting impression. This was the sequence between Amy and the Silence in the White House bathroom. Though seemingly important as it give us more info about the silence. I found it dragged on a little to long and could have been done better if it was shorter and didn't keep repeating itself. This was the only downside in the whole episode.
All in all, this episode was a fantastic return to form. Series Six looks like it will be fantastic. With the revelation of who the Silence are? and who is River Song is?. My money is on either her being the Doctor’s sister or an older version of Jenny, from the Doctor’s Daughter. I’m looking forward to next week second part. Day of the moon.
My score 9 out of 10.
P.S. Can we have Matt Smith in more hats please.
But we have six more episodes before that wait starts so let us enjoy ourselves. So in the first episode the Doctor, Amy, Rory and River Song are all called together, seemingly by the Doctor, to defeat the menace of the mysterious Silence.
The Doctor is soon killed off, mid regeneration, by a mysterious astronaut. Before he walks on the grieving trio, earning a slap from River. They are soon headed back to 1969 and the Oval Office and are soon tracking down the mysterious voice on the end of President Nixon’s phone. Were left with a terrific cliffhanger. Rory and River under attack in the new Tardis, first seen in the Lodger, and Amy shooting at something, just after her own shocking revelation.
Toby Haynes, the director, has assembled an excellent cast for this story and really bring Steven Moffat’ script to live. Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvil, and Alex Kingston were, as usual, all on fine form. Arthur, playing Rory Pond, is growing as a Doctor’s companion. The ‘not quite so sure’ interplay between River and the Doctor was expertly acted by Matt Smith and Alex Kingston. Toby Hayes has to be praised for the ability to being able to get the best performance out of his lead actors. The locations were expertly chosen to give us a sense of America. The sets were also well produced. The Oval Office, a set I know well from watching the West Wing, was beautifully produced. Even the rundown factory was well lit.
The story was Mr. Moffat on fine form. Since taking the reigns as the showrunner on Doctor Who he has only produced, in this reviewers opinion, one notably poor script, which was the Beast Beneath. It moved the story on at a quick pace and had lots little touches for the hardcore Doctor Who fan like the invisible Tardis, (first seen in the 1968 eight part Serial, The Invasion), several mentions of Fez (the Eleventh Doctor’s headwear of choice, first seen in the 2010 story Big Bang) and even the more obscure use of the term Braveheart (notably used by the Fifth Doctor to his then companion, Tegan) and these are just a few that I have pointed out.
The Silence have been mention at least three times in 2010’s fifth season. Firstly in The Eleventh Hour by patient zero, secondly in the Vampires of Venice by Lady Rosanna and finally in the Big Bang by the Doctor. Here, for the first time, we get to meet them. They are wonderful creatures, with a slight hint of the central character from Munich’s painting The Scream. Steven Moffat made them, potentially scarier than the Weeping Angels, a bad guy you forget as soon as you don’t see them. Brilliant.
Even the more comedic moments were well done. Humor is a hard thing to get right in Dr Who. The 1979 story City of Death is an excellent example of humor done well. I will never forget some of the lines that Douglas Adams wrote. However, humor has been badly done in Dr Who. The 2008 season opener, Partners in Crime, spent the first 20 minutes showing the Doctor and Donna missing each other. Here, the humor of the Doctor being caught digging the Great Escape tunnel, caught in the Nude, and dancing with Laurel and Hardy, were well done and quickly over. Leaving us to laugh and then move on with our heroes quickly reunited.
There is only one scene that I did not enjoy and though it may have importance for things to come, it did leave a lasting impression. This was the sequence between Amy and the Silence in the White House bathroom. Though seemingly important as it give us more info about the silence. I found it dragged on a little to long and could have been done better if it was shorter and didn't keep repeating itself. This was the only downside in the whole episode.
All in all, this episode was a fantastic return to form. Series Six looks like it will be fantastic. With the revelation of who the Silence are? and who is River Song is?. My money is on either her being the Doctor’s sister or an older version of Jenny, from the Doctor’s Daughter. I’m looking forward to next week second part. Day of the moon.
My score 9 out of 10.
P.S. Can we have Matt Smith in more hats please.
Saturday 8 January 2011
A Christmas Treat
Another Christmas and another new Doctor Who Christmas Special for us to enjoy. This special was a first for Steven Moffat and a first for the new Doctor, Matt Smith. Did I enjoy it, yes. A Christmas Carol is my favourite of Dickens’s work and the Muppets version of the book, is my favourite adaptation and so I was a little worried when it was announced that Dicken’s classic would be used as a basis.
I was a being foolish. Steven Moffat had merged the skeleton of Dicken’s plot with a proper Doctor Who plot. By using the bare bones, he could add his own brilliance to the story and made it work.
The casting helped make this story even better. Michael Gambon as the old miser, Kazran Sardick, and Katherine Jenkins, as Abigail, making her debut. My esstemed colleague has mentioned that she sung, and I can imagine that she was approached because the plot depended on someone singing. But she did not disappoint, and though she is not a great actor, she was not wooden and could have a career in front of her.
The one down side to this was that Amy and Rory were hardly there. All in all I enjoyed this story and will give it a…
8/10.
I was a being foolish. Steven Moffat had merged the skeleton of Dicken’s plot with a proper Doctor Who plot. By using the bare bones, he could add his own brilliance to the story and made it work.
The casting helped make this story even better. Michael Gambon as the old miser, Kazran Sardick, and Katherine Jenkins, as Abigail, making her debut. My esstemed colleague has mentioned that she sung, and I can imagine that she was approached because the plot depended on someone singing. But she did not disappoint, and though she is not a great actor, she was not wooden and could have a career in front of her.
The one down side to this was that Amy and Rory were hardly there. All in all I enjoyed this story and will give it a…
8/10.
Monday 3 January 2011
Tasty Christmas treat
Another Christmas Day, another festive slice of Who for fans to gobble up post Turkey. Whereas last year the festive focus was all about 'the event' surrounding the departure of David Tennant and the return of the Time Lords this time the emphasis was purely on the storytelling.
To do that Steven Moffat decided to re-imagine Dickens' classic Christmas tale with a modern/Who slant - a combination that proved an entertaining mix.
Matt Smith was, as ever, excellent as the Doctor - enjoying the chance to have fun without the seriousness of story arcs etc. He also enjoyed more of the focus here - with companions Amy and Rory sidelined on a soon-to-be-crashing spaceship. The Ghost of Christmas Past line was too heavily trailed and spoilt a very clever idea.
With a bit of timey-wimey jiggery pokery we folloed the Doc's progress to change Sardick, the ersatz Scrooge, via a string of Christmas Eve jaunts, encounters with flying fish (ticking the monster/Christmas Day kids thrill box nicely) and warbler Katherine Jenkins.
All that was littered with the usual array of Moffat wit, some Doctor-y tomfoolery and Michael Gambon stepping up to the plate with a memorable one-off role.
Unfortunately, and predictably, Katherine Jenkins had to sing. At least her song gave the viewer chance to pop out for a top up to the sherry.
All in all a nice Christmas tale that was just that. I'm not sure how it will stand up to repeated viewings (although I'm not adverse to giving that a try) and there was a lack of a real edge to elevate this beyond being 'good'. That's being ultra critical of course - compared to the snooze fest of Strictly and some of the other Christmas tosh this was, as always, a welcome burst of quality telly on Christmas Day.
7/10
To do that Steven Moffat decided to re-imagine Dickens' classic Christmas tale with a modern/Who slant - a combination that proved an entertaining mix.
Matt Smith was, as ever, excellent as the Doctor - enjoying the chance to have fun without the seriousness of story arcs etc. He also enjoyed more of the focus here - with companions Amy and Rory sidelined on a soon-to-be-crashing spaceship. The Ghost of Christmas Past line was too heavily trailed and spoilt a very clever idea.
With a bit of timey-wimey jiggery pokery we folloed the Doc's progress to change Sardick, the ersatz Scrooge, via a string of Christmas Eve jaunts, encounters with flying fish (ticking the monster/Christmas Day kids thrill box nicely) and warbler Katherine Jenkins.
All that was littered with the usual array of Moffat wit, some Doctor-y tomfoolery and Michael Gambon stepping up to the plate with a memorable one-off role.
Unfortunately, and predictably, Katherine Jenkins had to sing. At least her song gave the viewer chance to pop out for a top up to the sherry.
All in all a nice Christmas tale that was just that. I'm not sure how it will stand up to repeated viewings (although I'm not adverse to giving that a try) and there was a lack of a real edge to elevate this beyond being 'good'. That's being ultra critical of course - compared to the snooze fest of Strictly and some of the other Christmas tosh this was, as always, a welcome burst of quality telly on Christmas Day.
7/10
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