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
Saturday 28 May 2011
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
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