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
Sunday, 25 September 2011
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
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