Who Review: The Angels Take Manhattan

I absolutely bawled my eyes out at this episode. And I couldn’t be happier about that fact.

I’d seen the trailers, I knew this was the finale, last week was fairly decent, and it’s the return of the Weeping Angels. For the first time in what feels like forever I was genuinely excited about watching this week’s episode The Angels Take Manhattan, and I am ludicrously happy to say that I wasn’t let down. I didn’t even have to try to like this episode, I honestly loved it. More than one person had told me it wasn’t that great, so I was a little worried, but personally I thought it was definitely a case of save the best ‘til last. 

Whilst the introductory scene went on a little longer than I would have liked, it nevertheless was a stunning opening that gave me actual shivers. It established the threat and gave us the first in a long list of punch-in-the-gut moments; “I’m you.” Classic, concise, and followed by a short sharp chase by the most terrifying of Who monsters. Monsters that were actually doing what they were supposed to in this episode; sending people back in time to live to death, so they can feed off their time energy. Whilst I enjoyed The Forest of Angels back in season five, it did bother me that the angels were snapping necks for some unexplained reason. Here they’re farming humans for time energy, which adds something new whilst keeping them true to their original form.

Don't blink!

 I really loved the concept of the book in this episode, despite the slightly obvious “I hate endings” from the Doctor as he ripped out the last page. We know this is Amy and Rory’s last episode, no need to hang a neon sign up. Overall though, I found this to be a clever technique that for once didn’t act as a get-out-of-jail-free card for plot-holes. The book also added the dilemma of ‘fixed time’, and the issue of River’s wrist needing to be broken “because Amy read it in a book” also foreshadowed something more sinister, and highlighted the danger of ‘spoilers’. I was honestly touched when River tried to hide the fact she had broken her wrist to give the Doctor hope that Amy didn’t have to leave.

That’s another thing that this episode did exceptionally well for a change; the relationship between the Doctor and River. For the first time since Silence in the Library it felt like an actual relationship, rather than a collision of fixed fates built on cheap innuendos. Finally, this relationship feels like something real. We still got River’s cheeky personality coming through (“If it was easy I’d have asked you to do it”), but her vulnerability and genuine emotion wasn’t sacrificed in its place. This is a mature River, the River we first met in season four, and a River I actually warmed to. For the first time in too long, I care. I actually really care about these characters, which of course made the ending even more heart-breaking to watch. 

Let's keep this River. I like her.

The pacing of this episode was as close to spot-on as I think it can get at this point. There were no long dragging expositional scenes or lags in plot, but it didn’t all whiz by so quickly I couldn’t keep up. It was exciting, and my eyes were glued to the screen in a way they have not been so much as of late. Instead of just waiting for the episode to end, I was wishing it wouldn’t. 

The emotion displayed in this episode was also brilliant. And horrible. And brilliant. Both of Rory’s dying scenes (I was wondering when he was going to get around to dying in this series) had me sobbing into a pillow, and the way the Doctor loses it over Amy leaving was crushing. It was completely selfish of him to ask her to stay, to say “Come along Pond,” and expect her to walk away from her husband’s grave just like that. But it showed his human side, and with River there to encourage Amy along it really worked. I was worried for a second that it was going to be a ‘happily ever after’ ending – I’ve never been so happy to be so heartbroken. Moffat managed to kill them off, without actually killing them off. We know they led a long and happy life together, but still tinged with a tragedy that was needed to round off their story. 

 Now, there were a few things in this episode that did annoy me, as they always do. The reference to the fact that the Doctor has wiped himself off all records and now nobody knows who he is again just feels like a shortcut to put the Doctor back to square one, just in time for a new companion. And despite the fact that I really loved a more mature River Song, I was a bit confused; isn't she supposed to be getting further and further away from who she is in Silence of the Library? I thought the whole point was that we are going backwards through her timeline? Also, there’s that small issue of the Statue of Liberty having a wander across New York every now and again for an impact scare. Really? Not one single person in the city that never sleeps turned around and saw a massive stone statue frozen halfway to Winter Quay?

From http://chirravutever.tumblr.com/post/32568928253

But despite the fact that these (admittedly highly annoying) errors sadly exist, they didn’t take away the fact that overall I was very impressed with this episode. Maybe it’s because I’m slowly learning not to hold Steven Moffatt up against Russell T Davies, but the main point of the show is to entertain… and despite the fact I was in tears for half of it, I was very entertained. These issues are things I can’t usually look over, because the episodes have failed to make me feel anything about the characters. But here I was happy to nod and let things slide, as proper time was taken to make sure the reader was really sucked in to the story and able to suspend disbelief a little. Still not a great writing technique, but it's better than giving us nothing.

Roll on the Christmas special.

Who Review: The Power of a Decent Episode

In an attempt to try and make the viewing experience more positive for myself this time (I really am trying now, I don’t want to have to write another moaning review) I looked up the writer of this episode to see which other Doctor Who episodes he’s penned. Chris Chibnall is the man responsible for Dinosaurs on a Spaceship (which I have still yet to see, so cannot comment) and the great double episodes from series 5 The Hungry Earth and Cold Blood. But best of all, and what actually got me excited to watch The Power of Three, he wrote my all-time favourite Who episode 42. This episode also stars Mark Williams as Rory’s father Brian, another thing I can get excited about as he never fails to crack me up. Finally, I can go in with a positive attitude!

What exactly is the function of a rubber du… I mean, a little black cube?

 Despite the slightly annoying use of Amy’s voiceover to introduce the episode (some more of that ‘telling’ not ‘showing’ I mentioned in the last review), the premise of The Power of Three immediately caught my interest. The “year of the slow invasion” and a mysterious little black box? At last, a promising start.

Whilst the cinematography is again pretty stunning for a British TV drama, parts of this episode were also pleasantly reminiscent of new Who series 1 – 4.  I was happy to see the return of the BBC news desk to the show, adding that sense of things going global and beyond the Pond’s life bubble. I feel like it makes everything that little bit more believable when people other than the Doctor and his companions (occasionally plus guests) are affected by the events of the episode. The appearance of UNIT was also interesting, again giving the sense that someone other than the Doctor is keeping an eye on things. 

There is also a couple of touching moments with Amy and the Doctor, ones that actually felt like they had some depth this time. Even though we appear to have skipped a large amount of time (ten years?), we still have seen enough of Amy’s adventures with the Doctor for this scenes in the kitchen and by the Thames to carry some weight. The fact that both times these moments were interrupted quickly by a sudden chance in pace (the house being overrun by soldiers and the Doctor’s eureka moment about the cubes) meant that they didn’t drag out too long either, and kept everything moving.

We are also treated to Rory in his pants. Is it just me, or does the Doctor look a little too happy here?

 We are introduced to new character Katie Stewart (guest star Jemma Redgrave), one who was refreshingly different to the fast-talking ass-kicking pretty young things that Steven Moffatt takes great delight in creating. I was disappointed that she vanished again as quickly as she appeared (quite like Brian, apparently perfectly content sitting in a box, watching a box, for four days straight), but she popped up again later with a lab and a background story. It was nice to see a female character that had some impact on the story, without her having to be a Wonder Woman to do so.

Another fantastic Rory moment appears in this episode, when he thoroughly puts the Doctor in his place after he refers to nursing as “your little job.” I’ve always loved how Rory isn’t afraid to tell the Doctor exactly what he things. Telling him he’s dangerous in Vampires of Venice, punching him in the face when he says Amy isn’t important in The Big Bang, telling him he doesn’t want to travel with him anymore in The Girl Who Waited. The show is peppered with Rory being awesome, and this episode does not disappoint on that front. 

About twenty minutes in and finally, those little boxes are doing something. Although the rest of the episode was entertaining, a lot of it (the random trip to visit Henry VII in particular) was beginning to feel like filler. A lot happened… but not a great deal happened. I suppose though, that it added to the feel that these boxes really have been sitting around doing nothing for a year. Now not only have things started moving again, but the Doctor makes a reference to K9. Albeit not a particularly affectionate reference, but one I had a happy little fan moment at all the same. 

Master remembers me!

 Although overall I enjoyed this episode, there were always going to be a few things I would have to gripe about, but I’ll try and keep it brief. I have to admit I cringed when the reason for the title of the episode became clear. Aside from the fact that it was so cheesy I could taste it, this episode was not driven by the ‘power of three’. It was driven by the power of three, plus Brian, Katie and the entirety of UNIT. I would have also liked a little more development on the race behind the mysterious cubes, as (another) long expositional talk between the Doctor and Shakri didn’t really provide this. Apart from knowing they were a Gallifreyan bedtime story I’m a little in the dark about them. 

Overall though, this was a whole lot better than the other episodes of series 7 I have seen. It was no 42, but it was nice to finally write a review that didn’t make me want to burn my Who paraphernalia. 

Next week it’s return of the Weeping Angels, one of my (and almost every other Whovian’s) absolute favourite monsters. Let’s hope it’s onwards and upwards from here.

EDIT: I have just been reminded of the fact that, towards the end of the episode, the Doctor blew up the spaceship with people still in it. There was so much going on in this episode I forgot to mention it... as, apaprently, did the Doctor. I am going to allow myself to fully complain about this... what happened to those people?!

Who Review: A Fan Who Cried Mercy

It’s the start of a new episode of Doctor Who and my first thought is: have we put Terminator on by accident? Already, we are not off to a great start. 

The synopsis for A Town Called Mercy begins “The Doctor has a Stetson (and a gun!)”. Which sets me up for another episode full of ridiculous over-the-top stabs at quirkiness and no substance. I really tried to like this episode, I really really did. I don’t want to hate it. I’m a Whovian and I have four TARDISes in me bedroom. But there are just far too many faults that scream off the screen at me. It is because I love the show so much as a whole that I get so angry when it’s dragged through the dirt. Putting aside the antagonist being almost entirely plagiarised, the endless list of general plot-holes and the fact that there is literally no reason for our trio to even be in Mercy, there is still so much left to talk about. Oh yes, this is going to be another ranting review. 

I have the funniest feeling that we've met before...

First things first: this is not my Doctor. My Doctor would not face death with barely any resistance and simply wait for it (something he also did in Asylum of the Daleks). My Doctor would not shrug off a decision about someone’s life with an “I don’t know. What Amy said.” My Doctor would not throw our anyone to their death as readily as Eleven does in this episode. No, my Doctor would talk at a stupid speed negotiating around his imminent death, debate vigorously about the fate of a war criminal and would most certainly not opt to send somebody to their death as a first resort. What happened to him? I know this is not a regeneration issue, because these are brand new (un)developments  that Eleven had not previously shown. The Doctor is the protagonist of the show; can we please try to keep him being somebody I like?
 

I have never missed you more, Doctor

When I’m reading fiction online written by amateurs (such as myself!), something I see a lot is the poor technique of ‘telling not showing’. This is particularly awkward in prose, but can be just as bad in television. There are two instances in A Town Called Mercy where we have a nice long sit-down exposition, where everyone asks questions and somebody answers them all neatly. It’s terribly exciting, and not at all patronising to the viewer would otherwise not be able to work out what was going on… come on Moffat. You are a professional. Please give us some credit. Your exposition scenes made me much more interested in watching the family dog chase a fly around the room.

There were a few things I actually enjoyed about this episode, though sadly not enough to plaster over my general disappointment. The humour in Series 5 + episodes is something I have always enjoyed (“That’s what you said when you left your phone charger in Henry IVV’s en-suite”), and the cinematography in this episode was absolutely stunning. Visually at least, it really did feel as though I was watching a Hollywood blockbuster, and not a humble British television drama. The moment the Doctor realised the truth about Kahler Jex was particularly beautiful, the assumed brutal images on the computer screen reflecting off his disappointed eyes. But this is a congratulation I give to the technical team, and I cannot help but wish bitterly that as much effort went into the actual plot. Plot elements such as the reference to Amy as a mother and the complicated nature of Jex being both a healer and a killer could have been the episodes saving grace, but they were elements that were swept over quickly. More time was given to the Doctor conversing with a horse.

A transexual horse. Because a transexual human being would have been too much?

In an episode of Doctor Who Confidential (I am still gutted that they stopped doing that) I remember one of the writers saying something along the lines of, “When you finish writing an episode of Doctor Who, you have to think… well, that blows that idea for a feature film out of the water.” And I believe this to be entirely true. It is something that Russell T Davies managed to do consistently in every forty-five minute episode, without compromising on the pace or depth of the plot. Unfortunately, it is yet another task that Steven Moffat does not do particularly well. The sad thing is, this episode really could have had the potential to be a feature film (ignoring the fact that one element of it already is, cough, Terminator, cough). But everything felt incredibly rushed, underdeveloped and everyone kept chopping and changing their attitudes too quickly. There are a lot of moments that had so much potential, only because (once again) everything is so crammed in they lack depth and so made me feel nothing.

As a completely isolated point, I would also like to just mention that I am not convinced that any of these actors are American… or indeed, have even heard an American talk.

Next week we get to see Rory in his pants. If I am completely honest with myself, this will probably be my sole reason for tuning in.

 

Note: A review of Dinosaurs on a Spaceship is absent from this blog because I have yet to see it. I was without the internet for quite a while whilst moving house. Once I have watched it, if I have anything major to say I will post a late review.

Who Review: Asylum of the Daleks

Contains both SPOILERS and very strong (negative) opinions on the Doctor Who episode ‘Asylum of the Daleks’.  You are allowed to disagree with me. That’s what is great about opinions; everyone gets their own. 

If you, like me, hated this episode, you can also read Alex Day's review here if you haven't already. He makes a lot of very accurate points. As does this review, which brings up a lot of points I missed.

I wasn’t entirely sure if I was going to do Doctor Who reviews this year, but after watching ‘Asylum of the Daleks’ I just had too many thoughts not to share them with the internet. I may or may not continue with these; I have finally learnt my lesson about promising things to this blog.

I have mixed feelings about the newest offering, but sadly the majority of these feelings are negative. I spent the majority of this episode hating everything about it, only for there to be a few redeeming factors nearer the end. Unfortunately, I don’t like to spend an entire episode glowering moodily at my TV screen. I want it to capture me and whisk me away to Whodom, maybe keeping me in the dark and definitely keeping me on my toes… but not keeping me in a state of annoyance. 

Let us start with the sudden return to the frankly terrible CGI of series one of New Who.  Back in 2005 it was entirely excusable, as it was a new show again and probably had a smaller budget. But now? You can’t get away with those shoddy telescope heads, guys. You just can’t. 

If you are a seasoned fan (such as myself), you probably saw the set photos of Rory storming out on Amy. You are perhaps even the type of fan who was building up for a gut-wrenching, soul-destroying event that ripped the Pond family apart and scattered it on the floor along with what would be left of your heart… only to get first no explanation, and then the very poor explanation of ‘life happens’.  That works for minor characters that the audience isn’t invested in, having seen them fight (and die) for each other on multiple occasions. We need so much more than ‘life happens’.

I've been preparing my fangirl heart months in advance for nothing!

 Also, the fact that Amy is a model now bugs me. I feel that to be an entirely unnecessary plot point, one that was written in just because Karen Gillian is playing Amy. We get it, she's hot. We can get our fill of Gillian hotness from her photoshoots as an actress.

The Doctor sums up everyone’s thoughts on the Dalek’s suddenly asking him for help… “This is new.” Damn right it’s new, Doctor. They just rewrote the Dalek’s entire personality. And not even in the same awesome way as they did back in ‘Daleks in Manhattan’ where there is a) a huge build up, b) a big reveal and c) a path of logic leading up to the event. We know exactly why the Dalek’s want the Doctor’s help, and why they saw the need for merging Dalek and human DNA. Here there are (suddenly) hundreds of Dalek’s all nice and cosy on a spaceship with a range of new powers. What exactly do you need the Doctor’s help for then? Already I’m a sceptic, and that’s not good.

I’m not going to even begin to talk about how the Doctor then just helps them. His greatest enemies, the race that eliminated his own… and he just helps them. Because they ask. They didn’t even say please. I know, I know, they force him into the Asylum along with Amy and Rory. But right before that he’s brainstorming ideas how to help them, talking of task forces and generally just being a big ole’ lovely to them. WHAT ARE YOU DOING. 

We interrupt this episode of Doctor Who to bring you Matrix Rory. Sure. Also is it just me, or from this point on does this slowly begin to feel like an episode of that ancient show ‘The Crystal Maze’?

To the Crystal Dome, Neo!

On to Oswin, our newest Who companion. Now, I was really looking forward to the reveal of Jenna Louise Coleman, and I was thoroughly disappointed with her random introduction when there was already quite a lot to be going on with. This, I feel, is Moffat’s biggest flaw; his rule seems to be throw everything in at once to make up for the gaping plot holes and bounding leaps over important events (cough, Amy and Rory’s divorce, cough). I was beginning to warm to her character and was suitably intrigued as to where/when she has come from. I also loved how she is possibly the first person in Whodom to meet the Doctor and not trust him immediately with her life. Unfortunately, all her mystery vanished completely upon the revelation that she is in fact a Dalek (side note: how was her voice coming through as ‘human’ over the speakers? If she had a full conversion, her only voice should have been her Dalek voice. What? What?).  I can only take consolation in the fact that I know she will be back (as she is set to be the next companion), but I am so much more ‘meh’ about her than I was before. 

Got milk?

 Can we please now talk about how Oswin deleted the Doctor from the memory of the ENTIRE DALEK RACE?! And I know it gives us all the chance to bounce up and down and go “They said the thing! They said the thing!” when character’s chant “Doctor who? Doctor who?” over and over, but this is getting old. And it very much wasn’t worth the tiny thrill it gave me this time; the Dalek’s don’t know who the Doctor is? As a plot point they exist only as the Doctor’s enemy! You can’t just brush them under the carpet like that!

Overall, I was thoroughly underwhelmed with the opening episode to series seven. I just wish that they would put Moffat back on monster duty where he does an exceptional job, and doesn’t make me want to throw my Doctor Who charm bracelet in the nearest river. Next week: space dinosaurs. If I can muster up the effort, I guess I’ll talk about how ridiculous that is later.