Episode #251: The Time of the Doctor

" We all change, when you think about it. We're all different people all through our lives. And that's okay, that's good, you've got to keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be. I will not forget one line of this. Not one day. I swear. I will always remember when the Doctor was me. "

Episode #251:      The Time of the Doctor.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor and Clara Oswald.
Air Date:              25th December 2013.

Orbiting a quiet backwater planet, the massed forces of the universe's deadliest species gather, drawn to a mysterious message that echoes out to the stars - among them, the Doctor. Rescuing Clara from a family Christmas dinner, the Time Lord and his companion must learn what this enigmatic signal means for his own fate and that of the universe.

At the end of Matt Smith's time on Doctor Who we nice big Christmas special that not only wraps up a number of open mysteries but sees him regenerate into his 12th/13th incarnation in the form of Peter Capaldi. We finally see the outcome of the crack in the universe that appeared in his first season, the question hidden in plain sight and the answer to just how many regenerations does a Time Lord actually have. All wrapped up in a nice package.

While it starts off in the usual way of Christmas specials being set on Christmas it thankfully does not stick to it like previous specials did. It moves away from that to being set in a small town called Christmas instead which although strange doesn't feel like the Christmas element is being shoved in your face. Just for that immediately it gets a thumbs up.

The story shows us what is supposed to have happened to make Trenzalore look like it did when we last visited it with The Great Intelligence. A mysterious message is cast through all time and space through the crack in the universe which when translated turns out to be a question that only the Doctor can answer - his name. Hence I suppose why the show is (retconned here) called Doctor Who I guess. When the assembled alien menaces attack the town of Christmas is saved by the Doctor and his tenuous allies from the Papal Mainframe - the Silence - over and over again through the centuries until the Doctor is an old man at the end of his life. Although since events played out differently than we saw in The Name of the Doctor does that mean that The Great Intelligence is not dead after all and could return? Good question.

Importantly we learn that a Time Lord does indeed just have 13 lives and the rumours of that going around since the latter years of the 4th Doctor are true. Thankfully the Time Lords intervene and present our hero with a whole new set of lives. They promised the Master the same thing in The Five Doctors had he been successful. Speaking of which, we see once again the seal of the high council that the 5th Doctor took from the Master in that story. Nice bit of throwback there.

The story itself is good, exciting and emotional at the end. It is fun which is what I would expect from a Doctor Who special at Christmas. However it does get a little silly in places again. Wooden cybermen and sontarans reduced to a cheap laugh especially did not sit well with me. It seems that the Sontarans haven't been given a serious appearance since the reappeared in The Sontaran Stratagem and The Poison Sky under the 10th Doctor.

It is a shame to see Matt Smith go as although I was not convinced when he was first announced he grew on me very quickly. His first few moments in The Eleventh Hour really enamored me to his character. Even now I do miss him. He is probably my favourite modern Doctor to date. The end of an era. Let's see where we go from here.

Episode #250 : The Day of the Doctor

"I've had many faces, many lives. I don't admit to all of them. There's one life I've tried very hard to forget. He was the Doctor who fought in the Time War, and that was the day he did it. The day I did it. The day he killed them all. The last day of the Time War. The war to end all wars between my people and the Daleks. And in that battle there was a man with more blood on his hands than any other, a man who would commit a crime that would silence the universe. And that man was me."

Episode #250:      The Day of the Doctor.
Companions:        The 10th Doctor, The 11th Doctor, The War Doctor and Clara Oswald.
Air Date:              23rd November 2013.

The Doctors embark on their greatest adventure in this 50th anniversary special. In the 21st century, something terrible is awakening in London's National Gallery; in 1562, a murderous plot is afoot in Elizabethan England; and somewhere in space an ancient battle reaches its devastating conclusion. All of reality is at stake as the Doctor's own dangerous past comes back to haunt him.

It's all been building to this, the 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who. It has certainly been worth the wait. Moffat did not disappoint with this one. The story revolves around the War Doctor really, as he steals an ancient Time Lord weapon called The Moment and plans to use it to destroy the Daleks and his own people. The Moment, however, is sentient and tries to show the War Doctor what will happen if he uses it. Somehow able to manipulate events so that the War Doctor joins with his 10th and 11th selves. Lets him see who he will become if he uses the weapon and on a side adventure stops a bunch of Zygons from taking over the Earth.

The Zygon plot is a little shoehorned in as a means of getting the Doctors together and getting them to where they need to be. It is nice to see the Zygons return though as another throw back to the classic show and we learn about their world being destroyed in the Time War. That ties in well with the events from Terror of the Zygons.

The real story is about the Time War and it is long overdue in coming. Although we still don't know about the strange horrors of the Time War we do at last see the Time Lords and Daleks fighting it out. This has been hinted at for years so it is nice to see it visited for the anniversary episode. In any case, it does the story justice and again we learn more about the Doctor though this. The more the show continues the more we are being shown about the Doctor's life and who he really is, and whatever you may feel about Russell T Davis and Steven Moffat, you can't fault that they have done wonders pushing that aspect of the show in a good way.

The culmination with the appearance of all 13 Doctors is just a huge squee moment. I remember watching this episode on the TV and just getting so excited, especially with the brief appearance of the 13th Doctor! I still get some of that excitement watching it still.

Another really cool thing about this episode was that it was broadcast to UK cinemas at the same time as it went out on the air. I didn't manage to go see it there but that is a great idea for the BBC to do.

This is a really fantastic adventure and it fully lives up to the title of a 50th anniversary episode. This is one you have to watch.

Episode #249 : The Last Day

"Nothing can get past a Sky Trench. But if just one Dalek made it through, it could destroy this entire city. That's all it would take, one Dalek. One Dalek, acting alone, and we're finished."

Episode #249:      The Last Day.
Air Date:              20th November 2013.

A Gallifreyan soldier undergoes initiation in the use of a headcam, as well as the defence of Arcadia. During his training, the impossible happens and Daleks invade.

The Last Day is a short mini-episode similar to The Night of the Doctor except this one does not feature the Doctor but instead shows us the beginning of the Dalek invasion of Gallifrey. We see it from the point of view of a new recruit on the day everything goes wrong.

There is nothing really to report about this one. It is just a little teaser in the run up to the 50th anniversary episode. The BBC could have done better with this but I guess they blew the budget with the return of Paul Mcgann in the previous teaser. It's a nice touch but easily avoided. Just go straight to The Day of the Doctor.

Episode #248 : The Night of the Doctor

"Four minutes?! That's ages! What if I get bored, need some books, a television? Anyone for chess? Bring me knitting."

Episode #248:      The Night of the Doctor.
Companions:        The 8th Doctor.
Air Date:              14th November 2013.

Still trying to skirt around the edges of the Last Great Time War, the Eighth Doctor is forced to fully join the conflict by the mysterious Sisterhood of Karn. Killed while trying to save a woman who hates him simply for being a Time Lord, the Doctor gets to choose what his next incarnation will be like. He arranges for a warrior... but makes the darkest sacrifice of his life in order to be reborn.

So this is a short, the first of two, to serve as a prequel to the 50th anniversary special and it brings with a special treat for us fans, we finally get to the see the 8th Doctor regenerate. Sort of. For some time now the fan base had been discussing what had happened to the 8th Doctor after his one appearance and then countless audio dramas (and whether they were canonical or not). At last we learn what happened.

We also get a reappearance of the Sisterhood of Karn, not seen since the 4th Doctor story The Brain of Morbius. While that may mean nothing to the casual modern view to us old school fans of the show, it's an exciting element. I do think we need more references to the days of the original show. I've said quite a few times on this blog and I don't expect to not keep saying that. The Sisterhood hasn't changed much from what we see and they are ready to intervene in the Time War. They do this by saving the Doctors life and giving him the opportunity to choose his next incarnation. So perhaps the fault is not with the War Doctor but with the 8th incarnation. He chooses to be a warrior and regenerates into a younger version of the War Doctor, meaning that he has been fighting the Daleks for some time.

The Night of the Doctor is only a short film running seven and a half minutes but it is really well done and helps cement where we last saw the Doctor prior to his 9th self appearing in Rose.

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Episode #247 : The Name of the Doctor

"You didn't listen, did you? You lot never do. That's the problem. The Doctor has a secret he will take to the grave. It is discovered. He wasn't talking about my secret. No, no, no, that's not what's been found. He was talking about my grave. Trenzalore is where I'm buried."

Episode #247:      The Name of the Doctor.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor and Clara Oswald.
Air Date:              18th May 2013.

A prophecy is coming true. The Eleventh Doctor is summoned to Trenzalore where it was said he would fall. But what does the alleged site of his final battle have to do with the mystery of Clara — or is it Oswin — Oswald? Can the Paternoster Gang help him avoid his apparent destiny? And most of all...Doctor who?

What a fantastic ending to this season of the show. We get a host of the Doctor's friends together, the return of the Great Intelligence, the final revelation of what and were Trenzalore is and at last the resolution to the impossible girl story line.

It is difficult to explain how good this story is because it isn't any one thing. It's the emotion, the perfectly written scenes and dialogue and the awe moments when everything starts to come together. I have said it before and I'm repeating it now, when Stephen Moffat really puts his mind to it we get some phenomenal episodes. The Name of the Doctor has it all whether you are a modern fan or a classic one. The brief flashes of the old incarnations really gives me the giddy feelings watching this one.

But who is the mysterious Doctor not spoken about? And what a coup getting esteemed (now late) actor John Hurt in for that role is just a masterstroke. That all gets explained soon enough as well. You have to remember that this was leading up to the 50th anniversary episode and we're in for a wild ride.

Anyway, getting away from the excitement, the final set up for the overarching plot this season brings us finally to Trenzalore. This planet was mentioned by the headless Dorium during his "doctor who?" prophecy at the end of A Good Man Goes to War. The Great Intelligence has planned all this to get his revenge on the Doctor for thwarting his schemes. His plan being to enter the Doctor's time stream and cause his adventures to fail although this will destroy him. Clara realizes that the "impossible girl" is her existing in all the Doctor's time lines helping him out and stopping the Great Intelligence. Quite clever really although it does in my mind cause a few little paradoxes not to mention that this future for the Doctor and Trenzalore will never come about.

The Name of the Doctor is a great ending to the story arc and is a nice stepping stone to what comes next.

Episode #246 : Nightmare in Silver

"No need to panic, my young friends. We all know there are no more living Cybermen. What you are seeing is a miracle. The six hundred and ninety ninth wonder of the universe, as displayed before the Imperial court, and only here to destroy you at chess."

Episode #246:      Nightmare in Silver.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor and Clara Oswald.
Air Date:              11th May 2013.

The Eleventh Doctor takes his companion, Clara Oswald, and her wards, Angie and Artie, to the biggest amusement park, Hedgewick's World of Wonders. The theme park is empty, occupied by a "punishment platoon" and a lone impresario with empty Cyberman shells as exhibits. The Doctor decides to stay a while, however, to investigate strange insect creatures that are roaming the park. But these insects are really machines seeking to convert the life forms on Hedgewick's World into the newest generation of the ever-upgrading menace.

Watching this again has been only the third time I've watched this episode. Two of those times was on TV or the BBC website. Back then I really was not impressed by what I saw. Neil Gaiman, who wrote the fantastic The Doctor's Wife really lost the plot here. This time round four years later it has grown on my a little bit more. But not by much.

Nightmare in Silver fails for me purely in how it treats the Cybermen. In this adventure they have became a rip off of Star Trek's the Borg. They had been like this for some time and it never bothered me but I feel here that element of their existence is pushed too far. They don't just assimilate other humans to increase their numbers but are also able to upgrade themselves in a matter of seconds to adapt to weapons and conditions otherwise dangerous or difficult for them.

I'm also not so much a fan of how the children were treated in this one. Angie and Artie, the two children that Clara looks after, are just used to be hostages to the story. They have appeared once or twice previously in the background and despite this episode giving them a little air time they are just used as plot scenery. I'm sure something better could have been made of them.

Lastly, I didn't like the strange back and forth Doctor and Mister Clever double dialogue moments. Might have sounded clever on paper but it was just silly on screen. Why would the collective mind of the Cyber race sound and act like the Doctor? Didn't work for me.

Enough grumbling. What did work in this episode. Mainly it is Warwick Davis has Porridge ( aka Emperor Ludens Nimrod Kendrick Cord Longstaff XLI ). I'm sure I don't need to remind you of his many screen roles. It is nice to see that as the show goes on we continue to get well known actors and actresses popping up here and there.

I am sure that somewhere I am being extremely harsh on this episode but I truly feel that they missed something cool with the Cybermen here and it could have been a much better adventure. Perhaps Nightmare in Silver is another adventure that may have worked better as a two part story.

Episode #245 : The Crimson Horror

"Them new manufacturers can do horrible things to a person. Horrible. I've pickled things in here that'd fair turn your hair snowy as top of Buckden Pike."

Episode #245:      The Crimson Horror.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor and Clara Oswald.
Air Date:              4th May 2013.

In 1893, the Eleventh Doctor's old friends, Vastra, Jenny Flint and Strax find an optogram of the Doctor on a victim of the mysterious "crimson horror". They head for Yorkshire, where Jenny infiltrates Mrs Winifred Gillyflower's community of Sweetville to find what has happened to him.

A good old Victorian gothic horror. The Paternosta Gang investigate a strange series of murders in Yorkshire which leave red-skinned bodies floating in the canal. The Doctor and Clara have got their first but both need rescuing before the villain of the piece can be stopped. It's nice to see the old Victorian gang getting some centre stage again but half way through it becomes the Doctor and Clara show once again.

For it's nice gothic storytelling it isn't a great episode mainly because it jumps around a bit in the middle explaining what happened to the Doctor and Clara before the episode even starts but also because once it does get going the ending feels all too rushed just to get to a rather unsatisfying climax. The Crimson Horror is one of those stories that if fleshed out a bit could have done better by being a two part story rather than being crammed into 45 minutes.

The actual villain of the story isn't very inspiring either being an old lady with a prehistoric leech stuck to her. Both are defeated way too easily and the story just ends. Even the leech, while creepy crawling across the floor, just seems a weak adversary.

There is a continuation to the Clara mystery but it doesn't go anywhere as the Doctor refuses to inform his Victorian friends about what is going on, leaving them just as much in the dark as the rest of us were at the time.

I really do like Clara has a companion. For a time I would have said that Amy Pond was my favourite modern companion but I have come to appreciate Clara more. She is a good strong female role model who knows her own mind and isn't just on screen to be a screamer. She is part of the story, leading from the front with the Doctor. That she isn't living on the TARDIS and has her own life away from time travel feels better than the later Pond stories where they lived at home. I think Clara has, at this point, become my favourite Doctor Who companion.

It is with her that the story ends on a lead in to the next adventure with the children she looks after finding some rather random photos online of Clara during her recent adventures. Some of them I'm not sure how they could have been taken but that doesn't spoil it.

Episode #244 : Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS.

"She's going to die if you don't help me. Don't get into a spaceship with a mad man. Didn't anyone teach you that?"

Episode #244:      Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor and Clara Oswald.
Air Date:              27th April 2013.

The Doctor's TARDIS is captured by brothers running a salvage company in space. In the process, Clara gets lost inside the time machine. To save her, the Eleventh Doctor promises the brothers they can have the TARDIS if they'll help search for his missing companion. They agree, only to find that what lies at the centre of the TARDIS can kill them all.

This adventure breaks the usual mould by confining the characters to the inside of the TARDIS as opposed to running around an alien planet or a starship. In a way it reminds me of the 1st Doctor short story The Edge of Destruction which did something similar. The difference here is that rather than the companions going slightly mad, time has ruptured and now potential "time zombies" are running lose in the TARDIS corridors seeking to transform their real selves into their zombie selves.

As much as this episode is a cool adventure racing through the dangerous insides of the TARDIS, it is more the references that give me a big geek smile. Mostly though I was pleased that unlike the 4th Doctor story The Invasion of Time, which quite frankly was almost too awful for words, we have a decent showcase of what the interior of the TARDIS is like. In that older story the BBC just used random real rooms rather than making them appear as though the characters were running through the TARDIS. This time they have done a much better job of showing us what the inside of the machine looks like while keeping it in keeping with our expectations.

Although everyone forgets by the end of the episode, the Doctor and Clara have a revelation together that he has met her twice before and each time she has died. Just who is she? We'll find out soon enough.

I rate this one a 4 because while it does little to further the season plot arc, it is a really enjoyable adventure and one different from the usual fare. It has something for the classic era fans as well, which will usually help bump the rating as well.

Episode #243 : Hide

"In the seventeenth century, a local clergyman saw her. He wrote that her presence was accompanied by a dreadful knocking, as if the Devil himself demanded entry. During the war, American airmen stationed here left offerings of tinned Spam. The tins were found in 1965, bricked up in the servants' pantry, along with a number of handwritten notes. Appeals to the Ghast. For the love of God, stop screaming."

Episode #243:      Hide.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor and Clara Oswald.
Air Date:              20th April 2013.

Clara and the Eleventh Doctor arrive at the haunted Caliburn House, set alone on a desolate moor. Within its walls, a ghost-hunting professor and a gifted empathic psychic are searching for the Witch of the Well. Her apparition appears throughout the history of the building, but is she really a ghost? And what is chasing her?

Hide is one of my favourite episodes of the new show. We have some classic tropes expertly written and put together in a 40 minute slot. To start with we have a classic haunted house story that looks the part perfectly and reminds me a lot of the classic British ghost stories of the 1970's television. Add on to that time travel, a a multi-level love plot and some great thought provoking exposition from Clara.

I think what makes it work for me is the nostalgia element. As I mentioned above the haunted house elements remind a lot of the old television supernatural dramas of my childhood. That and the fact that I love a good ghost story. All the elements are there to give the story a suitably creepy feeling even before we get to see the "crooked man" Everything there to make this haunting work. fabulous work by the Doctor Who crew.

But Hide isn't just about a haunting. It's also a love story. That's the undercurrent of the whole thing. Whether we are talking about the two ghost hunters in the house or the "crooked people" separated in different worlds but longing to reunite. As a secondary story element it binds the whole story together and thankfully doesn't feel too contrived.

Clara's observations are also very well written and very much in keeping with the tone of the piece. Her view that we are all ghosts to the Doctor is quite apt. To him we haven't been born, are living and are already dead. We are ghosts. It is another great insight into the character of our hero. Such insights are rare-ish in the show now but when they come up I do tend to get goosebumps and that conversation certainly brings them up.

Lastly we get another take on there being something wrong about Clara as the TARDIS won't let her in without the Doctor. The TARDIS either doesn't trust her or senses that there is something wrong with her.

We get a reference back to the days of the 3rd Doctor with a crystal from Metabelis III although Matt Smith fails to pronounce it correctly ("Me-TEB-eh-lis" instead of "Met-a-BEE-lis").

I am giving this a rare 5 star rating. Hide lives up to the expectations and if there are any flaws in it - and I'm sure there are if you really want to go looking - they aren't immediately obvious. Hide is atmospheric and fun. Perfect Doctor Who viewing.

Episode #242 : Cold War

"It's an Ice Warrior! A native of the planet Mars. And we go way back. Way back."

Episode #242:      Cold War.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor and Clara Oswald.
Air Date:               13th April 2013.

In 1983, the tensest point of the Cold War, a Soviet submarine discovers a strange creature frozen in the ice of the Arctic. When one of the Firebird's crew breaks it free, it starts attacking. As the crew strikes back, the Eleventh Doctor warns them that the attack could be considered a declaration of war on the entire Ice Warrior race.

I'm a fan of bringing back the classic monsters to new Who and at long last we have a return of the Ice Warriors, and about time. Not only do we get a return of these Martian aliens but the episode expands upon them and gives us much more information than the classic third Doctor episodes ever did. Just a shame that the look of the actual Ice Warrior, Skaldak, has to be CGI rather than a man in a rubber mask but I can accept that given we have decent special effects these days to do it.

Having the story set during the Cold War and on a submarine brings back happy memories of a childhood favourite, Warriors of the Deep, which for all intents and purposes tells a very similar story to this just with Silurians and Sea Devils instead.

Cold War seems a story very much built around showcasing Clara over the Doctor. Our main hero is his usual top form but Clara gets most of the on screen fun, having to interact with Skaldak and running about the corridors of the Submarine. With other companions I might have grumbled a bit about that but Clara grows on you very quickly and I at least don't mind an episode where she gets most of the limelight.

As episodes go this is quite fun. It doesn't try too hard and it doesn't go the silly route, and unlike many of the modern adventures I can quite easily imagine any of the classic Doctors playing this adventure very well.

Episode #241 : The Rings of Akhaten

"I walked away from the Last Great Time War. I marked the passing of the Time Lords. I saw the birth of the universe, and I watched as time ran out, moment by moment, until nothing remained. No time, no space – just me. I've walked in universes where the laws of physics were devised by the mind of a madman! I've watched universes freeze and creations burn! I have seen things you wouldn't believe! I have lost things you will never understand! And I know things. Secrets that must never be told, knowledge that must never be spoken, knowledge that will make parasite gods blaze! SO, COME ON, THEN! TAKE IT! TAKE IT ALL, BABY! HAVE IT! YOU HAVE IT ALL!!"

Episode #241:      The Rings of Akhaten.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor and Clara Oswald.
Air Date:               6th April 2013.

Clara Oswald wants to see something awesome, so the Eleventh Doctor whisks her off to the inhabited rings of the planet Akhaten, where the Festival of Offerings is in full swing. Clara meets the young Queen of Years as the pilgrims and natives ready for the ceremony. But something is stirring in the pyramid, and a sacrifice will be demanded.

I really enjoy this episode. On so many levels this is almost perfect. What grabs me the most is that this is a story about Clara's first proper journey through time and space with the Doctor, and she gets to experience all these alien races and strange environments with a real sense of wonder. That is some thing that I feel we don't get enough of from new companions in the show. We also have a nice big monolithic villain for the story that can't really be defeated in the conventional way and the Doctor has to take that life and death risk in order to do so. In doing so Clara sees the real side of her new mentor - someone who while somewhat silly and strange is more than willing to lay his life on the line to save others. Plus the episode has some just awesome dialogue, the sort that still gives those goosebumps when you hear the Doctor doing his rant.

If that is the case why don't I give this a full five star rating? it is simply the case that this is the first real trip out for Clara and thus this episode is really the character introduction story. Certainly more so than the previous one. When you've seen one companion introduction story you have pretty much seen them all. It has nothing new in that regard.

This story does also continue the Doctor's fascination with his new "impossible girl" and we see him continue his search for answers by following the time line of Clara's parents. A random event brings them together and we see them have a child, raise her and then the unfortunate but not explained death of her mother. The date of her death does coincide with the Auton attack from the episode Rose but there is nothing to actually say that she died during that incursion. We are following the Doctor's journey of discovery as he tries to work out who she is.

The Rings of Akhaten is one of those stories that is self contained but I'd recommend to anyone wanting a good episode to watch and possibly guide someone into the show. It may not have the big action sequences but it does carry itself well and has some just awesome dialogue moments.

Episode #240 : The Bells of Saint John

"I'm the Doctor. I'm an alien from outer space. I'm a thousand years old, I've got two hearts, and I can’t fly a plane! Can you?"

Episode #240:      The Bells of Saint John.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor and Clara Oswald.
Air Date:               30th March 2013.

London, 2013. "Danger. This is a warning. A warning to the whole world. You're looking for Wi-Fi. Sometimes you see something, a bit like this. Don't click it. Do not click it. Once you've clicked it, they're in your computer. They can see you. If they can see you, they might choose you. And if they do... you die."
When Clara Oswald has problems with her Internet, she's given a telephone number: the number of the "best help line in the universe". When the Eleventh Doctor answers at the other end, Clara is pulled into a life of adventure and mystery. But danger is lurking in the signals, picking off minds and imprisoning them. "It's like immortality, only fatal." But can the Doctor save Clara before... "I don't know where I am!"

This story is the first proper introduction for Clara Oswald as a companion. She's immediately likeable which is always good, but then we have seen two other incarnations of her at this point so it's already been set up that we'll like her. She's certainly a strong character and that fits with the companions of modern Who very well. I don't think that the classic screamers would work in this day and age.

The puzzle of Clara Oswald has certainly peaked the Doctor. The funk that he was under during The Snowmen has gone and he's back to being his usable excitable self again. I much prefer this personality over the that one.

As it's basis the episode uses the idea that the internet and wi-fi is all around us, and the dangers that it could present if something alien dwelt within. That something is the villain of the current series and it's a much better presentation than it's previous appearance. Though The Great Intelligence is only briefly seen it's appearance once again is a nice incitement for the arching plot of the season. What is this old adversary up to?

Although the story is a good one is again another set up to introduce a new companion and provide hints at the upcoming story arc but little else. Although there is something that I think many people missed at the time which pops up again much later... Who was the woman in the shop who gave Clara the phone number for the TARDIS?

SJA #27 : The Man Who Never Was

But there's not much time. How are you going to feel tonight if everyone's walking down Bannerman Road with their arms out, going, "Serve the computer!"

Episode #27:        The Man Who Never Was.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Mr Smith, Rani Chandra, Clyde Langer, Luke Smith & Sky.
Air Date:              10th to 11th October 2011.

Joseph Serf has launched his new SerfBoard, the must-have computer that no one can resist owning. Everyone wants the brand new device — and why not? What could be so dangerous about a computer?

This is the final ever episode of the Sarah Jane Adventures before the death of Elizabeth Sladen.

The story goes back to Sarah Jane's roots as an investigative journalist, which is something we rarely saw after her initial appearance on the show with the 3rd Doctor. In this adventure she is drawn into the story by a mysterious glitch seen by Sky and Luke. An investigation leads them to a group of alien Skullions who have been enslaved and forced to work for the villain.

As a story goes it is very straight forward and basic but very much in keeping with the nature of the Sarah Jane Adventures. It is also the sort of story that if expanded upon could have worked well for Torchwood.

Although not intended it is good that for this adventure that we see everyone together again (minus K9 though he is mentioned), and Luke finally gets to meet Sky in person. Their interaction is nicely written and it ends with them being a proper brother and sister. With the show coming to such a sudden end it does make me wonder where their characters and relationship could have gone in the future.

As this is the last SJA episode I'm going to be very honest here. I find them enjoyable and fun to watch but as they are written primarilly with children and younger teenagers in mind I have found it difficult to adequately review them as I can the more grown up Doctor Who and Torchwood. The adventures are a little too simplistic and I have a hard time really getting into them. But anything that adds to the Whoniverse is always good.

"I've seen amazing things out there in space but strange things can happen wherever you are. I've learned that life on Earth can be an adventure too."

SJA #26 : The Curse of Clyde Langer

"According to legend, Hetocumtek was a vicious warrior god who descended from the skies and tried to enslave the people of the Great Plains. But the story goes that the tribe's greatest medicine men came together and tricked Hetocumtek, imprisoning him in a totem pole."

Episode #26:        The Curse of Clyde Langer.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Mister Smith, Rani Chandra, Clyde Langer and Sky.
Air Date:              10th to 11th October 2011.

It's raining fish from the skies! Sarah's investigations lead the gang to the Museum of Culture, where the ancient god Hetocumtek may offer answers. Yet when Clyde touches the totem pole, his family and friends savagely turn against him and he is thrown out of their lives!

The Curse of Clyde Langer is a really rather good episode of the Sarah Jane Adventures. It's another good horror themed story, perfect for children. They can enjoy the spooky elements while the rest of us can read between the lines and see a story that might have done well (or better) as a Doctor Who or Torchwood episode.

The story is about a mysterious totem pole which holds the essence of some evil alien. Clyde somehow has the power to defeat it and in order to protect itself, it turns everyone against Clyde. The essence of a good horror story is in there. I really would have liked to see this expanded beyond just the two part story format.

Unlike the previous story Sky is no longer an annoyingly naive young girl and she feels like a part of the Sarah Jane family at last. Shame that the show ended before she could get further into the role. Although this story is about Clyde and not her, which may have helped.

This is a great story but without knowledge of the characters and what has gone before it can't stand on it's own like many Doctor Who episodes. You need to feel the connection between the characters.

SJA #25 : Sky

Miss Myers: "My name is Miss Myers."
Clyde: "That doesn't sound like much of an alien name."
Miss Myers: "We don't spell it the same way."

Episode #25:        Sky.
Companions:        Sarah Jane Smith, Mister Smith, Rani Chandra, Clyde Langer and Sky.
Air Date:              3rd to 4th October 2011.

Sarah, Clyde and Rani try to figure out why a baby abandoned on Sarah's doorstep is undergoing rapid maturation, and how she's connected to a war between the Metalkind and the Fleshkind.

The short fifth and final season of the Sarah Jane Adventures starts with this story. The basic premise is that with Luke away at university (and Tommy Knight studying for his exams in real life) Sarah Jane gets a new young person to looks after in the form of a young girl names Sky. Couple that with a war between two alien species - Metalkind and Fleshkind, and you have the story pretty much complete,

Sky, unfortunately comes across as just another Luke Smith being naive but also very intelligent. Perhaps because it is just a kid's show that they didn't worry about the comparison but I find it rather unoriginal.

There is a brief appearance by the mysterious shopkeeper who originally appeared in the SJA story Lost in Time. He would have had a larger role further into the season had it not had to cease production following the death of Elizabeth Sladen.

I have to be honest that I don't really get much out of this story but I can't fault what the writers were trying to do and so I give it an average rating. It's a Sarah Jane Adventures story after all and perhaps should not be held to a more exacting standard.

Oops...

Oops. I just realised that I missed out the last season of the Sarah Jane Adventures. I'll get to re-watching those ASAP. Sorry.

Episode #239 : The Snowmen

"I said I'd feed you. I didn't say who to."

Episode #239:      The Angels Snowmen.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor.
Air Date:               25th December 2012.

After losing Amy Pond and Rory Williams, the Eleventh Doctor has retired to Victorian England, where Strax, Jenny Flint, and Vastra assist him. The Doctor eventually meets Clara Oswald, and takes a liking to the young barmaid who leads a double life as a governess. At the same time, a sinister plot is unfolding; snowmen are randomly appearing around London, growing in size and power. All they need to take over the world is some human DNA in ice crystal form, and the frozen body of a drowned governess can give them just that.

The 2012 Christmas special and while set at Christmas it isn't written around the holiday period specifically which for me is very nice. Using Victorian Christmas is a bit cliché but it works well for this story. Probably wouldn't work as well without it.

Once again we see a Clara look-a-like. How is this connected to Oswin from Asylum of the Daleks? Well, that is for the future and we'll get there soon enough. It was a very clever introduction and sets up our next companion and her story arc nicely.

As for the Doctor he has had time away following the loss of the Ponds. We have a change of outfit to something more Victorian/Edwardian and he's a bit depressive until a new adventure takes a hold of him. I rather like the new outfit style over the more modern one that he has had during his time with the Ponds.

Our villain is an old classic, The Great Intelligence, last seen during the days of the 2nd Doctor in 1968. It wasn't a great villain back then and it isn't very good now but as a classic era fan it is great to see another connection to the halcyon days of the show. It is rather different to that original form but the end of the episode gives us another connection and explains why the original Great Intelligence uses the London underground for it's schemes in those original stories.

The adventure itself isn't all that unfortunately. It is another very typical modern story that might have worked better had it been a multi-part adventure akin to the good old days. As it is, it feels to me as though too much is pushed together, it is rushed, and it doesn't have enough time in an hour to do it all justice. But it is an entertaining story and one which in hindsight sets up a lot of what is to come for the 11th Doctor.

Episode #238 : The Angels Take Manhattan

"You are creating fixed time. I will never be able to see you again!"

Episode #238:      The Angels Take Manhattan.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond, Rory Williams and River Song.
Air Date:               29th September 2012.

A simple trip to New York in 2012 goes horribly wrong when the Eleventh Doctor's companion, Rory Williams, is sent back to the 1930s by the Weeping Angels. There, he finds that his daughter, River Song, is investigating the Angels, as Manhattan has become their hunting grounds. The Doctor and Amy Pond must find Rory before it is too late, but they soon find that not every point in time can be changed. And here, the Doctor must face the one thing he has been dreading — a final farewell to the Ponds.

After a nice run on the show we finally say goodbye to Amy and Rory. Amy grew on me immediately but it took the better part of two seasons before I came to like the character of Rory. Sometimes you click with a companion and sometimes you don't. Either way it was a shame to see them go and that final moment has some nice emotionally charged scenes that almost bring a tear to the eye.

The story itself is fairly ludicrous and has some fairly obvious plot holes. The Angels are on Earth feeding on the energy of people they send back in time. This bunch of angels are sending them to an old apartment building forcing them to remain trapped within for the rest of their lives. How do these people eat then or get repairs done, if they can't leave? The building itself is said to be part of the trap but I don't see how. We also have the paradox that destroys the building and resets everything. It takes the Ponds throwing themselves to their doom but no one in the history of the building tried to do something similar just to escape a life trapped in the tower? I am sure that I am reading too much into it but if I can see these issues then I'm fairly certain the writers did.

There is one other annoying issue to this episode that I simply hate. The Statue of Liberty is a gigantic weeping angel? One that walks but is observed constantly by locals and tourists a like? Nice idea but doesn't hold up under logic.

The Angels Take Manhattan despite it's obvious plot holes and failings is still a better Angels story than we've had since their original appearance. This time at least we get that creepy feeling again that served so well but has been lacking in other stories.

All in all I consider this one to be one of the more typical of modern Who episodes and it should be viewed in that light.

Episode #237 : The Power of Three

"I'm not running away. But this is one corner of one country on one continent on one planet that's a corner of a galaxy that's a corner of a universe that is forever growing and shrinking and creating and destroying and never remaining the same for a single millisecond, and there is so much, so much, to see, Amy. Because it goes so fast. I'm not running away from things, I am running to them. Before they flare and fade forever. And it's alright. Our lives won't run the same. They can't. One day, soon, maybe, you'll stop. I've known for a while."

Episode #237:      The Power of Three.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams.
Air Date:               22nd September 2012.

There have been many ways to invade the Earth, and the Eleventh Doctor has seen them all – or so he always thought. And then the human race wakes up one morning and discovers the world has been overrun by small cubes, which then proceed to do nothing at all. A plan is afoot, humanity is endangered – but by what and how and, above all, when? Thus begins the Year of the Slow Invasion. For the first time in his world-saving career the Doctor has to call upon one of the least of his virtues: patience. And the Ponds face something possibly more terrifying than any world-ending apocalypse: the Doctor is moving in!

After a good start to the season we once again hit that wall where we get a real duff episode. The Power of Three is quite frankly one of the most boring and dull stories that I've watched for Doctor Who. We sit through probably half an hour of nothing really happening, some laughs as the Doctor tries to not be bored, then a sudden rush of action and a potentially creepy villain from Time Lord fairy tales before... it just ends. No explanation for why the Shakri want to eradicate mankind what so ever. I might have given this bonus points had the Shakri ever reappeared, perhaps as the villain at the end of the season but they have to this date never even so much as be mentioned. It just leaves a really bad negative feeling in me now just as it did when the episode first aired.

About the only good elements are the exposition and the introduction of Kate Stewart. The conversation between the Doctor and Brian mirrors that between the 10th Doctor and Wilfred Mott about what happens to companions who travel with the Doctor. The other main quote is the one I use above which explains again, for those not listening across the series or are new viewers, why the Doctor does what he does. He needs companions to keep him going and see the universe but he can't watch them fade and die. Even he must move on and leave what he loves behind. It may sound melodramatic but I believe it is easy to forget that about his character.

Kate Stewart, our new occasionally recurrent side character, is the daughter of the Doctor's old friend Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and she has taken over UNIT, making it into the force it is for the 21st century. I suppose after it and the Earth have been decimated so many times in the last decade that someone had to. She is a strong feisty character and one, who much like the Doctor, we will learn has a darker side.

Even so, these do not help save an episode that was quite frankly ill thought out and boring. If you liked this story I would love to see your reason in the comments.

Episode #236 : A Town Called Mercy

"Why would I be curious? It's a mysterious space cowboy assassin. Curious? Of course I'm not curious."

Episode #236:      A Town Called Mercy.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams.
Air Date:               15th September 2012.

Missing Mexico by 200 miles, the Eleventh Doctor ends up in Mercy, Nevada, where something's not quite right... The locals are hostile to strangers, and a border of stone and wood surrounds the town. As the Doctor soon finds out, a gunslinger is behind this, and not just an ordinary one.

First dinosaurs on a spaceship and now a return to the Wild West with a killer cyborg. A couple of great time travel troupes. This adventure is the first trip to the wild west since the 1st Doctor paid a visit to the OK Corral in The Gunfighters. Thankfully this adventure does not feature a long repetitive ballad being sung throughout.

It really is nice to have a western style tale again and the show does it just about right. They use fairly cliché story ideas, corny but fitting western music but they do it nicely within the confines of the show so you are drawn in. It is also about right for a 45 minute slot on a Saturday night where as a lot of the new adventures feel that they would have been so much better if they were two or more episodes in length. I really do miss that from the classic era.

What is also a nice touch is that in reality the story doesn't feature an actual villain. Jex isn't really guilty of a crime per sey (not in my eyes anyway) as he was a healer, just one who took extreme action to end a violent confrontation on his world. Upon arriving at Mercy he puts his skills to use for the betterment of the town. There is no hint of malice in him at all. Likewise, the "Gunslinger" doesn't hurt innocents and is only doing what he feels is right, punishing those who did these horrific cybernetic experiments to him and others like him. Although he seems honourable, you have to wonder whether he isn't actually the closest to a bad guy we have here.

Where this story really shines though is pointing out again, that the Doctor when bereft of companions to keep him grounded becomes quite a dark character. He's been travelling alone lately between adventures with the Ponds and it is beginning to have a mark. We saw it with his callous killing of Soloman in Dinosaurs on a Spaceship and we almost see something similar here. Prior to Colin Baker's 6th Doctor we never really saw anything like that, but subsequent Doctors have definitely added a darker undercurrent to the character which fits him very well without going too far.

Episode #235 : Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

"What sort of a man doesn't carry a trowel? Put it on your Christmas list."

Episode #235:      Dinosaurs on a Spaceship.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams.
Air Date:               8th September 2012.

In 2367, the Indian Space Agency is on high alert as an unidentified spaceship hurtles towards the Earth. The Eleventh Doctor assembles a team to investigate, including the legendary Queen Nefertiti, a big game hunter named Riddell, Amy, Rory... and Rory's father, Brian. Materialising aboard the mystery ship, they're surprised to find it populated by dinosaurs. With time running out before the ship is blasted out of the sky, the Doctor must confront a vicious criminal named Solomon, as the lives of his companions and the dinosaurs hang in the balance.

Dinosaurs are a good staple of time travel stories and even better when put out of place, such as on board a starship. Add some strange comical robots, Rory's odd father, an Egyptian queen, a 19th century big game hunter and an insidious space pirate villain who quite frankly has no redeeming qualities, and you have quite a fun adventure for a Saturday night tea time. A perfect bit of modern Doctor Who.

We learn that the Silurians, with all their technology, had the ability to construct and pilot spaceships - something never previously mentioned or considered really. So, it makes me wonder how many more Silurian ships may still be out there or did they find a new home? Could there be Silurian colonies out in deep space on jungle worlds filled with dinosaurs? That could go a way to explain why we never see Silurians on Earth in the future despite repeated pointers that in the future both species cohabit.

I love the addition of Mark Williams, a star of the Harry Potter movies, as Rory's somewhat odd father Brian. The modern series, far more than classic, tends to give cameos to household name actors and actresses. When watching a classic story you would be surprised to well known names from the 70's and 80's mainly making the occasional appearance. New Who and their appearance is too commonplace to bother mentioning most of the time. However, Mark Williams stands out nicely and his talents really brighten the fun of the episode.

The role of the pirate trader Soloman is likewise played by a name from the Harry Potter movies, David Bradley. He would also go on to play William Hartnell in the 50th anniversary program An Adventure In Time and Space. In Dinosaurs on a Spaceship he plays a very unlikeable villain. Even the evil deeds of villains such as Daleks and Cybermen, you never feel a sense of actual dislike or unpleasantness about them. The deeds expressed by Soloman make him a very dark and unpleasant personality. I guess more for the adults watching than something to be picked up by the younger viewers.

So, if I like this adventure why do I only give it a basic 3 stars? It does what it says on the tine. It's fun but it doesn't raise the excitement level or give true squee moments. It doesn't push an ongoing plot forward or anything like that. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, while good, is a modern example of what I expect a modern Doctor Who adventure to be.

Epsiode #234: Asylum of the Daleks

"These are the Daleks who survived me."

Episode #234:      Asylum of the Daleks.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams.
Air Date:               1st September 2012.

Insane Daleks are about to escape the Dalek Asylum where they are kept. The rest of the Daleks call on their greatest enemy, the Doctor, along with his companions Amy Pond and Rory Williams, to lower the defences so they can destroy the Asylum. Can the Doctor save the day, along with his companions' marriage, as easily as he can fix his bow-tie?

The season starts up with a fantastic adventure for the Doctor and his companions. Normally, I am like a lot of modern viewers who grumble about Daleks being used in every season of the new show but with this story I forgive them. Primarily because this adventure is a great throwback for the old classic fans as it features daleks from throughout the run of the show and even makes references to a number of classic stories. My favourite, the special weapons dalek, even gets a brief showcase but unfortunately only in the background.

Other than the daleks the focus of this story is about the companions. Since Amy and Rory last travelled with the Doctor they have had a bad time in their relationship to the point that they are on the verge of splitting up. It takes the Doctor and the dangers of this adventure to bring them back together again. Also, we are introduced very briefly to Oswin, a young woman trapped in the Asylum. I won't spoil her plot for those who haven't seen this but suffice to say this isn't the last time we see her... sort of. Her inclusion is a nice set up for later in the show. The adventure isn't about the daleks but about the companions and it works really well.

The adventure is fun and feels like the old classic dalek stories which is why I enjoy it so much. But there is a niggle towards the end. The Doctor's existence or identity is removed from the daleks collective memory before he makes his escape. But why then is he remembered in later stories? Was it just those daleks in the council that have their memories altered or what? It isn't explained and it niggles in the back of my head.

This is a great adventure and certainly up there on my watch list.

Episode #233: The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe

Madge: Are you the new caretaker?
The Doctor: Usually called "The Doctor." Or "The Caretaker." Or "Get off this planet." Though, strictly speaking, that probably isn't a name.

Episode #233:      The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor.
Air Date:               25th December 2011.

Christmas Eve, 1938. Madge Arwell comes to the aid of an injured Spaceman Angel, the Eleventh Doctor, who promises to repay her kindness – all she has to do is make a wish. Three years later, Madge escapes war-torn London with her two children for a dilapidated house in Dorset. Crippled with grief at the news her husband has been lost over the English Channel, she wishes to give her children the best Christmas ever. The Arwells are greeted by the Doctor, who acts as their madcap caretaker. However, a mysterious Christmas gift from him leads them into a wintry, magical world. Madge must learn how to be braver than she ever thought possible... and that wishes can come true.

Another Christmas special and a better one than recent years. Although set at Christmas the season of good will is not the centre piece of the story which immediately boosts it for me. But saying that the episode features a nice amount of Christmas spirit which does raise a little smile even now watching well past Christmas itself.

The episode itself does not tie into any of the continuing plots and is nicely self contained. The only reference to the previous show is the future setting of Androzani Major. The foresters are from that system but it isn't clear whether the story takes place there or not. If it does, it doesn't resemble anything from 5th Doctor story The Caves of Androzani.

Like previous Christmas stories, this one seems based on a piece of literary work. In this case, as I am sure you can tell by the name, it is The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Thankfully there isn't too much of a correlation between the two. Other than a play on the name, it is only the strange "magical" box which takes them from the old country manor in 1938 to an alien forested winter planet in the distant future.

While the build up is slow and there isn't an actual villain to the story, what I enjoy most about this is the emotional aspect that builds up in the second half. First off by building on the love of a mother for her children, and then the revelation of her husbands death and finally the union of the family on Christmas morning... even I had a lump in my throat watching it. Whether I had that the first couple times I watched this I don't recall but it hit me this time.

The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe is a good story but it does suffer from both slow pacing and a lack of any real story. It just starts, flows along and then ends. Not to mention, once again, that is a little too fairytale for me. I suppose that is fine from the point of view of a basic Christmas episode for the family but it isn't what I would like to see from a special episode like this. Still, enjoyable.

Episode #232 : The Wedding of River Song

"The first question! The question that must never be answered! Hidden in plain sight! The question you've been running from all your life! Doctor Who? Doctor Who? Doc — tor — who?!"

Episode #232:      The Wedding of River Song.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond, Rory Williams and River Song.
Air Date:               1st October 2011.

Something is wrong, in the fullest sense of the word. At first glance, the world seems fine, but upon closer inspection, dinosaurs, Romans, and other things throughout time have appeared. Oddly, nobody seems to be bothered by it, like was it part of every day life. Another oddity has occurred. Despite the sun rising and setting like normal, the time is always the same. Only the Doctor has the answer, and boy oh boy, it's gonna be a whopper!

The season comes to an end with a rather strange episode. It wraps up the strange events from the start of the season and gives us a revelation about the future of the Doctor. The Doctor didn't die at Lake Selencia and this has created a paradox in which past, present and future co-exist. Even though the story reveals what happened, it doesn't actually cause a paradox so why does this happen? The episode unfortunately just sweeps it under the carpet. But saying that, we get a nice reveal and return to the true timeline.

The important revelation is that the Silence aren't a species but part of a religious order which fears what the Doctor may do based on some sort of prophecy: "On the fields of Trenzalore, at the fall of the eleventh, when no living creature can speak falsely or fail to answer, a Question will be asked, a question that must never, ever be answered." The Silent creatures are just agents for the order.

As a story goes, this isn't one of the best and it's frankly a bit odd. But the dialogue, especially between the Doctor and River near the end goes a long way to add a sense of drama to the story. I may prefer the old style classic episodes a lot more than the modern ones but I thoroughly enjoy the depth of dialogue and feeling that the modern stories have which adds to the show.

The Wedding of River Song is a nice end to the season simply because it wraps up the current storyline and opens up a whole new one, which is far more interesting. Without that I think i would enjoy this one quite so much. The final quote by Dorium still gives me shivers watching it even now. A new explanation for the show's title.

Lastly, the show gives a short send off to Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. The actor had passed away of Cancer shortly before and they had the character pass away too before the Doctor could could pay a visit to him. An event which makes the Doctor take responsibility for what is happening at present. It's a nice send off for the character and Nicholas Courtney both.