Episode #270 - Face The Raven

 

"I can do whatever the hell I like. You read the stories, you know who I am! And in all that time, did you ever hear anything about anyone who stopped me?"

Episode #270:      Face The Raven.

Companions:        The 12th Doctor and Clara Oswald.

Air Date:             21st November 2015.

The Doctor, Clara and Rigsy are trapped on an alien street in London, that is hidden from the rest of the world. Ashildr, the immortal hybrid-girl, is taking care of some of the most dangerous creatures in the universe. Not everyone will get out alive; one of them must pay the price and face the raven.

Face The Raven is a story that knows it's ending but hasn't quite decided how to get there. We have the return of Rigsy, who we last saw in the episode Flatline, who has somehow lost a day's memory and ended up with a tattoo which is counting down. From this we end up in what the episode tries to make out is a murder mystery on a street of alien refugees overseen by Ashildur. At this point the murder mystery falls to wayside and we find that we, the viewers, and our heroes on screen have been the recipients of a bait and switch.

From this point, around half way through the story, the tone changes to something a little darker. It's a big improvement over the first half of the story. It's a set up to catch the Doctor, instigated by Ashildur who in turn has been paid by someone to catch and teleport the Doctor. In order to save Rigsy unfortunately our brave Clara gives her own life in a very heroic way which is extremely well written and acted. It's one of those rare moments in modern Who where the writers get something spot on and it gives you the feels big time. It's just a shame that it takes so long to get there with a story that could have been better up front. Face The Raven is the sort of modern story where I want to just be blunt and give it a 2 star rating but that final third of the story makes it so much better. Enough to outweigh my initial thoughts. 

Face The Raven has a sad ending but a honest and heroic one for Clara. Up to this point, she is only the second companion to die while travelling with the Doctor. The first being poor Adric back in 1982 (hence the in episode reference to "remember 82") during the adventure Earthshock. I rather liked Clara Oswald as a companion. She was a tough no nonsense companion who I hope was a great role model for girls watching the show. She could be feminine and stand up for herself and her morals with she needed to. 

This is not one of my favourite episodes but it sets up the next two episodes/adventures and sometimes you have to have the weaker act before the edge of the seat section. Just like we have here.

Episode #268 - The Zygon Invasion / The Zygon Inversion

"This is a scale model of war! Every war ever fought, right there in front of you! Because it's always the same! When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know whose children are going to scream and burn! How many hearts will be broken! How many lives shattered! How much blood will spill until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: Sit — down — and — talk!"

Episode #268:      The Zygon Invasion / The Zygon Inversion.

Companions:        The 12th Doctor and Clara Oswald.

Air Date:             31st October to 7th November 2015.

A long time ago, the Doctor made a deal in the Tower of London. 20 million Zygons walk among us, in human form, living undetected in peace and harmony. But cracks are showing in this delicate peace. Humans and Zygons are disappearing. In city apartment blocks, lifts are going missing, and far below the streets of Britain, alien pods are growing in secret caverns. To top it all off, UNIT's scientific advisor, Osgood, sends a desperate message to the Doctor - but since Osgood is long dead, how is that even possible?

This is a two part story with which I have a bit of a love hate relationship and I find it hard to balance that out. On one hand I enjoy the general storyline and The Zygon Inversion has one of my favourite new series Doctor's speeches ever. But on the other hand I find the story itself somewhat weak and I find I strongly dislike how the story changes the nature of the Zygons. They go from a race of conquering invaders in previous stories to being happy citizens and then the story provides us with a weakly added "teenage" separatist group which is never really explained. Something about it ruins the Zygons for me. Maybe because The Terror of the Zygons was such a childhood favourite story of mine, and so far the best adventure featuring them.

As I say the story is fairly weak, especially The Zygon Invasion. It jumps about and never gives us anything to really get our teeth into. The Zygon Inversion does better but does so with much more emphasis on the Doctor's dialogue and how he pushes the situation to make everyone see reason. But it isn't enough to fully save the story.

The adventure has some nice moments. The Clara/Zygella dynamic is good, and the Osgoods always make me smile (she's a Who geek just like the rest of us). If you pay attention there are some nice throwbacks to the classic era but blink and you'll miss them. I always enjoy it when the show drops something in for us fans of the classic show.

Ultimately I think this was a nice try in bringing the Zygons back but I don't feel that the writers were able to come up with a suitable continuation for them after the events of The Day of the Doctor. A much better idea, in my opinion, would have been a story set in space on a station or starship where the Zygons were intruders pretending to be crew. A murder mystery in space maybe? I would love to see that as a Zygon story in the future.

This two part story unfortunately is just subpar for what I expect from the show. 2 out of 5. Could have been better.

Episode #264: The Magician's Apprentice / The Witch's Familiar

 

"There's no such thing as the Doctor. I’m just a bloke in a box telling stories. I didn’t come here because I'm ashamed. A bit of shame never hurt anyone. I came… because you're sick and you asked. And because sometimes, on a good day, if I try very hard… I’m not some old Time Lord who ran away. I'm the Doctor."

Episode #264:      The Magician's Apprentice / The Witch's Familiar.

Companions:        The 12th Doctor and Clara Oswald.

Air Date:              19th to 26th September 2015.

The serpentine Colony Sarff has searched the entire universe for the Doctor, to give him the final message of Davros; however, the Time Lord is nowhere to be found. This is quite serious, as not even the Doctor's closest frenemy, Missy, is able to find him. Adding onto this is the fact she was given his Confession dial, which in human terms is the last will and testament of the Doctor.

This is an awkward story. Simply put it is a weird jumble of ideas. Aircraft across the world freeze in mid-flight. It's all a ruse by Missy to lure out Clara, so that they can go hunting for the Doctor as Missy has his last will and testament in the form of a confession disc. At the same time a weird alien made up of snakes who works for Davros (didn't he and his creations hate all things not Dalek before this?) is also looking for the Doctor because Davros is on his last legs. When they finally get together it's nothing part running through corridors/Dalek sewers and lengthy not so well written exposition between the Doctor and Davros. The plot is exposed, the Daleks defeated and everyone more or less escapes.

I could take this as a not so great episode but for a couple scenes where we almost get a jump the shark moment (look the phrase up if you haven't heard it before). The lesser one is this weird idea that Daleks cannot ever die and instead continue living as a form of conscious poop in the sewers of Skaro. What? Who let this idea through in the writing department? Seriously. The main one for me is part of the initial meeting of out characters somewhere in medieval England where the Doctor enters the room riding a modern day tank and playing the electric guitar. Again... what? For a television show about time travel, possibilities and occasionally the absurd, this for me broke the verisimilitude of the show. Why would the Doctor do anything like that? Surely that breaks the time travellers rules of messing up the timeline. Especially as they get left behind in medieval England. It spoils the whole first episode for me.

The story as such isn't all that interesting either and doesn't really set up anything with the Doctor or Davros since then, until the time of writing this. It's just a set up for the introduction of two new themes - the confession disc and legends of a half Dalek/half Time Lord hybrid. There have been some good series themes in New Who since it appeared on our screens but this one as it plays out in seasons to come is not one of the best.

More positively, it is good to see Davros back again although there is no explanation has to how he survived the prior encounter during the episode Journey's End". Who villains have survived many times before so that is fine by me. The story does have some nice revelations about Davros and his past, and potentially his inner workings during this two part story and it is probably the only bit of good exposition we get.

I have to be honest and just say that from here on, New Who does take a lengthy dip. Up until where we are with the show at the time of writing this (January 2021) the show has lost something crucial. The stories just aren't as good generally and the show really needs a true fan of the classic era to take over as executive producers and show runners. The Magician's Apprentice and The Witch's Familiar could have been so much better. 

Episode #263 : Last Christmas

The Doctor: Do you know what the big problem is in telling fantasy and reality apart?
Ashley:        What?
The Doctor: They're both ridiculous.

Episode #263:      Last Christmas
Companions:        The 12th Doctor and Clara Oswald.


Air Date:              25th December 2014.

Clara Oswald is in for one Christmas Eve that she's never going to forget. Reunited with the Twelfth Doctor, she faces what could possibly be her last Christmas. Something sinister lurks in an arctic base at the North Pole, and it's beyond even the most terrible, nightmarish creatures the Doctor has faced before. Who ya gonna call? Santa Claus!

Another Christmas story set at Christmas. Why? Could we not have just had an episode that doesn't revolve around it being Christmas. It is so frustrating and as I have said in the past, just so unnecessary. It spoils any sense of immersion for me.

Anyway... I'm never sure what to say about this story. Every time I watch it I feel that the whole Santa thing just makes the episode out to be a joke and not a funny one at that. When the story turns around and becomes a dream horror story it becomes more enjoyable, even watchable but then we have Santa again. I wish that they had stuck with one format or another.

The villains of the story, such as they are, are the Kantrofarri  or dream crabs. Strange alien crustacean like beings that feed on the brains of sleeping beings while keeping their minds active in a sort of dream realm. They resemble the facehuggers from the Alien movies and that even gets a throwaway joke in the episode. They are quite cool little creatures and the way they operate feels rather fitting for a non-intelligent Doctor Who monster. References to them before would have been nice though as it seems they are just dropped in and the viewer is just as in the dark about them as the characters are.

The Doctor and Clara are both on top of their game in this story and there is some nice dialogue between them as they both come to realise that they lied to one another about Danny Pink and Gallifrey. It sort of brings them together again after the break up of the last few episodes. They gel much better here.

All in all, Last Christmas isn't a great episode but it is fun and it has some great moments of suspense and humour. The supporting characters are likeable, even though Santa gets on my nerves, and I probably wouldn't have minded if one or two had been able to become companions. I've given the episode an average 3* rating as although there are elements I dislike I feel I am focusing too heavily upon them and probably not giving the episode its credit.

Episode #262 : Dark Water / Death in Heaven

"I am not a good man! And I'm not a bad man either. I'm not a hero. I'm definitely not a president, and no, I'm not an officer. You know who I am? I… am… an idiot! With a box and a screwdriver. Passing through. Helping out. Learning. I don't need an army. I never have. Because I've got them, always them, because love is not an emotion. Love is a promise, and he will never hurt her."

Episode #262:      Dark Water / Death in Heaven
Companions:        The 12th Doctor and Clara Oswald.

Air Date:              1st to 8th November 2014.

In the mysterious world of the Nethersphere, plans have been drawn up. Missy is about to come face to face with the Doctor, and an impossible choice is looming. "Death is not an end," promises the sinister organisation known only as 3W – but, as the Doctor and Clara discover, you might wish it was.

When Danny Pink is killed by a hit and run driver, he is pulled into the afterlife of the Nethersphere and Clara will do anything to get the Doctor to save him. A basic premise to this end of season two part story but which soon blossoms into a much larger and stranger story.

First things first, the way Danny is bumped off, off screen feels like a wasted opportunity, not unlike this character throughout this season. Danny Pink had the potential of being a different sort of companion who could have been introduced through the series until the Doctor comes to terms with his past as a soldier and being Clara's love interest. He has a part to play through this particular story but I can't help but feel it was a wasted effort. His final death leaves a potential hole in the series though considering his descendent Orson Pink who appeared in the episode Listen. However,  Steven Moffat has stated that one possible explanation is that Orson was a lateral descendant of Danny's. According to this theory, Clara contacted Danny's relatives after his death and told them of his sacrifice.

Ultimately with this story I have come to dislike the character of Danny and it is simply down to his dislike of the Doctor. The confrontation between cyber-Danny and the Doctor does it all. The Doctor is a hero (even if he says he isn't) and he has his faults but Danny's dislike is beyond the pale.

Next we have Missy, the background villain of the series and the source of the "lady in the shop" who originally gave Clara the phone number of the TARDIS way back in The Bells of Saint John. Missy is here explained to be the new regeneration of The Master. Now I am not a fan of the regeneration gender swap concept, but I must admit that I do love Missy. The weird and quirky female persona quickly grew on me. Michelle Gomez takes the role and makes it her own. Although a bit strange I do love this incarnation of the long running villain.

It is the Cybermen in this story that spoil it for me. It seems that they can't be left alone and instead it seems in every new episode they get an "upgrade". Flying cybermen now and it is just ludicrous. However, the cool scenes of them climbing from their graves is very reminiscent of various zombie movies and is suitably creepy. The story gets a thumbs up for that but could we not just have classic cybermen again?

One last topic I want to speak on is the appearance of cyber-Brigadier. While this was a nice send off perhaps it feels unnecessary. We already had this in a sweet moment from The Wedding of River Song.

Like a lot of new Who it is a rather silly story when you stop to think about it. Exactly what was Missy's plan? Where did she get the cybermen from? Why did they have to fly? Had Missy been collecting dying minds for over a hundred years in real time? I really want the writers and producers to sit down and look at the stories that made classic Doctor Who work so well and try to incorporate those elements into the show. Maybe things wouldn't be so odd and the show might appeal more to both classic and new fans.

Episode #261 : Night in the Forest

"Stars implode, planets grow cold, catastrophe is the metabolism of the universe. I can fight monsters, I can't fight physics."

Episode #261:      Night in the Forest.
Companions:        The 12th Doctor and Clara Oswald.

Air Date:              25th October 2014.

One morning, in every city and town in the world, the human race wakes up to face the most surprising invasion yet. Everywhere, in every land, a forest has grown overnight and taken back the Earth. It doesn't take the Doctor long to discover that the final days of humanity have arrived...

Night in the Forest is one of those unusual stories where there is no actual villain. In fact there is no conflict whatsoever. The story revolves around the idea that overnight (and yet no one saw it) a forest grows up over the world in preparation for some big cataclysmic event which only trees can stop. The Doctor doesn't even do anything in this story. No one does really. They just work out what is happening and let it happen.

It is an okay story and watchable but when nothing happens really it feels like a wasted effort. Too much environmental issues being pushed forth maybe? I don't know but because of how the writers chose to write this one it doesn't really hold water for me.

There is a nice throw back to some earlier stories when Clara says that no one will ever forget this and the Doctor points out how humans forget everything weird that happens to them. The 8th Doctor points this out in Remembrance of the Daleks to Ace that humans don't remember the Yeti in the underground, the Loch Ness Monster in the Thames or any number of weird things. Humans deceive themselves and forget. Just a function of how we can continue withe the Earth based big scale stories that we have I suppose.

I wanted to give this episode a 3 star (average) rating but I can't do it. Nothing happens and the story is just a series of set pieces that don't ultimately lead anywhere.

Episode #260 - Flatline

"I tried to talk. I want you to remember that. I tried to reach out. I tried to understand you, but I think that you understand us perfectly. And I think that you just don't care! And I don't know whether you're here to invade, infiltrate or just replace us. I don't suppose it really matters now. You are monsters! That is the role you seem determined to play, so it seems that I must play mine: the man that stops the monsters. I'm sending you back to your own dimension. Who knows? Some of you may even survive the trip. And if you do, remember this: You are not welcome here! This plane is protected! I am the Doctor, and I name you the Boneless!"

Episode #260:      Flatline.
Companions:        The 12th Doctor and Clara Oswald.


Air Date:              18th October 2014.


Separated from the Doctor, Clara discovers a new menace from another dimension. But how do you hide when even the walls are no protection? With people to save and the Doctor trapped, Clara comes up against an enemy that exists beyond human perception.

Another really good horror based episode. This time dealing with two dimensional creatures trying to find their way into our three dimensional universe. The Boneless, as the Doctor calls them, are really cool throwaway monster of the week type opponents. Creepy in appearance as well as the on screen methods they use to drag you away. Bonus points to whoever came up with that idea.

Flatline is a Doctor-lite episode where it focuses on Clara as an active protagonist companion. We haven't had an episode like this for a while and it is a nice change of pace. A plot mechanic (a shrunken TARDIS) keeps the Doctor to the sidelines. Where this works really well is how easily Clara takes on the role and attitudes of the Doctor - something that gets mentioned near the end. The look on the Doctor's face show's exactly how close to the truth that comment was. In previous incarnations the Doctor has proven himself to be manipulative towards his companions and the inhabitants of wherever he turns up. Davros even makes reference to this during the events of The Stolen Earth / Journey's End. We don't always see it as viewers but it is very true. 

Flatline is one my favourite Capaldi era episodes. Excellent monsters, cool plot and well written. 

Episode #258 - Kill The Moon

"Tell me what you knew, Doctor, or I'll smack you so hard you'll regenerate."

Episode #258:      Kill the Moon.
Companions:        The 12th Doctor and Clara Oswald.

Air Date:              4th October 2014.

The Doctor, Clara, and Courtney go visit the Moon in 2049, where they discover that the Earth's constant companion is a little more than another mere celestial body.

Kill the Moon is an adventure where the Doctor takes Clara and one her students, Courtney (who we have seen about Coal Hill school this season), on a trip to the moon in the year 2049. Mankind has all but given up on space travel but there has been a mining survey which has gone quiet - bar a few final screams. The companions meet up with an unlikely group of former astronauts sent on mission to find out what has happened. One by one they start being picked off until the cause of the problem is revealed to be a giant space creature hatching from inside the moon-shaped egg.

At first this is a good story that plays into some nice science fiction horror tropes. Always my favourite Doctor Who type adventures. We have suitably edge of the seat type scenes and encounters with giant spider bacteria monsters. Great. Once it is revealed to be a hatching egg the tone changes into a moral dilemma. Do you blow up the creature to save the Earth or do you let it hatch and risk the lives of everyone down on the planet below?

The dilemma is quite thought provoking and how it is scripted is done well too. You can feel the issues on both sides. A credit to the screenwriter. However, and this is where I have an issue with the episode. The stance taken by the Doctor feels so far out of character that I wonder what they were thinking. The Doctor basically says it is nothing to do with him and humanity must decide. Okay, that may an overreaction to the human situational reaction - this incarnation of the Doctor seems to do that a lot! - but abandoning Clara, Courtney and the astronaut to their possible fate one way or another is so out of character. Then when confronted by Clara at the end, it feels like he is backpedalling his way out if it. I really think that they could have done better than that with the Doctor's personality and reactions.

We are left with a brand new moon so that clears up that little problem. However, the Doctor says that the moon was laid 100 million years ago. We know that the Silurians went into hibernation because of an appearance of the moon so did a giant space creature lay an egg then and it only just hatched? Just an small aside that came to mind whenever I have watched this episode.

Overall I like this episode even with the out of character elements of the story. It holds up as a typical sort of adventure for the modern era of the show. Not one of the best but far from being the worst we have had in recent years. Could have been a lot better though.

Episode #257 : The Caretaker

"You want to know what's in that box? I'll tell you what's in that box! It's a Time Machine! It also travels in space! And it usually contains a man who just wants to get on with his work of preventing the end of the world — but keeps on getting interrupted by boring little humans!"

Episode #257:      The Caretaker.
Companions:        The 12th Doctor and Clara Oswald.

Air Date:              27th September 2014.

The Doctor's decision to use Clara's school as the centre of a trap for a wild Skovox Blitzer results in revelations in her personal life. Meanwhile, the Doctor's mechanical quarry, which has enough firepower to decimate entire planets, is running amok in the halls of Coal Hill.

The Caretaker is one of those episodes where I can't help but think that the writing team were running out of ideas. It is a story that makes minimal sense and does little but be a progression from one scene to another with no real plot behind it. Essentially the Doctor disguises himself as a janitor at Coal Hill school in order to locate and deal with an alien robot monster capable of destroying everything. By itself this is a fair premise but we get no real explaination as to how the robot got there or why it was drawn here. Instead we get nearly an hour of the Doctor being a grumpy old so an so, shouting at or being rude to Danny Pink and not all that nice to Clara either. We get it. The Doctor doesn't like soldiers but Danny isn't a soldier anymore. The episode feels like a family squabble with a side plot of a killer alien robot.

That being said, I just don't find this a very good episode. It has some funny moments but not enough. There is too much of the Doctor being a big old grump and it gets old fast. It isn't the worst by far but  A better way of handling the episode would have been to have the Doctor and Clara arrive at the school that find that something was up, team up with Danny and the school girl, and they have a chase/fight encounter through the school on parent teacher night. What we got was a wasted potential and a bit of a mess.

It is episodes like The Caretaker that make me so hearken back to the good old days of classic Who. I am sorry to say it but from here on, it feels like New Who has lost it's way somewhat. 

Episode #253 - Into the Dalek

                 The Doctor: This is Clara. Not my assistant. She's… er… some other word.
                 Clara: I'm his carer.
                 The Doctor: Yeah, my carer. She cares so I don't have to.

Episode #253:      Into The Dalek.
Companions:        The 12th Doctor and Clara Oswald.

Air Date:               30th August 2014.

Surrounded by his greatest enemies, the newest Doctor will journey into the most dangerous place in all of the universe. With the limits of his compassion being tested, the Doctor will be forced to ask a question about himself that he doesn't know: "Am I a good man?"

In this adventure, the Doctor and Clara find themselves being shrunk down and inserted into a supposedly "friendly" Dalek which has come to hate it's own kind. Once inside they must repair the damage effecting it and in hopes that it will remain friendly. Basically this story is quite reminiscent of the classic 4th Doctor adventure The Invisible Enemy, which itself was based upon the science fiction movie The Incredible Journey.

Into The Dalek is a good adventure as we get to see something new that we haven't seen before. It may not be the most original story but we've not see the inside of a Dalek before. If it has a downside it is simply that the story just goes from point A to point B to point C... and so forth. It's just far too linear with little get up and go. But by the stands of modern Who it's fairly typical in that regards. It just doesn't provide an all that interesting story.

One element that I really do like with this one and it is a staple of the Capaldi era is how the writers continue to play with the Doctor in ways that help us understand him more, especially the post Time War him. In this instance it's that despite being our hero and wanting to help, the Doctor is consumed almost by his hatred of the Daleks. Nothing new there but it is perhaps handled better in this story than it has in other previous ones. There is also a sudden and previously unseen mentality where he doesn't like soldiers. This may just be a part of this incarnation but previously he never had an issue with his friends from UNIT. Just seems a bit odd and part of the emerging storyline for Clara's new love interest at Coal Hill school, Danny Pink.

We also have another snippet with the mysterious lady in black and we have a name now, Missy. There was much internet debate about this but I think we all worked out who is was very quickly. For spoilers sake I won't give it away here just in case you haven't seen the episodes for the rest of this series.

This incarnation of the Doctor grew on my very quickly and the dialogue between him and Clara is especially witty. The quote at the top of this page is one of my favourites and I think sums up all regenerations of the Doctor very well.

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 #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.

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 #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.

Episode #231 - Closing Time

"Hello, Stormageddon. It’s The Doctor, here to help. Be quiet. Go to sleep. No, really. Stop crying. You’ve got a lot to look forward to, you know. A normal human life on Earth. Mortgage repayments, the 9 to 5, a persistent nagging sense of spiritual emptiness. Save the tears for later, boyo. Oh, that was crabby. No, that was old. But I am old, Stormy. I am so old. So near the end. But you, Alfie Owens. You are so young, aren’t you? And you know, right now, everything’s ahead of you. You could be anything. Yes, I know. You could walk among the stars. They don’t actually look like that, you know — they are rather more impressive. Yeah! You know, when I was little like you, I dreamt of the stars. I think it’s fair to say, in the language of your age, that I lived my dream. I owned the stage. Gave it a hundred and ten percent. I hope you have as much fun as I did, Alfie."

Episode #231:      Closing Time.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor.
Air Date:               24th September 2011

Craig Owens is having enough trouble trying to care for his child. The last thing he needed was the return of his old friend, the Doctor. And it looks like he's not alone; trouble seems to have once again followed the Doctor to Colchester, with a silvery shine.

Closing Time is a disappointing story. It feels like any instance where the writers ran out of ideas. Rather than be a Cyberman threat story, it's the Doctor trying to stay away from anything interesting but getting caught up in things. The Cybermen are just an afterthought to the Doctor's search for self. Even the return of Craig Owen (last seen in The Lodger) does little to make this a better story.

Another part of what spoils this is the silly elements that the Matt Smith era includes. Things such as being able to speak baby and the shop staff thinking Owen and the Doctor are lovers just doesn't work. It's all too forced and isn't actually funny. It is more cringe worthy than anything. The Doctor Who writers have shown that they can do better this and it makes me wonder how this made it through to completion.

We do get a new form of Cybermat however. The special effects department have given us a creepy new shape complete with real flesh mouth with teeth. A much better upgrade for these than we have seen previously. Again, nice to see something from the classic show making an appearance.

Closing Time is also an episode which is companion lite. Rory and Amy do make an appearance in the episode but they don't interact with the story. Instead it looks like Amy has become model or something, as she is advertising a new perfume -  "Petrichor." Would it have been better with them? I don't think so. There isn't enough going on in the episode already to include them. Nice to see them getting on with their life though.

Ultimately, Closing Time is just another poor attempt at a filler episode. Not the worst the show has had in recent years but another case of could have done better.

Episode #228 : Night Terrors

"Through crimson stars and silent stars and tumbling nebulas like oceans set on fire, through empires of glass and civilizations of pure thought, and a whole, terrible, wonderful universe of impossibilities. You see these eyes? They're old eyes... and one thing I can tell you, Alex: monsters are real."

Episode #228:      Night Terrors.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond, and Rory Williams.
Air Date:              3rd September 2011.

The Eleventh Doctor receives a distress call, bringing him, Amy Pond and Rory Williams to Earth. George is a young boy terrorised by the monsters in his cupboard. Are they imaginary, or are they real?

With Night Terrors the show goes back to the good old horror stories. This one is good but doesn't quite go creepy enough for me. The time travellers get drawn to Earth due by the psychic fears of a little boy to find that all his fears are now "alive" and  hidden in the bedroom cupboard. Most of the story is the set up and it takes too long to get to the scary bits but when it does it's not too bad.

The resolution of the story is a little too much like the Isolus from the episode Fear Her. In fact is almost like the writers couldn't come up with something different. The story worked well enough without needing an alien explanation for the little boy and his fears. The fears themselves would have worked just as well.

It is also another story which just ends. While the story has a resolution it isn't a very satisfying one. Had the set up been swifter and the story given a better ending rather than one which feels rushed I would probably have given it a 4 star rating but as it stands Night Terrors is fairly average.