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.

Episode #230 : The God Complex

" I can't save you from this. There's nothing I can do to stop this. I stole your childhood and now I've lead you by the hand to your death. But the worst thing is, I knew. I knew this would happen. This is what always happens. Forget your faith in me. I took you with me because I was vain. Because I wanted to be adored. Look at you. Glorious Pond. The girl who waited for me. I'm not a hero. I really am just a mad man in a box. And it's time we saw each other as we really are."

Episode #230:      The God Complex.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond, and Rory Williams.
Air Date:               17th September 2011

The Eleventh Doctor, Amy, and Rory investigate a hotel of horror where repeat business is low but the body count is high, where a mighty monster stalks the corridors and the rooms hold visions of angels, apes, and creepy clowns. Who — or what — has brought them to this place? Can the Doctor solve the mystery before the residents check out in grisly style?

The God Complex is a much enjoyable and well written adventure than the recent few. It deals with a mysterious hotel which seems to be abducting people from different planets and forcing them to face their fears, which results in their death at the hands of a powerful monster. It is a much more cerebral story but doesn't push it too far. Instead it features just enough weirdness and fun Doctor moments to make it enjoyable.

In The Girl Who Waited we saw character development for Rory and Amy. This adventure gives us some time for the Doctor. It builds upon the foundations that New Who has build with the Doctor being much more aware now of how his adventures affect his companions. He knows that his time is almost over and it is on his mind. He also has to destroy the faith that Amy has in him, much like he did to Ace in the Curse of Fenric, so that he can save her. He knows what his adventures could mean to his companions and at the end of his life he is beginning to understand the threat he is to them. Maybe I care more for the Doctor's character development than for his companions, but it seems to work for me more when it deals with the main hero.

It isn't all doom and gloom however. This episode has a lot of humour as well. David Walliams makes a great appearance as an awkward alien from a world which has been invaded more times than any other in the universe. Even the planet's national anthem is a welcome song to any invading empire.

It is nice to see a tie to a classic episode again. The monster behind this horror mystery is connected to the Nimon faced by the 4th Doctor. I've said it before and I'll probably repeat myself again, but I get a lot more enjoyment out of New Who when it does these little tie ins to the classic show.

Definitely a great episode and one worth watching.

Episode #229 : The Girl Who Waited

"Right, okay, this is big news. This is temporal earthquake time. I'm now officially changing my own future. Hold on to your spectacles. In my past I saw my future-self refuse to help you. I'm now changing that future and agreeing. Every Law of Time says that shouldn't be possible."

Episode #229:      The Girl Who Waited.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond, and Rory Williams.
Air Date:               10th September 2011

The Eleventh Doctor, Rory Williams and Amy Pond land on Apalapucia in the middle of a plague. Amy is left behind, and the Doctor and Rory must save her...but time for Amy is running at a different speed.

Every season of modern Doctor Who seems to have that one episode that just doesn't work. In the past we had Fear Her and Love & Monsters, for example. This time around this is that one story. The Girl Who Waited is one of those stories where rather than being action, excitement and strange aliens, it is all about repercussions and choices. The problem is that it doesn't even do it in a good way which is why it doesn't work for me.

Science fiction normally does well when it gives us something to think about. In this case we are looking again at the repercussions of travelling with the Doctor from Rory's point of view. He sees travelling blindly through time and space as dangerous and that the Doctor puts his companions at risk. Unlike previous episodes where we see the repercussions of his travels in this one we don't get the chance to say that what the Doctor did was right or wrong. Everything is seen the point of view of an angry Rory and two versions of Amy separated by thirty odd years.

It is nice character development for Rory after all this time but it lets the episode down being just full of exposition with nothing else to it. It is nice to have a companion who sees things differently than everyone else has. Even Tegan who left because of things that she saw and experienced never failed to see the wonders of time travel. It took me a long time to like the character of Rory and in this episode I go back to how he was he first appeared and I just don't like the portrayal.

Future Amy is also unlikeable in this one. The troupe of the future self who won't save their younger self and has become angry and bitter, is just overdone in science fiction. Amy in this story has become that troupe. It is old and clichéd. It doesn't work and it doesn't do anything to expand her character.

I'm sorry to say that I just don't enjoy this one.

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.

Episode #227 : Let's Kill Hitler

"Well, I was on my way to this gay gypsy Bar Mitzvah for the disabled when I suddenly thought, "Gosh, the Third Reich's a bit rubbish. I think I'll kill the Führer." Who's with me?"

Episode #227:      Let's Kill Hitler.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, River Song, Amy Pond, and Rory Williams.
Air Date:              27th August 2011.

In the desperate search for Melody Pond, the TARDIS crash lands in Thirties Berlin. The Doctor comes face to face with the greatest war criminal in the Universe. And Hitler. Old friendships are tested to their limits as the Doctor suffers the ultimate betrayal and learns a harsh lesson in the cruelest warfare of all. As precious time ebbs away, the Doctor must teach his adversaries that time travel has responsibilities. And he must succeed before an almighty price is paid.

After a short hiatus the show comes back with a bit of a corker. In this story the Doctor meets Amy's childhood friend Melody who turns out to be a bit of a bad egg. She hijacks the TARDIS and takes them back to kill Hitler. Melody turns out to be a previous incarnation of River Song, one brainwashed to assassinate the Doctor by the Silence. It isn't a particularly serious episode being very much comedic although it does explain a lot of what happened in the previous half of the season.

Outside of the comedy elements, the point of this story really is to explain the back story to the current series from who River Song is and why she is prison, who are the Silence, to the death of the Doctor in the first episode of the season. It's a clever twist and not one that I would have thought of previously. I really enjoy the back story to River Song in this episode. From killer to the Doctor's future lover in one short story.

The episode title is a bit of a ruse really. Hitler only features in about five minutes and spends the rest of it locked in a cupboard.

I won't spoil anything, so it's going to be a short review really, but this story is well worth watching although it probably won't make much sense if you haven't seen the previous episodes/

Episode #226: A Good Man Goes to War

"This was exactly you. All this, all of it. You make them so afraid. When you began, all those years ago, sailing off to see the universe, did you ever think you'd become this? The man who can turn an army around at the mention of his name? Doctor: the word for healer and wise man throughout the universe. We get that word from you, you know. But if you carry on the way you are, what might that word come to mean? To the people of the Gamma Forests, the word "doctor" means "mighty warrior". How far you've come. And now they've taken a child. The child of your best friends. And they're going to turn her into a weapon, just to bring you down. And all this, my love... in fear of you."

Episode #226:      A Good Man Goes To War.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, River Pond, Amy Pond, and Rory Williams.
Air Date:              4th June 2011.

On the asteroid Demon's Run, Amy Pond has given birth. But the villainous Madame Kovarian and the religious order of the silence are waiting to make a collection that tears Amy's world apart. Across the galaxy, the Eleventh Doctor and Rory Williams are assembling an army to fight the battle that lies ahead, whilst in Stormcage, River Song prepares to escape for what may be the last time. For this is the battle of Demon's Run. On this day, the Doctor will rise higher than ever and fall so much further, and finally, this is the day he discovers who River Song is.

Where do I start with this story? It is big. Each series of New Who has contained it's own plot line that builds and builds before reaching, hopefully, an awesome finale. A Good Man Goes to War is no different, other than it builds up to this mid-season break and ends on a real corker. A good few plot lines that have been building or hanging get resolved or at least opened up here. Mainly, who the mysterious eye patch lady is, who River Song is and who was the little girl from The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon? Even now I get goose bumps when the revelations come up at the end of this story.

We are introduced to three new characters in this story who become recurring allies of the Doctor. Madame Vastra (a Silurian), her lover/servant Jenny and a Sontaran nurse named Strax. Although not called such on screen, they are known as the  Paternoster Gang (Paternoster Row being the street in Victorian London where they reside). These characters have quickly become fan favourites.

I won't spoil the plot here as I think this is a great episode to watch and learn rather than be told. However, watching it did reveal to me why I think certain stories in New Who work better than most. Part of it is the plot and the excitement they generate but more specifically I think it is the perfect dialogue. Some writers seem to just coast through it sometimes getting those moments of exposition just right, but then you get some who seem to strike the right cord. The quote above is one that gets me every time. We learn so much from that short speech and it opens up our understanding of our beloved Time Lord. River's speech above mirrors, for me, Davros' speech about the Doctor from The Stolen Earth / Journey's End. We all look to the Doctor as a hero or even anti-hero and we see what he does. We give him the big thumbs up but really throughout time and space he has become the cause of so much bloodshed and destruction in order to achieve the desirable outcome. Does the final outcome outweigh the deed that brings them about? For the Doctor we say yes but is that right? These sort of questions make for me the better episodes.

So why then is this a 4 star story not a 5? Well, I'm being resistant I think. The 11th Doctor's adventures, as I have said many many times, has a certain strange fairy tale quality that doesn't always sit well with me. A Good Man Goes to War has those elements and pushes my personal enjoyment down slightly. Had it not featured strange headless monks and space worthy spitfire planes, for example, I might have given it a 5 star rating.

Episode #225: The Rebel Flesh / The Almost People

"I've got to get to that cockerel before all hell breaks loose! ... I never thought I'd have to say that again!"

Episode #225:      The Rebel Flesh / The Almost People.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond, and Rory Williams.
Air Date:              21st to 28th May 2011.

The Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams visit an acid-mining factory. A solar storm hits the factory, turning the workers' gangers into self-aware individuals. The Doctor must mediate between the original workers and their rebellious gangers.

The basic premise of the adventure is that the TARDIS lands on Earth in the 22nd century, some time before the Dalek invasion I would guess or maybe a few decades after. Humans now use a living material called the Flesh to work in hazardous conditions. When a solar storm and a few other calamities strike the Flesh come to life and decide that they will no longer be slaves. From there it takes on a nice horror feel with some unnatural flesh warping and form shifting.

When I first watched this two part story I was not all that impressed. It seemed like a very dull story that only had my interest because of a slight horror vibe. Watching them for the second time in preparation for this review I actually enjoyed the episodes a lot more. I still don't think they are that great but mainly because it feels like too much has been pushed into the story and it is padded out far too much.

Ultimately the story is simply one of differences and overcoming them. Nothing new to science fiction and I think is why the story doesn't really work for me. It is a troupe that has been done to death in almost every modern science fiction show since Star Trek first aired. I like something a little more well thought out and emotional. It is also another one that exists simply to set up the following adventure.

Episode #224: The Doctor's Wife

"I wanted to see the universe, so I stole a Time Lord and I ran away. And you were the only one mad enough."

Episode #224:      The Doctor's Wife.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond, and Rory Williams.
Air Date:              14th May 2011.

The Eleventh Doctor receives a message from an old Time Lord friend. The message brings him, Rory Williams and Amy Pond to another universe where they meet an alien who eats TARDISes.

One of the better and more enjoyable stories of the 11th Doctor. Having received a message from another Time Lord, the Doctor and his companions find themselves trapped in a pocket universe with an asteroid monster that feeds on the Artron energy. The TARDIS itself is forced into a human body and her and the Doctor must rescue Amy and Rory, recover the TARDIS and escape back into the real universe.

What makes this story so good is the interaction between Idris (the TARDIS) and the Doctor. Famed author Neil Gaiman does such a magnificent job with this story. We get some great back story from Idris about who exactly stole who on Gallifrey all those years ago. The only thing that prevents me from giving this story a 5 star rating is that I just don't like the villain nor the chase sequence through the TARDIS. I dislike it enough that I can't give this one more than 4 stars.

Back in the SJA episode Lost in Time, there is a character who has been canonically named as the Corsair, and he (or she) is mentioned in this one. Now definitely deceased. In passing the Doctor mentions that the Corsair was once a female which has kicked off the silly (in my opinion) idea that Time Lords can regenerate into different genders. I don't like that idea myself.

There is a lot to like in this episode and it certainly goes on my list of episodes that everyone should watch.

Episode #223: The Curse of the Black Spot

"Okay, groovy. So you're just not pirates today — we've managed to bag us a ship with a demon popping in. Very efficient. I mean, if something's going to kill you, it's nice that it drops you a note to remind you."

Episode #223:      The Curse of the Black Spot.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond, and Rory Williams.
Air Date:              7th May 2011.

The TARDIS is marooned on board a 17th century pirate ship whose crew is being attacked by a mysterious and beautiful sea creature. Becalmed and beset by cabin fever, the pirates have numerous superstitious explanations for the Siren’s appearance. The Eleventh Doctor has other ideas, but as his theories are disproved and every plan of escape is thwarted, he must work to win the trust of the implacable Captain Henry Avery and uncover the truth behind the pirates’ supernatural fears — and he must work quickly, for some of his friends have already fallen under the Siren's spell.

This adventure returns us to the old style historical story with a science fiction twist. It is quite cool to have a story set on an old sailing vessel rather than some historical manor house or the like, and the idea of the siren fits nicely. Unfortunately it is one of those stories where the first half, set on the ship, works really well but the second half falls a bit flat. The reveal isn't great though. I think that the final twist to the plot could have had more impact.

The main real historical character is captain Henry Avery, a captain who vanished mysteriously in 1696. He is also referenced in the 1st Doctor adventure The Smugglers. The writer of this episode didn't know of that reference and only used Avery because of his historical disappearance.

We have another appearance of the mysterious eye patch lady who seems to be watching Amy Pond. There is also a mystery that Amy is and isn't pregnant at the same time.

I am giving this episode an average 3 rating because while I don't find it the most interesting adventure, it is another example of what I expect from the modern show.

Episode #222: The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon

"Safe? No! Of course you're not safe! There's about a billion other things out there just waiting to burn your whole world, but if you want to pretend you're safe just so you can sleep at night, then, OK, you're safe. But you're not really."

Episode #222:      The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, River Song, Amy Pond and Rory Williams.
Air Date:              23rd to 30th April 2011.

Amy Pond, Rory Williams, River Song and the Eleventh Doctor receive a mysterious summons that takes them on an adventure to 21st century Utah and Florida in 1969. Along the way they meet Richard Nixon, president of the United States of America, and former FBI agent Canton Everett Delaware III.

With this story the newest series kicks off with an excellent adventure. It begins the adventures that deal with the mysterious "Silence". These were first referenced in the 11th Doctor's first adventure, The Eleventh Hour, with the phrase "Silence will fall". These aliens resemble tall, thing creatures reminiscent of Grey aliens from UFO lore. At this time we don't learn a lot about them other than they seem to be everywhere in 1969 Earth and that no one can remember them unless they are looking directly at them.

We are also introduced abut very briefly to the mysterious eye patch lady who plays a bigger part at the end of the series. Her appearance her opens up some intriguing questions (assuming you haven't seen the later episodes).

Another reference we have goes back to the previous season with an episode called The Lodger. the mysterious time ship on the roof either reappears or there is at least another one. A nice tie in to connect the series.

There is a lot of strange cross time line elements to this story, mainly dealing with the Doctor and his companions trying to stop his death sometime in 2011 at the hands of a mysterious astronaut who is also present in 1969. It works in this story as the writers have taken the opportunity to make sure everything fits together. As a future element we also learn that Amy is pregnant.

I really enjoy this one because other the very beginning it keeps a steady pace of action and adventure going all the way to the end. It also has a nice science fiction horror vibe that works spot on. A sort of alien psychological horror I would call it.

The final culmination to the story is really rather inspired and, at least in myself, generated a very exciting sensation. In some elements this adventure could be better but I have no real grumbles about it. Very well done.

Episode #221 : Space & Time

"Oh, so this is how it all ends, Pond flirting with herself. True love at last."

Episode #221:      Space / Time.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams.
Air Date:              18th March 2011.

The Eleventh Doctor is doing repairs on the TARDIS with Rory Williams' help, but thanks to Amy Pond they make a mistake that could leave them trapped in the TARDIS forever.

This was a special episode created for the BBC charity telethon Comic Relief back in 2011. Although created as a bit of fun for the show it has been accepted as canonical to the show. The story is simply that the Doctor and Rory are making repairs to the TARDIS in flight but something goes wrong when Rory looks up and see's up Amy's skirt through the glass floor above, and pulls the wrong cable out. There follows some comical time travel high jinks as they use the temporal situation to tell their future selves how to fix the problem. Despite the potential paradoxes they fix the situation and get under way.

I love these little filler episodes because it condenses down well and in this case is genuinely funny. It holds the fun elements that younger viewers enjoy but also contains enough disguised rude elements to have the teenagers and adults laughing along.

As the whole thing rocks in at under 9 minutes there isn't much more to say than enjoy this slice of Doctor Who fun.

Episode #220: A Christmas Carol

"Nobody important? Blimey, that's amazing. You know that in nine hundred years of time and space and I've never met anybody who wasn't important before."

Episode #220:      A Christmas Carol.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams.
Air Date:              25th December 2010.

Amy Pond and Rory Williams are trapped on a crashing space liner, and the only way the Eleventh Doctor can rescue them is to save the soul of a lonely old miser. But is Kazran Sardick, the richest man in Sardicktown, beyond redemption? And what is lurking in the fogs of Christmas Eve?

The 2010 Christmas special is rather a let down to me. The story, as given away by the title, is based very loosely upon Dicken's classic A Christmas Carol. By it's self this isn't a bad idea but the implementation and the all to silly fairy tale elements spoil it. Flying fish and a giant flying shark? Good grief!

Even the time travel elements of the story contradict everything we've been told over the previous four decades. Once part of established events you can't go back and make changes but yet this is exactly what this episode consists of. The Doctor rewrites Sardick's memories by altering the events of his past. The Blinovich Limitation Effect is also ignored when the older and younger Sardick's interact with one another. I know that sometimes you have to let things slide in order to make a story work but these are big no no's in my mind.

Some elements, such as on board the space liner, do feel reminiscent of classic era sets and uniforms. In that regard I get some enjoyment out of the episode but the story is a real let down. Especially the reference to being Christmas. A Christmas special doesn't need to be set at Christmas, as I have said before. Attempting to do A Christmas Carol though does give it some bonus points though.

There isn't a lot to like in this episode to be fair. The pacing is wrong and the inclusion of the fairy tale elements, plus that it just ends, just leaves me disappointed with what could have been a good episode. My apologies for this being a rather negative review (and I would love to read your opinions) but this is probably the worst of the worst for Christmas specials.

Episode #216 : The Hungry Earth / Cold Blood

"Bringing things to order, the first meeting of the representatives of the human race and homo reptilia is now in session. Never said that before. That's fab."

Episode #216:      The Hungry Earth / Cold Blood.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams.
Air Date:              22nd to 29th May 2010.

It’s 2020, and the most ambitious drilling project in history has reached deeper beneath the Earth's crust than man has ever gone before — but now the ground itself is fighting back. The Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory arrive in a tiny mining village, and find themselves plunged into a battle against a deadly danger from a bygone age.

Yay! At last we have the long awaited return of the Silurians and they have had a 21st century make over. The episode explains it as a different species of Silurian (or Homo Reptilia as the Doctor annoyingly keeps referring to them). The re-imagining has them much more human looking and without the strange third eye in the foreheads. No reference to the Sea Devils unfortunately. Still, it is good to see them back.

The story itself is a little too similar to the original Silurian story from the time of the 3rd Doctor for my tastes. I'd have liked something more original but I guess this is a good way to introduce the Silurians to a new audience without having to do a lot of backwards explaining. The problem is that the story deals with human drilling awakening the Silurians and then a group being aggressive towards mankind for being intruding apes. A peace is started only to fall apart because of that self same aggression. All in all it is too much like the original story.

The Silurians for their anti-human stance are portrayed as highly civilized and yet mankind is once again shown to be uncompromising and aggressive in return. We humans have our issues but I don't think we are quite as bad as we are shown to be in the Doctor's eyes. Recent incarnations seem to see us in a negative light and it is a bit much.

This episode features the first proper death of Rory Williams. A running joke throughout the show now is how many times can Rory die? In this instance Rory is killed by a Silurian and his body and history erased by the mysterious crack in the skin of the universe. As part of that incident the Doctor discovers a shard of the TARDIS inside the crack indicating that at some point the TARDIS will be destroyed. All together it plays nicely into the overarching story for this season.

The Hungry Earth and the Cold Blood together make a good Doctor Who adventure if a little long and drawn out even for a two parter. The return of the Silurians is really good to see as is some expansion on their culture that we didn't have before. More classic monsters are definitely needed. Well worth a watch as a refresher or as an introduction to the Silurians.

Episode #215 : Amy's Choice

The Dream Lord: If you die in the dream, you wake up in reality. Healthy recovery in next to no time. Ask me what happens if you die in reality.
Rory: What happens?
The Dream Lord: You die, stupid. That's why it's called reality.

Episode #215:      Amy's Choice.
Companions:        The 11th Doctor, Amy Pond and Rory Williams.
Air Date:              15th May 2010.

It has been five years since Amy Pond last travelled with the Eleventh Doctor. However, when he arrives by accident and they have a reunion, Amy is left questioning what is real. Is she actually living with her husband Rory in Leadworth, 2015, or is she still travelling with Rory and the Doctor in the TARDIS? Which is real and which is fake? Dream or reality? Only one thing is clear: it's Amy's choice.

Amy's Choice is a filler episode that does nothing to further the season plot. There is no reference to the Silence nor is there a crack in the universe this time. The entire episode is totally self contained. Instead we have a confusing story about dream and reality which is somewhat mediocre.

The villain of this story is an entity calling itself the Dream Lord. The first time I watched this episode I was really hoping that he would be a previous villain, the Valeyard or the Celestial Toymaker. Instead we have a one use villain playing the role of the Doctor's darker side (hence the thought that he may be the Valeyard). Played by the wonderful Toby Jones, the Dream Lord is a fun villain with the perfect sarcastic responses to the Doctor.

I don't have much to really review this episode. It's fun if you take it the right way but I dislike filler episodes intensely.