"Didn't anyone ever tell you? There's one thing you never put in a trap. If you're smart, if you value your continued existence, if you have any plans about seeing tomorrow, there's one thing you never, ever put in a trap."
Episode #213: The Time of the Angels / Flesh and Stone.
Companions: The 11th Doctor and Amy Pond.
Air Date: 14th April to 1st May 2010.
The enigmatic River Song hurtles back into the Eleventh Doctor's life, but she's not the only familiar face returning — the Weeping Angels are back! Following River's calling card, the Doctor is recruited to help track down the last of the Angels, which has escaped from the Byzantium starliner and into the terrifying Maze of the Dead.
The Weeping Angels and River Song return in a rather good story that continues the lore of the Angels. Most of the time the episodes that feature the Angels are rather naff but this one adds something to it. We learn a little more about them and what they are capable off. Blink barely touched the surface. As for River she is a very different person than when we last saw her. We are going backwards though as the Doctor and River do keep meeting in the wrong order.
This is also a major revelation episode where the crack in the universe is concerned. At the end of Victory of the Daleks the Doctor points out that Amy should remember the Dalek invasion that recently moved the Earth but she doesn't. In this adventure the Doctor realises that something is changing or rewriting history as, and I pointed this out a while back, no one remembers the giant Cyberking marching across Victorian London. Something is a foot and the Doctor is on the case.
The best bit about this adventure is that pretty much from the get go we have a suspense filled romp through an ancient maze and a crashed space ship. Most adventures are quite exciting but few are truly suspenseful. This is one of the few and it's worth it.
"YOU! ARE! MY! ENEMY! And I am yours! You are everything I despise. The worst thing in all creation. I've defeated you. Time and time again, I've defeated you. I sent you back into the Void. I saved the whole of reality from you. I AM THE DOCTOR AND YOU ARE THE DALEKS!"
Episode #212: Victory of the Daleks.
Companions: The 11th Doctor and Amy Pond.
Air Date: 17th April 2010.
Receiving a call for help from his old friend Winston Churchill, the Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond head for World War II to assist the Prime Minister. Once there, though, the Doctor reunites with his greatest enemies, the scum of the universe — the Daleks. But why are these survivors passing themselves off as man-made weapons? And why don't they recognise the Doctor? What could these "Ironsides" have planned?
Victory of the Daleks is a pseudo-historical story with a science fiction twist. It doesn't use the second world war to teach like the old historical adventures but more as just a setting, in which to tell this story. Into it we find the Daleks working for the British armed forces to take down incoming German aircraft. The Doctor recognises them for what they are this triggers the actual story, that the Daleks are seeking to rebuild their forces and their creation needs proof that they are pure Daleks. The name of the episode is very apt as in this story the evil Daleks do indeed win. Yay!
Despite some rather witty dialogue this episode unfortunately is really just another filler. The entire point of this episode is simply to set up the return of the Daleks later on. I really hate it when shows do that as it feels like a waste of an episode. I like plot stories but I like them to be mostly self contained and workable.
I hate to be negative yet again, but there is one thing in this adventure which really irks me. The Daleks' plans are slightly defeated by space flying Spitfire aircraft. It just bugs me as once again we have an element of silly. It's meant to be a good sci-fi story and then they through that in there.
Episode #211: The Beast Below. Companions: The 11th Doctor and Amy Pond. Air Date: 10th April 2010. For Amy Pond's first trip in the TARDIS, the Eleventh Doctor brings his new companion to the 29th century, where all of the United Kingdom's citizens (apart from the Scottish) live on board Starship UK, searching for a new home among the stars as the Earth is being roasted by solar flares. However, the Doctor soon finds something amiss on board the vessel. The citizens appear to fear "the smiling fellows in the booths" and ignore crying children. What is going on? What secrets does Starship UK hold at its depths, and who is hiding them? Soon, the Doctor is forced to make an impossible choice. No matter what he chooses, death is the only outcome. After the great start to the new series we hit this story and we're dropped into what I call science-fairy tale. Basically this resembles nothing like what we have seen previously and it just feels wrong. We can assume from the century given (and you may disagree) that these country starships are the people of Earth fleeing the solar flares that led to the events from The Ark in Space. So, why does the Nerva Beacon have proper technology and here we have most of the UK crammed into a city flying through space? A city sized space ship I could get but that isn't what we have here. Amy gets some better dialogue and more of a character in this story. I'd already warmed to her in the previous story but here is where we start to see the real her. She has her tough side but she is still as sympathetic as the rest of us. The Doctor on the other hand, for me anyway, turns into a rather unlikable character towards the end. To start with he's all in for the wonder and the adventure but once the realisation of what is happening hits him suddenly he is all "nobody human has anything to say to me today!" despite their actions being what saved them. They weren't to know what they were doing. His reaction just seems beyond the extreme. Anger I can get because of what has happened but blaming humanity for survival seems just over the top. The "Beast" resembles the poor creature in the Torchwood story Meat. Could that have been an immature space whale? I like the idea of the space whale and it does fit into the Whoniverse quite nicely I think. You could certainly imagine something like it in a classic Who story. The Beast Below is not a bad story I suppose but the weird fairy tale feel to it spoils it for me somewhat. It works for some stories such as the horror genre ones, but not for something set in the distant future on board a large impressive star ship.
"I'm the Doctor; I'm worse than everybody's aunt!"
Episode #210: The Eleventh Hour.
Companions: The 11th Doctor and Amy Pond.
Air Date: 3rd April 2010.
After a literally explosive regeneration, the brand new Eleventh Doctor survives a crash-landing to Earth. However, he has little time to recover. With a mysterious crack in a little girl's wall and a missing alien prisoner, the Doctor is in for an adventure. However, with the TARDIS damaged and the sonic screwdriver destroyed, can the Doctor capture the rogue alien before its jailers burn Earth to a crisp?
It's all change as Matt Smith takes over the role of the Doctor. There's more humour and a rather strange surreal tone to the show now. In later episodes the show feels less science fiction and more science fairy-tale. But it is certainly in keeping with the new Doctor. When Matt Smith was first announced as the Doctor I was not convinced. He looked too young to be the Doctor and I doubted that he would have the force of personality. Within minutes of his appearance I was convinced that he was the right choice. Of the newer actors, Matt Smith has become my favourite.
The Eleventh Hour is a great start to the new series. The Doctor's new persona is just fun and immediately you like him. He is a proper eccentric personality again and much more in the style of the classic Doctors. We are also introduced to the newest companion, Amy Pond. She is another feisty female companion and one who stands up to the Doctor. She's not a screamer. We also meet her boyfriend Rory, a bit of a wet fish really but he'll have a part to play later on.
The main point of this story is not the escaped Prisoner Zero or the alien Atraxi. At the start young Amy Pond shows the Doctor a strange crack in her wall which is revealed to be a crack in the fabric of the universe. This is the main plot point for the season and for the run of the 11th Doctor.
For an episode that is there just to set up the new Doctor and his companions, this is a really good fun story. The humour is actually just right and while I sometimes grumble at the fairy tale nature of some of the future stories, this one gets a good thumbs up from me.
"It's not that I'm an innocent. I've taken lives. I got worse, I got clever. Manipulated people into taking their own. Sometimes, I think a Time Lord lives too long..."
Episode #209: The End of Time.
Companions: The 10th Doctor.
Air Date: 25th December 2009 to 1st January 2010.
It is the Tenth Doctor's final journey — but his psychotic nemesis, the Master, has been resurrected on Christmas Eve! Each determined to cheat death, the battle rages from the abandoned wastelands of London to the mysterious Immortality Gate, whilst the alien Ood warn of an even greater danger approaching, as a terrible shadow falls across the entire universe. With the sound of the drums growing louder in the Master's head and an ancient trap closing around the Earth, the Doctor and Wilfred Mott must fight alone. Sacrifices must be made, and the deadly prophecy warns: "He will knock four times."
David Tennant's final adventure as the Doctor has arrived. Split into two parts shown on Christmas Day and New Years Day, The End of Time is a great example of what the show can be when done properly. In other words with a decent budget to go along with some good script writing. As well as being good entertainment with action, humour and a touch of apocalypse, we also have some well written interaction that causes the viewer to take a better look at the man we know as the Doctor.
To start with there is a scene where the Doctor and Wildfred are talking about the Doctor's immanent death. He talks about regeneration and how it's like dying. Everything that you are and everything that you were is swept away and for all intents and purposes a new man walks away. I have never really thought about it but really that must be terrifying for a Time Lord regardless of age and number of times that he has regenerated. I would say that it goes someway to explain the darker persona of the Doctor since the Time War. Secondly, we have the above quote which makes me think specifically about the 7th Doctor and how he manipulated people, including his companion Ace, into doing what he wanted. I could do with more scenes like this which expand upon the character.
The Master returns in this story but his resurrection is interrupted and things have gone a little wrong. Burning energy at an accelerated rate he is forced to consume food, and people (at least two if not four!) to survive. When things fluctuate we see a rather CGI skeletal figure of the master which looks a tad cheap. The modern equivalent of overlapping effects from the old day I guess. He also seems to have developed amazing jumping capabilities and the power to throw energy bolts from his hands, although they don't really seem to do very much.
The Master is not the only returning figure however. Rassilon, founder of Time Lord society appears to have been resurrected as well to lead the war effort in the Time War. He's not the same individual we meet as a spiritual presence in The Five Doctors however. He appears to have been driven mad by the events of the Time War and is quite the despot now. You can see why the Doctor now fears his fellow Time Lords. This time around Rassilon is played by veteran James Bond actor, Timothy Dalton. I imagine getting such a well known actor was quite a cue for the BBC.
We are also introduced in this story to a new figure. Appearing at times to Wilfred and standing, face covered, in Rassilon's presence is a Time Lady. She seems to be something to the Doctor although we never learn in the show who she is. There are rumours that she may be Romana or even more interesting, the Doctor's own mother. We may never truly know.
At the end of this episode we finally have the reveal of the "four knocks" plot line which leads to the eventual regeneration. As the Doctor slowly dies he goes and pays a quick visit to some of his former companions: Martha Jones and Mickey Smith, Sarah Jane and Luke Smith, Captain Jack and Rose Tyler. It's a nice ending and an appropriate goodbye from the 10th Doctor.
I liked David Tennant and his portrayal of the Doctor but I never quite saw what the fuss about him was from some fans. He was good but not that good. I guess it's more fan girls adoring his good looks rather than his character, but hey, who knows.
"Ha, I love 1958. No one's seen Die Hard. Or Alien. Nor Die Hard 2. Or Aliens. Or Die Hard 3."
Episode #208: Dreamland.
Companions: The 10th Doctor.
Air Date: 21st to 27th November 2009.
During a visit to a local diner, the Tenth Doctor stumbles upon a mysterious alien artefact that leads him on a mission to rescue Rivesh Mantilax from the threat of the Viperox and the clutches of the American military.
Dreamland is the second animated feature for Doctor Who, the other being the Infinite Quest. In this adventure the Doctor lands in Roswell New Mexico a short time after a certain UFO crashed in the desert. Drawn into the mystery the Doctor discovers captured alien Grey's, mysterious Men in Black, and a whole race of war-like insectoid aliens waiting to conquer the Earth.
Basically Dreamland is the Whoniverse explanation for the events surrounding the Roswell crash of 1947. I've often wondered what those events might have been like in Doctor Who and it seems someone had the same idea. I like that the Gray aliens, despite the ominous way the media treats their "appearances" in the real world, are shown to be a friendly species in the Whoniverse. Off course the mysterious Men in Black and the alien Viperox are easily recognizable as the villains, in typical science fiction fashion. In other words, they don't look like the good guys.
As Dreamland is basically a children's animated episode it is lacking in general plot. It flows nicely along with enough cool moments to keep the kids happy. For the adult viewers there are a few moments. The quote above is in reference to air ducts running throughout the US army base. Also, the monstrous Viperox queen looks an awful lot like the queen from the Alien movies, complete with nest of alien eggs. Intentional? Who knows but it gave me a chuckle.
Dreamland isn't considered part of the overall canon of the show though much like The Infinite Quest I choose to include it as it is a televised adventure and fits in nicely as an escape for the Doctor before everything goes pear shaped for him in the next story.
Companions: Sarah Jane Smith, K9, Luke Smith, Rani Chandra and Clyde Langer.
Air Date: 19th to 20th November 2009.
When the Slitheen's latest scheme to destroy Earth for profit is foiled, another family from the Slitheen's planet arrive, the Blathereen. Though they seem helpful, can they be trusted? As a generous gesture of peace, the Blathereen gift the gang with a plant called Rakweed, which could end world hunger. However, the Rakweed goes wild, spreading spores about London and infecting people, including Luke. Sarah Jane must fight alone, not only to save the Earth, but also her son. Meanwhile, Clyde smuggles K9 into school to help him cheat at a test, and he, Rani and the metal dog find themselves trapped in the school — surronded by Rakweed. Can the team work together across Ealing — and Antarctica — to prevent Rakweed from devouring the entire planet?
The end of this season of the Sarah Jane Adventures starts off well but fails to ultimately deliver anything interesting. It starts off with a bait and switch where you believe that the gang are going up against two members of the Slitheen but instead they are tricked by two members of the Blathereen, a rival branch of the family who are actually quite nice. These two however aren't. Rather than fighting the aliens the story ends up being a save the world from plants and if the gang happen to deal with the Blathereen then all's good. Not impressed really.
The only nice element to this story is one of trust. Sarah Jane and Clyde initially distrust the new arrivals but Rani is more about accepting the aliens and not treating them like every invader that they come across. In this case Sarah Jane was correct but normally she is all about don't judge by appearances and expectations but here she outright doesn't trust them just because they come from the same world as the Slitheen.
