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.