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amberfocusI was very happy with this episode. I loved the plot, I loved the child actress, the monsters were sufficiently freaky, the CGI was a bit better though still not to the quality I got used to in the first four seasons (did they get a budget cut or does Moff just like fakey looking monsters?), and I did not once think it was Matt Smith playing Ten like I did last week several times, so that is a definite plus for me. Actually, I didn't tend to think this was Matt Smith playing Eleven, either. I was more, "well, he feels like the Doctor now." He felt like his own man, which was nice. I've been through...eight regenerations now and I think it can be a bit easier for me to accept a new Doctor than maybe someone who only started watching with Nine.
I got a real feeling of him being an alien this week, which I honestly never got with Ten and only occassionally did I get it with Nine. To be truthful the only tmes I've ever really felt the Doctor was truly alien all the time was with One, Three, Six, and Seven. I've not seen Two except in The Three Doctors and The Five Doctors so I can't really say on him at all.
I enjoyed the Doctor as much as I enjoyed Amy this time, which is definitely a positive. I didn't feel like the plot was at all recycled. The only thing I did kind of flinch at was England on the back of a giant space whale. It felt a bit Disc World to me. I'll grant that it was a space ship and a whale and not a flat planet on a giant space turtle and there were no elephants involved at all, but the concept felt a tiny bit...borrowed because of it. I don't know, maybe there are no original ideas left anymore. The shout out to Star Wars and Princess Leah I liked though.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy it. I liked the story a lot. I liked the concept of crying children being what makes old things, the last of their kind, interfere. I loved the parallels drawn by Amy between the Doctor and the whale. I loved Amy being smart enough to open her eyes and see what was really going on and stopping the Doctor from making a horrible mistake. Because as we all know the Doctor often needs someone to stop him. I do hope this is something that will be balanced though. I like Amy and I don't want to see her turn into "Wesley saves the ship" week after week.
I really like that we got to see some of Amy's reasoning on why she ran off from her important "thing," i.e. the wedding. Her leaving without a word to her fiance is one of the only things that I disliked about her character. Rose was a jerk about it, but she told Mickey she was going. He knew. Amy just went and I hated the disrespect that was shown there. But seeing that she does have issues about it, is good. I liked the way it was compared to, and at least this is what I got out of it, the Doctor stealing the TARDIS and running off to explore the universe. Obviously it's not the same, but it shows how both characters are impulsive.
I didn't like the Doctor saying he was going to take her home because she pressed the forget button, though. He doesn't know what really happened there for her and judging it so quickly felt a bit...well, judgmental. Especially considering he was going to kill the whale himself. I don't want to see that be a reoccuring theme, either, Amy screws up and the Doctor threatens to take her home, because that will get old fast. And I really, really didn't like the reoccurence of the Virgin Queen line. It just squicked me a bit like it did last time it happened.
I was also annoyed with Amy being in her night dress for the entire episode. It felt very Arthur Dent and with that huge wardrobe room the TARDIS has, wouldn't the Doctor have told her to go change? Or you know, she would have insisted. He told her about it last episode after all. Wouldn't she have thought she'd be at all out of place wandering about in her pajamas? Or is she so used to weird costumes for her job that it didn't bother her?
I do like the way Amy sees through the Doctor and I really liked the hug at the end. I like that the Doctor seems open talking about his past with Amy, at least on a surface level. I did see a little bit of chemistry starting that had a hint of romance to it at one point. My Doctor/Rose shipper heart was a little...mixed on that. I like the sparks between the actors. I want the characters to be happy. I know Ten2 and Rose are happy and I want the Doctor to be happy again and I'd rather it be with Amy than River. Then again, I don't really dislike River so much as I didn't get the character in season 4 and felt like she was forced and there was no chemistry between the Doctor and River. Maybe they'll do a better job this time around. I like Alex Kingston, I always have so...we'll see. If she has chemistry with Matt then I might find that relationship more palatable, though if I have to root for anyone, I think it'll be Amy. Still, I think Matt might be one of those actors who could have chemistry with a street lamp. It's interesting. It's almost like he turns it off and on.
All in all, if this is any indication, I'm happy with the direction that Who is going in, but...I'll reserve my judgment until after the Dalek episode. I am so sick of Daleks. Really. I was sick of Daleks before new Who. I thought they were used well in season one with Chris and Billie but after that it's just retread after retread after retread. Enough with the Daleks already.
I got a real feeling of him being an alien this week, which I honestly never got with Ten and only occassionally did I get it with Nine. To be truthful the only tmes I've ever really felt the Doctor was truly alien all the time was with One, Three, Six, and Seven. I've not seen Two except in The Three Doctors and The Five Doctors so I can't really say on him at all.
I enjoyed the Doctor as much as I enjoyed Amy this time, which is definitely a positive. I didn't feel like the plot was at all recycled. The only thing I did kind of flinch at was England on the back of a giant space whale. It felt a bit Disc World to me. I'll grant that it was a space ship and a whale and not a flat planet on a giant space turtle and there were no elephants involved at all, but the concept felt a tiny bit...borrowed because of it. I don't know, maybe there are no original ideas left anymore. The shout out to Star Wars and Princess Leah I liked though.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy it. I liked the story a lot. I liked the concept of crying children being what makes old things, the last of their kind, interfere. I loved the parallels drawn by Amy between the Doctor and the whale. I loved Amy being smart enough to open her eyes and see what was really going on and stopping the Doctor from making a horrible mistake. Because as we all know the Doctor often needs someone to stop him. I do hope this is something that will be balanced though. I like Amy and I don't want to see her turn into "Wesley saves the ship" week after week.
I really like that we got to see some of Amy's reasoning on why she ran off from her important "thing," i.e. the wedding. Her leaving without a word to her fiance is one of the only things that I disliked about her character. Rose was a jerk about it, but she told Mickey she was going. He knew. Amy just went and I hated the disrespect that was shown there. But seeing that she does have issues about it, is good. I liked the way it was compared to, and at least this is what I got out of it, the Doctor stealing the TARDIS and running off to explore the universe. Obviously it's not the same, but it shows how both characters are impulsive.
I didn't like the Doctor saying he was going to take her home because she pressed the forget button, though. He doesn't know what really happened there for her and judging it so quickly felt a bit...well, judgmental. Especially considering he was going to kill the whale himself. I don't want to see that be a reoccuring theme, either, Amy screws up and the Doctor threatens to take her home, because that will get old fast. And I really, really didn't like the reoccurence of the Virgin Queen line. It just squicked me a bit like it did last time it happened.
I was also annoyed with Amy being in her night dress for the entire episode. It felt very Arthur Dent and with that huge wardrobe room the TARDIS has, wouldn't the Doctor have told her to go change? Or you know, she would have insisted. He told her about it last episode after all. Wouldn't she have thought she'd be at all out of place wandering about in her pajamas? Or is she so used to weird costumes for her job that it didn't bother her?
I do like the way Amy sees through the Doctor and I really liked the hug at the end. I like that the Doctor seems open talking about his past with Amy, at least on a surface level. I did see a little bit of chemistry starting that had a hint of romance to it at one point. My Doctor/Rose shipper heart was a little...mixed on that. I like the sparks between the actors. I want the characters to be happy. I know Ten2 and Rose are happy and I want the Doctor to be happy again and I'd rather it be with Amy than River. Then again, I don't really dislike River so much as I didn't get the character in season 4 and felt like she was forced and there was no chemistry between the Doctor and River. Maybe they'll do a better job this time around. I like Alex Kingston, I always have so...we'll see. If she has chemistry with Matt then I might find that relationship more palatable, though if I have to root for anyone, I think it'll be Amy. Still, I think Matt might be one of those actors who could have chemistry with a street lamp. It's interesting. It's almost like he turns it off and on.
All in all, if this is any indication, I'm happy with the direction that Who is going in, but...I'll reserve my judgment until after the Dalek episode. I am so sick of Daleks. Really. I was sick of Daleks before new Who. I thought they were used well in season one with Chris and Billie but after that it's just retread after retread after retread. Enough with the Daleks already.
