Wow that went fast! One of the best signs of a really good drama is that it feels like it was shorter than it was. Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy always felt twenty minutes long. Tonight’s Doctor Who clocked in at 40 minutes but felt like 30.
First there was River’s demonstration of how to make an exit and an entrance both at once. Nice way to send a message etching it into the black box in a lost language with an anachronistic message too. River Song flying the TARDIS lovely touch knowing about the stabilisers and parking without leaving the breaks on.
Amy Pond definitely my favourite companion since the revival of the show. She just has a range: she does the curious companion, the scared companion and the ballsy companion.
This week was not full of the references in the last few episodes were. The writing was excellent: some really sharp and fun dialogue. Spotters guide to the Doctor love it – I’m guessing Paul McGann’s Doctor is worth the most points due to rarity if not quality or popularity.
Iain Glen’s Bishop was nicely played. The comment about having to write letters after the Doctor flies away in a little blue box was quite telling. It would have been more telling if it came from UNIT’s Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.
The Weeping Angels newly revealed capabilities were neat but in keeping. If Blink is Alien then The Time of Angels is Aliens. I’m not sure if they’re as scary as they were first time around.
Nice trick having the characters’ walk deeper and deeper into the trap before they realised what it was. It set up the Doctor’s nice little monologue at the end.
On a side note one thing spoilt the otherwise excellent episode: BBC please don’t put notice about the next program over the climax of a drama. Don’t put it over the face of an actor. Don’t put it over an important piece of dialogue. It’s an insult to the audience and to the artists and professionals who created the work. If you have to put it over the titles but I wish you’d stop doing that and let us enjoy what we’re watching. Or to put it another way – if that’s the BBC’s new look please have it look away while in a room full of Weeping Angels.
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