We're now in our second series with Matt Smith as the Doc and Steven Moffat pulling the levers behind the scenes, Wizard of Oz style. I felt quite gratified recently when I read an interview with Moffat saying that he'd began by writing a Tennant-ish Doctor and had only gradually made his way over to writing for the character developed by Matt Smith, as that was absolutely how I'd experienced the last series (she writes, not actually checking her episode reviews to see how that tallies with reality - feel free to check, and to mock me for my inconstancy). This series has started so Smith-esque it now feels impossible to imagine Tennant playing the role, which is exactly as it should be.
As for these opening episodes, I was largely delighted and also fairly largely confused. But then the confusion added to the delight, because since the very first of the rebooted Who series, all I've wanted is a proper series-long arc, not just some blink-and-you'll-miss-them clues which are hastily resolved in the finale as per every other season. So although this was allegedly a two-parter, we're left with some colossal questions: how are the companions going to stop the Doctor from dying? Who was in the space suit? What's River Song's secret? What's going on with Amy's pregnancy? Who is the little girl? Who is the woman with the eye patch? And just when you thought you had plenty to be getting on with, WTF IS THE LITTLE GIRL DOING REGENERATING AT THE END?????
I have theories aplenty. I don't think River is Amy's daughter, because GROSS - does he just wait sixteen years and then pounce? - and also it seems unlikely that Amy and Rory, knowing River Song, would name their daughter River Song just in case. The little girl could be Amy's daughter, though in that case what is she doing regenerating? - just sort of caught it off the Tardis? because she was conceived in the Tardis? Which is also GROSS, because the only nookie that should go on in there is *see paragraph one* or maybe the Doctor and River WHO IS NOT A BABY. The person who kills the Doctor is totally the Doctor. Or River. Or Amy. Or Rory. No, not Rory. Or the little girl, who then sucks up the Doctor energy and regenerates back into him by the bins next to the homeless bloke. Maybe.
Some of the details of the episodes themselves actually pale a bit against this speculation. On the whole I don't think Doctor Who should ever do America, as it's never convincing - bad accents, bad sets, bad comparisons with better, more expensive American Sci Fi shows - and reminds me of those episodes when Eastenders go to the seaside. I also can't help but wonder why, if the Silence (scary, nasty, evil - good stuff) have had control over this planet and everything on it since the dawn of time, all they've done with that power is get themselves a nifty spacesuit. I do wish Amy would stop getting captured, though it was seriously creepy this time, and I desperately, DESPERATELY want Rory to be less wet. At the moment it's like having a heap of algae on the Tardis. (Cute in his disguise specs, though. Costume department take note.)
However, however. Let's not go overboard. It was disorienting and frightening and properly unpleasant at times (the evil orphanage? *shudder*), big points for that, though a few points minused for not considering that your own face is a stupid place to put marks that are meant to remind you of something. It was a great set-up for the series as a whole. And basically the more River Song kicking arse and flirting the better, in my opinion, and not only because I'm closer in age to her than I am to Amy and therefore makes it easier to fantasise about *see paragraph one*. I can't pass judgement on the blafflingness of various baffling bits because they may become less baffling as the series progresses. We'll have to reconvene on that one.
Verdict? All in all an excellent start. I am agog as to how it will resolve.
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