So three more episodes of Doctor Who have aired and I had to watch them after the fact because Tivo and satellite dishes go together like oil and water or Joel Schumacher and Batman. I know I weeks late but I’ve been tinkering with these write ups trying to find a style that I like and I think I’ve found it. Of course I’m still trying to work out the kinks so if you notice anything that needs improvement, anything you like, any questions, or other comments then please send me an email. You can reach me at billiamreviews@gmail.com. Now, let us get on with Doctor Who!
This is your spoiler warning. Remember that while my movie reviews are spoiler free, my Doctor Who write ups aren’t. So allow this Doctor Pup to be your final warning.
Episode 2: Into the Dalek
This was our first view of the new Doctor after the events of the first episode and he did a lot to show us who he is now. We still have a lot left to learn, mind you, but episode 2 gives us our first taste of the new Doctor. I picked up on his speech style and mannerisms quite well and noticed that Capaldi’s Doctor seemed so deliberate and stern yet there was still this hint of boyish charm shining through. Some of his wild gestures and movements made me think of Tennant and Eccleston. This Doctor feels like the lovechild of Tenth and Dr. House.
The opening scene was a nice change of pace from the premier episode which was sloer and morose, but it did leave me with two questions. Why couldn’t the Doctor swoop in a little earlier and save Lt Blue’s brother? The TARDIS can travel though time AND space! So couldn’t the Doctor have popped his head in a bit earlier to save the poor guy? I understand that the death was part of the story, but Moffat could have at least given some explanation. Maybe the brother’s death was a fixed point in time or maybe pulling two people out would have taxed the TARDIS too much. The second question comes from when the Doctor and Blue make it to the ship and the commander says that the Doctor could be a duplicate. Could this be a reference to series six episode five The Rebel Flesh? Because I’ve never heard of the Daleks using clones before. The only thing I can remember is the human Dalek from Daleks in Manhattan and the Dalek puppet from Asylum of the Daleks.
I liked the first scene on Earth in this episode that introduced Danny Pink as a very human solder. Please understand that I’m not saying solders are somehow not human. This is only a nod at the fact that Twelve seems to hate solders more than any Doctor before, but more on that later. The introduction of Pink was funny and charming and introduced another human element that the show as missing. Clara, and the other companions, may be the voices of reason for the Doctor as well as being representative of his relationship with humanity, but I believe Pink will bring new aspects of the human condition to the show.
Anywho, back to the episode. It’s always fun to see a Dalek not recognize a new Doctor especially when he’s new to us too. When Clara is brought onto the ship, the Doctor says “She cares so I don’t have to.” This is a big change from the past Doctors who seemed to care too much. This new trait is even seen later in the episode when he does nothing to save the solders from getting killed while they’re inside the Dalek.
The trip through the iside of the Dalek was a fantastic new adventure because after fifty years of the same enemy coming back again and again, it could very easily get boring. Lucky for Doctor Who, the writers are able to keep it interesting and fresh. The set design was great as the inside of the Dalek matched the tone of the episode as well as the outside of the Dalek perfectly. It was dark, dangerous, cold, and it gave me the sense that I wasn’t save.
I liked this peisode more than i did the previous one. It was more of a return to form. However I question Moffat’s choice of having Twelve let the Dalek see into his mind. The Doctor just regenerated but he should know that there’s nothing but hate in his heart when it comes to the Daleks. Another thing I questioned was his no solder rule when he told Lt Blue that she couldn’t come with him. The Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Doctors may have been against war (with the exception of Eleven near the end) but they still weren’t as anti-solder as Twelve is. Hell, what about Rory? After the Pandorica, Rory was a trained solder! The Doctor also works side by side with Strax and while Strax may be a nurse, he’s a born solder too! I’m looking forward to Danny Pink softening the Doctors heart and changing his view on solders. \
Allow me to end with two thoughts. First of all, we saw Missy again and I can’t help but keep trying to guess at who she is. The last solder who died was the only one we saw with her so what heppened to the others? Do only certain people get to “heaven?” And she knows the Doctor but we’ve never seen her before so is her timeline backwards too just like River Song? Also, Clara is leaving the show so is Pink the excuse Moffat is going to give us for her exit?
Episode 3: Robot of Sherwoood
From the get go episode three promised to bring back the wonder and excitement of past episodes when Tennant or Smith asked Rose, Martha, Donna, or Amy and Rory where thy wanted to go and an adventure would always ensue.
So the TARDIS arrives in Sherwood forest and right away I notice again how confrontational this Doctor is. More so than any Doctor before. He even willingly did battle with Robin Hood. The fight was a nice nod to Robin Hood lore though as the river fight is the first time Robin and Little John (What?.. sorry, I couldn’t help it) meet. Clara’s entrance in the red dress was the highlight of the episode as I believe she’s the most attractive companion. I’ll put a picture right after this to allow my friend Evan to rage. Amy will always be his favorite.
I was very excited and then, moments later, disappointed when the robots weren’t Cybermen. It would have been a great one two punch for the new Doctor. Three familiar enemies in a row. Clockwork Driods, Daleks, and Cybermen. It would have been fantastic.
The archery competition scene was more fun than I thought it would be. I was afraid this episode was going to follow the classic Robin Hood story too much, but the Doctor’s trick arrow (as we later learn it is) and then the non-Cybermen robots (yes, I’m still upset) saved the scene from potential boredom.
When the Doctor, Clara, and Robin Hood were imprisoned it occurred to me that the men were startlingly similar. They both held pain deep inside that showed in different ways. Robin’s would come out with his constant laughing and the Doctors macho bravado was his tell. The similarities between the two characters made their rivalry even better. Robin Hood was Clara’s childhood hero and crush and the Doctor feels like he’s not as important to her anymore.
The only real problem I had with the episode, besides the lack of Cybermen, came when Robin Hood and the Doctor escaped from the dungeon. How they escaped was fine but I had trouble with how easily they found the ship. It felt as if the writers ran out of ideas at that point and said “oh well, we’ll just have them run right into it without having to search at all.” During that same scene the Sheriff blows the door open to make his entrance with two robots following him. Why did he blow the door open? It wasn’t locked. We never see either the Doctor or Robin Hood lock it AND the Doctor is without his Sonic Screwdriver.
I liked the twist before the confrontation between Robin Hood and the Sheriff. Usually it’s the Doctor who comes in at the last minute and leaves everyone dumbfounded as he saves the day, but this time the Doctor was the one with his mouth agape. It was also fantastic how Robin Hood used the Doctor’s trick to defeat the Sheriff. It hints that he crew as a character during the episode and thus hints and the Doctors potential growth.
This was my favorite episode so far and I’m looking forward to what comes next. I liked this episode more than I did episode four, but that post will come tomorrow. I liked the fact that we didn’t see Missy at the end. If we saw her three times in a row it would have bordered on being heavy handed.
Remember folks, drop me a line at billiamreviews@gmail.com with any constructive comments or questions about my Doctor Who posts, my movie reviews, or my (very few, but I’ll fix that soon) game reviews. Thank you for reading.