Doctor Who 5x01: The Eleventh Hour

[kerravonsen]

I am smiling. I have just watched the new Doctor Who. Which was good.


Nicely creepy:
- the very frightening crack
- the voice
- the enormous eye
- "Look. In the corner of your eye."
- the alienness of the bad mouth-voice coordination

I'm not sure whether I liked the bit where the Doctor plays Tigger; it was, perhaps, too silly.

On the other hand, I did enjoy how multiple people in the village recognised "the raggedy doctor", because it could have been sinister, or timey-wimey (these things happen). Then the actual real reason for it was very plausible, and quite fun when you had these people saying "but he's real, he can't be real!"

Amy Pond:
Fairly typical spunky Moffat heroine, I think. I did like little Amelia, how she was very much a little girl, but a non-silly one. As for grown-up Amy... I did like how she pretended to be a cop. And how she locked the Doctor's tie in the car door. And how she felt betrayed because he didn't come back in five minutes. Though of course we, the audience, knew that it would be much longer than five minutes. When has the Doctor ever come back in five minutes when he said he would?

The Doctor:
I'm glad that Matt Smith has an "interesting" face rather than a handsome one.
And yes, I think he passes muster as a Doctor. But I don't yet know if he will make it onto my list of favourite Doctors.

I really liked the "believe me for twenty minutes" speech he gave to Amy. It resonated with me; because he was making it easier for her to believe the impossible by asking less of her, and yet, he was asking for all that was required; it didn't matter how long she believed, really, so long as she believed him that minute. Because (a) one can only act in the now, and (b) once she started believing, it would be easier to keep believing.

I think that also ties in with the lovely enter-the-TARDIS scene; "I grew up." "That's easily solved." Walking into the TARDIS awakens her child-like wonder all over again. It's a mirror of the first scene; her, at night, in her nightgown, with the TARDIS at the bottom of the garden.

I liked how the Doctor commandeered Jeff to coordinate the Important People; because it's very Doctorish to bring out the best in the Ordinary People whom he makes his allies.

The nurse-guy reminded me a great deal of the Kathy's brother in "Blink"; the same sort of socially inept well-meaning sort of person.

Good quotes:
"You're not frightened of anything... that must be a very very frightening crack."

"You know how grown-ups say 'everything will be fine' and you know they're lying?" (Pause) "Everything will be fine."

"Do I have a face that says 'don't listen to me'? ... Again?" (Shout-out to Fivey! Tee hee)

"I'm the Doctor, I'm worse than anyone's aunt."


Moffat retread: the "I'm the Doctor, look me up, then run" (from Silence In The Library/Forest of the Dead)
I'm not sure whether I like that kind of arrogance, but is it arrogant if it's true?

Speaking of Moffat, he seems to be very good at writing for children; not just the childish fears that we all have (monsters under the bed, things out of the corner of your eye) but also things like the "everything will be fine" remark.

The new TARDIS interior:
I like it, especially glass circles of the roof, and the blown-glass of the time rotor. It has the anachronistic feel of something Steam-Punk-ish, but with more modern accoutrements.
I can see that the Doctor/TARDIS shippers are going to have a field day. "Aren't you sexy?" "Thank you, my dear."

The night before Amy's wedding, eh? Five will get you ten that she's not going to get married. Presumably her fiancé is the nurse-guy; after all, she did say he was her boyfriend, and since it's two years later, he could well have proposed in that time. But she's already had evidence that the Doctor can't steer his time machine very well; and yet, I expect she will still feel betrayed when he fails to return her in time. But, hey, that could be quite a while, we don't know how long Amy will last as a companion. Though presumably at least one season.

So, it looks like they're following the same formula of having doom-laden foreshadowing from the get-go. Well, why not? It works.

Loose ends:
- Why did the coma patients all mutter "Doctor"?


I'm unsure whether it was wise or not to watch the trailer, but I did this time. I like to avoid trailers because of spoilers, on the other hand, they are a bit exciting.


Spot the monster:
- Cyberman (looking a bit worse for wear)
- Needle-teeth multiform in the form of women in white dresses
- Weeping angels
- Possible WWII historical
- Horses
- a space battle

"One thing you should never ever put in a trap: me."

Comments

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure whether I like that kind of arrogance, but is it arrogant if it's true?

I'd say it's justified, really. :) And I think I like the way smith delivered those lines. It comes off as a fair warning and a strong threat, but not so much like he's wallowing in the egotism of it. He strikes me (tentatively) as less hubristic than Ten.

[reapermum.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a whole series trailer. This week's Radio Times has brief summaries of all 13 episodes and I could tell you which week your suggestions appear in.

But I won't.

Over 40 years of reading Radio Times inoculates you against spoilers, they do it all the time.

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

I think it made a lot of difference that he was smiling cockily as he said it rather than trying to be all scary and badass like Ten would have.

Re Trailer

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

I like the spitfires against the Dalek ships scene there is something just so cool about that. The Dalek with the Sam Brown belt made me smile. Evidently WWII with Daleks looks a good episode.

The women in white reminded me more of "Brides Of Dracula".

For some reason I almost felt sorry for the cyberman, not sure why.

The new series looks fun with the return of some old baddies.

PS Foreshadowing, Again! I'm actually getting fed up of this.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I like him too! A lot. I'm a bit disappointed that we once again have Daleks and Cybermen because they've been done to death, but if they have interesting twists--and how could I not love Spitfires in Space?--I'll be happy. And I think I will be.

As for Amy's wedding; I get the impression she had given up on the possibility of more excitement and adventure and had settled. If she does, by some extraordinary coincidence (like there being an emergency the TARDIS has to get to) she does get back for her wedding, then I doubt she'll go through with it. She'll be too changed.

[recycledcans.livejournal.com]

Speaking of Moffat, he seems to be very good at writing for children; not just the childish fears that we all have (monsters under the bed, things out of the corner of your eye) but also things like the "everything will be fine" remark.

THIS. I feel like Russell was a more extreme monsters~ type of guy, and went for what he thought would scare people. While it's true, a lot of people will see the Daleks and know shit will go down, I love what Moffat is doing with the everyday realistic fears. The Vashta Nerada, Weeping Angels, the Crack, etc are things even those who are new to the series can relate to. The "everything will be fine" line is interesting because it seems like he wouldn't hide anything from Amelia, yet he hides the Crack from her as Amy.

[kerravonsen]

I feel like Russell was a more extreme monsters~ type of guy, and went for what he thought would scare people. While it's true, a lot of people will see the Daleks and know shit will go down, I love what Moffat is doing with the everyday realistic fears.

You're right, RTD was more of an explosions kind of person. Moffat is so very good at being creepy.

The "everything will be fine" line is interesting because it seems like he wouldn't hide anything from Amelia, yet he hides the Crack from her as Amy.

You think so? I thought it was simply because Amelia raised the issue of the the Crack in the first place, while Amy was in denial about everything.