Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

"Did the Silurians beg you to stop?"

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 8th September 2012

Series: 7.02

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis 

In 2367, the Indian Space Agency is on high alert as an unifentifiee spaceship hurtles towards the Earth. The Doctor assembles a team to investigate, including the legendary Queen Nefertiti, a big game hunter named Riddell, Amy, Rory... and Rory's father, Brian. Materialising on board a Silurian Ark with its only inhabitants dinosaurs, an injured rogue trader and two childish robots, the gang have a mystery to solve...

Verdict 

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship was a very good episode to continue the game changing seventh series of the revived Doctor Who. The title suggests the story is going to be pretty unique and indeed that was the case! I loved how the Doctor seemingly has a rambunctious side when he's travelling alone, as we've previously seen with River Song, and now here with Queen Nefertiti! Just what was he doing with the historical Egyptian? I'll leave it to speculation. I suppose my annoyance at Amy and Rory not constantly travelling with the Doctor is more critical of the series' direction than this episode itself, but I just really dislike that the companions can come and go with the Doctor as they please. It's a luxury! You shouldn't be able to choose, you just stay or go. After the Doctor had picked up Nefertiti and Riddell, I liked the humorous way in which Brian came aboard the TARDIS with Amy and Rory. Brian was a fantastic character and I liked how being Rory's Dad brought in some humour. The plot of the story was actually fantastic! Dinosaurs on a spaceship is something unique but it actually made so much sense when you threw in the fact that the ship was a Silurian Ark! Somehow, this story seemed to be a mini crossover of The Ark and Invasion of the Dinosaurs. I'd never have thought stories of so much difference could conjoin to become one! But that's the feel I got from it here. Amy was stunningly good in this episode and with her away from Rory she shone ever so brightly. The redhead was, figuratively, on fire! Sexy, smart and superb. A terrific companion performance, pushing buttons to discover just exactly what was going on. The Doctor had taught her well. I loved the Doctor's joy at having his own gang, brilliantly typical of the eleventh incarnation. Although, I don't feel Nefertiti and Riddell actually needed to feature. All Riddell brought was innuendo with the Egyptian Queen whilst the Queen herself just served as market value to Solomon. But surely the TARDIS would have been worth much more than her? Solomon was an excellent villain, utterly spiteful and horrid. He'd ejected every Silurian from their own ship so he could take the cargo of dinosaurs for himself to export. As the Doctor said, piracy and genocide. Something the Doctor would avenge. Matt Smith was again fantastic as the Doctor and showed all the traits of why he's my favourite Doctor superbly here. We saw the comical side with his joyous glee at having a gang and seeing dinosaurs in space. We had his genius side in how he saved the day and rescued Nefertiti. We also got the wonderful quirkiness mixed in with the absolute seriousness that Smith so effortlessly turns on. He'd left the missile signal in Solomon's ship, and uncharacteristically but justly, left the trader to die. Greed isn't a trait the Doctor is fond of, and we found out brilliantly why in this episode. The idea of a wave powered ship was good but I didn't buy a sky on the inside of a spaceship at all. The idea though of the advanced Silurians is extremely clever. And now I have to mention those stupid robots. I just couldn't understand why there were so ridiculously silly! It annoyed me in fact and really hurt the episode. Way too childish for an emotional story. It was obvious they didn't fit the bill, just make them aggressive and it would have been much better! But anyway, overall it was a very good episode and sneaks a very decent rating. 

Rating: 8/10