"They occupied the planet before humans, now they want it back."
Writer: Chris Chibnall
Format: TV
Broadcast: 29th May 2010
Series: 5.09
Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory
Synopsis
Once more the Doctor meets members of the Silurian race. However, this time, can he prevent them from being destroyed by humanity out of an act of self-preservation, or can he broker peace between them and bring about a better future for both races of planet Earth?
Verdict
Cold Blood was an excellent conclusion to the story already started in The Hungry Earth! The story is a fine example of a two parter episode and with it being by Chris Chibnall, I am now really excited for him to takeover as head writer and take the Doctor on his own personal adventure. But for now he was just taking the Eleventh Doctor on a little trip to beneath the surface of the planet and into an awakening civilisation of Silurians. With a very strong premise already created in the first episode, things really did get tense and there was a lot of action which is always positive. Whereas in the first part we only saw two Silurians, things quickly followed on from the cliffhanger and we were introduced to many more of the race. The most notable were Restac and Eldame who I both enjoyed but for very different reasons. Restac certainly represented the military branch of the Silurian race and was all in favour of hunting the "apes" for sport just as they used to. I've only recently finished watching the original set of 'Planet of the Apes' movies and I must say I was thinking about the first few in particular in this story and there are definitely similarities that can be drawn. Humanity's reaction to another intelligent species was much the same and instantly they were opposed to the idea of sharing the planet with the Silurians. However, where the films differ from this episode is that there was no mediator in the form of the Doctor. He was so excited in this story about the possibility of bringing in a new age on Earth with both man and Silurian sharing the surface. Restac wanted to wipe out humanity and bring about a war though but once Eldane was awoken by Malokeh, she was outranked. Eldane was in favour of trying to coexist on the surface with the humans and in the brilliantly organised peace talks between himself and Amy & Nasreen, he firmly put down on the table what the Silurians would offer in terms of science, medicine and technology. Humanity would hugely benefit and at that point it seemed that a planet share could be on the cards. But prior events already meant that it would not be possible. Ambrose killing Alaya was quite a shock as what the latter was doing by taunting was a laughable reason to murder really. Elliot's disappointment in his mother's actions was superb and I really have liked his character. The references to The Eleventh Hour and The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone were really good and the Doctor expressing his anger about not knowing what the crack from Amy's bedroom meant was sublime. Matt Smith was once again wonderful as the Eleventh Doctor and absolutely remains my favourite televised Doctor to date. Rory's death was unexpected and I remember being really shocked and confused on the episode's broadcast as the finale was when things usually happened and Rory had only officially joined as companion in The Vampires of Venice so things didn't seem to add up. Everything was of course out right in The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang and that story was foreshadowed here with the Doctor retrieving a piece of his broken TARDIS. The explosion that created the cracks was his TARDIS and he got an awful glimpse into his future. The acting between Matt Smith and Karen Gillan was magnificent in the TARDIS immediately after the light was catching up with Rory. Tony and Nasreen had decided to stay with the Silurians and would reawake with them in a thousand years but war was just about averted. The mining site was blown up and Rory had died in the process and an action packed story soon became extremely emotional. Overall, the two parts as a whole were excellent and this really was a great story!
Rating: 9/10
Grand story. Enjoy Eldane, the nice Sylurian leader who saw humans as equals and also act as the ncie storyteller.
ReplyDeleteAmbrose was a jerk to act on revenge instead of mercy.
Restac was a rogue. Such a rogue. Proof prejurdice be wrong. Symylar to naughty Morka.
This story inspire a story of when Rose and her team forge peace with Sylurians and Sea Demons on the Isle of Wight (I'd been there and it be lovely, and fits since prehystory was there).
I woulda feature the Brig suffering there. He was a jerk to murder Sylurians even after the guilty one fell. He betray Earth to Daleks. I woulda done it he learn how his actions help the Daleks conquer Earth which was foil by the Doctor, only for them to invent time tech (the reason for the Time-Lords were trying to prevent them). He learns his actions began events leading to the Time-War. He can go on a guilt road and eventually do amends.
It woulda rock if Rose met the Sylurians. She's grand with helping foreign species. Would help show ehr compassion. She felt sorry for Vastra';s loss, so I bet she'd help these Sylurians.
ReplyDeleteI picture Rose woulda enjoy Eldane.
I got the idea for Rose and ehr team meeting Sylurians and Sea Demons, and befriending them on the Isle of Wight. The Isle of Wight would fit well; lovely beaches and cliffs, and such prehistory (I went there on a holiday).
I remember this.
ReplyDeleteThe murderers turning out to be human cannibals shock me. So did the policeman turning out to be one of them.
Gradn scene when Jack pops up on the tractor and uses a shotgun. A farm story be daft without any shotguns and tractors. All it needs be animals.
A harsh remidner humans can be monsters too.
Oops. Wrong episode. Sorry.
DeleteHere's some Sylurians I thought up:
ReplyDelete1. Flarana, a she-Sylurian who's the first to befriend Rose and co on Pete's World. A feisty, benevolent, wise, honourable, jolly, frank, and authoritive figure who fights for peace and equality. Able with martial arts including swordsmanship and archery. Also handy with mind powers. And a pescertarian, the only meat she eats be from the seas and rivers. She's a fusion of Pocahontas from Pocahontas (1995), Leia and Padme from Star Wars, Jane Porter from Tarzan (1999), Barbara Gordon from DC Comics, MJ from MCU, Belle from Beauty and the Beazt, Hermionie from Harry Potter, twylight from My Little Pony, Kitty Brydon from The Jungle Book (1994), Jane Foster from MCU, Lylly from Dolittle, Cosmo the Seedrian from Sonic X, Apryl O'Neil from TMNT (2012), Cheri from Unico and the Island of Magic, and Ariel form The Little Mermaid. She even falls in lvoe with a noble he-human who shares her feeligns and marries her. Her name be a fusion of the words 'Flora' and 'fauna' which fits her intrique with biology.
2. Mesozora, Flarana's papa and chief for a Sylurian coloney on the Isle of Wight. A noble and wise one symylar to Eldane, who cares for humans. Reveal to'd been a companion to the War Doctor. His name's a parody on the Mesozoic, the Age of Dinosaurs.
3. Triazz, chief of science for Mesozora's coloney and Flarana's uncle. An eccentric and virtuous one. His name be a parody on the Triassic, the first period of the Mesozoic when the first dinosaurs, pterosaurs and sea-reptyles came.
4. Cretaceour, current leader of Mesozora's mylitary force. A noble and honourable one. Her name be a parody on the Cretaceous, the final period of the Mesozoic; famous for T-Rex, Tricerertops, Styracosaur, Ankylosaur, Iguanodon, Velociraptor, Pachycerphalosaur, Spinosaur, Therizinosaur, Quetzalocaotlus, Giganodosaur, Pteanodon, Mosasaur, Elsasmosaur, Archelon, and Gallimimus.
5. Jurazz, former mylitary commander for Mesozora's coloney who became leader for a rogue group of Sylurians who seek to conquer Earth; sort of Nazis and Roundhoeads. His name be a parody on the Jurassic, the middle of the Mesozoic; famous for Brachiosaurs, Diplodoci, Brontosaurs, Stegosaurs, Allosaurs, and Archaeopteryx.
6. Raptoz, Jurazz's chief scientist. His name be a parody on raptors such as Velociraptors.
7. Scaloc, Jurazz's 2nd-on-command. Her name be a parody on scales which all reptiles own.
8. Mosaspinor, a Sylurian rogue who's Vastra's old enemy. She's Moriarty whyle Vastra's Sherlock. Her name be a parody on the Mosasaur and the Spinosaur, two of the deadliest of Earth's fauna.
9. Archelung, leader of some Sea Demons who be allies for Rose and co, and also a brother figure for Mesozora and Triazz. An old companion to the War Doctor. A noble soul. His name be a parody on the Archelon, a giant sea turtle which roam during the Cretaceous.
10. Reefran, Archelung's daughter and Flarana's sibling figure who shares her personality and also marries a just he-human. Her name be 'reef' fuse on 'Fran'.
11. Kroneoc, leader of some rogue Sea-Demons who seek to conquer. His world's version of Blackbeard, Al Capone, Napoleon, and Captain Hook. His name be a parody on the Kronosaur, a monstrous pliosaurid from the Cretaceous.
12. Cryptocer, Kroneoc's 2nd-on-command. Her name be a parody on the Cryptoclidus, a short plesiosaurid from Jurassic England.
13. Pterdactor, Kroneoc's chief of science. His name be a parody on Pterodactyl, a pterosaur from the Jurassic.
14. Jurazsora, a noble Sylruian scientist who befriends Tarzan and co. Her name's a parody on the Jurassic.
15. Cretacora, a noble Sea Demon scientist who befriends Tarzan and co. A sibling for Juraszsora. Her name's a parody on the Cretaceous.
16. Plesion, a noble Sea-Demon who becomes the first of her kind to befriedn Rainbow Dash (My Little Pony). Her name be a parody on the plesiosaurs, long-neck sea-reptyles including the Elasmosaurs.
17. Mosascar, Plesion's brother who turn to crime and piracy. His name be Mosasaur fuse with Scar.