The Angels Take Manhattan

"You don't believe statues can move."

Writer: Steven Moffat

Format: TV

Broadcast: 29 September 2012

Series: 7.05

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory, River

Synopsis

A simple trip to 2012 New York goes horribly wrong when Rory is sent back to the 1930s by the Weeping Angels. There, he finds that his daughter, River Song, is investigating the Angels and Manhattan has become their hunting ground. The Doctor and Amy must find Rory before it's too late, but they soon find that not every point in time can be changed. And here, the Doctor must face the one thing he has been dreading – a final farewell to the Ponds. 

Verdict

The Angels Take Manhattan was an outstanding episode to conclude the first half of the seventh series of Doctor Who's modern era! After two-and-a-half series, we bid a fond farewell to Amy and Rory as companions and it's quite fitting that they go out together. Now, I'm going to sound contradictory here because my rating is one of perfection, but I can't wrap my head around the Doctor not being able to go back and visit Amy and Rory. I fully appreciate the difficulties of the TARDIS being able to land in New York given its significance as a city, but surely he could just land elsewhere in the States and commute on a train to where they were? That always feels a little off. I thought the build throughout the episode was superb though. It's ominous right from the off and the atmosphere is downright chilling. I was also a huge fan of the directing because it definitely helped with the eery tone of the episode. We know before watching that Amy and Rory are going to depart, but the suspense is always there. The Winter Quay as a farm for the Weeping Angels is a tremendous concept and I love the they just keep feeding on the same people across time. It was also excellent to not mess around or build towards the Weeping Angels arriving. They were there for all to see and in this episode we had them in numerous forms. The cherubs were very freaky and that mischievous laugh when Rory is getting coffees is downright frightening. The very idea of baby Angels is scary in its own right, but then we also have the granddaddy of them all in the form of the Statue of Liberty! That's an audacious move that absolutely pays off and I still can't believe I haven't purchased the Eaglemoss figurine of it. It's high on my wish list now after watching the episode again for the first time in a decade. The Doctor doing some final checks before meeting River is lovely and I like that he wants to impress. The chemistry between Smith and Kingston is palpable and I do wish that River would travel with him as he requested at the end. They just absolutely nail it together. The pondering on the ending of The Wedding of River Song with the Doctor erasing himself from records and therefore the man River killed not actually existing was very fun. She was no longer contained to Stormcage and was now a Professor. She was going up in the world! I absolutely adore the use of the book in showing what will come in the future and the parallels with what the Doctor and Amy were experiencing after Rory was sent back in time was just fantastic stuff. It was marvellous when it could have become a mess. The yowzah link to land in 1938 was fun stuff too. Seeing the older version of Rory die after seeing Amy after so long was heartbreaking stuff and the inner battle the Doctor was going through throughout the episode about fixed time was incredibly powerful. That was seen here as Rory had died, but River lying about not breaking her wrist to free herself of the Angel's grip was sensational. The use of regeneration energy to heal it doesn't exactly tie up with what will come in The Time of the Doctor as the Doctor is in his last regeneration now, and I thought River could have been a little more grateful! The ending and jump from Rory and Amy is incredible stuff as they do it together and the touch of having the Doctor witness them make the plunge makes it as good as it is. The paradox works in killing off the Angels, but one survivor causes so much pain. Rory gets taken back after seeing a gravestone with his own name, and Amy takes the risk of going back with him. The Doctor running for the last page is lovely as he gets a sort of goodbye with Amy, and I like how both she and River insist that the Doctor doesn't travel alone. He needs somebody and that's a good way of looking forward for what's to come. Overall though, emotional, chilling and just excellent. A tremendous mid-series finale! 

Rating: 10/10

The Power of Three

"Invasion of the very small cubes."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 22 September 2012

Series: 7.04

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

There have been ways to invade Earth, and the Doctor has seen them all – or so he always thought. And then the human race wakes up one morning and discovers the world has been overrun by small cubes, which then proceed to do nothing at all. A plan is afoot, humanity is endangered but by what, and how, and above all, when? The Year of the Slow Invasion has thus begun. 

Verdict

The Power of Three was a great episode to continue the modern era rewatch with Series 7! Whilst this series is spread out in two parts, they do have a distinct feeling of being separate and with that in mind we reach the penultimate episode for Amy and Rory. My partner Gemma hadn’t quite realised how quickly we have reached this point and she was quick to comment on the amount of foreshadowing in this episode. That was really good and whilst I’m not a huge fan of Amy and Rory preferring the mundane reality of a normal life to that of the TARDIS, it’s good to build towards their departure. Rory in particular really does seem disinterested in the Doctor’s lifestyle now and much more interested in his own job. Given his profession and the way he can help people that’s understandable, but he feels like he’s doing it in an on the nose way. He’s almost confrontational towards the Doctor when he’s annoyed at the slowness of real life which felt a little off. I wasn’t a huge fan, but at the same time I can appreciate the injection of realism. The concept of a slow invasion is really good and the simplicity of numerous black cubes all bearing the same look and physical makeup was fantastic. They just come and do nothing. And that frustrated the Doctor spectacularly. I thought this was a stellar performance from Matt Smith as the Doctor because he was able to go from the frustration of waiting around for the cubes to do something, to then confronting the Shakri in defiant defence of the human race. I think this story could have done with being a two-parter in all honesty as it does feel that we don’t enough time with the Shakri as by the time they’re revealed it’s time to defeat them! I loved how the Doctor thought they were a myth and actually used as a bedtime threat for the Time Lord children. His quick retort about the werewolf in your grandma’s dress for Little Red Riding Hood was excellent. I thought the debut of Kate Stewart here was wonderful and it’s so fun to rewatch this after seeing how far she has come with the Doctor now. Hell, she’s head of UNIT at a time where we’re getting them involved in a brand new spinoff series! She looks so young here as the Head of Science, but she holds her own with the Doctor. They honour the Brigadier spectacularly and I like how she is amazed by how good the Doctor is. I mean that’s understandable given that the Doctor essentially resurrects a third of the human race! The purpose of the cubes in causing cardiac problems was brutal but it provided strong comedy when one of the Doctor’s hearts stopped. That was tremendous. I thought the conclusion was a little quick but it was rather triumphant also for the human race to walk again. That wouldn’t be a contagion destroyed before they could colonise space as the Shakri wanted. Overall, a great episode! 

Rating: 8/10

A Town Called Mercy

"Make peace with your gods."

Writer: Toby Whithouse

Format: TV

Broadcast: 15 September 2012

Series: 7.03

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

The Doctor gets a Stetson and a gun, and finds himself the reluctant sheriff of a Western town under siege by a relentless cyborg, who goes by the name of the Gunslinger. Who is he, and what does he want? The answer seems to lie with the mysterious Kahler-Jex, an alien doctor whose initial appearance is hiding a dark secret.

Verdict

A Town Called Mercy was a pretty average episode of Doctor Who as we continue our rewatch of the modern era! Well, it's been a decade since I last watched this particular adventure and unfortunately I cans safely say that it has gone way down in my estimation. I was not a huge fan which is a shame and whilst there were some good bits as my (generous) rating reflects, this now ranks as my least favourite Eleventh Doctor story. I've long claimed this to be Night Terrors, but this absolutely takes it. I'm not a big fan of the Wild West setting in the first place and that's a big reason as to why I usually consider The Gunfighters as my all time least favourite televised adventure. It just doesn't work for me and I don't really see the appeal. I did though think the Doctor's arrival into the saloon and the humour he had with the toothpick was magnificent. That was so perfect of this incarnation and his interaction with everyone and everything was undoubtedly the story's highlight for me. I thought some of the directing was also a little questionable which is not something I usually pick up on, or am not usually at least bothered by, but it was very jumpy on numerous occasions. I think the design behind Kahler-Tek is actually pretty good and he undoubtedly looks imposing and impressive, but it feels a bit of a let down that he's not actually the villain of the piece. Sure, he's a killer but it's not exactly his fault. That all goes down to Kahler-Jex who was not a cyborg and just an ordinary doctor on the Kahler world. I am not sure if it's because the actor played Pete in Gavin & Stacey but I just couldn't buy him as the true enemy. The Doctor's reaction when he sees the truth of his part in the war inside his ship is brilliant when confronting him, but it doesn't seem right that he would just send him off to the Gunslinger's hands to perish. Amy wasn't having that and knew they needed to be better. She was decent here and I liked that she was considered the Deputy Sheriff once the Doctor was installed following Isaac's death. Rory on the other hand may as well have stayed in the TARDIS. He offered very little which is a big shame. He could have been much more utilised here. Isaac being on the side of Tek because of his medical aid and provision of electricity was great but I was surprised he took the bullet for him! Appointing the Doctor as Marshall was good stuff and always bound to happen, and of course he'd wear a stetson now! It suited him. I thought the visual effects of seeing within the cyborg's point of view were a strong element and gave the episode something of a unique feeling in parts, and the history behind Ted was an emotional one. I thought it was particularly telling when he stopped his ambush and destruction because he saw the effect it had on a young girl. The significance of the barrier at the town of Mercy seemed a little odd and not exactly impenetrable, but it was nice to have some boundaries that's for sure. The way the locals get Jex back to his ship and over the boundary with the face effect of the Kohler people was quite clever, although it was pretty predictable what was going to happen once he got there. He was always going to initiate the self destruct and take himself out to stop more ceaseless killings. But the little addition at the end of Kahler-Tek becoming the sheriff felt a little forced and more than cheesy. I wasn't a fan. Overall, some good humour and decent elements, but despite my rating I can't help but feel a little disappointed by the episode. 

Rating: 6/10

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

"Move away from the pterodactyls!"

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 8 September 2012

Series: 7.02

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

An unmanned spaceship hurtles towards certain destruction. Only the Doctor can save it, along with its impossible cargo of dinosaurs. By his side are a ragtag gang of adventurers: a big game hunter, an Egyptian queen and a surprised member of the Pond family. But little does the Doctor know that there is someone else onboard who will stop at nothing to keep hold of his precious, prehistoric cargo. 

Verdict

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship was a decent episode to continue our way through the modern era rewatch! It's been around a decade since I last watched this particularly adventure which is almost baffling and does make me feel quite old, but I have a completely different perspective. Of course, this is written by Chris Chibnall and since the time of broadcast he has gone onto become the show runner and oversee the entire Thirteenth Doctor era, and created some controversy in the meantime! This didn't feel like a traditional Chibnall episode that we became used to during his era which was good, although he does seem to like a crowded TARDIS doesn't he! I did like how the episode started with the frisky aftermath between the Doctor and Queen Nefertiti, and whilst I did think she was welcomed on board the TARDIS, the same couldn't exactly be said for Riddell. He didn't seem like the kind of company the Doctor would keep and I'm not sure why he'd want to get friendly with someone so willing to kill the dinosaurs! The chemistry between Riddell and Nefertiti was good though and I loved how Amy had taken the role of seniority and didn't want flirty companions. That was amusing stuff. Of course, the true comedic value of the episode was in Brian. He was a fantastic character and the way he adjusted and reacted to being kidnapped in the TARDIS was hilarious. The Doctor confronting him at first was brilliant and typically great humour of the eleventh incarnation. He was quite shocked to see that Rory had brought his dad, but of course it wasn't exactly by choice. He was no taxi service! I think the title of this episode is obviously an appealing one for the younger fans and as a father of a three-year-old boy now, I had a much better appreciation for that. Our Albie is obsessed with dinosaurs and I found myself naming them right away as they appeared on screen. I think it's good that they're limited and the much more interesting story is the fact the TARDIS had landed on a Silurian ark. That was such an exciting concept. Solomon as the villain was just monstrous and a horrible man which was of course the intention, and he meets his fate quite fittingly. The way the Doctor confronts Solomon and reacts to his violence is excellent. It was never going to end well for the man concerned with nothing but riches and his own selfish profits. The chilling way in which Solomon reveals he sent the sleeping Silurians out of the airlock was horrifying and the Doctor's reaction said it all really. I wasn't a huge fan of the robots that Solomon had doing his bidding as they weren't that funny and it bordered on being just a little too childish. Solomon wanting Nefertiti in return for the lives of everyone else was quite something and I appreciated her sacrifice, but she was rescued rather fittingly and saw the ship destroyed taking Solomon with it to his deserved demise. So much for having his legs fixed! Brian getting a sense of adventure after this outing was good stuff and I was quite jealous of the locations he'd visited! Overall, a decent episode as a whole despite some minor flaws. 

Rating: 7/10

Asylum of the Daleks

"You will save the Daleks."

Writer: Steven Moffat

Format: TV

Broadcast: 1 September 2012

Series: 7.01

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

The Doctor and his friends must escape from a planetary prison and the dangerous convicts within, but Rory becomes separated from the Doctor and Amy as disaster strikes. And who's the soufflé girl?

Verdict

Asylum of the Daleks was an excellent episode to kick off the seventh series of the modern era of Doctor Who! I am very excited to reach this point in the series because it has been, to my knowledge, around a decade since I last watched this episode which for a modern era instalment is an awfully long time for me. Doctor Who is and always will be my comfort show and before I discovered the world of extended media around the time I started this blog in 2013, I would rewatch endlessly the modern era. On paper, this is right up my alley with the numerous designs of Daleks featuring within the Asylum. I think it's a fun concept and I love the moment where the Doctor can proudly proclaim that the Daleks are scared of something of their own creation. Versions of their own kind gone wrong or mad. It's tremendous. I like how this sees the return of the more traditional gold Daleks and moves away from the Paradigm design established in Victory of the Daleks. They work well enough here as minimal elements in an entire Dalek Parliament, and the Prime Minister is very cool! It's a fantastic design and I'm all for giving us new kinds of Daleks. Even if it's just for the figurines. The number of designs I have of Daleks now is not far off a hundred and I hope they keep coming. I proudly own the Dalek Prime Minister and a few Daleks from within the Asylum which is tremendous. It's an easy marketing opportunity and I'm all for it being exploited. I think this is such a brilliant introduction for Jenna Coleman and whilst she's not quite playing her companion of Clara, the mystery of Oswin starts with a bang. It's brilliant stuff. I love that she's within a Dalek and it's such an emotional revelation. She's so much fun throughout and the chemistry she has with the Doctor just from mere telecommunication means she's perfect to be a companion, but she won't quite make it. The truth of her creating a dream for herself because the truth was just too hurtful was powerful stuff and I think it's heartbreaking that what seems like a comedic throwaway line at the start about where Oswin gets the milk for her soufflés actually becomes crucial. Where could she actually get the milk in the middle of a Dalek asylum? The Daleks simply needed her genius so they converted her fully into one of their kind. That's not exactly pure, but we saw the humans under Dalek control through the freaky eyestalks within the forehead! That's a new development that adds some fear. Getting glimpses of the Special Weapons Dalek in particular was a real highlight for me but just spotting the early Daleks, particularly those from the 1960s, was an absolute delight. One thing I don't enjoy about this episode is the whole storyline surrounding Amy and Rory. There's no feasible way I can ever believe that they would break up and whilst it is a little harsh for Rory to claim he loves her more than she did to him, it was equally not right of her to give him because he wanted kids that she couldn't give him without having a conversation. There are many other options! Rory didn't deserve that. I'm glad they see sense by the end and up in quite a passionate kiss, but for me it's a bitter pill to be kicking off a series with. Oswin actually deleting the Doctor from the Dalek path web is impressive and it really does give the Doctor an upper hand now when it comes to confronting his old enemies. I'm not sure I'm a huge fan of the Daleks forgetting their greatest enemy, but the Doctor relishes it! He just leaves and keeps the Dalek Parliament guessing on who he is and his significance. That's fun stuff. Overall, there's just so much going on and this does a good job of making the Daleks scary again. A fantastic series opener! 

Rating: 9/10