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