Doctor Who: The Eleventh Hour
If there is one thing that isn't in any doubt, it's that I really enjoyed watching the new Doctor Who episode tonight, the first from the new Moffat era.
Yet, in a way, I find I'm second-guessing myself. Did I enjoy it objectively because it's a fine piece of TV, or was it, in actual fact, a load of bobbins, and I'm subjectively blinded by a combination of my hatred of RTD, and my love of Moffat?
Somewhat surprisingly, given Moffat's past stories on Doctor Who, the tone of "The Eleventh Hour" doesn't actually veer too far away from that on a standard RTD episode. There's an alien, drama as the Doctor runs about having hijinks and trying to save the planet from a GRAVE THREAT, a spot of comedy, and some family interaction involving members of the companion's 'extended' family. All of those are elements which were front and centre in "Rose" and "Smith and Jones".
The main difference, as it appears to be, is that while RTD kept turning events UP TO 10! NO, 11!, NO, ELEVENTY-ELEVEN! and so on all the time, Moffat is much more able to vary the pacing of the show. The episodes has lows (in pacing terms) as well as highs, which helps the viewer feel as if they're being taken on a journey rather than being strapped into a rocket seat and blasted off with no brakes. This also helps the story make more sense - the slow bits give reason to the fast bits, the script works to suspend the audience's disbelief properly, so as you watch you're kind of thinking "Ah, yes, that makes sense, I can see what's happening here", or, at worst, "Nnnngh... that's a bit silly, but I'll buy it." As opposed to the RTD style where SHIT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME while MAKING NO SENSE. "We've done this, now we must do that, and this, and OH, PERHAPS THIS!", all while the viewer is yelling "That makes no sense!" at the TV. Perhaps there were moments in "The Eleventh Hour" that, if subjected to thorough examination, would make no sense. However, crucially, the structure is set that in the moment, you believe it.
The comedy, I found Moffat did better as well. Fart jokes and lowest common denominator gags were eschewed in favour of smart, clever jokes that worked in the moment. The running gag about 'The Raggedy Doctor' worked especially well, for one. Connected to this, the family moments were much less intrusive than any in RTD's Doctor Who. The difference is that while RTD would insist on endless scenes with the companion's family being dull and boring and shit and whining about their lives etc. etc., while the viewer is wondering why the fuck they should care about this, Moffat, as far as I noticed, restricted the family involvement to scenes which the Doctor was in. In that way, they're much more naturally integrated into the show, and don't stick out like a sore thumb. In effect, we learn about these people at the same time as the Doctor does, not through being force-fed them during times we'd rather be looking elsewhere.
One thing which Moffat did in this episode, which I loved him for even though I saw it coming from the start, is that, unlike RTD, he took the opportunity to play around with time again. Although minor compared to "The Girl in the Fireplace", "Blink", or "Silence in the Library", the little touch where he says he'll be back in five minutes and actually takes twelve years, and then again when he takes another two, there's a certain joy in playing around like that, and it's a touch RTD would never have put in himself.
And yet. And yet. There are elements there which, if it were an RTD episode, I'd be jumping up and down getting cross about how it MAKES NO SENSE. An alien being which takes its form from coma patients; the world-wide computer virus (and the associated hacking in on the networked conversation (which reminds me, Patrick Moore!); the way Amy seems to know everyone in the village. And it bothers me slightly. I think perhaps I need a little more distance, as right now, I couldn't tell you whether I bought those moments because Moffat worked them well (the option I'd like to believe), or whether it's simply because I'm giving Moffat more leeway (whereas I'd like to think that if he wrote something as stupid as in an RTD episode, I'd call him on it. I may cry a little inside, but I'd still call him on it). As I say, I'm leaning towards the former, but I am perhaps not best placed at the moment to judge myself.
In any case, I'm really looking forward now to what the rest of the series will bring. Which before tonight I can't say I was sure of, as (dare I whisper it) I thought the last trailer looked a bit, well... naff. God, I hope it doesn't go downhill from this point and disappoint me, especially given I've already suggested (on Twitter) that Moffat should be up for a knighthood now.
One final point I couldn't really fit anywhere in the main body of the review: seamed stockings (or were they tights? Probably tights, I suppose) are awesome. The costume department really played a blinder there.
Yet, in a way, I find I'm second-guessing myself. Did I enjoy it objectively because it's a fine piece of TV, or was it, in actual fact, a load of bobbins, and I'm subjectively blinded by a combination of my hatred of RTD, and my love of Moffat?
Somewhat surprisingly, given Moffat's past stories on Doctor Who, the tone of "The Eleventh Hour" doesn't actually veer too far away from that on a standard RTD episode. There's an alien, drama as the Doctor runs about having hijinks and trying to save the planet from a GRAVE THREAT, a spot of comedy, and some family interaction involving members of the companion's 'extended' family. All of those are elements which were front and centre in "Rose" and "Smith and Jones".
The main difference, as it appears to be, is that while RTD kept turning events UP TO 10! NO, 11!, NO, ELEVENTY-ELEVEN! and so on all the time, Moffat is much more able to vary the pacing of the show. The episodes has lows (in pacing terms) as well as highs, which helps the viewer feel as if they're being taken on a journey rather than being strapped into a rocket seat and blasted off with no brakes. This also helps the story make more sense - the slow bits give reason to the fast bits, the script works to suspend the audience's disbelief properly, so as you watch you're kind of thinking "Ah, yes, that makes sense, I can see what's happening here", or, at worst, "Nnnngh... that's a bit silly, but I'll buy it." As opposed to the RTD style where SHIT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME while MAKING NO SENSE. "We've done this, now we must do that, and this, and OH, PERHAPS THIS!", all while the viewer is yelling "That makes no sense!" at the TV. Perhaps there were moments in "The Eleventh Hour" that, if subjected to thorough examination, would make no sense. However, crucially, the structure is set that in the moment, you believe it.
The comedy, I found Moffat did better as well. Fart jokes and lowest common denominator gags were eschewed in favour of smart, clever jokes that worked in the moment. The running gag about 'The Raggedy Doctor' worked especially well, for one. Connected to this, the family moments were much less intrusive than any in RTD's Doctor Who. The difference is that while RTD would insist on endless scenes with the companion's family being dull and boring and shit and whining about their lives etc. etc., while the viewer is wondering why the fuck they should care about this, Moffat, as far as I noticed, restricted the family involvement to scenes which the Doctor was in. In that way, they're much more naturally integrated into the show, and don't stick out like a sore thumb. In effect, we learn about these people at the same time as the Doctor does, not through being force-fed them during times we'd rather be looking elsewhere.
One thing which Moffat did in this episode, which I loved him for even though I saw it coming from the start, is that, unlike RTD, he took the opportunity to play around with time again. Although minor compared to "The Girl in the Fireplace", "Blink", or "Silence in the Library", the little touch where he says he'll be back in five minutes and actually takes twelve years, and then again when he takes another two, there's a certain joy in playing around like that, and it's a touch RTD would never have put in himself.
And yet. And yet. There are elements there which, if it were an RTD episode, I'd be jumping up and down getting cross about how it MAKES NO SENSE. An alien being which takes its form from coma patients; the world-wide computer virus (and the associated hacking in on the networked conversation (which reminds me, Patrick Moore!); the way Amy seems to know everyone in the village. And it bothers me slightly. I think perhaps I need a little more distance, as right now, I couldn't tell you whether I bought those moments because Moffat worked them well (the option I'd like to believe), or whether it's simply because I'm giving Moffat more leeway (whereas I'd like to think that if he wrote something as stupid as in an RTD episode, I'd call him on it. I may cry a little inside, but I'd still call him on it). As I say, I'm leaning towards the former, but I am perhaps not best placed at the moment to judge myself.
In any case, I'm really looking forward now to what the rest of the series will bring. Which before tonight I can't say I was sure of, as (dare I whisper it) I thought the last trailer looked a bit, well... naff. God, I hope it doesn't go downhill from this point and disappoint me, especially given I've already suggested (on Twitter) that Moffat should be up for a knighthood now.
One final point I couldn't really fit anywhere in the main body of the review: seamed stockings (or were they tights? Probably tights, I suppose) are awesome. The costume department really played a blinder there.