Doctor Who episode review
Spoilers under the cut.
First off I have to say how wonderful it was to see David Troughton as Professor Hobbes. I had a fangirl moment when I saw him.
I was pleasantly surprised with this episode. I knew before hand that this one was written by RTD, so I watched with low expectations. It had me on the edge of my seat. There were some flaws, but that's with any show or movie for that matter. What I really enjoyed about this episode is that the "monster" went unexplained, even the Doctor didn't know what it was because as it turned out the real "monster" was the humans on board the ship or I guess it was more like a bus.
One of the great moments in the episode is when the Doctor purposely shut off the entertainment on the bus, forcing everyone to actually talk to one another. That is something we say in my house when our electricity goes off: "Now, we have to talk to each other."
Then trouble starts, of course, it wouldn't be a Doctor Who episode without trouble. The knocking on the outside of the bus was effective to start the fear going. It's the unknown that I like, letting my imagination run wild on what it could be that is better than anything the CGI department can come up with.
Lesley Sharp was amazing as the possesed Sky Silvestry. How the monster inside progressed from just mimicking the Doctor's movements to stealing his voice. She was scary sitting there, repeating everything everyone was saying. It was an incredible scene to watch. No special effects were needed, just good old fashion acting.
The passengers on board the ship started off good and friendly and once the alien came on board, the real monster was revealed. Humans. They wanted to throw Sky out the door and of course the Doctor was there to stop them. Here, the Doctor's ego became his enemy. These people were not going to listen to him at all because of his "I'm cleverer than you" attitude. Of course then again, even if he did tell them the truth, they wouldn't believe him. Their minds had been made up and they were going to kill Sky regardless.
David Tennant was superb once the entity started to steal his voice. To me, it was obvious the Doctor knew what was happening to him and he was completely helpless - and it scared him. Sky was telling everyone to throw the Doctor out. The Hostess and the Professor's assistant, Dee Dee were the only two who knew what was going on.
The Professor's attitude towards Dee Dee was condescending, but pretty much how real life is. I remember while working at the hospital, I worked with a resident who once questioned my education (he was a dentist and I was just an assistant). After a brief discussion (actually, I did ALL the talking), he never questioned my education again. In my house, we were all yelling at the Professor to shut the hell up and listen to Dee Dee and the Hostess.
In the end, the Hostess proved them all wrong. No one came near the Doctor when the rescue ship arrived. The look the Doctor gave Val Cane was priceless after she blatantly lied to him. He knew it, he heard her and she had no excuse for her behavior. She was the monster along with her husband and the Professor. The son needed some backbone. He knew it was wrong, but he was too afraid to admit it. He buckled under the pressure.
All in all, I'd have to say I enjoyed this episode. I liked the suspense and the acting. Having them stranded on the bus gave the situation a more dire atmosphere: no place to run or hide (I can't exactly find the right words to describe it, but I think you'll know what I mean).
I can't believe only two more episodes left. :(
EDIT: Okay, it's three more episodes left. I must have more coffee. *snort*
First off I have to say how wonderful it was to see David Troughton as Professor Hobbes. I had a fangirl moment when I saw him.
I was pleasantly surprised with this episode. I knew before hand that this one was written by RTD, so I watched with low expectations. It had me on the edge of my seat. There were some flaws, but that's with any show or movie for that matter. What I really enjoyed about this episode is that the "monster" went unexplained, even the Doctor didn't know what it was because as it turned out the real "monster" was the humans on board the ship or I guess it was more like a bus.
One of the great moments in the episode is when the Doctor purposely shut off the entertainment on the bus, forcing everyone to actually talk to one another. That is something we say in my house when our electricity goes off: "Now, we have to talk to each other."
Then trouble starts, of course, it wouldn't be a Doctor Who episode without trouble. The knocking on the outside of the bus was effective to start the fear going. It's the unknown that I like, letting my imagination run wild on what it could be that is better than anything the CGI department can come up with.
Lesley Sharp was amazing as the possesed Sky Silvestry. How the monster inside progressed from just mimicking the Doctor's movements to stealing his voice. She was scary sitting there, repeating everything everyone was saying. It was an incredible scene to watch. No special effects were needed, just good old fashion acting.
The passengers on board the ship started off good and friendly and once the alien came on board, the real monster was revealed. Humans. They wanted to throw Sky out the door and of course the Doctor was there to stop them. Here, the Doctor's ego became his enemy. These people were not going to listen to him at all because of his "I'm cleverer than you" attitude. Of course then again, even if he did tell them the truth, they wouldn't believe him. Their minds had been made up and they were going to kill Sky regardless.
David Tennant was superb once the entity started to steal his voice. To me, it was obvious the Doctor knew what was happening to him and he was completely helpless - and it scared him. Sky was telling everyone to throw the Doctor out. The Hostess and the Professor's assistant, Dee Dee were the only two who knew what was going on.
The Professor's attitude towards Dee Dee was condescending, but pretty much how real life is. I remember while working at the hospital, I worked with a resident who once questioned my education (he was a dentist and I was just an assistant). After a brief discussion (actually, I did ALL the talking), he never questioned my education again. In my house, we were all yelling at the Professor to shut the hell up and listen to Dee Dee and the Hostess.
In the end, the Hostess proved them all wrong. No one came near the Doctor when the rescue ship arrived. The look the Doctor gave Val Cane was priceless after she blatantly lied to him. He knew it, he heard her and she had no excuse for her behavior. She was the monster along with her husband and the Professor. The son needed some backbone. He knew it was wrong, but he was too afraid to admit it. He buckled under the pressure.
All in all, I'd have to say I enjoyed this episode. I liked the suspense and the acting. Having them stranded on the bus gave the situation a more dire atmosphere: no place to run or hide (I can't exactly find the right words to describe it, but I think you'll know what I mean).
I can't believe only two more episodes left. :(
EDIT: Okay, it's three more episodes left. I must have more coffee. *snort*