DW5x05: Flesh and Stone
---------------
Dear Steven Moffat,
In 2008, I said that you 'were going to make Doctor Who even more brilliant'. I'm retracting that statement as of today.
This episode could have been the best ever yet. In some parts, it was. For 37 glorious minutes, it was so so so so brilliant. So scary, so awesome, so fantastic. But then you made Amy seduce the Doctor. WHAT??!! That is a big no-no. I now hate you for making me hate Amy Pond. Why did you do that? I loved Amy Pond. I've loved her since you plopped her in episode 1. Although, I've not like the fact that she was a kissogram and am not very impressed with her short skirts very much even though she is a very very very gorgeous girl. And you, as an executive producer and head writer, didn't see anything wrong with it. Wow. I'm hoping that Amy's behaviour at the end of today is something to do with the entire weird-behaviour-of-the-universe-that-is-falling-apart. PLEASE. I want to love Amy Pond again.
Thanks muchly.
---------------
Now to the proper review, please and thank you.
Like I said, there are so many things about this episode that makes it so brilliant. It even trumps the excitement and drama of last week's The Time of Angels. The scare factor of this episode can be 20 out of 10. Seriously. All done at a neck-break(no pun intended) speed coupled with The Doctor's rapid-fire lines added so much intensity to it all. Kudos to the editors for that. Plus, Flesh and Stone had so many awesome moments that will be forever written into Who lore. For example:
- Amy's creepy countdown that was started by the angels. And the Doctor completely angry when they told him it was to scare her.
- Amy wandering blind through the forest among the angels. I know that logically Amy survives because we'll see her for the rest of the series, but still, I was terrified for her and thought she'd surely be dead when the angels realized she was keeping her eyes closed.
- "I made him say comfy chairs." Oh Doctor, you're so witty. :/
- Poor Father Octavian. Actually he was rather noble and very brave about it all. I like him. And poor Doctor, all that despair on his face knowing he can't save Father Octavian.
- The Doctor being all smart and "don't panic" and making everything (don't mock The Thing) up as he goes along. Perfectly Doctor-ish.
The crack in the wall emerges again, and now finally they all notice it. Probably because it's all bright and glowy and noisy and leaking out 'time' and downing the clerics one by one. Even the angels ran away from it. All the angels being sucked into it at the end would probably explain why the ones we saw in 'Blink' were only a few scavengers. And I'm sure there are so many things missing from Amy's memories (and the world's, e.g. CyberKing in Victorian London, great continuity reference there!) will be explained by the HUMONGOUS CRACK IN THE WALL. It's getting scarier now that we know it can suck you in and you'll never exist. Wicked.
I'm very curious about the whole 'TIME CAN BE REWRITTEN' thing. Why is the Doctor so excited about it, and what will Moffat do with it? *is scared*
River Song, oh, River Song. You're not who you appear to be, are you? Killing a 'very good man', 'the best man' you've 'ever known' ... hohoho ... we're not all that sure she's the Doctor's future wife now are we? (Excellent.) Wondering who she did murder though ... could it be the future Doctor? Since it's 'the best man she's evr known' and all. But then again, that might've been the person that taught her how to fly the TARDIS (previous ep). Confused fan is confused. Much more to come from her, I'm sure. She's carted off back to prison - with a possible pardon - but I'm sure she'll be back for the finale or something. When the Pandorica opens, as she said. But how she knows the Pandorica opens and whatever, I'm in too much of a whirlwind of plot, plot and more plot to start thinking properly yet. Just now in the shower, I've JUST understood why in last week's episode, the Weeping Angel book did not have pictures of the angels because THE IMAGE OF AN ANGEL BECOMES AN ANGEL. D'oh. But I do wish there would've been more about the 'What if we had ideas that could think for themselves? What if our dreams no longer needed us?' bit. That would've been exciting. But too much plot would be bad, I guess. This episode was PLOT! after PLOT! after PLOT! It's like idea after idea after idea and 'woo!we can put this in! and this! and this!'. Still okay, though.
Matt Smith, aka Eleven, I realize now how I can separate you from my utter devotion to Ten. You see, I love all the Doctor-y essentials of you, the speeches and the genius, all the very Doctor-y things that both Nine and Ten and now you exhibit. But see, I really really liked Nine very much because he was the first Doctor I ever watched, and I loooooooooooved and adored Ten, and you, well, I can say that I'm very fond of you. Very much so. Not that that's bad, really. I like you differently than the Nine and Ten, and that makes me very happy. (And Matt Smith, you're a very good actor, I must say so.)
My favourite moment of this episode was between the Doctor and Amy, when the Doctor was telling Amy to trust him while he left her (and not being allowed to open her eyes!) in the forest with the clerics, and asking her to remember what he said to her last time. But then she couldn't remember it. (Confused fan is even more intrigued here.) I love how this Doctor-Amy relationship is very much like a very protective older brother and younger sister (as was the feeling I got from Victory of the Daleks), how Amy couldn't still completely trust him because he did leave her waiting for 12 years, and how the Doctor can't seem to stop saying the wrong things that would scare her. "There's an angel in your mind!" (Oops)
And then ... Steven Moffat decided to spoil it all. At the end of the episode, Amy tells the Doctor about her impending wedding the next morning. Which is all good and honest. Until Steven Moffat decided that Amy should seduce the Doctor in a non-I'm-being-controlled-by-another-extraterrestrial-being kind of way. FAIL. NO, AMY, NO. THIS IS NOT AN EPISODE OF COUPLING (I saw one episode of it and gave up). The entire scene was so sudden and different and AWKWARD and EMBARASSING, really. Eleven kept pushing her away, which redeemed it slightly, but still, EMBARASSING. EEEW.
I really love Amy Pond, you know I do, I've been raving about her since episode 1. But Steven Moffat, you are a cruel man, because you made me hate Amy Pond today. For two minutes I hated Amy Pond (and I really don't want to) and there wasn't an after-plot for me to love her back. Not beause she's not Rose, but because what you wrote her was so drastic and unnecessary and nonsense. My reaction was between this:
(crazy!Ten is crazily angry)
and this:
(Captain Jack's watching you, Steven Moffat. Be careful.)
So Amy Pond is now the most important person in the history of the universe (not Donna?) ... and the day the universe ends comes on her wedding day?! Oh, plot. You are so plotty.
Some bits of Doctor Who continuity fail ... which is really quite a blatant and obvious fail that I didn't notice it ...
(click for the bigger version)
turned to this:
(click again to notice the FAIL)
Um, 11:59 a.m. does not turn to 12:00 p.m. with a change of date in the middle of the night. I'm quite sure that doesn't happen in real life. CONTINUITY FAIL, DOCTOR WHO PRODUCERS.
OR, MAYBE, has it been caused by the CRACK IN THE WALL??? I don't know any more. This timey-wimey story arc of the season has left me utterly confused.
I've not been able to get the Confidential ep yet so there's nothing I can pick out from that yet. Must be some really nice bits there.
Next week, we see Rory!!! Hurrah for the return of nerdy nurse boy/Amy's fiance! (I hope I return to loving Amy again) And vampires! In Venice! And Alex Price!!! I'm really excited about that because I've only ever seen Alex Price in Merlin and he was hilarious (even though he didn't have many lines and was only supposed to be a peasant farmer pretending to be a knight so Arthur could secretly compete in a jousting tournament) ... and he narrates Confidential. Whoopee. Rory looks to be giving a good scolding to the Doctor (you endanger people, yada yada yada) and we'll see how this differs from Mickey and Rose. I hope.
Oh, and I just want to add something because I am right about it and because I told Catey this a couple of weeks ago: THE DUCKLESS DUCK POND IS IMPORTANT. Told you. ;D
Dear Steven Moffat,
In 2008, I said that you 'were going to make Doctor Who even more brilliant'. I'm retracting that statement as of today.
This episode could have been the best ever yet. In some parts, it was. For 37 glorious minutes, it was so so so so brilliant. So scary, so awesome, so fantastic. But then you made Amy seduce the Doctor. WHAT??!! That is a big no-no. I now hate you for making me hate Amy Pond. Why did you do that? I loved Amy Pond. I've loved her since you plopped her in episode 1. Although, I've not like the fact that she was a kissogram and am not very impressed with her short skirts very much even though she is a very very very gorgeous girl. And you, as an executive producer and head writer, didn't see anything wrong with it. Wow. I'm hoping that Amy's behaviour at the end of today is something to do with the entire weird-behaviour-of-the-universe-that-is-falling-apart. PLEASE. I want to love Amy Pond again.
Thanks muchly.
---------------
Now to the proper review, please and thank you.
Like I said, there are so many things about this episode that makes it so brilliant. It even trumps the excitement and drama of last week's The Time of Angels. The scare factor of this episode can be 20 out of 10. Seriously. All done at a neck-break(no pun intended) speed coupled with The Doctor's rapid-fire lines added so much intensity to it all. Kudos to the editors for that. Plus, Flesh and Stone had so many awesome moments that will be forever written into Who lore. For example:
- Amy's creepy countdown that was started by the angels. And the Doctor completely angry when they told him it was to scare her.
- Amy wandering blind through the forest among the angels. I know that logically Amy survives because we'll see her for the rest of the series, but still, I was terrified for her and thought she'd surely be dead when the angels realized she was keeping her eyes closed.
- "I made him say comfy chairs." Oh Doctor, you're so witty. :/
- Poor Father Octavian. Actually he was rather noble and very brave about it all. I like him. And poor Doctor, all that despair on his face knowing he can't save Father Octavian.
- The Doctor being all smart and "don't panic" and making everything (don't mock The Thing) up as he goes along. Perfectly Doctor-ish.
The crack in the wall emerges again, and now finally they all notice it. Probably because it's all bright and glowy and noisy and leaking out 'time' and downing the clerics one by one. Even the angels ran away from it. All the angels being sucked into it at the end would probably explain why the ones we saw in 'Blink' were only a few scavengers. And I'm sure there are so many things missing from Amy's memories (and the world's, e.g. CyberKing in Victorian London, great continuity reference there!) will be explained by the HUMONGOUS CRACK IN THE WALL. It's getting scarier now that we know it can suck you in and you'll never exist. Wicked.
I'm very curious about the whole 'TIME CAN BE REWRITTEN' thing. Why is the Doctor so excited about it, and what will Moffat do with it? *is scared*
River Song, oh, River Song. You're not who you appear to be, are you? Killing a 'very good man', 'the best man' you've 'ever known' ... hohoho ... we're not all that sure she's the Doctor's future wife now are we? (Excellent.) Wondering who she did murder though ... could it be the future Doctor? Since it's 'the best man she's evr known' and all. But then again, that might've been the person that taught her how to fly the TARDIS (previous ep). Confused fan is confused. Much more to come from her, I'm sure. She's carted off back to prison - with a possible pardon - but I'm sure she'll be back for the finale or something. When the Pandorica opens, as she said. But how she knows the Pandorica opens and whatever, I'm in too much of a whirlwind of plot, plot and more plot to start thinking properly yet. Just now in the shower, I've JUST understood why in last week's episode, the Weeping Angel book did not have pictures of the angels because THE IMAGE OF AN ANGEL BECOMES AN ANGEL. D'oh. But I do wish there would've been more about the 'What if we had ideas that could think for themselves? What if our dreams no longer needed us?' bit. That would've been exciting. But too much plot would be bad, I guess. This episode was PLOT! after PLOT! after PLOT! It's like idea after idea after idea and 'woo!we can put this in! and this! and this!'. Still okay, though.
Matt Smith, aka Eleven, I realize now how I can separate you from my utter devotion to Ten. You see, I love all the Doctor-y essentials of you, the speeches and the genius, all the very Doctor-y things that both Nine and Ten and now you exhibit. But see, I really really liked Nine very much because he was the first Doctor I ever watched, and I loooooooooooved and adored Ten, and you, well, I can say that I'm very fond of you. Very much so. Not that that's bad, really. I like you differently than the Nine and Ten, and that makes me very happy. (And Matt Smith, you're a very good actor, I must say so.)
My favourite moment of this episode was between the Doctor and Amy, when the Doctor was telling Amy to trust him while he left her (and not being allowed to open her eyes!) in the forest with the clerics, and asking her to remember what he said to her last time. But then she couldn't remember it. (Confused fan is even more intrigued here.) I love how this Doctor-Amy relationship is very much like a very protective older brother and younger sister (as was the feeling I got from Victory of the Daleks), how Amy couldn't still completely trust him because he did leave her waiting for 12 years, and how the Doctor can't seem to stop saying the wrong things that would scare her. "There's an angel in your mind!" (Oops)
And then ... Steven Moffat decided to spoil it all. At the end of the episode, Amy tells the Doctor about her impending wedding the next morning. Which is all good and honest. Until Steven Moffat decided that Amy should seduce the Doctor in a non-I'm-being-controlled-by-another-extraterrestrial-being kind of way. FAIL. NO, AMY, NO. THIS IS NOT AN EPISODE OF COUPLING (I saw one episode of it and gave up). The entire scene was so sudden and different and AWKWARD and EMBARASSING, really. Eleven kept pushing her away, which redeemed it slightly, but still, EMBARASSING. EEEW.
I really love Amy Pond, you know I do, I've been raving about her since episode 1. But Steven Moffat, you are a cruel man, because you made me hate Amy Pond today. For two minutes I hated Amy Pond (and I really don't want to) and there wasn't an after-plot for me to love her back. Not beause she's not Rose, but because what you wrote her was so drastic and unnecessary and nonsense. My reaction was between this:
(crazy!Ten is crazily angry)
and this:
(Captain Jack's watching you, Steven Moffat. Be careful.)
So Amy Pond is now the most important person in the history of the universe (not Donna?) ... and the day the universe ends comes on her wedding day?! Oh, plot. You are so plotty.
Some bits of Doctor Who continuity fail ... which is really quite a blatant and obvious fail that I didn't notice it ...
(click for the bigger version)
turned to this:
(click again to notice the FAIL)
Um, 11:59 a.m. does not turn to 12:00 p.m. with a change of date in the middle of the night. I'm quite sure that doesn't happen in real life. CONTINUITY FAIL, DOCTOR WHO PRODUCERS.
OR, MAYBE, has it been caused by the CRACK IN THE WALL??? I don't know any more. This timey-wimey story arc of the season has left me utterly confused.
I've not been able to get the Confidential ep yet so there's nothing I can pick out from that yet. Must be some really nice bits there.
Next week, we see Rory!!! Hurrah for the return of nerdy nurse boy/Amy's fiance! (I hope I return to loving Amy again) And vampires! In Venice! And Alex Price!!! I'm really excited about that because I've only ever seen Alex Price in Merlin and he was hilarious (even though he didn't have many lines and was only supposed to be a peasant farmer pretending to be a knight so Arthur could secretly compete in a jousting tournament) ... and he narrates Confidential. Whoopee. Rory looks to be giving a good scolding to the Doctor (you endanger people, yada yada yada) and we'll see how this differs from Mickey and Rose. I hope.
Oh, and I just want to add something because I am right about it and because I told Catey this a couple of weeks ago: THE DUCKLESS DUCK POND IS IMPORTANT. Told you. ;D