Dr Who 6x02 - Day of the Moon
Another Sunday, another Dr Who review posting :)
So, now that I've seen the second part of the two-parter, I'm in a much better position to review the whole story, as planned. Only problem is, I'm still not sure what I think. In no particular order (well in fact there's an obvious order at the beginning and then it descends into orderlessness)...
1) The opening was great. Instead of a direct continuation, we get the 'three months later' narrative, making it feel rather epic. The Silence are not invading, they're 'occupying'. The companions are on the run and seem to die. The Doctor is being imprisoned in an impossible-to-break-out-of prison (again). I like all of this, and it's not what I expected after last week.
2) Catching River in the swimming pool was a nice reference back to the way she arrives on the scene in episode 4 of the last series.
3) I love the markings and the Doctor's recording devices and their plans to fight the Silence, which all make it pleasantly creepy. At this early stage of the episode, things continue to feel epic and genuinely threatening, and that's when Dr Who's at its best, I think.
4) I continue to think Carlton Caxton Canton is great. That 'welcome to America' line in response to the Silence not needing weapons, I loved that.
5) In the orphanage, note to protagonists: when in a creepy place, don't split up. Have you never seen a horror movie?
6) I think I found it slightly weird that the Silence sleep on the ceiling. Reminded me of the Krillitanes. But OK, it gave good dramatic tension - and again the hand recording devices proved a lovely dramatic device.
7) Speaking of which, the recording devices remind me of the data ghosts of Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, and similarly are used for both pathetic and ironic purposes.
8) Amy was great in this, and so was Rory. Especially Rory, and how worried he looked listening to her voice, and how sweet he was, and everything. I love their relationship.
9) So, I enjoyed most of it, and felt I was being entertained. Some nice funny lines in there again, I thought Nixon came across fine, the air of tension was good throughout most of it...
10) ... but, when it got to the climax, it was over a bit quickly. And a little too conveniently. OK, so broadcasting an idea to everyone's subconscious that will result in humankind subconsciously rising up against the Silence and overthrowing them, that could work as a plan. It's a bit samey considering just how many plots have concluded with mass-mind-related twists in recent years, but it's fine. It's an innovative use of Neil Armstrong's foot, which was revealed as a plot point at the beginning, too. But after the epic set-up for this episode, so epic that set-up was still happening in the second part of the two-parter, it was maybe a bit of a let down? Just feeling a little bit disappointed with that bit.
11) Also, it was a little strange just how easily the Doctor managed to keep the whole plan in his head even though he didn't seem to quite have one of the Silence in sight all the time. Or maybe I'm being unfair. But the earlier part of the episode was marked by some nice plotting surrounding how people reacted when they could and couldn't see a Silence (if that's the singular...), and that complexity seemed to be lost in this scene.
12) I haven't really got much to say about River for this one. I'm still finding her pushiness quite annoying (and indeed the flirting - liked Amy's line about that!), but I thought her last scene was very nicely done. And it wasn't overdone. She had her lines last week about how their timelines are going in opposite directions, and here she was left devastated when the Doctor hadn't kissed her before, and we make the connection ourselves. I prefer it this way.
13) OK, just a brief question about River. In Forests of the Dead, she says that the Doctor turned up and gave her his screwdriver just before she went on the Library expedition. But which Doctor was this? Was it Ten, which it should have been if their timelines really are linear and going in opposite directions? If so, we never got to see it. Or was it Eleven (or indeed a later incarnation), in which case she's wrong about the order? I mean, OK, I don't see why the Doctor shouldn't break the pattern, being a Timelord, but also I can't think why he would intentionally keep things linear when he could come and go when he pleases more easily than she can. *shrug*
14) So Amy is pregnant then. I wonder if the baby will have a time head :) Also, ooh.
15) But how come the Doctor's all secretive and not blurting it out immediately? That can't bode well...
16) So the girl's a Timelord, huh? Erm. Please not the Master though, right? No. Not possible. Other Timelord though, that would be fun. Any possibility she's the Doctor? Improbable. Right? My head spins.
I think that's everything, but my head may not be working at full speed, so I'll add more if I think of anything.
So, now that I've seen the second part of the two-parter, I'm in a much better position to review the whole story, as planned. Only problem is, I'm still not sure what I think. In no particular order (well in fact there's an obvious order at the beginning and then it descends into orderlessness)...
1) The opening was great. Instead of a direct continuation, we get the 'three months later' narrative, making it feel rather epic. The Silence are not invading, they're 'occupying'. The companions are on the run and seem to die. The Doctor is being imprisoned in an impossible-to-break-out-of prison (again). I like all of this, and it's not what I expected after last week.
2) Catching River in the swimming pool was a nice reference back to the way she arrives on the scene in episode 4 of the last series.
3) I love the markings and the Doctor's recording devices and their plans to fight the Silence, which all make it pleasantly creepy. At this early stage of the episode, things continue to feel epic and genuinely threatening, and that's when Dr Who's at its best, I think.
4) I continue to think Carlton Caxton Canton is great. That 'welcome to America' line in response to the Silence not needing weapons, I loved that.
5) In the orphanage, note to protagonists: when in a creepy place, don't split up. Have you never seen a horror movie?
6) I think I found it slightly weird that the Silence sleep on the ceiling. Reminded me of the Krillitanes. But OK, it gave good dramatic tension - and again the hand recording devices proved a lovely dramatic device.
7) Speaking of which, the recording devices remind me of the data ghosts of Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead, and similarly are used for both pathetic and ironic purposes.
8) Amy was great in this, and so was Rory. Especially Rory, and how worried he looked listening to her voice, and how sweet he was, and everything. I love their relationship.
9) So, I enjoyed most of it, and felt I was being entertained. Some nice funny lines in there again, I thought Nixon came across fine, the air of tension was good throughout most of it...
10) ... but, when it got to the climax, it was over a bit quickly. And a little too conveniently. OK, so broadcasting an idea to everyone's subconscious that will result in humankind subconsciously rising up against the Silence and overthrowing them, that could work as a plan. It's a bit samey considering just how many plots have concluded with mass-mind-related twists in recent years, but it's fine. It's an innovative use of Neil Armstrong's foot, which was revealed as a plot point at the beginning, too. But after the epic set-up for this episode, so epic that set-up was still happening in the second part of the two-parter, it was maybe a bit of a let down? Just feeling a little bit disappointed with that bit.
11) Also, it was a little strange just how easily the Doctor managed to keep the whole plan in his head even though he didn't seem to quite have one of the Silence in sight all the time. Or maybe I'm being unfair. But the earlier part of the episode was marked by some nice plotting surrounding how people reacted when they could and couldn't see a Silence (if that's the singular...), and that complexity seemed to be lost in this scene.
12) I haven't really got much to say about River for this one. I'm still finding her pushiness quite annoying (and indeed the flirting - liked Amy's line about that!), but I thought her last scene was very nicely done. And it wasn't overdone. She had her lines last week about how their timelines are going in opposite directions, and here she was left devastated when the Doctor hadn't kissed her before, and we make the connection ourselves. I prefer it this way.
13) OK, just a brief question about River. In Forests of the Dead, she says that the Doctor turned up and gave her his screwdriver just before she went on the Library expedition. But which Doctor was this? Was it Ten, which it should have been if their timelines really are linear and going in opposite directions? If so, we never got to see it. Or was it Eleven (or indeed a later incarnation), in which case she's wrong about the order? I mean, OK, I don't see why the Doctor shouldn't break the pattern, being a Timelord, but also I can't think why he would intentionally keep things linear when he could come and go when he pleases more easily than she can. *shrug*
14) So Amy is pregnant then. I wonder if the baby will have a time head :) Also, ooh.
15) But how come the Doctor's all secretive and not blurting it out immediately? That can't bode well...
16) So the girl's a Timelord, huh? Erm. Please not the Master though, right? No. Not possible. Other Timelord though, that would be fun. Any possibility she's the Doctor? Improbable. Right? My head spins.
I think that's everything, but my head may not be working at full speed, so I'll add more if I think of anything.