eve11 | Doctor Who: The Time of Angels (Reply)

Oh, I quite enjoyed this one. River Song is very enigmatic and Femme-y James Bond, isn't she? Loved the opening, very well done visually. And I love the link between the museum and the ship, and that River knows how to write "Hello Sweetie" in Old High Gallifreyan. (D asked me, "How does he know the message is for him?" at that point, and I couldn't explain it well, but really, how could it not be!?) And she was in prison... I'm thinking that when we see her next (she shows up in later eps this season, right?) that it will be earlier in her time line and we will probably see the events that lead to her being put in prison.

I guess some folks have not been liking Matt Smith so far as the Doctor, but I think he's quite good. He is a lot more understated than Tennant, and does come off as a bit aloof but I like that because it also makes him seem more like the professorial type: a little of Two, a little of Five, but with a little more of a modern twist. I don't know; I like the fact that when the emotion does come out, it's that much more intense. I still love the "nobody human has anything to say to me today!" line from The Beast Below, and I thought his last lines in the end of this episode were brilliant. (but also wtf-ing at the Graham Norton banner though, bad bad form, BBC). He seems less confident in his body but he is quite confident in his brain; he is always thinking. If River takes the mickey out of him for a bit (lol with the strap thing on the drop ship), we know he's going to redeem himself; that he is still cool, that he still makes that bow tie cool.

Anyway, as I said, I'm liking Matt Smith more than a bit. I think they might be trying just a teensy bit too hard with Amy; too many "Oh you're brilliant" lines for my liking. But she definitely has more of a Companion-y role in this one. And looks like she doesn't have a very good time of it next week, in a very Sarah Jane in Brain of Morbius type way. (though, where the heck does the forest come from?)

Okay, so the Angels turn images of themselves into Angels. creepy, very Ringu. don't know how scientific that is, but *handwaves*. Love the creepy maze of Angel statues. Less thrilled about them snapping necks now, why? And why now is it not okay to look at the Blink Angels in the eye? Sally Sparrow and her boyfriend looked a ton of them in the eye and none of them turned into angels. But now poor Amy's been infected with Angelitis and (rather than turning into a brooding Whedon vampire) she's turning to stone. Unless apparently, she keeps her eyes closed. Maybe if a person is infected with angelitis, then the rules are reversed.

ETA: Oh I should also say that I wasn't scared, but then I'm never scared by this show. Blink was creepy and cool, but less so really scary. Same with this ep. Creepy and cool, but not really spine-tingling. Maybe for kids I guess; hell, I was scared of Don Music on Sesame street as a kid, and I was terrified of Scooby Doo. EATA: though I did have some nebulously scary dreams when I tried to go to sleep last night. Was it from the Angels? Weird. I should also say that I am much more scared by "real life" situations in the movies, or by abject gore and horror-- visuals and horrible decisions and psychopath axe murderers, that kind of thing.

Oh, my favorite lines:

"You lot, you're everywhere, you're like rabbits! I'll never get done saving you."

"Blimey, your teeth! Have you got Space teeth?"

Next week looks intriguing!