Yes, please sack Stephen Moffat and replace him with Jamie Mathieson - now, if possible!
I'll get my whinging and bitching out of the way first:
* Clara - just. SHUT. UP. You are a dickhead, and nobody likes you. You are a cheap synthesis of Sarah-Jane Smith and Romana with ALL THE BRAINS REMOVED. You are the most un-popular companion since Peri Brown and Mel.
* The ending - I think we are really seeing the limitations of the 1-hour format here. Hmm, Jamie, so ya couldn't think up an ending? Oh well, I forgive you - the body of the episode was very enjoyable!
* The wankton orchestra - please, PLEASE, just put a sock in it! How about an electronic soundtrack? Or even going out on a limb, a bit left of centre? Remember the wind instruments - saxophones and flutes - that soundtracked some of the best, and most atmospheric, John Pertwee and Tom Baker stories? Try that. Try anything. Just for god's sake retire the wankton orchestra.
Now that's out of the way - yes, well done Mr. Mathieson! I think this is the closest thing we've had to true-Who since a couple of Moffat's Weeping-Angel stories (except, of course, the last one, which could have been good, but was in fact a pox pile of shyte that went silly).
The idea is not new - but no idea is, pretty much, in any fiction. It's how you tell it. In fact, if I was being unkind (and wrong), I'd say some of the action of this episode was lifted from a recent sci-fi horror beginning with 'A' - but it isn't, it's just that the idea is a generic one.
A GOOD, generic one. And used in a *modern* way.
No need for silly pointy ears, epic civilizations epically charged with maintaining all the epictons in the universe since the epic dawn of time according to the eprophecy. No, just a good, *hard*-SF story, embedded within the space-opera world of the Who.
Scary, creepy (*loved* some of the early scenes, really gave me delicious chills), pacey, CLEVER, and - despite Clara and the ending - very satisfying.
And a final note on the production work: best monsters in a long time, and the tardis scenes were amazing as well as funny.
Good work. Keep it up. Save this series!!
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I'll get my whinging and bitching out of the way first:
* Clara - just. SHUT. UP. You are a dickhead, and nobody likes you. You are a cheap synthesis of Sarah-Jane Smith and Romana with ALL THE BRAINS REMOVED. You are the most un-popular companion since Peri Brown and Mel.
* The ending - I think we are really seeing the limitations of the 1-hour format here. Hmm, Jamie, so ya couldn't think up an ending? Oh well, I forgive you - the body of the episode was very enjoyable!
* The wankton orchestra - please, PLEASE, just put a sock in it! How about an electronic soundtrack? Or even going out on a limb, a bit left of centre? Remember the wind instruments - saxophones and flutes - that soundtracked some of the best, and most atmospheric, John Pertwee and Tom Baker stories? Try that. Try anything. Just for god's sake retire the wankton orchestra.
Now that's out of the way - yes, well done Mr. Mathieson! I think this is the closest thing we've had to true-Who since a couple of Moffat's Weeping-Angel stories (except, of course, the last one, which could have been good, but was in fact a pox pile of shyte that went silly).
The idea is not new - but no idea is, pretty much, in any fiction. It's how you tell it. In fact, if I was being unkind (and wrong), I'd say some of the action of this episode was lifted from a recent sci-fi horror beginning with 'A' - but it isn't, it's just that the idea is a generic one.
A GOOD, generic one. And used in a *modern* way.
No need for silly pointy ears, epic civilizations epically charged with maintaining all the epictons in the universe since the epic dawn of time according to the eprophecy. No, just a good, *hard*-SF story, embedded within the space-opera world of the Who.
Scary, creepy (*loved* some of the early scenes, really gave me delicious chills), pacey, CLEVER, and - despite Clara and the ending - very satisfying.
And a final note on the production work: best monsters in a long time, and the tardis scenes were amazing as well as funny.
Good work. Keep it up. Save this series!!
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