Pimp My Dalek*

This seems to be quite a "controversial" episode, meaning that fans aren't sure whether to love it or to hate it, but after considering its good and bad sides I have to say actually I liked it.

Sure, I'm also starting to be tired of Amy getting too much attention, but apart from that it wasn't a really bad one. Well, an episode with Churchill and the Daleks in it can't be bad, can it?

Further I don't think that technicoloured Daleks are something bad. If I had a say I would have rather gone for the "iron-side" version, for the coloured ones look like some pepper-pots from the 6o's and 7o's standing on the shelf of a fast-food restaurant. And I loved the "All right, it's a Jammy Dodger,but I was promised tea!"-bit just as the tea-references in general.

It was strange to see that no-one believed the Doctor in the beginning, not even his own companion, bad girl. Now, that's how nightmares feel like (and I guess that's how Amy felt like about the crack when she was a child; only that hitting it with an oversized spanner wouldn't have had such an effect; but why was that necessary in the first place?) Still, I'm looking forward to finding out why and how those Journey's End Daleks could have been erased out of her mind.

Well, I guess no matter what fans are thinking about The Victory of the Daleks, it won't stop them watching the next episode because it is going to deal with one of the most discussed phenomenons in Doctor Who history: Who is Prof. River Song? I'm not saying we'll surely get that question fixed, but... let's wait and see.

____________
*yes, those who have read the Guardian review know these lines are not mine; but I wish they were....

This was different...

... but I'm not entirely sure whether that's good or bad.

So, Lawrence Miles is looking for "in betweens" (as mentioned here)? I really hope he stayed tuned in.

Right now, I'm going to do something which hopefully won't happen quite often: Considering The Best Below's plot it is very likely the worst Steven Moffat has written (yet?, that hurt).

I have nothing against star-whales, are surely lovely animals, and I liked the ending (letting Amy to save the day was a really nice twist), but the Big Moff's former stories used to be easy-going and light-hearted and this one seems to be a bit forced. Come on, what was the "being inside a star-whale" scene all about, or the Smilers?

Still, it could have been worse, especially because if you don't concentrate on the actual plot of the episode but on the in-betweens (should I put that in capital letters?) then it was great.

Well, let's say, this one wasn't about the story, but about character development. For it really was, especially, if we take in account that we have 2 strangers flying around in a tiny police box (or being in the mouth of a whale, I know, nice options) then we should have known that this is going to be an "in-betweens" one. But to be honest, I expected Moffat to do it a bit better. Nevertheless, the in-betweens we got were really good. I'm about to say that Amy has the potential of being a part of my "best companion" list (but sorry, she just can't be 21 years old, or am I missing something?). Further, I love Moffat for writing the Doctor less dramatic and more "alien-like". I have nothing against drama, but RTD overdid that constantly the last 5 years, so I'm quite enjoying the recent (although luckily not complete) lack of it.

So, next week the Daleks are back and it's Churchill having an appointment with the Doctor? We'll see...

Fishfingers And Custard

Moffat IS a genius, no news there, but even I wasn't quite prepared for the awesomeness of this story and the really quotable dialogues. Additionally, it was fast going, I for my part had quite long no idea how a computer virus should save planet earth from being incinerated. But it worked.

Further I loved how Moffat created a great mixture between a fairytale and a sci-fi story. Doctor Who starts to become something for "never going to be adult" grown-ups and children alike. Well, maybe the "trying food and spitting it out" scene was a bit... too childish, and Amy's job could have been something else but apart from that I really liked it. And that guy should get a BAFTA for the way he introduced Amy. People might point out that we already had a Moffat-story in which the Doctor becomes some sort of someone's imaginary friend , but even those have to admit that it's the first time that that someone knocks their imaginary friend down with a cricket bat.

Talking about Amy. She seems to be a bit random and she has definitely been a nice child. But in my opinion we don't really know a lot about her real character at the moment.

Then again, talking about randomness, I haven't mentioned Matt Smith yet, who had very likely the most difficult job of the three people I have mentioned above. And I have to say his interpretation of the Doctor was brilliant. There are certain Tennant-like features in his acting, I mean I could imagine the last Doctor talking in the way he does, but then again he also adds his own freshness, clumsiness and enthusiasm (or maybe more some kind of a fascination) to it. I just have to agree with Moffat who said "Matt's Doctor is bonkers." That sums it up pretty well.
Nice TARDIS - interior by the way, I liked the old colour of its outside more, but the interior outweighs it again.

So, that was a really nice start. Looking forward to next week.

Oh, am I the only one wondering what the title and the actual story had to do with each other? The only possible connection I can see is that the episode was about 6o minutes long, but apart from that - no idea. But shouldn't it rather say Eleventh's Hour then?