Hello?
Hello, sorry. Sorry, I know this isn't one of my normal blog days.
Just wanted to drop in for a quick moment. You see, I haven't really talked about the new season of Doctor Who since the second episode, and I have some opinions to share.
Don't worry, don't worry - I'll make this quick. (And spoiler-free.)
1. Deep Breath - Ok episode, see my review.
2. Into the Dalek - Good episode, see my mini-review.
3. Robot of Sherwood - What a lark! This is a really fun episode. If you're looking for something light but really well put together, this is the one.
4. Listen - One of the best episodes of the season. It's a creepy one, and it's fun, adventurous, and has some What!? moments in it that are just incredibly great.
5. Time Heist - Ocean's Eleven meets Doctor Who. This is another lark of an episode. It's not quite as slick as Robot of Sherwood, I'd say, but the trade-off is that it's a little more twisty (i.e. complex). Very enjoyable.
6. The Caretaker - My least favorite episode of the season. Like the first episode, it has some really good moments. Also like the first episode, it has some really contrived moments. Unlike the first episode, it doesn't have the introduction of a new Doctor going for it.
7. Kill the Moon - Not my favorite. The plot is extremely iffy, in my opinion, but it does manage to deliver a pretty good emotional punch in the end.
8. Mummy on the Orient Express - My favorite episode since Listen. Actually, this one may be better than Listen. Yeah, yeah I think it is. This is a great adventure from start to finish.
9. Flatline - Another favorite. This one is a great concept episode with surprisingly good visual effects. There are some really funny bits, and lovely character stuff. Also, the most intriguing hint at the season arc to date.
And that's it - next week's episode doesn't look very interesting, but we'll see.
Whew. Ok. Thanks. Just needed to get all that off my chest. On balance,* season 8 has been pretty good.** Feel free to comment on your own take on the episodes.^
*See what I did there?
**Also on balance, 12 and Clara...oh, forget it. Nothing to balance. 12 and Clara have been awesome this season, due to some fantastic character writing and incredible acting by Coleman and Capaldi. If you judged the season just by the four of them, it would be 6 stars out of 5.
^By the way, if you watch DW videos on YouTube (like behind the scenes stuff), you've probably noticed the so-called 'reaction' videos. Most are rubbish, but Redbeard's DW reactions are actually really fun to watch (and have good production values). If you're toying with the idea of checking out one of those reaction videos, watch his.
I'm just getting into Dr. Who! Found it on netflix and enjoying from season 1 - I hear it gets better as you go =)
ReplyDeleteIt certainly does from a special effects viewpoint! ;) There are some great stories in the early seasons, but you can tell the budget's gone up since then. How far are you?
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