daibhidc | Dinosaurs on a Spaceship (Reply)

Interesting. Still not sure about it.

The episode was perhaps a bit crowded, although I did like the bit where Nefertiti and not-John-Roxton-honest became Amy's companions, and her anxiety that they were "the new us" played up the "Ponds are leaving" theme without beating us over the head with it[1]. Brian was fun, and his newfound appreciation for travel was nice. And I like the idea that Rory's built up a futuristic first aid kit. Of course he would.

Didn't catch who military woman worked for; future UNIT?

The dinosaurs were awesome. Not convinced Triceretops could move at that speed, or would be particularly interested in a grubby golfball (it's not as if grass even existed at the time), but it's Doctor Who; it's allowed to run on Rule of Cool a bit. Didn't see the Silurian connection coming, but in retrospect it was obvious; who else would have a spaceship full of dinosaurs?

Solomon was a great sleazy villian, and his robots did that beautiful Doctor Who thing of being comedy robots voiced by Mitchell and Webb and being a genuine threat at the same time.

And then there's the ending. There's a fine line between "arranging for the villain to be hoist by his own petard" and "just plain killing him" and that ... was a good hundred yards past it and accelerating as rapidly as the missiles. From what the Moff has said, this isn't a clunky misstep in the Doctor's characterisation but an actual plot thing, so I suppose I should reserve judgement,'til I see where it's going[2]. Taken in isolation, though, it felt very jarring and un-Doctory.

Next week: cyborg western!

[1]Unlike the scene where Amy talks about how she'll always be the Girl Who Waited, which left me with a slight concussion.

[2](Not "the Doctor needs companions to keep him on the staight and narrow", I hope; we just did that with Tenth, and honestly, it fitted him much better than it would Eleventh.