Series 7b Episode 8 - The Name of the Doctor - Review

[Sorry for the lateness of this review. Had a busy 2 weeks]

On Sunday 19th May, there was a panic around the internet. It was found out that the Blu-Rays containing this episode had arrived to some households in the US. Thanks to the good people in the US, the episode managed to stay offline and most people didn't leak much information about the episodes. I just wanted to start my review by thanking these people as the episode had much more of an impact getting to see it live on BBC One.
Anyway, onto my review. The episode started off with a stellar pre-titles sequence. Ever since I watched the DS9 episode, Trials and Tribble-ations, I have hoped that Doctor Who would do something like that and I was so happy to see it done here. There were bits where it looked a bit ropey but thats mainly down to putting 2012 footage into the quality footage they did. It worked brilliantly and it was especially nice to see The Doctor and Susan stealing the TARDIS from Gallifrey

This episode deals with 2 main things. The Doctors secret and the mystery of who is Clara Oswald. The majority of people presumed that the Doctors secret would be his name but at the end of the episode it was revealed not to be the case. The Name did play a part in the episode of course though as that was the password to open the tomb of the Doctor. I was happy that the Moffat did not reveal the Doctors name as I think that this would take away some of the remaining mystery around the show. I'd rather this never be revealed.
I remember a few months back, Moffat saying that if you think you have guessed who Clara is, you are wrong but this was not the case with most fans. Alot of us had thought that Clara would be splintered across time and this was nearly the case with the solution. That said though, I was still happy with the resolution but that could be down to the joy of seeing Clara with past Doctors.

This episode saw the return of the Paternoster Gang and River Song. River this time around was placed after the library episodes. I was rather dreading this when I heard in DWM that this was going to be the placement as I had hoped that Steven would stay away from setting any episode after them but I think that it worked. It made the scene in the Tomb even more emotional with the "I thought it would hurt me" speech. Part of me thinks that it would be nice to see River back again but this episode would be the perfect final episode for her.
I had been looking forward to the cliffhanger ending for a while. I'd heard loads of rumblings about things it could be from David Tennant to multiple TARDIS's arriving. Since I had heard that John would be the Doctor on the Gallifrey Base spoiler thread, I thought that he would be involved but I was not disappointed with the ending. It was a great introduction to this new Doctor and it has left us with more questions than ever. They better be answered in the 50th

This story was definitely the best episode of the second half of Series 7 and it was a great way to end Matt's final full series. 10/10

Series 7b Episode 7 - Nightmare in Silver - Review

Nightmare in Silver marks the return of Neil Gaiman to Doctor Who. After he wrote the popular episode "The Doctors Wife" in 2011, fans have been wanting to see a return from him. It also marks a return of the Cybermen who were last scene in 2011's "Closing Time." Personally, I don't think this episode was as good as Gaimans first outing but it was still an very good action packed episode. One of the things I disliked about the episode was the kids. I don't think any responsible person would allow kids to go travelling with the Doctor considering how much danger he gets into most of the time.

I really do like the new look cybermen. They have kept quite a bit of what was good about the previous design and then made them a bit slimmer. There is something about the head that is reminiscent of the Wheel in Space Cybermen. I have seen comments that they have ripped off the Iron Man design which I can sort of agree with but I think its more that they took some inspiration from it that ripped it off. The chest piece does look quite Iron Man. I was a bit disappointed with the voice. After hearing that Nick Briggs had recorded a version more like The Tenth Planet ones, I was hoping that he would go with that as I think there is quite a charm to that voice. Something like the voice they used in Big Finish's The Silver Turk would have been nice.
The look of the Cybermen are not the only thing that has been changed. They are more powerful this time. With lots of new abilities, the Cybermen seem more of a threat this time around. They can move at super speeds, seeming to freeze time around them. Now while I like that they can move faster than last time, I am not sure about this super speed thing they have going on. They have also ditched the Cybermats and have got the much sleeker Cybermites.

The episode sees Matt get to play a split personality of the Doctor and the Cyberplaner. Matt managed to flow between characters very seamlessly which made it very easy to follow. What I liked most during them scenes was the direction. I really liked that they showed the clean half of the face when it was the Doctor talking and the Cyberised side when it was the Cyberplaner. Now, I do think there were times that the Cyberplanner was a bit over the top and a bit cringy. I did enjoy that part of the episode but I think Matt could have toned it down a bit.
I feel Tamzin Outhwaite was rather wasted really. She didn't really seem to do much. I don't get why her character just gave in and obeyed what Clara told her to do since she was supposed to be in charge. Warwick Davis was fantastic in role of Porridge. I did like the twist of him ending up being the emperor but if he could activate the bomb and teleport them out, then why didn't he just do that at the beginning. Not sure I agreed with that aspect of the plot.
Overall I think this episode was good with some fantastic ideas but it definitely had quite a few flaws. Maybe it could have been better if it had 10-15 minutes more time to breath. As a result, I would give it a 8/10.

Series 7b Episode 6 - The Crimson Horror - Review

The Crimson Horror started out like it was a pilot for a Paternoster Gang spinoff and then rounded up as a fantastic traditional Doctor Who story. Now I have seen some people saying that they did not like the fact it took the Doctor around 15 minutes to turn up but I liked that and it gave them the chance to do that brilliant recap. That was a stroke of genius. Now I wouldn't want it every week but as a one off it worked really well. This is Paternoster Gang's third story now, and I think they are working well together. Strax has to be my favourite of the gang with his wonderful one liners. "Horse, you have failed in your mission!" I think they would really work well in their own series. Jenny, Strax and Vastra, saving good old Victorian London town!

The series continues to get some fantastic guest stars, with this week's Dame Diana Rigg and daughter Rachael Stirling. They both played a blinder in this episode. Diana's character was a villain who just wanted to kill because she was just not a very nice person which is something Doctor Who has been missing for a while. The fact that she had used her own daughter to test on was a big shock to me. I wonder if her character had always been bad or if it was only since Mr Sweet had come along when she went bad.
Mr Sweet while being a good idea for a villain felt a let down for me. He didn't seem to do much except feed off Rigg's character. His death was good though. I have to admit, I did look away when she was whacking him one.

I was a little disappointed that they rather glossed over the whole Clara being alive storyline really. I was hoping for a short scene between the Doctor and the Paternoster Gang discussing Clara. I know it was mentioned a few times but not much was really said. I supposed Moffat wants to do that himself.
I would give this episode an 8/10 as it felt like a classic Doctor Who story. Plenty of horror moments with some humour thrown in. Both Marks stories this year have been very strong after the last few being a bit weak.

Series 7b Episode 5 - Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS - Review

This episode has been one of the the most anticipated episode of the new series. The title is enough alone to make any fans knees tremble with excitement. I think the episode lives up to excitement even if the ending was a little bit of a let down but I'll get to that later. We get to see plenty of glimpses of rooms such as the swimming pool and the library. I loved the design of the new areas even if some areas such of the library were just like any library. But I quite liked that as it felt like a nod to The Invasion of Time. The Architectural Reconfiguration System was a fantastic idea as I had always wondered how the TARDIS created new rooms just like that and this helped to explain that. It also gave the good feature of being able to twist corridors around and create a labyrinth.

Like last week the show had a really small cast but this gave Matt and Jenna time to shine. There relationship was pushed to the max and this really brought out the best in the both of them. The scene of them just outside the engine room really showed how good these 2 are together. The guest cast were OK but not really that great. They were very forgettable if I am honest.
The episode was action packed from the beginning and I did like how the end linked in with the first scene on the TARDIS in the episode. The revelation of what the creatures was really dark. Definitely one of the darkest ideas in whos history and I did not guess that that was what they were. I liked the fact that the camera was always going in and out of focus during the scenes of them as it didn't give you chance to focus on what they looked like.

This episode really could have been a 10/0 up until the ending of the episode. Though I did like that fact it linked to the beginning, I didn't like that it was basically reset button that saved the day. I think it would have been nice to have another way to have saved the day as I have never been a fan of the reset button. But other than that, it really was such a fantastic episode which I am really looking forward to rewatching. 9/10

Series 7b Episode 4 - Hide - Review

I think one of the reasons why this episode excels, is down to its very small cast. Alongside The Doctor and Clara, you only have 3 other characters in the episode. This helps as it gives you much more time to get to know the new supporting characters and this makes you care for them much more. It also helps that the cast we have is so strong. Joining Matt and Jenna this week we have Dougray Scott as Alec Palmer and Jessica Raine as Emma Grayling. With these 2 you have a little love story going on which leads perfectly onto the resolution of the episode. Also in this episode, I think the relationship between the Doctor and Clara has not firmly found its feet. You can see that they are the best of friends but with Clara not being scared to challenge the Doctor, which is what I like in the TARDIS team.

The episode is split up into 2 parts. The first half being the ghost story and the second half being the pocket universe. I liked the first half first and I wish that this had continued on a bit longer as there were some generally scary moments in this. I'm not saying that I disliked the last half as that had some great moments in it too but I preferred the ghost story much more.
We got a bit more interaction between Clara and the TARDIS this week which I am loving. Its going to be interesting to see where they lead this to. The scene with Clara talking to the voice interface was nice but I do hope its not going to be overused. Wondering if they are setting it up for usage in 50th anniversary episode.

This episode continued on the usage of references to the past which have been present throughout this second half of the series. This week we got the crystal from Metabelis 3 and a referance to the Eye of Harmony. These were lovely though it was a shame that Metabelis 3 has pronounced incorrectly. It was also nice to get to see a shot of the TARDIS flying though the vortex for the first time since The Pandorica Opens in 2010.
The alien (was going to put villain but he isn't really) looked fantastic. Such an inhuman design which we do lack sometimes. And it looked really creepy. The woodland scenes worked really well and the frantic camera work helped you make you on edge like the Doctor was. I think that this episode was the most scared I have ever seen the Doctor.
I would give this episode an 7/10. It lost a few marks due to a few points that I wasn't keen on and the ending scene seemed a little rushed for me, again. And while I like the love story ending, part of me wishes they had left it as a villain who wants to make you fear.

Shroud of Sorrow - Review

This was the book that most intrigued me from the first batch of 2013 novels. I was looking forward to them all but the fact this one was set in 1963 really did get me looking forward to it and it did not let me down. The Doctor in this was spot on to me. The eccentricity is there but with the seriousness and the moaning about wet bow ties. Clara was also very well written. I didn't know what to expect with her as this is her first novel and it was interesting to see if they would get her character right. I think they got her good but at times she felt more like her Oswin character than the Modern Clara she is meant to be. But that is probably due to the fact they might have been working off Asylum to get the character. There were many interesting characters in this book. I enjoyed Mae and Warren and I thought they would end up getting close in the end but they didn't. But the main characters I loved were the clowns. I just love that they had come together to save the other humans just because they were so kind. There would be some humans that would have just killed those affected but they rehabilitated them and made sure they were fine in the end.
The villains in this were fantastic. The Shroud latching themselves onto you and destroying your grief. As Clara said in the book, you expect a planet with no grief to be a good thing but in the book you find that to be wrong. Other emotions take up that space and you get tribes. I love the idea of this. Its an original idea that I really do love. There is a big revelation about the shroud near the end of the book that is a good idea but part of me wonders if it was put there just to make the resolution a bit easier.
Now this book to me feels like the perfect tribute to the shows 50 years. A brand new story but packed with references to the past such as the return of the fast return switch and lovely little scene in chapter 14 which will have you in tears. I have to give this book a 9/10.

Series 7b Episode 3 - Cold War - Review

This episode just hits the ground running. The Doctor and Clara arrive on a sinking sub in the middle of the Cold War. And if you thought that was bad enough, there is also an Ice Warrior on the loose on the sub. Not seen since the Jon Pertwee story the Monster of Peladon in 1974, the Ice Warriors make their long awaited return after a few failed trys over the years. I really like the redesign of the Ice Warrior as its really is the most faithful redesign since the Daleks back in 2005. I have always loved the Ice Warriors since they are not all evil like some of the creations in Doctor Who. They have the good and the bad ones so you never quite know what you are going to get and I think that this episode really does continue this on. Even though this is one of the bad ones, it shows that mercy at the end of the episode. And in this episode, we finally get to see bits of the creature inside the armour. I did like the design even if the CGI of the head did look a bit ropey. Its not exactly what I had expected and I am not sure on the long thin fingers as I'm not sure how they would fit inside the armor but other that that I do think it looked good.

I had already fell in love with Clara but this episode took it to a new level. I think she is one of the most believable companions that the show has done. She tries to act brave and go and face the Ice Warrior on her own but once she sees the death, it hits her how dangerous it is travelling with the Doctor. I think if she keep it up like this, she might over take Donna as my favourite companion.
The series carried on getting some really good guest starts. In this episode we had David Warner and Liam Cunningham. I was really impressed with both of them. I had not really seen anything with Cunningham but I thought he was very good as the captain of the sub. And David Warner I have known from the Big Finish Doctor Who audios where I have admired him in. I have found him to be a great actor and he doesn't let us down here. I would love to see him return again as Professor Grisenko.

Overall, I did really enjoy this episode. Mark Gattiss has written one of his best Doctor Who scripts here. I have read some comments over the internet that there was not much plot in this episode but I really disagree with this. It was all about the threat posed by the Ice Warrior which was massive since he had access to the missiles. and could have pushed the world into a nuclear war. Since we find out at the end of the episode that there are more Ice Warriors out there, I would love to see more of them again in the future. I would give this episode a 8/10