New Who Review for The Time of Angels

[puppetmaker]

Now we have the new Doctor meeting up with a villain created by Moffat and a companion that isn’t a companion yet also created by Moffat. If you want the back story on this one you need to see “Blink” for the Angels and “Silence in the Library” along with “Forest of the Dead” for River Song. Moffat seems to have discarded nothing and built upon what he wrote before.

River Song has serious being driving fans ‘round the bend since she was introduced. They want to know who she is and how she is connected to the Doctor because she seems VERY connected to the Doctor. Theories have ranged from her being just a companion later in the Doctor’s life to his wife and even a physical manifestation of the TARDIS. More on River in the spoiler part of the entry.

Amy keeps proving that she is the perfect companion for this Doctor. The way that they act and react to each other hits on all cylinders. Adding River to the mix added some interesting dynamics to the relationship. But then Amy was having her own problems by mid episode (again more discussion in the spoiler portion of our show).

I like the idea of the Angels. I liked Blink a lot and thought that the Angels were just a brilliant idea. The vague mythos given to them was just enough for me to believe in their villainy or were they villains? It is nice when a creature has some moral ambiguity to their back story. Here I though that it was a good pick up from where we left off but not a brilliant one (Yeah, I know they all can be gems) and Moffat did increase the fear factor of what his villains could and would do to survive but there is just something that nagged at me by the end of this episode.

OK, now onto the cut section of the review. I just ask that anyone commenting who has already seen “Flesh and Stone” be very careful that you only talk about “Time of the Angels”. I had to go back a couple of times and cut stuff out because I realized that I was talking about things I found out in the 2nd episode not just this one.

So here we go



So River is a Doctor not a Professor at this point and she did something so bad that she is a prisoner of the clergy or the clergy borrowed her from where ever she is being kept prisoner in hopes that the Doctor would show up and help them. I am hoping that this doesn’t become a regular thing. Take River somewhere to get the Doctor to show up. It was nice to see her again. And Alex Kingston plays the character just right. I really like her portrayal of River and look forward to the next time she shows up. It looks like the actress is having a ball with the role too.

Karen Gillian continues to be great fun as Amy Pond. I think this is the first time that we have really seen Amy scared. And the scene with Amy thinking her hand has turned to stone and the Doctor convinces her that it isn’t was quite well played. But Amy still has something in her eye and it keeps bothering her.

I knew the minute that the Doctor started nattering on about the two heads of the natives of Alfava Metraxis that they were surrounded by Angels. I went back and took a look at the statues and noticed that they were getting “clearer” as they were walking along. At first I thought it was because the statues were more finished as they got deeper in the maze but it turns out not so much. It was the Angels sucking the energy out of the ship to recreate themselves.

Here is my problem with the Angels this time around. In “Blink” they didn’t kill you directly, they displaced you so that they could live on your “potential” energy in the present while you lived out in the past (they did the same thing in Heroes with Hiro and Charlie). In this episode they out and out kill people. I liked the old way better honestly. They are scarier when they don’t sully their own hands with blood.

I didn’t have a problem with the clergy becoming soldiers of G-d. It almost makes sense in a very twisted way. The structure of the clergy is very much like that of a military group. I do know that there are some that found that off-putting.

So next week we find out what happens next as we explore the duality of “Flesh and Stone”.



I am grateful for scary villains that make you look at the world a little differently.

Comments

[lilia2000.livejournal.com]

This is the first time I found myself frustrated that you aren't on the British Doctor Who schedule!! I really wanted to know your thoughts on River Song after part two, "Flesh and Stone". Because...well...it presents a very interesting story line for River that I have a theory about and I got very excited thinking you were going to talk about it in this post.

Guess I'll have to wait till next week to hear your thoughts on River and what she did!

[chazari.livejournal.com]

I loved Blink. It was so well-crafted, sad, and just plain scary. This is...a sequel. Not as good as the first and just kind of sits there. Now granted, I've only seen the first part and won't know the full story until next week, but I don't like the fact that the angels kill people and I am annoyed with the whole thing in Amy's eye storyline. Again, I'm only half through the arc so I may change my mind.

There were great moments with the angel and Amy in the trailer and the cavern full of statues--so got my creepy on. I just kind of wish that the bad guy was a one-time thing and not a recurring entity. They don't all have to come back.

All that said, it's the best episode of the season so far, I think.

[scavgraphics.livejournal.com]

They kinda cover the killing thing...the Doctor mentions that it's unusual that they're killing people directly, unless they need the bodies, ala Angel Bob.

I suspect the "displace in time" was a clever bit for a one off horror episode, but it's a bit unwieldy for a bigger stroy...This is Aliens compared to Blink's Alien.

In the US we don't get Confidential but in the one for this episode, Moffat just out and says that this is the monster he created and now that he's the boss, by gum it's gonna show up again. Can't really fault him for that (Though I thought the Doctor's description of the Angel as all powerful and all evil was a bit over the top....has no one tried sledgehammers?)

[querldox.livejournal.com]

A couple of years ago at San Diego, I asked Moffat if River had recognized the David Tennant Doctor due to having met him before or via some innate "doctorness". He replied that in his mental backstory, she'd met him before, as well as at least one other Doctor. So per that, there's an untold tale or two of River and Ten.

On the other hand, during the same session he also said that since Who was all about time travel, writers and producers didn't have to be strictly bound to continuity since it was potentially very malleable. So, since the above was never even stated in the ep, it's certainly something he could ignore with further appearances of River.

[simplydreamin.livejournal.com]

The whole Doctor/River time-line makes my eyes cross and my brain sweat- keeps me up at night trying to make sense of it all!!!

The Angels are my favorite.

[lyssie.livejournal.com]

Actually, given the little I paid attention to it, fandom as a whole hated River Song. Most of them were not in the least interested in her. That's changed, a bit, now.

I am fascinated by the idea (mentioned in SitL) that the Doctor and River keep meeting out of order. At some point, one assumes they might sync up.