New Who Review for The Lodger

[puppetmaker]

I knew I had seen this before and was glad to find out that I wasn’t crazy, it was a comic strip in the Doctor Who Monthly (issue 368) that Moffat liked and had turned into an episode of Doctor Who.

This is the filler episode for the season really. It doesn’t do much to advance the plot except one or two minor things. It takes place on Earth so there aren’t many exotic effects or sets to be built. It is mostly the Doctor on his own (which is a bit of a switch from episodes like Turn Left and Blink).

It was fun to watch and I thought that James Corden and Daisy Haggard did an excellent job as the young couple that finds the Doctor in the middle of their lives.

The rest of the review is behind the cut. I ask (cause I know it is tempting since we are close to the end) to keep any discussion only to the Lodger.

I am grateful for the rain today even with it screwing up our plans.



It was nice to see Matt Smith having so much fun kicking the ball around. It was great to see that the Doctor is as good as he says he is at sports. It was also nice to see that Matt Smith is willing to be that rather skinny but a little bit of a gut so white he looks like he’s a ghost Englishman rather than one of those ripped TV stars. He looks like a lot of people do and is willing to let the world know it.

Amy and the TARDIS seem to have an affinity for each other. I have been thinking back to old Who and through new Who and I can’t think of another human companion who could fly the TARDIS without the Doctor being in the TARDIS with them.

The Doctor as a relationship helper is funny. He knows what is going on but seems oblivious to it as the same time.

So it was a nice filler with some of the loony tropes that makes Dr. Who comedic fun.

Next week the Pandorica Opens and we head rapidly towards the end of the season.

Comments

[n-decisive.livejournal.com]

You summed up my feelings on the episode perfectly, especially the part about it being a bit of a filler episode, Amy and the Tardis and his skinny, pasty self. I really enjoyed that part. Otherwise, the only thing I'd add is that I felt it was that it felt a bit choppy in places, which made it hard for me to stay engaged.

[gryphonrose.livejournal.com]

I loved this episode! The whole season has been more fun than previous years, but this one was so much sillier and zanier and yet it still worked with his character and Amy's and what was going on in general.

[artnouveauho.livejournal.com]

speedlime said-- and I agree-- that this was the first proper 11th Doctor story that really couldn't have been done with 9 or 10.

I found it charming!

[theafaye.livejournal.com]

Wow - this the first time I've actually been able to click on one of these entries because that was the episode we saw last week too. We've been a couple of weeks behind you (I think - always hard to tell).

I think the thing about how Matt Smith looks is probably more standout to an American audience because you have so many beautiful people on your screens. You only have to look at your soaps or drama series to see that virtually everyone involved is perfect. Whereas just look at an episode of Coronation Street or Eastenders - there's a broad mix of body types and ages and attractiveness. It's pretty common on UK television.

Your comment about the TARDIS is interesting, because I didn't see her as flying it so much as she'd been stranded on it, so didn't really have much of a choice - the Doctor had jumped out and she couldn't follow him in time. Since the TARDIS was incapable of landing, she didn't really have much of a choice but to pull levers at appropriate moments and other companions have had their fair share of lever pulling, even if the Doctor was around. I'm also thinking of Rose and her direct communication with the TARDIS - you can't get more of an affinity as that.

But I'm loving this entire series. Matt Smith won me over from the second he appeared on the screen, which is a first for any Doctor (except Christopher Eccleston, who I loved and wished had done just one more series. But then again, he had the advantage of being the first Doctor when the series returned and as long as the programme was half as good as people remembered, I think he was going to be easy to like).