New Who Review: The Bells of St. John

[puppetmaker]

But first Happy 130th Birthday to Lon Chaney Senior. Turner Classic Movies is showing a marathon of Mr. Chaney’s films.

Second the rules of the NWR. Above the cut is spoiler free/general knowledge review. Below the cut and in the comments there be spoilers up to and including this episode. Any future spoilers are not allowed. Speculation is allowed.

Overall it was a perfectly acceptable “introduce the companion” episode. I did see the short that went before it and I thought it did add a bit to the character dynamics.

Acting was fine over all. I am looking forward to what Jenna-Louise Coleman brings to the table this time since she has been one form of Oswin or another in two other episodes (Asylum of the Daleks and The Snowmen) and I have enjoyed both of those performances.

The writing felt a little off and some things were shoehorned into the show. There was a bit too much “ooo aren’t we clever” running through out.

Moffat said he started out to scare kids about something else that seems normal. Didn’t work with Caroline. She was on the computer this morning playing Club Penguin.

Next week “The Rings of Akhaten”

I am grateful for new companions and new situations.



OK I get it. The Great Intelligence is the current Big Bad having shown up in the Christmas Special and now in this episode. I really don’t need to be beaten over the head with it. And, yes, I do feel a little more in the know since I have seen both The Abominable Snowmen chunk and have read the adaption from the script and The Web of Fear, which is the first appearance Lethbridge-Stewart. And it is clever how Moffat used those episodes for little Easter eggs in these episodes.

And we are, yet again, setting up a companion to be more than meets the eye.

I don’t think Clare is going to be come Amy-lite but the pitfall exists.

The idea of WiFi being used to control people was clever. The Spoonheads that bring the consciousness into the containment was fun. The cautionary tale of “don’t join networks you don’t know” which is a good one considering that some networks are only trying to hack into your computer and either mine the data or use your computer to make a bigger computer.
Like I said earlier, it was a perfectly good introduce the companion episode but I feel that we have been down this road before and the tale is getting a little tattered.

I will keep watching because I enjoy the show and maybe there is a twist I haven't figured out yet. A lot of the energy seems to be going towards the 50th anniversary special right now but we still have the 2nd half of this season to go and I think Moffat is better than going to go on cruise control for the rest of the season because he has Sherlock 3 and a couple of other projects ongoing.

Comments

[jenny_evergreen]

I just don't think Moffat should be doing this at all. I don't think he really gets the Doctor. He can step in to an existing Doctor and write a great episode here and there, as he did when Davies (who I think DID get the Doctor) was heading things (Blink was undeniably awesome), but beyond that, I think he flounders, and he's going to kill the series at this rate. He vacillates between a comedy-style "Fun!" attitude and horror-lite. Bah. I want character and depth mixed with just enough action to keep things moving, and just enough humor to keep it from being too dark and heartbreaking all the time. I want a Doctor who is enigmatic, a little "off", but somehow always right in the end, who loves deeply even as he is utterly alone in himself, a Doctor who laughs when he can and endures what he must and teaches his companions to do the same, who understands the hard lessons better than anyone but still finds life worth living and people worth saving.
Well, I didn't know I could put that into words! Yay!

[mrs-tribble.livejournal.com]

Did you notice who "The Client" is?

And I think I can take a good stab at who "The lady in the shop" might be... :)

I personally love Moffat as the show runner. He's consistent and thorough in making sure that each episode that isn't a stand-alone ties in with the next one.

As for The Doctor? Moffat technically writes The Doctor, yes... but Matt has his own take on what The Doctor should be.

[jenny_evergreen]

Matt is doing his best, but he needs a writer who will give him the material to work with, and, imo, he's not getting it. I think Matt has a lot of potential that is being wasted.

[lyssie.livejournal.com]

+1 on really liking the Moff as a show runner. He truly manages to hit a billion things that are all id-food for me, so I pretty much adore everything he writes.

[thinkum]

And we are, yet again, setting up a companion to be more than meets the eye.

Yes. This. It would be nice to have a companion who was just a companion for a change, one who helped remind the Doctor of who he is and who he needs to be, rather than one who was An Enigma.

[readinggeek451]

Yes! That's what I miss most about the New Who.