Reviews for 5.01 and 5.02
Anyone who knows me knows how terrified I was to start watching S5.
I was hugely predjudiced against anything not involving David and Russell working together. Seriously. I was going to be hugely disappointed anyway, so what was the point in trying to even watch it? So I didn't want to watch it. Kept finding excuses not to, too. Until today, when my friend Maud and I sat down to watch both eps. I figured that having psychological support was gonna help me anyway, so I thought why not. And if I hated the eps, I could spit my venom about them to my friends and not bottle it up and let it simmer until I exploded. ;)
Well... I'm almost disappointed in finding both eps so good. I suppose having very low expectations means that I could only get pleasantly surprised (the complete opposite to The End of Time) but still.
Many things to like in those episodes.
First and foremost Amy. I. Love. Her. She's got the wit, the initiative, the caring persona. She's got what I like in a companion. She's been waiting for the Doctor for 14 years, but she doesn't think he's some sort of flawless God, as he's already let her down. I like that very much. Drawing comparisons with Donna and Rose would be easy (Donna's sense of initiative even if it goes against what the Doctor obviously decided, and Rose's insane bravery plus her closeness to him) but I'm trying - as much as I can to keep my mind away from Russell's era (for my own sake, because no matter what, I do miss Ten very much). So far anyway, I'm very happy with Amy's character. She's thinking on her feet, but she's also an emotional person, and so very human. Running away from a wedding she isn't sure she truly wants, intuitive about the Doctor's emotions (I loved what she said in The Beast Below, about the Doctor being, like the starship whale, so old, so kind, and unable to stand watching children cry (the hug elicited an extra squee from me). I *loved* Amy trying to protect the Doctor (and him throwing a fit over it) and her making the decision for him because she was more perceptive about the whale than he was.
The plots, too, are very well done, especially The Beast Below. I really liked that the whale wasn't the actual monster, but the humans were.
And... *swallows loudly*... I'm liking Eleven so far. Don't faint. I do. He's fun and witty, got many traits I liked in Ten, but not like I feel I'm watching a copycat of David's Doctor. I totally enjoyed the scene in The Eleventh Hour when he tries out all kinds of food and hates them all. Wish he'd tried bananas, though. And pears (who knows, he might've liked them this time around).
I know I said I wanted to differenciate S5 from Russell's era, but I can't help but wonder. When Amy asked Eleven if he'd ever run away from something because he was scared or not ready, and he said yes, a long time ago... what was he referring to? Several things come to mind - and I'm truly doing my best here to keep the Doctor/Rose shipper in me quiet and behaved, because I know Steven Moffat is no Doctor/Rose shipper, so the likeliness of his scripts hinting at it is very low - but I still do wonder. Could it also refer to something pre New-Who era?
Anyway, excited, happy, pleasantly surprised, so bring on the next episode! ;)
I was hugely predjudiced against anything not involving David and Russell working together. Seriously. I was going to be hugely disappointed anyway, so what was the point in trying to even watch it? So I didn't want to watch it. Kept finding excuses not to, too. Until today, when my friend Maud and I sat down to watch both eps. I figured that having psychological support was gonna help me anyway, so I thought why not. And if I hated the eps, I could spit my venom about them to my friends and not bottle it up and let it simmer until I exploded. ;)
Well... I'm almost disappointed in finding both eps so good. I suppose having very low expectations means that I could only get pleasantly surprised (the complete opposite to The End of Time) but still.
Many things to like in those episodes.
First and foremost Amy. I. Love. Her. She's got the wit, the initiative, the caring persona. She's got what I like in a companion. She's been waiting for the Doctor for 14 years, but she doesn't think he's some sort of flawless God, as he's already let her down. I like that very much. Drawing comparisons with Donna and Rose would be easy (Donna's sense of initiative even if it goes against what the Doctor obviously decided, and Rose's insane bravery plus her closeness to him) but I'm trying - as much as I can to keep my mind away from Russell's era (for my own sake, because no matter what, I do miss Ten very much). So far anyway, I'm very happy with Amy's character. She's thinking on her feet, but she's also an emotional person, and so very human. Running away from a wedding she isn't sure she truly wants, intuitive about the Doctor's emotions (I loved what she said in The Beast Below, about the Doctor being, like the starship whale, so old, so kind, and unable to stand watching children cry (the hug elicited an extra squee from me). I *loved* Amy trying to protect the Doctor (and him throwing a fit over it) and her making the decision for him because she was more perceptive about the whale than he was.
The plots, too, are very well done, especially The Beast Below. I really liked that the whale wasn't the actual monster, but the humans were.
And... *swallows loudly*... I'm liking Eleven so far. Don't faint. I do. He's fun and witty, got many traits I liked in Ten, but not like I feel I'm watching a copycat of David's Doctor. I totally enjoyed the scene in The Eleventh Hour when he tries out all kinds of food and hates them all. Wish he'd tried bananas, though. And pears (who knows, he might've liked them this time around).
I know I said I wanted to differenciate S5 from Russell's era, but I can't help but wonder. When Amy asked Eleven if he'd ever run away from something because he was scared or not ready, and he said yes, a long time ago... what was he referring to? Several things come to mind - and I'm truly doing my best here to keep the Doctor/Rose shipper in me quiet and behaved, because I know Steven Moffat is no Doctor/Rose shipper, so the likeliness of his scripts hinting at it is very low - but I still do wonder. Could it also refer to something pre New-Who era?
Anyway, excited, happy, pleasantly surprised, so bring on the next episode! ;)