I don't quite know what to think of this one. It's good but it could be better. The preview last week looked so confusing so I wasn't sure what to expect but the idea in the end is actually really fun, so in that sense the episode exceeded my expectations. However, it also confused me and I just didn't understand why the Doctor and Clara were doing this. And it wasn't until I read the AVClub's review of the episode that I understood why I had a problem with this. The Doctor is very willing to follow the instructions of some unknown Architect and this really does not fit my understanding of who the Doctor is. He has always been walking to the beat of his own drums and does not really follow orders. Just look at the way Eleven reacts in 'The Impossible Astronaut' when he's told to do something by Amy, Rory and River, but he's not told why. He's suspicious and is extremely unwilling to do anything without being told the whole story. And here the Doctor just goes with it and maybe it's a part of Twelve's characterisation but to me it just feels out of character, especially with his apparent quest to know everything.
So that is my overall first reaction. Now, lets go back to the beginning. Clara is going on a date with Danny. I like seeing that she has a life outside of the Doctor. After Amy and River practically living for the adventures with the Doctor, it is refreshing to see a companion who is just having fun but also has a life of her own. Yeah, I like Clara.
This Doctor does not seem that fond of running. Or maybe his older body just can't keep up. But it's still funny to see him be the first one to slow down and demand that they stop running. Also it's becomming very clear that Twelve is a lot harsher than his previous incarnations. Like I have commented before, his humour is very dark but I really like that. However, just look at him when the Teller is turning that one man's brain into soup. Clara is begging him to do something but he is quite calmly telling her that there's nothing he can do. I feel like at least Ten would have looked distraught in a same situation. Though he still can't promise to kill someone, so that's something.
So this whole keep your mind blank reminds me a lot of not blinking (in 'Blink') and not breathing (in 'Deep Breath'), except it's a lot harder. I mean, have you ever tried not to think about anything? To me it seems impossible. At least you have some control over blinking and breathing, even if you can't do it for long. So yeah, this goes to the list of episodes that kinda do body horror. And it is effective and scary.
So this whole heist was planned because Madam Karabraxos started to feel bad about the Teller and the other one she had locked up, yes? Freeing them was the ultimate goal, the thing Doctor wanted the most. The plot is still a bit confusing for me and I haven't figured it out completely yet.
The acting is great in this episode. The gues stars really shine in this episode and it is nice to see that they were given characters that have some depth. Keeley Hawes is amazing in her two roles and is able to make them different enough that we can tell them apart, even if they are clones. Jonathan Bailey as Psi and Pippa Bennett-Warner as Saibra are equally good. Their characters are interesting and it would be fun to see them again.
Looks like next week Clara's two lives collide, I think this will be fun!
In other news, new season of Person of Interest starts on tomorrow, so I'll be starting weekly posts for that as well. Not sure about my schedule yet, but they will probably be up towards the end of the week.
No comments:
Post a Comment