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morganminstrelWell, that was a bit silly, wasn't it? Yep, spoiler-free: silly, but fun.
And now, the spoiler-full.
[PLEASE NOTE: I wrote a nice, little review that somehow got completely mangled by Livejournal's editor. I'd really like to reconstruct it, but the tl;dr is that this episode was complete fluff with a silly villain, but it worked entirely because of the Doctor and River and Alex Kingston and Peter Capaldi. I enjoyed it, even though it was light fluff. I may try to reconstruct it later.]
So, yes. There was not one minute that I felt any sense of danger whatsoever. But that's ok, because the entire plot was basically hung on Alex Kingston and Peter Capaldi doing their thing, and that was really good.
Peter Capaldi, especially, was fantastic. The standout moment of the Doctor's "bigger on the inside" reaction was hilarious. (I could see the Doctor" always wanting to do that. And the more subtle moments worked.
The whole story winds up being the Doctor's revenge against River always being a step ahead of him, and it worked if you bought River constantly missing clues and cues. I suppose if she was absolutely convinced he couldn't have been able to regenerate...
way="way" back="back" in="in" in="in" the="the" should="should" take="take" place="place" shortly="shortly" after="after" this="this" except="except" she="she" a="a" prison="prison" release="release" program="program" when="when" that="that" took="took" river="River" implied="implied" met="met" multiple="multiple" doctors="Doctors" besides="besides" the="the" met="met" the="the" and="and" now="now" the="the" and="and" in="in" a="a" timey-wimey="timey-wimey" way="way" that="that" i="I" still="still" see="see" how="how" pull="pull" to="to" meet="meet" the="the" eighth="Eighth" in="in" a="a" couple="couple" months="months" set="set" i="I" have="have" no="no" idea="idea" what="what" that="that" all="all" was="was" in="in" aid="aid" but="but" it="it" was="was" and="and" i="I" can="can" understand="understand" needing="needing" a="a" new="new" flow="flow" so="So" the="the" baddie="baddie" was="was" a="a" comedy="comedy" and="and" not="not" in="in" the="the" least="least" even="even" with="with" the="the" head="head" the="the" plot="plot" was="was" a="a" bit="bit" but="but" it="it" still="still" of="of" the="the" doctor="Doctor" and="and" river="River" and="and" capaldi="Capaldi" and="and" and="and" finally="finally" come="come" to="to" the="the" end="end" of="of" i="I" honestly="honestly" do="do" not="not" see="see" how="how" they="they" could="could" possibly="possibly" shoehorn="shoehorn" any="any" more="more" stories="stories" in="in" happens="happens" during="during" the="the" twenty-four="twenty-four" unless="unless" the="the" hologramatic="hologramatic" from="from" a="a" while="while" that="that" could="could" be="be" as="as" a="a" last="last" as="as" a="a" last="last" moment="moment" this="this" worked="worked" wonderfully="wonderfully" hate="hate" you="you" so="So" i="I" tell="tell" you="you" quite="quite" but="but" i="I" liked="liked" it="it" was="was" total="total" but="but" i="I" liked="liked"
COMING IN 2016: To be honest, I have no idea! But the Doctor will return in Doctor Who, series 36/10! Can't wait!
Click here for my previous Doctor Who reviews.
And now, the spoiler-full.
[PLEASE NOTE: I wrote a nice, little review that somehow got completely mangled by Livejournal's editor. I'd really like to reconstruct it, but the tl;dr is that this episode was complete fluff with a silly villain, but it worked entirely because of the Doctor and River and Alex Kingston and Peter Capaldi. I enjoyed it, even though it was light fluff. I may try to reconstruct it later.]
So, yes. There was not one minute that I felt any sense of danger whatsoever. But that's ok, because the entire plot was basically hung on Alex Kingston and Peter Capaldi doing their thing, and that was really good.
Peter Capaldi, especially, was fantastic. The standout moment of the Doctor's "bigger on the inside" reaction was hilarious. (I could see the Doctor" always wanting to do that. And the more subtle moments worked.
The whole story winds up being the Doctor's revenge against River always being a step ahead of him, and it worked if you bought River constantly missing clues and cues. I suppose if she was absolutely convinced he couldn't have been able to regenerate...
way="way" back="back" in="in" in="in" the="the" should="should" take="take" place="place" shortly="shortly" after="after" this="this" except="except" she="she" a="a" prison="prison" release="release" program="program" when="when" that="that" took="took" river="River" implied="implied" met="met" multiple="multiple" doctors="Doctors" besides="besides" the="the" met="met" the="the" and="and" now="now" the="the" and="and" in="in" a="a" timey-wimey="timey-wimey" way="way" that="that" i="I" still="still" see="see" how="how" pull="pull" to="to" meet="meet" the="the" eighth="Eighth" in="in" a="a" couple="couple" months="months" set="set" i="I" have="have" no="no" idea="idea" what="what" that="that" all="all" was="was" in="in" aid="aid" but="but" it="it" was="was" and="and" i="I" can="can" understand="understand" needing="needing" a="a" new="new" flow="flow" so="So" the="the" baddie="baddie" was="was" a="a" comedy="comedy" and="and" not="not" in="in" the="the" least="least" even="even" with="with" the="the" head="head" the="the" plot="plot" was="was" a="a" bit="bit" but="but" it="it" still="still" of="of" the="the" doctor="Doctor" and="and" river="River" and="and" capaldi="Capaldi" and="and" and="and" finally="finally" come="come" to="to" the="the" end="end" of="of" i="I" honestly="honestly" do="do" not="not" see="see" how="how" they="they" could="could" possibly="possibly" shoehorn="shoehorn" any="any" more="more" stories="stories" in="in" happens="happens" during="during" the="the" twenty-four="twenty-four" unless="unless" the="the" hologramatic="hologramatic" from="from" a="a" while="while" that="that" could="could" be="be" as="as" a="a" last="last" as="as" a="a" last="last" moment="moment" this="this" worked="worked" wonderfully="wonderfully" hate="hate" you="you" so="So" i="I" tell="tell" you="you" quite="quite" but="but" i="I" liked="liked" it="it" was="was" total="total" but="but" i="I" liked="liked"
COMING IN 2016: To be honest, I have no idea! But the Doctor will return in Doctor Who, series 36/10! Can't wait!
Click here for my previous Doctor Who reviews.
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Date: 2015-12-27 06:42 am (UTC)That was, without doubt, the only Doctor Who Christmas Special I've enjoyed since Tenant's debut. Part of the reason is that the X-mas bits were minimal, humorous touches: "Carolers will be criticized" was perfectly in keeping with the Capaldi Doctor's personality, and a scene I could even envision. The cyborg tyrant amounted to a throwaway villain, a screw-top plot device. But what really won me over, as she always does, was Alex Kingston's River. I did kind of smack my head at the number of hints and clues she overlooked, but she didn't know about the extra regenerations. I loved the way her indulgent dismissal of David Tenant's Doctor evolved through the confused devotion of the Matt Smith years to the mature couple she finally makes with Capaldi's Doctor: the secrets and flaws are out, time isn't completely out of order, they understand one another, have a last dinner before this impossible pairing ends and they go their separate ways. (Of course, younger Dave Tennant and an afterlife in the Library is still in her future. Capaldi's Doctor gently gets to use her signature line "spoilers," here--as well as "Hello sweetie" when River finally recognizes him.) As you say, it's all about Capaldi's and Kingston's performances and the character histories.