The year is 1892. It is Christmas Eve. Some creepy snowmen are haunting London and a voice has whispered for the last fifty years to a small child who now runs The Great Intelligence Institute. The Doctor is in mourning after the loss of the Pond’s and not even a young and inquisitive bar maid can pique his interest. At least not initially…
I thoroughly enjoyed this year’s Christmas special, especially after the lukewarm turn last year with The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe. The plot was passable. I enjoyed the return of Jenny, Vastra and Strax and Clara was a breath of fresh air in the (now revamped) TARDIS. Richard E Grant is always great value and he didn’t disappoint with his face set into a permanent scowl. I also liked the cheeky literary references to The Turn of the Screw by Henry James and Sherlock Holmes. I especially loved the use of the Sherlock theme when The Doctor masqueraded as the great detective.
Like The Eleventh Hour, this episode has a fairy tale vibe, especially with the positioning of the TARDIS in the clouds, the stories that Clara tells the children (she was born on the clock face of Big Ben on account of her precision) and the way that Clara taps an umbrella against the TARDIS ladder to escape the old governess. Nice reference to Mary Poppins there, Moffat.
From the retro opening credits (featuring Matt Smith’s face at one point) to The Doctor’s newish outfit, to a reference to classic Who with the 67 story of the intelligence, it is clear that the Christmas special is ramping the action up for the s7 story arc and for the 50th anniversary of our beloved show. Moffat constantly kept us on our toes with the introduction of Oswin in Asylum of the Daleks as a modern gal junior entertainment manager but then pulled the rug out from under us with the second introduction of the same actress as Clara- a Victorian bar maid and a posh governess. Just when you thought that wasn’t intriguing enough, Moffat pulled the rug out for the third time by having Clara die uttering the same words as Oswin. “Run you clever boy, and remember.”
Who is Clara? Is she the same person existing paradoxically in multiple time periods? Is she a bargain that The Doctor has made with the universe in exchange for saving it? Is she an old school Time Lord like Susan or Romana or The Rani? Only time will tell. I for one can’t wait to find out.
Who else is with me?
The Snowmen: 7/10 inky tv stars
Maureen is a lover of Dr Who and of all other things fantasy. She agreed to guest blog for Wine and Roses last year, but somehow time was the boss of her and it never happened. This year, she means to keep her promises…
I loved it I will refer judgement on Clara as a companion for now though just a little as I am a little worried there seemed to be a little crush thing going on (the doctor for her possibly?) if that is the case River will not be happy and I hope that it will not turn into too much of a love triangle rather than the planet saving spectacular I am expecting for this anniversary year
I personally adore Clara; she’s so full of life and spark and curiosity. I’m not sure that the Doctor is crushing on her so much as admiring her personal independance and refusal to do exactly as she’s told (very Donna!) but I do know that he is intrigued as to how Clara could possibly also be Souffle Girl.
Whatever happens, bring on the rest of s7!
Strangely, I am a bit the same as you, Paula (despite my review)- the crush thing is one of my reasons for not giving the episode higher. I love that River is now married to The Doctor and I would hate for that to be belittled with a triangle or something. I agree with Missus Tribble though- I think it is intended more as a way of showing strength and determination of character in Clara.
I love every other aspect of her though. I still miss Amy and Rory dreadfully but Clara holds a lot of promise- assuming her next incarnation is like her last two.
I give it 9/10 rose-coloured stars – I absolutely loved it! I was delighted to see Vastra and Jenny again… and more Strax would go down nicely!
“Aren’t you running?”
“No; because I know what happens next and it’s funny.”
“Doctor, help! I think I’ve been run over by a carriage!”
If I could thank Rory for bringing Strax back to life, I would
I should have said why I gave it 7
It was because the plot wasn’t the strongest (and I was comparing it as though it were an introduction episode like The Eleventh Hour which imo is near perfect) and because I didn’t like all of the ‘romantic’ interplay between Clara and The Doctor.
When did Rory save Strax? My memory is terrible!
Rory saved Strax offscreen; I deduced that it must have been Rory since he was a nurse and was also the last person seen talking to Strax. I hope we get to keep him!
I didn’t see the kiss so much as romance – more as a test for the Doctor – and the expression on his face was absolutely priceless!
I take your Strax and raise you a Jenny/Vastra
They are AWESOME.
Gah I already miss Rory. He is one of my most favourite companions EVER on Doctor Who. I wish he had started travelling with The Doctor earlier in s5
I adore Jenny/Vastra, and I love how same sex/inter-racial love is now a big part of the show. People call Moff a mysogynist and yet he made Madge the only one strong enough to save that forest and he brought us Jack, Alonso, Vastra and Jenny. Go figure!
I do miss Rory; Matt and Arthur have worked together in the past and their chemistry on Doctor Who was just incredible – all those nose and chin jokes that worked because they are off-screen friends were hilarious and Rory as a character was just so completely loveable. He would have been Wilf when he “grew up”
Well- to be fair there are problematic things about Madge. Sexism isn’t always intended or straightforward and I do think you could make an argument about cases of poor writing of female characters under Moffat, but at the same time, he is no worse than every other drama writer on tv who is also male, and on the whole I would argue he is generally better, especially when you consider characters like River Song, Clara, Vastra and Jenny.
Either way, it is great that people notice and talk about it. The more people discuss it, the more aware writers become of the way they represent others. Not just women, but those with a disability etc
I do enjoy how Moffat writes his characters – male, female and alien. To begin with Madge didn’t seem particularly strong and, if she were a real person, wouldn’t have been feeling it having just lost her husband – but thanks to the forest she realised that nothing was stopping her from doing anything. The woman who moved an entire forest with her mind to save the man she loved. I thought it was rather sweet, and definitely made it clear that Moffat doesn’t see women as the “weaker” sex. Okay, so he likes his companions to be pretty, but us girls get our fair share of eye candy too (the Doctor, Rory, Jack) and the likes of River and Vastra/Jenny are completely kickass – I love River’s way of behaving like some helpless female just so that someone will get close enough to her that she can thrash the heck out of him and mess with his head completely! I know that many people say that she’s written to use her looks to her advantage (and, admittedly, Alex Kingston is utterly gorgeous) but to my way of thinking she’s written to use her brain – she’s clever and wily and knows how to play people in the same way that Paganini would play a Stradivarius; the woman is a genius.
I personally think that RTD is the one who is guilty of sexualising his female characters. For instance Jack – who would shag anything that isn’t nailed down (and probably some things that *are* nailed down too) wouldn’t even hug Donna because she wasn’t young and pretty like Rose and didn’t have the serene, noble beauty of Sarah Jane (oh how I miss Lis!) and I thought that was grossly unfair. RTD may as well have turned to Catherine and said “You’re old and ugly” even though she is neither of those things! I would be so hurt to discover that I was playing someone who was considered to be undesirable/not pretty enough/not young enough. Catherine’s a brilliant actress and that was a real insult to her.
If River is an example of sexism the world is offically crazier than I thought.
Being sexy in and of itself isn’t sexisim. If beauty is the most valued aspect/only aspect of a woman valued by a man than it probably is. River is sexy. But the show doesn’t define her as that. She is a super hero, hell in high hells, the doctor’s wife, a gangster, an archaeologist, very brave and very smart and those things mark her just as much as her sexiness does on the show.
Furthermore, she is an older lady portrayed as still having a sex life and/or desirable to both genders. That’s not sexism. That’s pretty progressive if you ask me.
I quite agree! I never did understand the hate for smart, sassy, massively intelligent River! As you said: hell in high heels and I think she’s wonderful! Actually, the “hell in high heels” thing is sexy in and of itself. I don’t know; perhaps a lot of women are jealous of River and a lot of men are jealous of the Doctor? It’s stupid anyway, because River brought kickass back to the show after all these years and I love her for it
River is the best thing to hit this show since Sarah Jane and Ace.
I forgot to add, I found the endings of all three RTD companions in The End of Time to be quite sexist- intentional or otherwise. I didn’t even like Catherine Tate but I still can see what is wrong with Jack refusing to hug her. Also, I met Catherine once and she is one yummy lady.
I was indifferent to River in the library two parter but I think that was because she didn’t have good chemistry with Ten and she was introduced at her story’s end. I loved her hard since Time of Angels. Actually, I just remembered- I wrote a post on feminism and River during s5. I’ll copy and paste it below this comment!
River had to grow on me too, but I think you’re right in that she and Tennant just didn’t bounce off each other. Alex and Matt have obviously had massive amounts of fun playing this enigmatic woman who knows she is already married to the Doctor and a Doctor who is both confused and intrigued by this woman who knows too much about him! I definitely feel that she’s the best thing to explode onto the show since Sarah Jane! And didn’t you just know by her entrance that Mels was River? I did!
Would love to see what you wrote about feminism and River! Personally I think she’s the ultimate feminist!
This is weird and rambly so bear with me. Basically, there is alot of stuff out there on how Moffat is sexist and this point of view is derived from a quote from an interview on Amy Pond’s character and the casting of Karen Gillan. These thoughts are not on that Per Se, but rather on the nature of writing and what agenda comes through in writing because I noticed something really strange last night. What I noticed was this. When River is present in the story, the story ceases to be about The Doctor and becomes the story of River through The Doctor’s eyes.
Last year in my English class at university we studied a book called Praise by Andrew McGahan. This was not an enjoyable book for me. It was about realism, teen angst, drugs, alcohol and life at the centre of the dirty underbelly of a city. All things which I’d rather not depress myself with in reading. However, one of the very interesting things about Praise was its title. It is never specifically explained in the book, but from the male protagonist’s perspective, it is heavily implied by the author that the object of the book’s Praise is Gordon’s girlfriend Cynthia, a young woman who refuses to fit into either a virgin/whore dichotomy or into traditional feminine stereotypes. It is these attributes that make her the object of the novels “Praise.”
Whilst watching the incredibly shippy Doctor/River scene last night, it occurred to me quite suddenly that River has become the object of Moffat’s Praise and this is reflected in the storylines she is in. As I stated above, because we see River through The Doctor’s eyes, and if we assume that Moffat, unlike RTD (who placed himself I think in terms of companions) is placing himself when writing in the role of The Doctor, it is River, and not The Doctor, who becomes the object of the story’s Praise. This has to be really unusual in any television show. I can’t think of one other show that has attempted to pull something like this off. Because New Dr Who, for as long as I can remember, has always been about having The Doctor as the centre of the writer’s Praise or human beings in general for the essential qualities that make us human but no one but The Doctor could be seen as the individual character of Praise. It has never been about one person. Let alone about one female human person. One could argue that Rose was praised by RTD BUT we are never told what makes her an object of Praise in the actual story, other than in her relationship with The Doctor ie she only is praiseworthy because of her affections for The Doctor. In the same way women on TV are usually praiseworthy because they fit gender norms, not because they break them. Moffat rewards River for breaking them. He absolutely does.
What’s really interesting to me about River is the fact that Moffat gives us very good reasons for praising her. Reasons that are written into the story. Reasons that are shown and are explicitly canon, rather than implied or just assumed. Reasons that do not always even rely on The Doctor to place River as an object of Praise. She is praised, not punished by the storylines she is in for being who she is; a confident, mature, sexy, smart, dangerous, yet still loving older woman who refuses to fit into a gender stereotype because Moffat does not allow her to. She is praised for being River the woman, rather than River in terms of her relationship with The Doctor. The Doctor admires her and respects her and perhaps is even already in love with her but he feels these things because of the qualities she has without him, as much as for the qualities she has when she is around him. I don’t about what others think, but to me that is a really awesome television developement.
River will always be equal to The Doctor because of the praiseworthy characteristics she already has. We know her stories ending. We know that she is praiseworthy right up to the bitter sweet end. But on top of that, when River enters the storyline, the story ceases to be about The Doctor and actually becomes about The Doctor in terms of River. That is a very interesting development. The male personality as defined by the woman exactly as Gordon was defined in Praise by Cynthia. If Cynthia was McGahan’s object of Praise, than River is Moffat’s object of Praise. And that makes me so very, very happy. I will watch this development with excitement. Because regardless of whatever issues with sexism Moffat has, River’s character is not sexist. Her character is absolutely feminist. And if River is the type of woman that Moffat has as his personal idealised woman of Praise, then gosh darn it, I for one am not complaining.
Women like River should be praised and not punished for the traits that they have (in real life and in popular culture). It is right that River should be praised for who she is. A woman who is herself, and is not punished for being herself. I only wish that there were more River’s on my television screen.
I think that this is what bothered people; River is the Doctor’s equal – more than a match for him – and OMG THAT CAN’T HAPPEN!
Did they forget about Romana, Sarah Jane and Donna? All very much the Doctor’s equals.
Where’s the altar that I can worship River at?
Yes- Old Who had its fair share of River like characters. The Doctor didn’t become this ridiculous white male God until Ten.
But I think it is more than River being The Doctor’s equal (see other comment) I think it is also that she defies gender norms ALL OF THE DAMN TIME ON THE SHOW and is an older lady kicking ass. To be honest, in my considered opinion River is one of the most feminist characters ever to be seen on TV.
By the way, I am not having a go at people who don’t like River because they don’t like Alex as an actress for example. I had the same problem personally with Donna.
As I said; to me River is the ultimate feminist and I’m always really excited when I know she’s appearing in the show!
I initially had that problem with disliking Catherine Tate, but as Donna she was awesome and she really grew on me. Brave, compassionate Donna; I will never forgive RTD for what he did to such a brilliant character.
I never will either. Donna grew on me on rewatches and she had the most interesting personality of all three RTD companions imo.
Re Amy and the angels- it bears remembering that at the time of that episode, Alex had no idea that River was Amy’s daughter so she acted how she thought River would generally act in that situation- with compassion and kindess.
And I am always excited for more River. I hope she continues to make appearances without the Pond’s. I mean, how cool was Melody Malone? The song Melody Dean by Amanda Palmer is now my River anthem.
Melody was amazing – I knew straight away that she was River (why else would the camera show the high heels first?) and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the Big Reveal! I mean, you don’t introduce a random, unexpected character for no reason so I knew there had to be more to it than a teenaged tearaway who happened to know about the message in the corn, stole a car and found the TARDIS.
Alex may not have known where the plot was going (at this point I was even starting to think that River was Amy’s mysteriously missing mother) but the character of River did
And this re RTD:
1. Ok so first off let’s look at Rose.
I liked Rose and I thought she was a cool character all the way up until the fourth season when she was left with a human tenth Doctor in a parrallel universe. I don’t care what anyone says: that was some badass sexist writing going on there (or at least thats how I read it). The implication for me with this ending is that Rose is superficial and loves The Doctor’s outer self and not the essence of what he really is because a human Doctor is not The Doctor that she fell in love with; a human Doctor can never ever be the alien Doctor that she fell in love with. There is also the fact that Rose could be read as the chaste princess Mary Sue of the story but I can really be bothered to go there right now.
2. Martha
I liked Martha. She was a feminist companion but two things ruined her for me in the end:
a) her unrequited love for The Doctor
b) the fact that she is paired off with Mickey in the end of The End of Time makes zero sense. In fact, for an independant companion, Martha got pretty clingy. I would also argue that Martha and Mickey as a couple smacks of racism to me as well. Oh I get it… the two black characters would of course fall in love cough. No RTD: that is not how life works. I would also describe the resolution of Martha’s storyline as lazy writing.
3. Donna
Donne was cool too. She started off as un unfufilled rather lost woman, and her growth throughout season four was great (except for the implication that the only way she could better herself was through the alpha male help of The Doctor which again screams sexist to me) but then RTD made her regress back to her shrewish caricature at the start of season four and to make matters worse had her married off to a safe, secure man and to make matters worse writing the story so that The Doctor is the one who secures her happiness (by giving her the lottery ticket to ensure that her life is filled of capitalist glee I suppose). In fact out of all the companions I’d argue that Donna’s ending was the most sexist.
And this re Amy/River:
Ok, so first off, there has been much feminist debate surrounding the character of Amy Pond. Is she sexist or feminist? being the crux of the matter. The debate is to do with sexuality. Amy from the first is someone at home with sex- she wears short mini skirts and her professional job is that of kissogram (from what I can gather, someone who gets paid to go to parties and kiss men there). Some feminists argue that she is a sexist character because she is so highly sexualised ie she is there to be the object of the male gaze and to pander to male heterosexual fantasies.
On the other hand (and I’m in this camp), there is the feminist view that because Amy is confortable with her sexuality she is actually empowering. Amy does not use her sexuality to get what she wants with men or as a way to have control (or at least not so far); she instead is highly intelligent and problem solves to save herself. In fact, The Doctor is usually reliant on her for solutions to a problem. Her sexuality is something used for herself alone (ties into theories of pleasure centred sex?). Also, from what we know about Amy, she chose to be a kissogram and is comfortable with this choice and therefore she had agency when she chose that job. On top of this, Amy is “sexy” but that is not her whole character. In fact, Karen Gillan plays her as a girl who is out for a fun adventure and is caught up in the whole fantastical-ness of her experiences, not as a girl concerned with if the men around her admire her (again indicating her security in her sexuality)
Further food for thought. Feminist ire was raised when The Daily Mail printed an article in the UK claiming that Amy was a slut because of what she wore. Feminists were asking questions such as Is there really a link between what women wear and how they behave sexually? Or is this labelling simply a way for a patriachal society to control women and put them into a definable place? Why is it not ok for women to be comfortable with their sexuality? If you want to elaborate on this feel free
This reminded me alot in fact of feminist debate around prostitution.
Secondly I wanted to discuss the recurring character of River Song, easily one of the most feminist characters to hit TV in a long while. Most feminists do not debate that River Song is a feminist character, but rather ask questions about how she upsets gender norms and speculate on why she is disliked (fandom both loves and hates her).
River Song is sexy and presumably knows it undermining the gendered age discrimination problem (referring to the ‘if you’re over 40 and not hot you won’t get cast’ line of thought) evident in both TV and film. For the record, Alex Kingston who plays River Song is currently 47 and isn’t conventionally attractive. River Song has her own profession in archeology. She is smart and also knows it, she is confident and knows her own value.
Interestingly, she has all of the power in her relationship with The Doctor. She knows exactly where they’re going, while he must depend on her for information that she chooses to give him (She knows him, he does not know her). She is no damsel in distress, but she is also sure of The Doctor’s affection for her eg when she jumps into space to have the doctor appear with the TARDIS she is confident he will be there on time. She can fly the TARDIS, shoots The Doctor down when he gets too egotistical, speaks his language fluently and is never jealous of the current companion that he is travelling with. For example, when she and Amy Pond meet neither is jealous of the other, but rather chat as friends and even have a moment where they joke about The Doctor behind his back. Amy does not try to prove The Doctor’s affection for her to River but rather asks for information to add to the knowledge that she already has for her own purposes and River does not resent Amy travelling with The Doctor.
Despite this, Doctor Who fandom is split down the middle about River Song with people’s dislike of her largely relating to statements such as “She’s too arrogant and smug.” Alot of women don’t like her oddly enough. Feminists argue that this dislike largely comes about because River undermines the gender dichotomy. She is not weak, passive, dependant, or powerless; traditional realms of the feminine. In fact, she adopts male traits of strength, power and arrogance. This leads to questions such as why is it ok for the alpha white male (The Doctor) to be arrogant and smug (especially pertinent when you consider that David Tennant was largely like this and one of the most popular Doctor’s to date), and yet when a woman adopts these traits she becomes a bitchy shrew?
Feminists argue further that viewers are not comfortable with River as a character because she completely subverts traditional views of gender. She is comfortable wearing lip stick, a black dress, killer heels and carrying a handbag, but at the same time she is also comfortable wearing military uniform and carrying a gun. However, whilst in military uniform she still wears jewelry and make up. In season four she is depicted as nuturing, loving and compassionate. In other words, she isn’t a case of failed femininity, nor is she judged for how she acts by others in the show.
The scriptwriter (interestingly a male), has written River Song as a character who is both deeply feminine; someone who is kind and nurturing (seen is her episodes in season four), but also someone who makes her own choices and sacrifices based on what she wants, someone who is powerful, confident, active and someone who has all of the control in her relationship (that is not to say it is not a consensual relationship). In other words, she adopts both masculine and feminine traits depending on circumstance. This makes River someone who not only undermines gender stereotypes, but also someone who transcends them, making people uncomfortable when faced with her character.
What we now know is that River isn’t jealous of Amy because she knows that Amy is her mother. Amy is not aware of this but feels an immediate friendship with her anyway – even teasing The Doctor about the way River seems to be coming on to him. A nice, refreshing change from the very jealous Rose (the way she jumped on Sarah Jane made me want to smash the screen).
The nurturing side of River especially comes through after Amy falls in the forest, surrounded by Angels, and River and The Doctor manage to teleport her to where they are. River knows it’s her mother that she’s comforting, but I believe she would behave in this manner regardless of that fact.
I really enjoyed watching it (three times!), although I am a bit of a newbie (I’m not spelling it the other way), plus I also got the enjoyment of watching the seventh series/season through our on-demand. I was kind of bummed out by the final episode of the series/season when Amy and Rory disappeared. I had gotten used to them from the bits and pieces that I have seen so far of the other series/seasons. I still need to see series five and six in their respective entirety, as well as actually watching the David Tennant series all the way through.
The more I watch, the more I respect and like this show more than Star Trek.
Have a great New Year!
I watched it twice and would again too! It was very enjoyable!
Were you bummed out because Amy/Rory left or for another reason? Just out of interest. I personally prefer s5-7 but s1-4 are definitely worth watching too. I recommend it all really
It is a very addictive show!
I hope you had a great New Year too and I hope you stay around for my reviews of s7 part 2
It was because they had left, plus I enjoyed both characters quite a bit along with the doctor. I liked how the three characters tended to play off of each other.
I tried watching the earlier versions of the show through Netflix, especially the Tom Baker era which was my dad’s era. The only problem I had was that none of the episodes were in order or together. So it made it quite confusing. So I gave up and just started to watch the first season of the David Tennant era. I got one episode in and after that we had to cancel our subscription. I need to catch up on both Tennant’s doctor and the beginning of Matt Smith’s.
Oh I see. I agree with you! I think Amy/Rory/River/Doctor were pretty brilliant. They are probably my favourite Team TARDIS. I miss them loads and I LIKED Clara.
I only know the current show and characters from the seventh season and the bits and pieces of the two previous seasons. From what I have seen I really like it, but I am still just taking it all in. Translation: I am a newbie to the show…or at least to this era of the show. I never watched it after my dad stopped watching the Tom Baker era when I was a kid.
Most people might not like this, but I would much rather watch this show than anything Star Trek. Although you might be hard-pressed to pull me away from BSG.
Matt and Arthur have worked together in the past and have been off-screen friends for a long time; that’s why their on-set chemistry is so awesome. I never really “felt” Amy until The Girl Who Waited but I absolutely adored Rory from the start and will miss him dreadfully.
But… Who is all about change. Doctors regenerate, companions come and go. I definitely feel that Eccleston didn’t stay long enough, but I also understand his reasons for wanting to leave after one season. Tennant was good enough I suppose (if you like an angsty, whiney Doctor) but Matt is a breath of fresh air who takes me back to the original “Mad man with a box”
It is like that feeling of opening a book or starting a movie and not getting a chance to finish it. Since I only saw one episode of the Tennant era I would like to see it in its entirety. Same goes for the seasons before seven for Matt Smith.
For you guys the show is very familiar, for me it is very new, especially since I am not a fan like most. I am still taking it in as I go, I really like it though.
You won’t be sorry that you began watching it, I promise! I’d suggest that you aquaint yourself with “New Who” (Eccleston, Tennant, Smith) before watching Classic Who though
I will probably start from there instead of the classic era. I enjoyed watching it when my dad was really into it, but it really doesn’t speak to me as it did him.
Tom Baker was my first Doctor, and I’m enjoying getting to know Troughton and Pertwee
That is cool.
I actually saw Pertwee in a pub in my hometown many years ago. I couldn’t understand why he kept staring so hard at me, as I had no idea, at the time, that I bear a strong resemblance to Katy Manning (Jo Grant)!
I hope you can see it all in order soon and enjoy! I love the show to bits and we all have our likes and dislikes! s5-7 is so good imo! The Pond’s had a great storyarc.
From the small amount that I have seen before seven and seeing seven in its entirety and the very first episode of the David Tennant era I really do like it. I cannot really comment on who is the better doctor or about the various nuances like everyone else. With the tons of reality of shows that have inundated television here in the states there isn’t much that I actually look forward to.
Someone has suggested that Clare is the Tardis, but I don’t see how that works – I much preferred it to last year’s and have watched it twice
I’ve seen that theory being thrown about too, but we already know that the TARDIS can’t power the ship if her energy is poured into a human form.
I loved this special and am already in love with Clara’s bouncy personality!
I suggested a TARDIS avatar somehow- a paradox of a TARDIS in a TARDIS could technically cause the cracks in time as part of silence falling. I don’t know really. Just a wild theory with no basis. It’s hard to judge till we get more of Clara. It’s going to be fun guessing though
Haha, too right it is! I’m already in love with her character and personality, so can’t wait to meet the 21st century version of her
Let me say right now, to expose my bias, that I do not care for Matt Smith’s Doctor, at all. That out of the way, I loved this episode. I loved Clara’s one word and the Holmes-ian references (although the Mister seems to think it’s set up for getting Cumberbatch on the show). I loved the tie-in to Souffle Girl, even though originally, there was to be no such tie-in, according to interviews. I loved the fairy tale aspect and the turning of the Snowmen into an almost Seussian nightmare manifestation of Grinches. Well done.
Another thing that intrigues me is that here in the States, there was an advert on for the upcoming year of various programming on BBC America and there was a gentleman wrapped in the Fourth Doctor’s scarf and holding his sonic screwdriver. Very curious indeed.
Fair enough. I love Matt Smith but hopefully my reviews aren’t too annoying for you. I tend to love fest. Maybe Clara can be a breath of fresh air for you?
The Holmes referencing was so hilariously Moffat trolling his own show. I loved it.
I never believe the interviews. Moffat always lies.
Ohhhh really? That would be cool!
Not annoying, at all. I enjoy seeing others’ perspectives on him and I love the character overall, in all his incarnations (even the ones that annoy me). To be fair, I am also still, in a tiny part of me, resentful that we didn’t get more of Nine. To give Smith his due, he has greatly improved in the role and is settling in.
The interviews I saw were with Jenna and Matt and not with Moffat, but I’m sure he told them the party line.
I’d love to see Cumberbatch show up on DW.
My google-fu is failing me though and I cannot identify who it was wearing that scarf in that advert. i made my husband slow down and rewind the advert several times to see who it was, too. Sadly, I recognized the scarf in the 5 seconds it was on the screen and it took a couple of times before I could focus on the actor wearing it, because I was getting distracted looking at the construction.
Sherlock was the best program on TV this year (other than The Doctor) so yes, I would love to see Cumberbatch on Dr Who! Him and Helena Bonham Carter
Yes, Nine was great. I never liked Ten in the same way.
Yes. Moffat always lies (with that smug grin telling you he’s holding something Really Important back as the punchline).
The entire Holmes scene, with the Doctor being so utterly (deceptively?) inept at it had me laughing until I cried
I have to admit that Matt had me from the moment he screamed “LEGS!” because I immediately knew that we had a completely bonkers Doctor in the TARDIS again, which – as a fan of Troughton, Pertwee and BakerT – is exactly how I feel it should be
I do agree with you that Eccleston was gone too soon though. It takes a lot of guts to take over from a previous Doctor, but to agree to be the Doctor that reboots the show is really something, and Eccleston was utterly fantastic. (Am I allowed to say that he’s pretty hot too?)
I love the madman in a box, but Smith’s early portrayal sort of verged on camp for me and I didn’t care for it. He is, however, nicely maturing into the role, so I may end up liking him yet, although probably not the way I cared for Eccleston then Tennant. I too, find Eccleston rather temperature inducing.
Along with your comment somewhere in here, I am in the “dislike River because of the actress” camp but as a character, I appreciate her.
Then again, I was also in the “dislike Donna because of the actress” camp, as well. Then I got annoyed at how they seemed to be really inconsistent with how they wrote her (Donna) and then seemed to totally change her character towards the end there. [I also have this issue with 'Torchwood' and Jack. I get changing a character through growth but wholesale change to fit whatever plot is needed is obnoxious and unless you're writing fanfic doesn't belong on the show.] On the whole though, I am seeing much improvement/consistency in the writing since Moffat took over, which is nice, even though I did like elements and story that came out of the RTD era, so I am excited for this new season.
Amy was a good character and i especially loved the interplay between her and Rory. Of the two, I miss Rory more because Karen always seemed a bit removed from the character. Jenna seems to be all-immersed and I like that, so I am excited to see what modern-day Clara/Oswin will be like for sure.
I think I’ve said something similar about Karen elsewhere: I couldn’t get a feel for Amy becauase Karen wasn’t into it heart and soul. Jenna is all “Wheeeee, let’s do this!” and she’s delightfully sparky and fun. I can’t wait to see more of her
Yes! Jenna is so effervescent. In a way, it reminds me of the early Sarah Jane days, and you know how I feel about that!
I have definitely perked up in my excitement for this upcoming series compared to several before, including some Tennant ones because the ongoing Ten/Rose “will-they/won’t-they” started to wear thin. This upcoming series just looks so *fun*.
You know how fond I am of Sarah Jane too – and I can see why Jenna would remind you of her – a real spunky attitude! Amy bored me, to be honest; Karen was too busy being all modelly rather than actually being Amy. I did love Rory though, and firmly believe that his character deserved a nicer, livelier, bubblier wife. I have often been accused of bashing Karen, but I’m really not – there were episodes (such as The Girl Who Waited) where she seemed to come to life and I’d love to have seen more of that.
But yes, I’m already sold on Clar/Oswin because Jenna’s enthusiasm for the role is utterly contagious
Rory was so lovely. I’m not bashing Karen at all, but Amy for me, was flat a lot of the time and I had a lot of ‘hurry up and get the story moving’, with the exception of a few eps in which she really let go and really was Amy.
Is it wrong of me that I am hoping with the 50th anniversary that they bring some favorites back of companions past, and maybe even Doctors past.
I got that vibe from Karen too; for me she only really stood out in The Girl Who Waited and A Town Called Mercy, and her love for Rory only became believable in The Angels Take Manhatten.
No, I don’t think it’s wrong at all. My only regret is that Lis and Nick are gone. I do hope that Katy agrees to reprise Jo though, as she is just so ditzy and loveable!
Hey!! I just managed to get around to watching the Snowmen yesterday after I got through my DVDs. I love that River is married to the Doctor I applaud Moffat for actually having the doctor stick with River, he balances relationships, romance and drama very well which is something very rare in drama television. I wasn’t too keen on the romantic interplay between Clara and the Doctor. I wasn’t feeling the chemistry and it just looked like a bad cliche. Having said that I am intrigued with her character and there is something very bubbly and fiesty about her which just draws me the way Amy never did (still haven’t figured out why yet – maybe it is the story as well). But it is still early days and I will have to watch the rest of the series before I can make a judgement. I loved the fact that Moffat hasn’t forgotten the events of the 1st part of series 7. I tend to have a problem with writers who do that.
I am a fan of Matt Smith’s version of the Doctor especially after trying to fill the shoes of the brilliant David Tennant who just brought something special to the character but Smith does make the role his own and plus I am a fan of bow ties. I also love how Moffat used his christmas special to lead us into the second half of series 7. I am already buzzing around with excitement. I don’t tend to believe anything that writers say during their interviews because of their spin (fair enough they have to sell their product) but also because sometimes writers don’t tend to make final decisions until they meet up in their meetings. They tend to keep these things hush hush and behind closed doors. But I do love Moffat’s writing style as it keeps me engaged with the story. Loved all the sherlock references too and I actually saw Liz White ( Annie) from Life on Mars as wel,l she plays one of the maids and I was so shocked at how different she looked.
Cannot wait for the next installment and what a way to celebrate 50 years of a classic show!!
Hi Susan! Nice to meet you so to speak. I hope you will be back for the rest of my reviews when s7 part 2 airs. I love fellow Moffat enthusiast’s
I wasn’t keen on it either. As I said to Missus Tribble, it is one of the reasons this episode got 7/10 rather than 8 or 9. I like both Amy and Clara- I know many did not feel Amy alongside you but she worked for me. I liked Clara’s sharp wit best.
I agree with you re the way Moffat has handled mature relationships. One of the things I am getting increasingly sick of in tv drama, is the whole will they won’t they thing being drawn out forever and then being ended in tragedy right at the end of the show. To me that is lazy writing (case in point Ruth and Harry on Spooks). Interesting conflict arises in relationships all of the time and I am glad that Moffat is exploring that with River/Doctor and formerly Rory/Amy instead of teasing us with whether or not they will be together forever and ever.
I didn’t recognise Liz till a rewatch! She looked very different!
Moffat Who speaks to me in a way that RTD’s never did. I just really identify with how he depicts The Doctor and his companions
Thanks! I liked Amy well enough don’t get me wrong I just felt that there was something off. I can’t really put my finger on it but I just wasn’t feeling it. I don’t mind cold and distant characters I tend to think that those types of characters are very interesting with some sort of tragic element to them but I didn’t get the same feeling with Amy. But I still liked her enough and I adored the Rory and the Rory/Amy relationship. I am sick to death with the will they/won’t they and I am glad that so many critics now in the US are speaking out against it and shows now are taking the plunge.
I didn’t recognise Liz White either until I got a closer look at her face and I was like hang on a minute! I do like RTD’s episodes and David Tennant was a great Dr Who but in terms of writing and storytelling Moffat does a much better job. But then again I love his work so I am biased.
I think the issue with Amy was Karen herself. She’s a model, not an actress, and it showed. She was far too busy being pretty to really care much about Amy Pond and I saw no actual acting ability in her until The Girl Who Waited. Jenna is all “Let’s do this thing” and I love that about her
I certainly don’t hate Amy and am not bashing her, but she wasn’t one of the best companions in my opinion.
Hmmm each to their own. I loved Karen in most of s5 and I think that problems with her character were more to do with some odd writing choices early on then anything else, though I agree that she improved in s6.
Hi Susan – thanks for dropping in!
I never really “felt” Amy either. Up until her later episodes the character seemed very cold and distant; Karen never really gave it her all, whereas Jenna has jumped in with both feet and is clearly loving every minute! She’s bouncy, fun, inquisitive and I honestly can’t say enough nice things about her character!
The maid was Liz White? I didn’t recognise her at all! (Although, this gives me a great excuse to watch it again.)
I think that the kiss was less romantic and more of a test – and Matt’s face was absolutely priceless!
I think everyone had the same thing with Liz White! She was unrecognizable!
Absolutely! I’m fairly certain that Annie wouldn’t have fainted when she first saw Strax too!