“The Lodger” is another fun episode of Doctor Who. Matt Smith is rather deft at the comedy bits.
Also, the trailer for part one of the two-part season finale is awesome. Spoilers abound, of course.
With only two episodes left in the season, here are some of my thoughts so far. I shared some of this elsewhere, but I’ve also added a few bits.
I’ve enjoyed the season so far. Stories have ranged from amazing (“Vincent and the Doctor”) to very good (all of showrunner Steven Moffat’s) to average (Chris Chibnall’s two parter), but there haven’t been any below average or terrible ones.
Moffat’s a hell of a writer in his own right, but the other writers this season are nothing to sneeze at: The League of Gentlemen co-creator Mark Gatiss, Being Human creator Toby Whithouse, Men Behaving Badly creator Simon Nye, Blackadder and Mr. Bean co-creator Richard Curtis, former Torchwood showrunner Chris Chibnall, and frequent Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures contributor Gareth Roberts. That’s not even mentioning Neil Gaiman writing an episode for next season.
The season’s fairy tale tone immediately sets the Moffat era apart from the Russell T Davies era. I’m a huge RTD fan, but it’s nice to see Moffat putting his own spin on things. It would have been easy to simply repeat RTD’s formula for success, considering how much money the BBC’s made since 2005 based on that formula.
Matt Smith was right up there with Tom Baker, Christopher Eccleston, and David Tennant in my esteem from the first episode of the season, and each subsequent episode only makes a stronger case. Smith’s Eleventh Doctor is the first in a long time where you’re very aware that he’s an alien with alien sensibilities, and Smith is right at home with playing up the humor inherent in that. Also, as Doctor Who Confidential reveals each week, Matt often seems to dress like a Time Lord even when out of costume.
I adore Amy, the new companion, as a character, and Doctor Who Confidential each week leaves me with a huge crush on actress Karen Gillan, too. Of course, I have a noted weakness for pretty redheads, and toss in a screwball personality and a Scottish accent, and I wish I had a companion like that.
My one complaint has been how small scale the season has felt so far. I must admit I’m kind of pining for one of RTD’s everything including the kitchen sink stories, or at least ending the season on a more epic note than we’ve had so far. From the trailer above, it looks like Steven Moffat may just deliver that.
In two more weeks, I’ll be in Doctor Who withdrawal (at least for new episodes) until the Eleventh Doctor appears in two episodes of the upcoming season of The Sarah Jane Adventures written by RTD and the usual Christmas special.
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