Review: The Eleventh Hour

Yes I know this is late coming, that even in the States this is an old episode.  Bear with me.

It's not hard to see why this series was originally going to be called Series One.  We're completely starting from scratch here.  New Doctor, new companion, new writer, new theme, new logo, new TARDIS.  Strange then, that not once during this episode do you feel like you don't know what's going on.



So, the new Doctor.  I personally felt that no-one was ever going to replace David Tennant.  His cheeky grin and debonair way with the screwdriver had entertained me for three years, and I cried buckets at the end of The End of Time.  There was no way that a mere lad of 26 was going to live up to him at all.  I only put on The Eleventh Hour in the end so I could point and boo and hiss.

Well, I was eating my hat by the end of the episode.  Matt Smith was OUTSTANDING.  Twitchy, sharp, and a fondness for fishfingers dipped in custard... He had the right mix of eccentric and intelligent.  Though his Doctor was strangely naive and prudish, not knowing what a kissogram was and chastising Jeff for looking at porn.  Yet he (and me, hehe) didn't mind stripping off in front of everyone to don his now-famous bowtie and face down the alien threat.  It's in a fantastic sequence on the roof of the hospital that he really makes us believe he is the Doctor, having the Atraxi aliens look up his previous incarnations before announcing who he is and telling them to "Basically... Run."  It was that exact moment that I decided the BBC had made the perfect casting decision.

And what's the new companion like?  Amy Pond is certainly one of a kind.  At first glance she appears to be like Donna, red-haired and gobby, but she's able from the off to use her head and show her intelligence.  Plus, she's a kissogram.  I know many lads who are quite disappointed that she didn't make use of her French maid's outfit at some point.  Like Rose, she has a boyfriend who seems to be less intelligent and something like a spare part, but fortunately (seeing as I'm writing this so far ahead, I know these things!) Rory and Mickey are two completely different people.  Mickey was wise-cracking, not afraid to get his hands dirty but ultimately a bit stupid.  Rory's smart but a bit cowardly, but also isn't afraid to stand up to the Doctor and tell him off.

This to me didn't seem like a typical Stephen Moffat episode; it was the season starter and therefore had the job of introducing all the new characters rather than really coming up with a story, and it was a by-the-numbers world under threat from aliens episode.  It did have similarities to The Girl In The Fireplace, and it had mystery elements, such as the crack, which are clearly meant to be continued throughout the series.  I did thoroughly enjoy this episode though - it was funny, action-packed, with some creepy moments and built great characters.

And so far the series has continued in that vein!