Now for those new to the site, I think it's fair to say that my favorite TV series is by far Doctor Who and with a new Doctor, a new cast and new season, fans all over the world were pumped to see such an extravagant and exciting event. So how does this new series start out and how well can the Doctor fare against his previous incarnations. Oh by the way, SPOILERS!
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So, now for the plot. In Victorian era London, a dinosaur has appeared in the river Thames and has attracted the attention of Madame Vastra and her associates (yeah, expect to see these guy's appear a lot in the series). But after the T-Rex coughs up the TARDIS, a dazed and confused Doctor steps out to the shock of everyone, especially Clara. Taking him back to HQ to recuperate, we get our main character arc for Clara...prejudice. Unable to cope with a new man taking the spot of someone she knew, her apprehension is our's as we take time in this episode to determine whether or not this man is the Doctor, much like the gladiator matches of Rome. Amongst all this, a mysterious case of spontaneous combustion is spreading throughout London and people are being robbed of Body-parts. Will this new Doctor be able to identify the culprit? But more importantly, will he find out who, or even what, he is?
Now my major criticism is the unnecessary, sometimes lacking plot details. One in particular is why was the dinosaur even there? In the advertisements it looked like one big story to be dealt with on a later date, but no, it's in this episode as a joke and more of an accident on the Doctors part. On the other hand however, this does provide a interesting contrast to the Doctor. They both feel lonely and confused by this new world which surrounds them and it's destruction due to his involvement leads him on the hint to search for the crux of the matter. Another is the lack of focus on the Robots of the episode. If we cut out the first 10 minutes involving it, we would have gotten more time to focus on the scavenging cyborg. Also I feel as though the mystery and drama was what it should have been, but by all means, it's still thrilling and entertaining. Two scenes in particular are equally suspenseful, when the Doctor and Clara sit down to a meal, it slowly dawns on them that it is all a trap. Another is Clara trying to hold her breath and avoiding an interrogation from the Cyborg. So suspense and action is definitely there, along with some descent comedy from all those involved.
But by far the most impressive aspect of the episode is Capaldi's portrayal of the Doctor. He is the same aloof, intelligent and eccentric Time Lord whom we have all come to love, but two scenes stand out to me. One is him trying to comprehend his reflection and what does it mean that this is the man he has become. It's one part dramatic and one part comedic, but leans more towards dramatic for me. Unless he's swearing up a storm, Capaldi to me is not naturally funny. Also did anyone notice it was kind of like that scene in Doctor Who the Movie after McCoy regenerates. The other scene is him trying to reason with the Cyborg and the cause of his faith left ambiguous. Just by looking at the camera, it's like he's saying, "So, what do you think?", as if challenging us. Did he kill the Cyborg, is he that dark now that he will kill even if another option is open to him? More questions left to be answered. Also, his banter with Coleman was stellar. I am glad we can now move past the whole will they or won't they and instead move to friends helping their friends in need. I hope to see a more confident and competent Clara like we saw here in the rest of the series. So praise be to these two for exceptional performances.
And must I address the elephant in the room?! Okay, Matt Smith's cameo was sweet, shocking, but invasive. Part of say's it's kind of like a father handing down the reins of power to his son, in that Matt is giving his blessing to Capaldi and is reassuring Jenna that the show will remain the same. But another part say's, Matt's time is over and it's time we move on! He left his mark on the series, but he has had his time, now we have Peter. I won't lie, I felt no emotional attachment to his appearance or even that sad that he has left, but it was a nice image to leave on, with Clara willing to give this new strnger a shot and the Doctor on a quest to save his soul. I just can't wait for the next episode!
So overall, a good introduction to the new dark style of DW and to Capaldi, some minor nitpick's, some major, but I enjoyed almost every minute of it.
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