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I really enjoyed this episode while it was airing, but felt as if I'd missed some bits, so this evening I went back and watched it again. And really enjoyed it the second time too. I can't say why, exactly, since it's not exactly an original story and it wasn't filled with witty lines or with amazing characters or guest stars, but… I just liked it.
Matt Smith's Doctor seemed a bit less like Ten this time, to me. A bit… softer. Gentler. Though his rant at the end reminded me too much of Ten in The End of Time and didn't quite feel real enough for me. I could at least see where Amy was getting her 'very kind' thing from, because that's new with this softer side to the Doctor. I'd never really have described the Doctor as kind before, except perhaps Five, who was also a bit softer. I think Eleven reminds me of Five, a bit. And call me a snob (I know I am) but isn't it lovely to have a well-spoken Doctor again?
The thing about 'very old and very kind, last of its race', though – did it really need repeating and pointing so obviously? I got it the first time she thought it, and was just sighing about sledgehammers when she repeated it all out loud and then again to the Doctor!
I really do like Amy, though. She's spunky and feisty and cute and practical. And she really reminds me of Gwen. Partly because she does that adorable wide-eyed look like Eve Myles does, and partly just her reactions to weirdness remind me of Gwen at the start of Torchwood. It's good, either way. :-)
The bit in the mouth of the whale was just gross - but my four-year-old son thought it was brilliant and funny so I guess that's just me. *g* Though I have to admit… if they came out through the mouth, how did they end up in a tunnel? In the shot of the whale at the end, its head was just free in space!
I liked Lis Ten (and did anyone else spot – as my husband did – that her name also spells out 'Listen'?) and the idea of her retconning herself every ten years. Not sure why she had to have her aging stopped though. Couldn't she have just passed on her rule in the usual way? Obviously it was done for story reasons (i.e. so she wouldn't notice she looked a lot older than she thought she was) but it seemed a bit convoluted. And would they really have that sort of technology in the 29th century anyway?
Ironically, only last week I had finally got round to watching The Ark in Space - and imagine my squeeing when this episode turned out to be 29th century humans fleeing Earth due to solar flares? Continuity! Amazing when Doctor Who actually does it!
A couple of silly little things: I loved the weirdness of the Smilers having three faces when logically they should only be able to have two. And having the Demon Headmaster (Terrence Hardiman) cast as the (supposed, until the reveal) chief of the secret police was just perfect! :-)
Matt Smith's Doctor seemed a bit less like Ten this time, to me. A bit… softer. Gentler. Though his rant at the end reminded me too much of Ten in The End of Time and didn't quite feel real enough for me. I could at least see where Amy was getting her 'very kind' thing from, because that's new with this softer side to the Doctor. I'd never really have described the Doctor as kind before, except perhaps Five, who was also a bit softer. I think Eleven reminds me of Five, a bit. And call me a snob (I know I am) but isn't it lovely to have a well-spoken Doctor again?
The thing about 'very old and very kind, last of its race', though – did it really need repeating and pointing so obviously? I got it the first time she thought it, and was just sighing about sledgehammers when she repeated it all out loud and then again to the Doctor!
I really do like Amy, though. She's spunky and feisty and cute and practical. And she really reminds me of Gwen. Partly because she does that adorable wide-eyed look like Eve Myles does, and partly just her reactions to weirdness remind me of Gwen at the start of Torchwood. It's good, either way. :-)
The bit in the mouth of the whale was just gross - but my four-year-old son thought it was brilliant and funny so I guess that's just me. *g* Though I have to admit… if they came out through the mouth, how did they end up in a tunnel? In the shot of the whale at the end, its head was just free in space!
I liked Lis Ten (and did anyone else spot – as my husband did – that her name also spells out 'Listen'?) and the idea of her retconning herself every ten years. Not sure why she had to have her aging stopped though. Couldn't she have just passed on her rule in the usual way? Obviously it was done for story reasons (i.e. so she wouldn't notice she looked a lot older than she thought she was) but it seemed a bit convoluted. And would they really have that sort of technology in the 29th century anyway?
Ironically, only last week I had finally got round to watching The Ark in Space - and imagine my squeeing when this episode turned out to be 29th century humans fleeing Earth due to solar flares? Continuity! Amazing when Doctor Who actually does it!
A couple of silly little things: I loved the weirdness of the Smilers having three faces when logically they should only be able to have two. And having the Demon Headmaster (Terrence Hardiman) cast as the (supposed, until the reveal) chief of the secret police was just perfect! :-)
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I wondered if the Space Whale was the same sort of creature that was in Torchwood.
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And yes, I've seen that mentioned in a couple of places. It looked different, of course, but they could very conceivably be related.