Yay
Synchronised Matt Smith dippy-let’s-get-moving thing, yay!
Oh far out, everything to do with the ‘gangers is ridiculously creepy.
Jimmy was good, Miranda was good. Look, I actually remembered their names, I must have liked them.
The characters seem more like characters this time and less like plot-puppets. Well, some of them, at least.
Mutant stretchy monster Jennifer makes no sense but who cares SO CREEPY.
Aha, a balloon!
!!!
!!!!!
!!!!!WHAT!!!!!
!!!!!THAT WAS INSANE!!!!!
Not So Yay
Not to do with this specific episode but I don’t think I’ve mentioned this yet; the new opening is rubbish, the new music is rubbish. Although I like the new logo.
They could have done much more with the ‘going through all previous incarnations’ bit, missed opportunity there. With that said what was there was good, especially “One day we will get back. One day.”
Shouldn’t Amy be at least a teensy bit worried about Rory?
“Who are the real monsters?” Blech.
Good gracious Jennifer can’t act for toffee. I mean she wasn’t good in the first part but this is just embarassing.
John Smith stuff just brings to mind the Human Nature/Family of Blood two-parter, which was much better than this.
There’s a little thing called ‘blocking’, the director of this episode needs to learn about it.
Lamest ‘heroic’ sacrifice ever. “I have to die saving you all!” “But why?” “Dunnooooo~” “Wait a second, that didn’t achieve anything, what?”
What about the shuttle? What happened there?
Well that episode had hardly any Rory in it at all. I’m disappointed.
Also, “Humans are weak and reactionary and The Doctor would like us to be BETTER THAN THIS” is becoming rather overused. (Even so, this was far, far better than the two-parter in the last season which (so very clumsily) explored similar themes–you know, the one with the underground lizard people.)
And So
In my personal canon, Flesh!Doctor builds a Flesh!Tardis and travels around with Flesh!Miranda as his companion.
It was an okay conclusion, but I really think this would’ve been better as a single episode–with the fat trimmed and a tightening of the script and a few strategic actor-replacements and a better director this could’ve been great. With that said it seemed to go by in a flash, so at least the pacing was good. Nice and creepy and it had a few good bits, and I’m in a happy mood despite being sick as a pig so I’ll ignore the not so yay parts and say ‘good episode’.
So anyway, FleshAmy whaaaaaa? I’m really happy I didn’t see that coming, I had exactly the proper reaction (“Oh what? Hahahahaha!”). Now I’m quite looking forward to the next episode. Time-head!
Also, I’m very, very happy with the direction Matt Smith’s Doctor is taking. He was far further ahead of anyone else (including me) than I thought he was and genuinely clever–not just with the ol’ switcheroo but with everything. Also, not telling anyone what he’s up to unless he feels like it, yes. Good. More of that, please. Put a little mystery and aloofness back into his character, he’s been getting far too chummy lately. I blame Ten, he liked humans far too much.
Writing Is The Easy Part 
Mo
May 30, 2011 at 04:06
Matt Smith is brilliant! It’s interesting that Doctor Who is apparently his first real big break, I looked him up in IMDB and he only really started out back in 2004, and hasn’t been in a whole lot.
I credit Matt Smith’s acting with getting me into Doctor Who in the first place, it’ll be interesting to see who they eventually replace him with, and what he goes on to do after this.
Ben White
May 30, 2011 at 09:10
Yes, he’s very good. I was disappointed at first, when they announced him, because at that time it seemed as though Paterson Joseph was going to be the next Doctor–I still think he do an amazing job in the role, perhaps as a sly trickster-type Doctor, he’s good at that sort of character. But Matt Smith has been a pleasant surprise, and his Doctor is beginning to develop in some very interesting directions.
Mo
May 30, 2011 at 20:27
I would love to see Stephen Fry play the Doctor at some point (maybe we should e-mail him and pester him about it, heh)! Now that you’ve planted that idea in my head, lol. I think he’d make a good silly, mischievous kind of Doctor. But he could also have a good, serious side as well. Since he pulled off both really well in V For Vendetta.
Ben White
May 30, 2011 at 20:32
He’d be able to use his amazing command of language, too–I can just see him as The Doctor, conversing with scholars in Latin and being all twinkly and cheeky.
Mo
May 30, 2011 at 20:55
After looking up clips of Paterson Joseph, I agree that he’d make an awesome Doctor too!
Ben White
May 31, 2011 at 10:15
I especially liked him as the Marquis de Carabas in Neverwhere, that kind of energy would fit The Doctor really well.