Doctor Who review- Silence in the library
September 10th 2008 01:06
Review: Dr Who
Exceptional. I cannot think of another word which sufficiently sums up what I thought of this stunning two parter from the able pen of Steven Moffat, the same creative mastermind who brought us some of this series best episodes to date (including the impressive Empty Child/The Doctor Dances two-hander; the superb Girl In The Fireplace; and the masterpiece known as ‘Blink’). I am very relieved that Mr Moffat is assuming the producer’s reins after current showrunner Russell T Davies abdicates following the end of this season. I can’t think of a better man for the job. Russell T Davies is the textbook definition of polarising fans. Whilst his episodes are occasionally brilliant, he also unfortunately falls into the trap of overindulging in his excesses. In short, his scripts can be a tad on the campy side.
Not so Moffat. This is yet another superlative episode born from his mind. Doctor Who is at its very best when it focuses more on intelligent science fiction ideas and less on flashy style-over-substance monsters of the week. I prefer Who when it resembles Star Trek moreso than Star Wars.
The concept of a massive planetary sized library which contains every book ever written is a fascinating one, as is the storyline about the mysterious woman from the Doctor’s future, whom he has not met as yet. I found myself perpetually wondering who the heck she was. He does not just hand out his sonic screwdriver blindly to just anyone who comes along, after all! Also, there are hints about what may become of poor suffering Donna Noble later this season. River didn’t seem to know who on earth (or any other planet, for that matter) she was. Donna is an underrated companion, in my opinion. In the old school Dr Who series, the companion did not (often) serve as a mere romantic interest for the Doc. In fact, sometimes he brought along male assistants on his journeys across time, space, and dimensions. Donna reminds me the most of a classic Who heroine of any of the ones we’ve seen so far in the resurrected version of the series. In actual point of fact, she is somewhat like Sarah Jane Smith (as played by Elizabeth Sladen in the Tom Baker/Fourth Doctor era of the show).
Why can’t every episode of the series be written by Moffat? The guy really knows his sci fi and his drama: a winning combination. If episodes like these were the rule, not the exception, then nu Who would undoubtedly be one of the greatest science fiction TV series in the pantheon of the genre. Not just a merely ‘great’ one. Having said that, I have noticed a sharp increase in the quality of the scripts this year as compared to the previous season. Do not get me wrong, the last third of season 3 was outstanding, and classic Who. But the first quarter of episodes was clearly struggling. Season four has been great so far. I hope they can keep it up, and with Moffat’s genius at the helm, I cannot see any reason why it woudn’t.
Exceptional. I cannot think of another word which sufficiently sums up what I thought of this stunning two parter from the able pen of Steven Moffat, the same creative mastermind who brought us some of this series best episodes to date (including the impressive Empty Child/The Doctor Dances two-hander; the superb Girl In The Fireplace; and the masterpiece known as ‘Blink’). I am very relieved that Mr Moffat is assuming the producer’s reins after current showrunner Russell T Davies abdicates following the end of this season. I can’t think of a better man for the job. Russell T Davies is the textbook definition of polarising fans. Whilst his episodes are occasionally brilliant, he also unfortunately falls into the trap of overindulging in his excesses. In short, his scripts can be a tad on the campy side.
Not so Moffat. This is yet another superlative episode born from his mind. Doctor Who is at its very best when it focuses more on intelligent science fiction ideas and less on flashy style-over-substance monsters of the week. I prefer Who when it resembles Star Trek moreso than Star Wars.
The concept of a massive planetary sized library which contains every book ever written is a fascinating one, as is the storyline about the mysterious woman from the Doctor’s future, whom he has not met as yet. I found myself perpetually wondering who the heck she was. He does not just hand out his sonic screwdriver blindly to just anyone who comes along, after all! Also, there are hints about what may become of poor suffering Donna Noble later this season. River didn’t seem to know who on earth (or any other planet, for that matter) she was. Donna is an underrated companion, in my opinion. In the old school Dr Who series, the companion did not (often) serve as a mere romantic interest for the Doc. In fact, sometimes he brought along male assistants on his journeys across time, space, and dimensions. Donna reminds me the most of a classic Who heroine of any of the ones we’ve seen so far in the resurrected version of the series. In actual point of fact, she is somewhat like Sarah Jane Smith (as played by Elizabeth Sladen in the Tom Baker/Fourth Doctor era of the show).
Why can’t every episode of the series be written by Moffat? The guy really knows his sci fi and his drama: a winning combination. If episodes like these were the rule, not the exception, then nu Who would undoubtedly be one of the greatest science fiction TV series in the pantheon of the genre. Not just a merely ‘great’ one. Having said that, I have noticed a sharp increase in the quality of the scripts this year as compared to the previous season. Do not get me wrong, the last third of season 3 was outstanding, and classic Who. But the first quarter of episodes was clearly struggling. Season four has been great so far. I hope they can keep it up, and with Moffat’s genius at the helm, I cannot see any reason why it woudn’t.
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