The new season of Doctor Who has arrived, and the Doctor, Rory, River Song, and Amy Pond have found themselves in the Utah desert. The episode aired in the U.K. and in the United States at the same time, which means we don’t have to wait two weeks to talk about what was seen, what wasn’t seen, and what clues were scattered throughout.
A strange summons reunites the Doctor, Amy, Rory and River Song in the middle of the Utah desert and unveils a terrible secret the Doctor’s friends must never reveal to him.
Did you see it? We want to know what you thought of The Impossible Astronaut. Was it worth your time? Did it rock your socks to see The Doctor and company in the Southwest, or did it seem like a grab to get more ‘mericans in on the action? And more importantly, are you coming back next week for more Who?
16 Comments
Thought it was brilliant.. Had just the right mix of comedy and mystery. And the aliens were really creepy and original.
Can’t believe I have to wait a whole week to see the 2nd part.. bring on next sat!
First I would like to say its great to see Badger getting work, and in Doctor Who all the better.
As for the episode itself, it felt like the first half of a story. By itself it feels like a bunch of random ideas thinly tided together, But knowing we are going to get the Second half next week, and it looks to hold to Moffat convention of the second half having a very different tone than the first half. I’m sure all the pieces will fall together nicely.
I would suggest you don’t watch the preview. Granted if you have seen other trailers for season 6 you have seen most of it already but I was surprised how much of the earlier trailers was in episode 2.
I loved it. Definately up to my high standards for Who. I think the whole American thing is a grab for viewers, but I like the tone it brings, and if it works at bringing a mainstream American audience, I’m all for it.
Swell episode. I am glad that
The Doctor Has finally come Back to America!
Nice start to the season. I particullarly enjoyed how he aged 200 years in two months time. That bit is great because it opens up the extended fiction such as the books and audio dramas to be Canon.
I have two complaints to get off my chest before I praise it. First, the BBC should have made this a 2-hour event and given us both episodes at once. Starting a season off with half a story is bad form, and were it any other show I would be disappointed. The other is that the casting director should really do a bit more research on the time periods they are casting for. I felt like I lost my suspension of disbelief seeing an African-American in charge of Presidential Security in 1969. It is the details that sell any setting after all, and that is a big one.
All that negative out of the way, I still really enjoyed the episode. There is plenty of mystery that I am eager to see a resolution to. The new aliens remind me a little of the Weeping Angels, but are different enough to seem fresh and equally scary. And the comedic timing was great for breaking up a fairly tense episode.
On the whole the episode felt a bit below average for me, particularly for the opening 15-20 minutes I just didn’t engage with the characters the way I usually expect with this show. By the end of the episode I was beginning to get more into the story which begs the question: Why make this a two part episode over 2 weeks? Why not make the season premier 2 hours long? If the object of filming in the US was to get more American viewers that first episode didnt feel strong enough by itself to keep them coming back. However, I have to admit, my reaction to the show may be driven somewhat by the River character. I haven’t liked that character since her first appearance in ‘Silence in the Library’.
On a more somber note I was saddened to see that Elizabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith) died last Friday. She was always one of my favorite Dr. Who companions and her return in ‘School Reunion’ with David Tennant is among my favorites of the new series. She will be missed.
The aliens definitely have an ‘Angels’ vibe with the similar mechanic of seen/unseen. Waiting to see just what their deal is.
I love me some River Song, and am afraid her story will wrap up this season. I want to know what’s going on with her, but am also sure that once we know, then her time with the Doctor will be up and she’ll be seen no more. She’s a great character, capable, funny and hotter than donut grease!
Great, great episode. Lots of speculation on the boards saying, River is actually Pond’s daughter (possibly granddaughter) and the little girl/astronaut.
River – Pond. River Song. Amy Pond. (almost sounds the same.) Hm.
They put a lot of effort into accents. There were still some clunkers but not nearly as bad as I’ve heard in the past. But hey, accents are a pain. It’s really hard to do an accent that sounds good to someone from that area.
Those complaining about the two-parter are obviously not long-term Who watcheres. We used to get stories in four 22 minute parts with a cliffhanger at the end of each. Imagine waiting a week each time.
I’ve been watching Dr. Who since around 1988 so I’m used watching one or at most two half hour episodes a week. My point about this 2-part episode is that, if they are attempting to get new U. S. viewers by filming in the U. S., breaking this story into two parts may not have the effect they are looking for. I personally didn’t feel that this first part was strong enough to bring a new viewer back next week. I hope I’m wrong, but that is how it felt to me.
Having a cliffhanger is different than only giving half a story. Having watched plenty of the old series, they made an effort to tell a short story within that 22 minutes which led into the next story to form a bigger story. This latest episode wasn’t that.
Not to mention the style of story-telling has evolved since the original series. Audiences expect a beginning, middle, and end for episodes even if they end with a cliffhanger. Even shows like LOST and 24 which relied on cliffhanger endings had episodes that were essentially complete stories every episode. At the premier in NYC the BBC was aware enough to show the first two episodes, but couldn’t handle the idea of doing the same thing world-wide?
From a business standpoint, it is a missed opportunity. They could have made money in the second hour that they normally wouldn’t get by having a special event 2 hour premier. They’re already splitting up the season half-way through. At least if they had 2 episodes in one week they’d have an equal number of weeks for each half of the season to run.
Great episode, just loved the look, and feel of the episode. I really can’t wait to see next weeks installment.
Did it occur to anyone else that, by having the doctor from 200 years in the future (spoiler if you haven’t seen it!) still be played by Matt Smith, they seem confident that the actor will remain in the role for a long time, and also implies that they expect him to outlast Amy and Rory… Not sure if it was intentional but they do seem to have written themselves into a corner continuity-wise if Matt Smith wants to leave the show any time soon.. (unless of course part 2 addresses this somehow, I guess)
Did it occur to anyone else that, by having the doctor from 200 years in the future (spoiler if you haven’t seen it!) still be played by Matt Smith, they seem confident that the actor will remain in the role for a long time, and also implies that they expect him to outlast Amy and Rory…
The new team regards history as fluid, and likes to engage in all sorts of paradoxes. Remember how the universe blew up about three times? And how the Doctor no longer existed, retroactively?
I don’t see that as written into a corner. Hell, when he said he was 1100, I cheered, because it meant that the Doctor actually lasted more than his onscreen portrayal. The first Doctor was 450 when we met him, and by the time we hit #6, he was (possibly) 900. The last three incarnations taking place in real time have troubled me greatly, because it means that he’s been dying much more regularly than before.
Four words for ya, George: Wibley Wobbly Timey Wimey. The future is never set in stone where this show is concerned.
Heck, they physically rebooted the universe last season: that pretty much covers any previous “continuity errors”. I’m sure they’ve got a brilliant Tom Welling-PUNCH! in there somewhere for this, too.