(S03E10) Apologies for the lack of Doctor Who reviews recently, but I was sunning myself in Italy, and returned home to find a bumper hoard of episodes waiting for me on my Sky+ box.Before I begin, let me ask you a question: how many times in recent years have you watched a stand-alone episode of a big sci-fi show and walked away from it thinking, "Man, that was brilliant"?
Seriously -- it can't be more than once or twice. Maybe a few episodes of X-Files, or Star Trek:TNG - possibly some Babylon 5 or Battlestar Galactica.
Well, I'm really not overstating things when I say that "Blink" was one of the best stand-alone episodes of any sci-fi show I've watched in years, let alone a great episode of Doctor Who.
For me, it ranks up there with the 1995 episode of X-Files, "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose", starring the brilliant Peter Boyle, and surpasses my previous top Doctor Who episode from series one, "Father's Day" and "The Girl in the Fireplace" from series two.
Everything about screamed clever; it was well-scripted, emotional, scary, intriguing, romantic, funny -- and damn good fun.
Not only was it a brilliant mixture of science-fiction and horror, but it was one of the cleverest time-travelling stories I can remember for years, replete with a mind-bogglingly genius scene where The Doctor held a conversation across time with the episode's heroine, Sally Sparrow, via a series of edited-together Easter Eggs from 17 unrelated DVDs.
Even more interestingly, the episode featured much less of The Doctor and Martha we've been used to in recent months (due to filming two episodes simultaneously), and paradoxically, centred around events our favourite time-traveller had yet to experience.
So, am I going to tell you anything about this episode?
Well, okay then. It was about Weeping Angels, statues that can only move when you're not looking at them -- and if they touch you, they steal energy from the life you might have lived, by catapulting you into the past and stranding you there.
The Doctor and Martha ended up in such a state, but via a series of messages passed down through the years by people who have been sent back in time by the Weeping Angels, they gradually work towards engineering their escape in a classic ontological paradox.
I really can't overstate how good this episode was -- and I'll tell you what, I want a t-shirt with "The Angels Took My Phone Box" on it.
Oh, and in case you're wondering -- yes, I have watched "Utopia" and "The Sound of Drums" -- keep watching this space before the nail-biting finale on Saturday...
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
6-26-2007 @ 6:44PM
foolish5501 said...
I wasn't looking forward to this episode after last season's dr light episode "Love & Monsters" but i have to say this is the best episode of this season, and perhaps the best episode since Dr Who returned.
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6-26-2007 @ 6:48PM
Akbar Fazil said...
This hands down was one of the finest episodes ever made. And look, it was written by S. Moffat. He seems to hit home runs on EVERY episode he touches. I would love for him to take over the show after RTD steps down next series.
It takes alot to scare me and those angels had me freaking. My wife and I wouldn't let go of each others hands the whole time. To any fans of Saw, Hostel and crap like that... this is how you do scary.
Sally Sparrow needs to have her own spinoff or at least show up again.
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6-26-2007 @ 6:49PM
Akbar Fazil said...
I don't get the hate people have for Love and Monsters. It was something fresh and different and very well done.
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6-26-2007 @ 7:29PM
Lynn said...
The Doctor held a conversation across time with the episode's heroine, Sally Sparrow, via a series of edited-together Easter Eggs from 17 unrelated DVDs.
FYI -- it wasn't a series of edited together easter eggs, the same easter egg was on all 17 DVDs :) He wanted to make it easy for her to find, not hard! It would be impossible for anyone to edit together that conversation :)
I want a t-shirt with "The Angels Took My Phone Box"
You can have one with "The Angels Have the Phone Box" -- which is the proper quote :) Just search CafePress... some of them are really beautifully done.
Yes, an awesome episode all around. Hardly a surprise from the writer of The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances and Girl in the Fireplace.
(Now if only he'd finish the story about Captain Jack's 2 years of missing memories...)
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6-26-2007 @ 7:58PM
Herby Ragan said...
My new favorite episode. Surpasses Caves of Androzani (My former favorite). Moffet is a true genius. Check out the series "Jeykll" created and written by Moffet. Fantastic.
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6-26-2007 @ 8:19PM
Prawnhead said...
I couldn't agree more about this episode!
Anyone planning to make a sci-fi show should examine this episode carefully and aspire to reach it's quality!
For a show about a time-traveller, THE time-traveller, an episode that flawlessly handled the cause and effect of time travel shows that there is nothing that can top Doctor Who on TV.
And how cute is Carey Mulligan, who played Sally Sparrow???? Please please please, let us see more of this delightful young lady?!?!?!!!!!!!!!
I guess the really sad part is despite the quality of the episodes that have already followed and everything from here on, when an episode is that damn good, you can only go down from there......
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6-27-2007 @ 9:56AM
Kevbo said...
That was pretty damn awesome. Some people I spoke to later were impressed just by my synopsis of the main points. Great writing and the suspense was so well done. The time travel elements carried a balance of sadness and mystery.
I love Sally Sparrow. It took me a minute to recognize the actress from "Bleak House" but she really gave Sally personality beyond just her lines. Her delivery was subtle and confident.
Doctor Who sometimes has some of the craftiest writing on the tube these days.
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6-27-2007 @ 9:56AM
Annie Wu said...
Oh man. Just looking at that photo made my heart skip a beat.
"Blink" was a FANTASTIC episode. Although, I can't say that I'm too happy about my newfound sense of statue-related paranoia.
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6-27-2007 @ 9:57AM
chadthebad said...
How could you not include the quote "...it also boils eggs at 30 paces. Whether you want it to or not. It's best to stay away from hen-houses.
Easily this Doctor Who episode is my favorite. Although who knew that all of my favorites were written by Moffet? (thanks Lynn) I will no spend my time trying to get the series Jekyll (thanks Herby).
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6-27-2007 @ 9:58AM
Gene Cowan said...
I love that the "villians" of the piece kill their victims by... making them live out their lives. Brilliant!
And this episode had some cracking quotable lines...
"It's my timey-wimey detector. It goes ding when there's stuff."
"Listen, gotta dash...things happening...well, four things...well, four things and a lizard."
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6-27-2007 @ 9:58AM
David said...
"Before I begin, let me ask you a question: how many times in recent years have you watched a stand-alone episode of a big sci-fi show and walked away from it thinking, "Man, that was brilliant"?"
Never when it comes to Stargate.
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6-27-2007 @ 9:59AM
cathode said...
Thank you for finally getting back to writing about Dr Who. I have been waiting and waiting to see a discourse in Blink.
I feared I was the only one that thought it was completely awesome.
I agree that it is the best standalone episode of the new Dr, and an all-time classic to boot.
The premise for the story was great and the execution was flawless.
5/5 for me.
Now, here come the drums!
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6-27-2007 @ 9:59AM
Walt said...
Yes. I don't review every Doctor Who, but I posted a similar review simply because this particular episode was just that good.
Oh. It helps that the girl was cute, too.
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6-27-2007 @ 9:59AM
William J. said...
Blink had to have been an absolutely amazing episode with very little of the Doctor and Martha and Carey Mulligan was great as Sally and should be the next companion. Also, the 17 DVD's really weren't unrelated, they were all DVD'd owned by Sally.
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6-27-2007 @ 11:10AM
mugsy said...
True greatness.
Oddly, this and my previous favorite episode "Love and Monsters" feature very little of the Doctor. Heck, the Doctor didn't even make a proper appearance until half way through this episode. Here are some screenshots: http://tvtanline.blogspot.com/search/label/Doctor%20Who
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6-27-2007 @ 12:32PM
Bradley Robertson said...
I'm glad you finally posted the the review to this. My wife and I were just talking about this episode last night as not only one of our favorite Doctor Who episodes, but one of our favorite episodes from all shows that we watch. Very well done. And I have to admit, that at times it scared the crap out of me.
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6-27-2007 @ 4:52PM
Fred said...
If Carey Mulligan's name isn't placed on top of the list of potential future companions, there's no justice in this world!
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6-29-2007 @ 5:16AM
MrC said...
Not only was Blink a great episode, as a strange coicidence I was given a copy of the Dr Who parody "Dr Who and the Curse of the Fatal Death" which was done for BBC Comic relief in 1998 or 1999.
Funniest part? Also written by Mr Moffat.
There's a new series "Jekyll" which is a modern take on the J&H stuff and he wrote that too. So far in two episodes it's been pretty cool.
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6-30-2007 @ 10:25PM
Ffcrazydude said...
Excellent episode, and possibly one of the best t.v episodes of an particular show i've ever seen. She would make a great companion in the future as well, she just seems, so perfect for it. That fact that shes hot too just makes her even more perfect :D. On another note, are they making another series of Torchwood? I hope so, and what did people think of Primevil on ITV?
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7-11-2007 @ 11:21AM
Cognimaniac said...
When they put this season out on DVD, they'd be remiss if they didn't include an easter egg containing the Doctor's half of the conversation.
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