Doctor Who - Listen Review

This is one of those times when I have absolutely no idea where to start. Well, OK. I will start by warning anybody who hasn't seen the episode yet not to read this. You really need to experience it without me spoiling anything.

Moffat's best episodes have always played on our most basic fears - this episode was, in effect, a "greatest hits" episode - but of course, it wasn't. That was what made it so beautifully, refreshingly different. Moffat literally made fear itself the only monster in Doctor Who to ever be real.

This episode brought many things full circle, including the episode's story, the characters' stories and the very purpose of the show itself. Moffat did some very clever writing here - providing something scary and then an explanation in the style of his previous episodes. Something that seems rational, but that nobody believes. This time, in the first of many twists, it was that disbelief that became the monster itself.

Now, let's talk about THAT scene. I have to admit, I kind of saw it coming. This was because of a less than careful "spoiler free" review that I read, stating that there was a scene "steeped in Who lore" that may cause outrage. I then guessed, as Clara made the mistake of going back through Danny's timeline, that she may do the same with the Doctor - which she did. The only other thing that briefly popped into my mind was that that barn looked familiar, but I didn't really think about it properly, so the massive twisty ending still made a massive impact. But who could have seen THAT coming? Moffat had so carefully created his story that with one move - Clara grabbing the Doctor's ankle - everything changed. I literally could not believe what I was seeing. Clara became the Doctor's reason to be good. My whole family looked at each other, I felt like applauding and I think my dad actually did...

The direction and music worked perfectly together to create tension and, indeed, the illusion that our fears might be real.

Now let's talk about my niggles. Insert blank space here. Not only can I not find anything wrong with this episode but I can also say that this episode has eliminated any previous concerns I had for the show. The length was perfect, and the story showed that the show can be self contained and yet still have meaning to its audience without being self aware.

Bravo Moffat - you have surpassed yourself, which is no mean feat.

10/10

Next week the Doctor robs the most protected bank in the universe.

Doctor Who - Robot of Sherwood Review

I have to say, I wasn't looking forward to this one. It just looked a bit... silly. And I was right. But for some reason, it was still a good episode.

Well, a good episode of something. Whether or not that something was Doctor Who is a question that must be asked. I think this story was very much more in the style of olden days Doctor Who than the Doctor Who we've seen since its reboot in 2005. That said, it still made for an entertaining 45 minutes of television.

Peter Capaldi, as always, was amazing. This week really showed his Doctor's versatility, as well as Mark Gatiss' versatility as a writer. If Doctor Who was ever going to do a Robin Hood episode, this was it.

I didn't really notice the direction or the music this week. I think that's because they were fitting and adequate. They definitely weren't bad, or I'd have noticed. But the same goes for them being good, I suppose.

A big problem with the episode was the ending - shooting golden arrow at the spaceship to save the world was a nice idea, but even in the world of Doctor Who, it didn't really make much sense and was just a little ridiculous.

But perhaps it was the ridiculousness and humour which made this episode so enjoyable. It was a nice break from the "into darkness" idea that this series has created without completely turning away from it. I also felt that, while issues about the Doctor and his status as a hero were mentioned, the episode didn't head too much into the territory of self consciousness, as I thought it might do last week. It would be nice, in the future, to see a little more character development for the Doctor. But I think by the end of the series we'll definitely be satisfied - if not after next week. The episode also didn't feel rushed at all, which was very reassuring.

Overall, "Robot of Sherwood" (Why not "Robots"? I don't think we'll ever know...) was an entertaining episode which did many things very well. It was a little ridiculous and a bit different, but still enjoyable.

6.5/10

Next week... well we don't really seem to have any idea. But it looks pretty awesome.

Carrie

Blood. Blood everywhere.

Who knew a girl's period could cause so much terror? Well, more terror than an average period, anyway.

Carrie White is the daughter of super-strictly religious Margaret White, and she has a special gift - the power of telekinesis. Carrie learns to control this power as, unaware to her, the bullying girls in her year group plot the most awful prank you will ever hear of (I'm not going to tell you what it is because spoilers but loads of you probs already know).

I absolutely loved this book. It is right up my street, what with the slight psychological theme, the gore and the tension. The story is captivating and I constantly wanted to know what was coming next.

Considering this was Stephen King's first novel, the writing style is extremely interesting. It is original and unique, and I thoroughly enjoyed the multiple perspectives shown throughout the novel. I also really liked the way he incorporated sections from fictional articles and books.

Reading Carrie has made me excited to read more of King's work in the future, namely Misery, The Body and The Shining. But for now, I've got to continue with my reading list.

Next I will be reading More Than This by Patrick Ness, which is Ben's favourite book. I look forward to seeing what he is always raving about.

Heather out.

P.S. I wrote this review whilst listening to Collabro's debut album, 'Stars'. Go and listen to it right now, it is totally fab, and I would do a review of it except I can't put my feelings about it into words. Just go listen. Go.