We ’ve only run across two episodes of Doctor Who time of year seven thus far , but do we already be intimate the thread that connect the stories ? After watching “ Dinosaurs on a Spaceship , ” we ’re pretty trusted we see the common element that runs between this year ’s adventures .
spoiler beforehand …
“ Dinosaurs on a Spaceship ” was a jolly rollicking stand - alone escapade , but it did have one element that stuck out rather noticeably : The regretful cat did n’t acknowledge who the Doctor was , something that was also the case with the Daleks by the ending of last week ’s story .
“ dinosaur on a Spaceship ” teases us a bunch of times with the whimsey that the scoundrel , Solomon , is going to turn out to acknowledge the Dr. somehow . First , when Solomon hears Rory and Rory ’s dad Brian call the Doctor by his title , Solomon is all excited — but it ’s only because Solomon ’s leg are injure and he needs a doctor to patch him up . Then Solomon run down the Doctor with his fancy appraisal twist , and finds no record of him . Later , Solomon aver he ’s scan the whole massive ship , and found something of great unique time value — and you assume he ’s speak about the TARDIS , but he really entail the Doctor ’s latest traveling fellow traveler , Queen Nefertiti .
The sequence makes such a stop of teasing us with the whimsey that the villain cognize the Doctor , or will find out about him , that it seems like a topic is being developed . On top of the Daleks being “ brainwash ” ( sort of ) to forget the Doctor last week , this seems like an idea that ’s being make up over time .
villain not cognise who the Doctor is , or what the TARDIS is , was par for the class in a lot of old - school Doctor Who episodes — but it ’s a fairly revolutionary notion in the fresh serial . And it allows the Doctor to delineate himself more , like when the Doctor tells Solomon he does n’t answer well to fury , or when the Doctor show his scandalisation at Solomon ’s genocide , piracy and triceratops - slaughtering . The Doctor is really more formidable when his reputation does n’t precede him .
The other opinion that seems to be important in “ Dinosaurs on a starship ” is that there ’s been a shift in the Doctor ’s relationship with Amy and Rory — he ’s been dropping in on them less and less often . To the point where Amy marvel if he ’s trying to wean them off him . He claims that he thinks of them as dissimilar from all his preceding companions because they have each other and they can have a normal life , but at the same metre , he seems to be putting a moment of aloofness . And for their part , Amy and Rory seem rather eager to get home after the adventure is over , rather than tagging along for the dinosaur - hark back dowery .
And of course , the Doctor also shows up with two other random companions in tow : Queen Nefertiti and Riddell , the big game hunter . ( This combines two of the show ’s preferent recent tropes : famous woman from history is in love with the Doctor and wants to tie him , and the Doctor conglomerate friends and ally from all across fourth dimension and quad for a mission . ) Amy wonders if Nefertiti and Riddell are the “ new us , ” but the Doctor insists that he ’s just enjoying having a crew , for once . ( Oh , and I sort of like Nefertiti , especially when she puts Solomon in his piazza , but could take or go forth Riddell , really . And the two of them end up together seemed a bit forced . )
Given that this is the tail end of Amy and Rory ’s sentence with the Doctor , it ’s interesting that we ’re seeing more space between them and the Doctor , rather than a building intensity . ( And did we see some prefiguration when Amy jokes about being with the Doctor until she dies ? ) Meanwhile , both Amy and Rory have some of their undecomposed ever moments in this episode — Amy is unusually resourceful , figure out the Silurian computers and shoot dinosaur while schooling Riddell in feminist movement . She seems very comfortable with this life . Meanwhile , Rory gets to show off his nursing skills , figure passel of stuff out , and co - pilot a starship with his dad .
Which bring us to the other new element this episode introduces — Rory ’s Dad is indiscriminately bring along for the ride , and he ’s magnificent . He ’s sort of the new Wilf . The cranky old cowcatcher who hates jaunt , loves golf game , and always carries a trowel is completely annoyed at being kidnapped from the Ponds ’ home and whisk away on a big outer space escapade with dinosaurs — but then he all rises to the occasion and winds up helping to write the daylight . By the goal of the episode , he ’s become a seasoned traveller who goes all over . And drinks his Camellia sinensis while sitting above the major planet Earth , in one of the most lovely shots ever .
Overall , “ Dinosaurs on a starship ” is the most playfulness I can commend Doctor Who being in year — writer Chris Chibnall has finally made me forget “ Cyberwoman , ” once and for all . This is a altogether daft , silly episode , with a baddie who ’s just foul enough to keep the plot in motion . In a nutshell , there ’s a spaceship that ’s going to crash into 23rd century Earth , and the Native American blank space federal agency is going to shoot it down with projectile . The Doctor and his “ gang ” go to investigate and find that it ’s full of dinosaurs . The ship is actually a Silurian ark , but the evil Solomon has kill all the Silurians and is attempting to slip all the invaluable dinosaurs , without much luck . In the death , the Doctor expend Solomon ’s ship as a decoy to deviate the missile , so the ship full of dinosaurs is save . Oh , and there are sappy robot !
I ’m not even sure why “ Dinosaurs on a Spaceship ” seemed like more fun than pretty much any other Matt Smith instalment , off the top of my forefront — perhaps it ’s just the zippy step , the non - stop fatuousness , and the fact there are a lot of overnice part second but absolutely no attempt at manufacturing a vast personal crisis for any of the characters . ( Other than Brian finding out the truth about Rory ’s travels . ) It ’s just a play drive . Oh , and this might be my favorite Matt Smith performance yet — he milks so much playfulness out of every one of the zillions of funny rail line he ’s fall in in this sequence , and he brings a real sense of scandal to the Doctor ’s interactions with the malign Solomon .
So , yeah — not a world - shatter risky venture , but like I said , the most merriment that Doctor Who has been in yonks . And you heard it here first : the Doctor not being recognize is a definite theme this year .
Screencaps and GIFs viaWhere the Air Smells Like Apple Grass , My innermost thoughts , Smoke ’s make in My Eyes , Good Story , Random CapsandPandaah ! .
Chris ChibnallDoctor WhoTelevision
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