The Doctor Has Risen! A Double Whammy of A Saturday

So. Much. Screaming.Right. Now. Okay that’s a lie. I really didn’t scream. Maybe just like the Doctor, there was a bit of licking things (also a lie unless you count spoons). This is short but explosive piece this weekend because if I type too much, it may just degrade into actual screaming and thus readers you would be subjected to LINE AFTER LINE OF CAPS LOCK. That’s another lie, I can control myself (no I can’t). Truthfully I am sort of dead, this is blogging from beyond the grave (also a lie, I just made spiced plum and berry compote and am contemplating having to make an Easter cake for it).

Case study of all the excitement:

This Saturday was, to put it lightly, a sweet double whammy for Who fans. Double team. Oh god now it’s getting dirty. To put it simply, not only has the Doctor come back with Clara now officially in tow in a solid new episode, but they did it wonderfully and the Doctor’s back….more ways than one too! Spoilers ahead (sweetie).

Vroom Vroom

The Bells of Saint John was pretty fantastic with many, many new plot threads and mysteries that have sparked lots of attention and speculation. Loving nuggets of affection and possibly more in regards to the now deceased but presumably well known children’s author Amelia Williams, the mysterious shopgirl who gave Clara the Doctor’s number (River are you causing problems?). Clara’s puntastic sandwich layer name “Os-win”. Her missing ages. What’s with the number twenty-three? Curiouser and curiouser. Above all it was nice to see a relatively less sad Doctor, acting boyish and enthralled and taking charge while not delving into the dark sad place that the Ponds unfortunately sent him. The new energy is very much appreciated. Jenna is pretty solid as Clara, who dared to try to keep her cup of tea upright as they attempted to land a plane and that my friends is enough to like her (for me). The Doctor’s doting on her while setting up her recovery bed after being downloaded and then put back into her body was rather sweet. There are LOTS of questions. UNIT? Oh god. Moffat what are you doing?

In all the episode was rather well done, it felt a bit more old school, a bit less fairytale than Moffat’s usual tendencies but there is still the Moffat touch with the personification of Amy’s book heroine in her vintage dress and his tendency to I dunno, be able to create or revisit things that are so utterly terrifying you pretty much want to cry. Family show? Moffat you really want to scare kids. Spoonheads. That is ALL. While the episode was good it does have it’s faults, it was touted as a big James Bond action adventure and while certainly it reveled in that entire genre it wasn’t quite as swanky and smashing as I thought it would be but I love big stylization so I’m rather picky. The next episode screams of Lucasfilm-style Star Wars and Indiana Jones meets Classic Who (and has a gorgeous red color palette) type storyline and aesthetic and for the first time more or less in Eleven’s run we are I think exploring a new (or revisted) alien race and civilization, something Moffat very much cut down on; we’ve seen aliens but haven’t been really immersed in a culture as we have in the past under his direction. And as a lover of Indiana Jones and child-centric episodes, I am about to punch a hole in reality just to get to it sooner. (Oh god that wasn’t funny. I’m not very funny today – I really do need to make a cake.)

So yes. Great job Who crew and Moffat, the series is steering in an interesting direction, I’m intrigued to see where this and Clara goes.

AND NOW the second part that made Jen scream and myself smile; simply, this:

Billie. Billay. Billllllllllie Pipah.

Aw yeah here they come

your faves could never

The return of David Tennant and Billie Piper are officially confirmed for the 50th Anniversary Who Special. In an official statement announced prior to the series 7 part 2 premiere the BBC finally, after months of speculation, confirmed their involvement as co-stars to Matt and Jenna in the special (alongside many more I reckon):

David Tennant and Billie Piper will join current Doctor and companion, Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Coleman, while John Hurt (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alien, Harry Potter) will also co-star.

Yes, now both Billie and David’s awful and unconvincing attempts at lying can be exposed as…well unconvincing attempts at lying. Rose Tyler and I’m going to assume Ten-Two will be featured! Whether their involvement will be a meaty supporting role or more of a cameo, it’s in the air, I’d like to think it’s somewhere in between. Let’s cross our fingers shall we?

In the meantime I really need to find baking powder if I’m going to make this cake….

Happy Easter (if you celebrate!)

Max Eber
Staff Writer/The Doctor
max@ihogeek.com
Twitter: @maxlikescomics