Mystical Magick

If you read my review for last week’s standalone Doctor Who, then you might remember I thought it lacked any real depth. Sure, the episode was a nice return to classic Who after the crazy River mytharc, but as far as standalone episodes go, I much prefer this week’s emotional sci-fi-centric story.

“The Girl Who Waited” is the show at its very best: a fantastically written, visually dazzling, introspective look on the three people we share the Tardis with each week. Science fiction is best used as a way to explore current issues, and this week’s episode takes full advantage of that fact. (more…)

It’s been episode after episode of heavy mythology on Doctor Who, so this week we take a welcome break and go back to classic Who. It’s a standalone episode where childhood fears are becoming frighteningly real for one little boy, and the doctor can’t help but answer the distress call.

Monsters in closets (ahem, cupboard), creepy dolls, and the like are all brought to life in “Night Terrors,” written by Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss. This episode still wasn’t as creepy as “Blink” in my opinion, but it sure got the job done by reminding us of our repressed doll fear. (more…)

Back in June, the midseason finale of Doctor Who left off with the reveal of River Song’s identity and the kidnapping of Amy’s baby. So it was a bit surprising to me that we’d return with such a disconnected episode about killing Hitler.

Don’t let them fool you. “Let’s Kill Hitler” isn’t actually about Hitler, except maybe as a comic foil, but instead he’s cleverly used as a MacGuffin for a whole lot more. Hitler is just the frosting, you could say, on a delicious cake that goes layers deep this week. (more…)