To pass the time between now and Christmas day, the time when there is no new Doctor Who, I decided it might be fun to view some “classic” new Doctor Who episodes together. If you missed it, we decided to start with “Blink” and viewed it last night at 8 pm MST. If you would like to join us for future viewings, please like my Facebook page, where we will be posting details about the “events”, or follow me on twitter or on Google +.
We decided to kick it off with a real classic. “Blink” is the episode, I think, that people always refer new to Who viewers to watch first. I don’t know if I agree with that, but it is a great episode, and a fun way to start off our little viewing parties. I am going to review each of these episodes in my “Day Late Review” format, providing you with the good, the bad, and the final verdict. Let’s get to it.
The Good
This is one of the most quoted episodes out there. There are more memes that involve lines from this episode than any other out there. We get the “Don’t Blink” line, “Timey-wimey, wibbley-wobbley,” “The Angels have the phone box,” which leads to Larry saying that he has that on a T-shirt, which of course has led to it actually being on a T-shirt:
An actual “The Angels have the phone box” T-shirt, available at ThinkGeek.com.
This story was Moffat at his best. This was, of course, back when he was a lowly writer and not the show runner. It was also back when he contributed some of the best stories, instead of strange, plot hole filled tales like “Death in Heaven.” (see my review of his latest here) The story is fun and very well written, feeling more like a suspenseful horror film than an adventure in space and time. It works as a one-off episode. In this case it works really well. I remember hearing about this episode as I was first going through the Doctor Who stories, and hearing how it really didn’t have the Doctor in it very much at all. I thought that was strange, and I guess it is, but it really works here. The main protagonist, Sally Sparrow, is excellent. She is clever and does a great job carrying the story. When I watch this episode, I don’t find myself thinking, ” I wish the Doctor was in this more.” Not even a little bit. You don’t miss him in this episode at all. I mean, he’s there, but he is not the main character.
This episode flows so well from scene to scene and the timey-wimeyness is excellent. People going back in time, and Sally not realizing it, and then she gets word from them, from the past, and it is just so cool. I love when Kathy’s grandson shows up with the letter while Kathy is still in the house. In fact, him showing up is what causes Sally to leave her alone in the house. If he doesn’t who up, Sally and Kathy probably would have both been sent back to 1920. Then Billy gets sent back, and she immediately gets a phone call from him, as he is lying on his death-bed 40 years later, but it is the same rain because it was really just a few minute later, just cool stuff.
The Angels are excellent. This is the Angels at their best. I feel like Moffat keeps bringing them back, and each time he does, they get a little cheesier and less creepy. As a one time monster in this episode they are scary, plus you’ll never walk be a statue the same again. What could be creepier than a creature that looks like a statue, never moves when you are looking at it, and then bam!, you’re in you current time one second, and the next you wake up somewhere totally different. Just terrifying.
The Bad
Since last Salt Lake Comic Con, and I went to the Colin Baker/ Paul McGann presentation, the weeping angels have almost been ruined for me. Mr. Baker has come up with an almost full proof way of dealing with the angels. You just close one eye at a time, keeping the other eye open, in other words, don’t blink, wink! It actually works, I think. It’s so simple, and makes the angels less daunting.
I only bring that up because there is not a lot of Bad in this episode. This is probably the 5th or 6th time I have seen the episode and it is just as enjoyable as the first time. If I were to pick out any of the bad, it would be nitpicking, and I just don’t feel like it is worth it for this episode. It isn’t perfect, but it comes close.
The Final Verdict
This is, unsurprisingly, one of my favorite episodes. From start to finish, it is just very enjoyable. It is the best that the rebooted series has to offer. I can’t think of an episode I enjoy more. There may be some that I enjoy as much as this one, but none that I enjoy more. I would rem mend this one to watch again and again and again. I love it.
What did you think of “Blink”? Is it as good as everyone says, or is it overrated? Let us know in the comments. Stay tuned for details on our next Doctor Who viewing event, which will be happening next Saturday, that is this upcoming Saturday.
