April 24, 2011

Season Six Sundays: The Impossible Astronaut



(Although I'll work hard to avoid spoiling, some spoilers may be present in this post. Read at your own peril...)

One of the great things about catching the premiere of Doctor Who this past Wednesday (two days before the official broadcast) is the socializing - not just the pre-event fish and chips (with some really cool new - and one old friend), but during (with the group reaction) and after (talking about how awesome the episode was).

Even putting aside my own love of the show, The Impossible Astronaut is, quite frankly, a masterwork, where Steven Moffatt places his own stamp on the show.

Especially the first fifteen minutes - yes, we are introduced to several key mysteries that will be dealt with throughout the season. It's hard to discuss without spoiling, but let me say this - you can not only find plot details elsewhere (like Wikipedia), but half the joy of this episode is watching events unfold and saying, "I can't believe they just did that." It is, in short, an opening that will guarantee (at the very least) a strong, consistent viewing for the next few episodes.

It's also one where we begin seeing a huge layer of depth to the companions, most notably Amy Pond and Rory. Seriously - I'm loving Rory, who seems to play the role of the "voice of reason" in the TARDIS. There's even a scene between he and River Song that - even though we know the outcome - still seems incredibly heartbreaking.

And the footage shot in Utah? Breathtaking. Definitely worth the money spent, and feature film quality as well. It's not just simple second unit establishing shots, either.

If you've seen this already, and are thinking about writing about it, please do, but go one better - don't spoil it. Tell your colleagues that the episode is available via iTunes for purchase. (In England, encourage use of the BBC iPlayer). Because something like this doesn't deserve to be spoiled - it deserves to be shared.

Game on, Mr. Moffatt. Let's see what you have cooked up for "Day of the Moon". 

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