I am – Hercules!!
This is a review for “Doctor Who” 28.1, even though 27.4 is the episode airing on SciFi tonight. So there better not be any talkback talking back about 27.4. That’s for sure.
Here’s “Caleb Woodbridge”:
From the opening moments, it's clear that the Doctor and Rose love travelling the universe and also each other.
Just platonically? Well, the more squeamish fans can keep telling themselves that, but decide for yourself! There is plenty of humour, even outright comedy. While some of the humour in the last series was at times a bit forced - farting aliens and the like - here the laughs emerge from the characters of the Doctor and Rose.
The season opener leaves us assured that these are the Doctor and companion we know and love from last year. But a dark secret lies at the heart of events, one that raises complex moral questions, and some of the themes echo last season's The End of the World.
But the story doesn't bog itself down in philosophising - once the dastardly goings-on are revealed, we move into a good solid base-under-seige plot.
The tale has some genuinely disturbing monsters that will hopefully end up being much imitated in the playground come Monday lunchtime. There are also some not-too-subtle hints to the future.
One particular subplot ends with a scene that is basically a great big raspberry to the audience saying 'Hah hah! You'll have to keep on watching - and you can start speculating now!'
David Tennant's Tenth Doctor also shows himself to be something more of an action man than his predecessor, and when he gets angry at the things he discovers, he boils with righteous indignation. From this episode, he looks set to be something more of an action man than his predecessor, flinging himself into the action of the episode.
The episode isn't without its flaws - various plot points go unexplained or underdeveloped, and we only see a very limited corner of New Earth, though this leaves plenty of scope for return visits.
Most of the effects are worthy of the big screen, but a few don't quite live up to the same standard In turns hilarious, creepy and strangely moving, a solidly entertaining start to the Doctor's adventures.
And just wait until you see the trailer for Tooth and Claw!"
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