I just watched the first episode featuring the new Doctor.....the new Companion....and the new Head Writer. Here are my thoughts (SPOILER FREE!):


I just watched the episode and final verdict: 3.5 out of 5. Let me explain! There were moments of pure BRILLIANCE but then there were moments of "Oh, c'mon!" Granted, the very first episode of season 1 and David Tennant's intro are not even close to being the best in the overall cannon. It's like they wanted to say "HERE'S THE NEW DOCTOR IN ACTION" and they kinda sacrificed a little of the story to do it. But, and it's a big BUT, the parts that had nothing to do with the villain were pure amazingness.


And how was Matt Smith? I HONESTLY think he is going to be a great Doctor. He has the energy of Tennant but the stature and way of thinking as Tom Baker. I think this Doctor is the perfect hybrid of the two incarnations. And Karen Gillan as the new companion? It's a little too early but I think she is going to turn out to be great. She has a little of Donna's attitude but not as "in your face" as Donna was.

The dialogue and tone is, in my opinion, what makes this episode (and hopefully the series as a whole) brilliant. Stephen Moffat's episodes of Seasons 1-4 are standouts because of these elements. You feel for the characters and he makes you pay attention to what they are saying and how they think. There is one particular scene where the Doctor tries to remember what he saw earlier and the way it was filmed and acted was amazing.

The villain? WEAK!!! And the special effects were downright laughable. The thing that made Moffat's stories so great, was that it was minimal special effects or things you couldn't see. With this, it was special effects crazy and really fake looking. Hopefully this is not a trend with the new series.


Overall, it was a pretty good episode but no where near the caliber it needs to be. But, we have a whole season for it to get better


Ps. I am not a fan of the new intro. A little too much, I think!