EDIT:
I'm afraid I have to take issue with the some of the detrremental comments above. We were obviously watching different programs.
e.g.
@Narkalui ,
@dannymcg ,
@MemoryTale
Well... What a splendid episode.
I think we can see where things are going.
It was truely horrific.
I'll be honest the CCB are to be congratulated on this newdirection, might I say genre.
It goes beyond SFF and takes Science Fiction/Horror to a new level rarely, if ever, seen before.
Oh there were some traditional elements.
Who, frenetic as ever (though apparently injured) like a real trooper, pushing through the pain and getting on with the job in hand and talking twenty to the dozen. Waving that screwdriver round like she's done an apprentiship in heavy engineering - Marvelous.
The Classic, now almost punch line like, (What do you think of it so far). Get off this ship cos I'm here and you don't want to tangle with me moment. One day, maybe they'll have the guts to have the aliens say.
"Oh Christ, we didn't know you were on the planet. Yes Mam, right away Mam. Please don't go back in time to our planet and stop the mold changing the atmosphere, giving it oxygen. We promise to be a good planet from now on and NEVER comit genocide again Mam."
I live in hope.
(Mind you, what with every alien race and their dogs now having time travel this has become a bit of an empty threat. Obviously something the writers couldn't see/understand when they started handing out time braclets)
The heart to hearts between G and R. I'm sure the writers have plenty more of that to come. It fills a few minutes and costs so little. Just change the green screen background and they could have a couple of hours of fill-in material in well, a couple of hours.
The lavish sets. My God, it scares me to death at what the increase in TV licence is going to be this year if old Auntie is going to throw money about like it's going out of fashion on sets like that. In fairness though, I did appreciate the way thay made an attempt cut the costs by only using just enough screens for any particular shot. I assume they had to wait until the BBC newsroom screens weren't being used so they could sneek them, out as required. (why couldn't they just make use of the newsroom studio I don't know).
But, by far, the most amazing part of this weeks tale, and it can't be ignored; it's the elephant on the ceiling, was the MONSTER.
I'll be honest, I sh*t myself ( I'm sorry but some things can only be described in proper terms). Talk about hiding behind the sofa!!! You wouldn't want to go there, no sir. What with me and the rest of the family, it's like a Paris street corner back there. RugMeClean will have a real job on with that lot I can tell you.
I've been critical in the past about the writers and their lack of imagination, always drumming up the same old same old monsters. The Daleks, the Cybermen etc. rolled out given a fresh lick of paint (Mr Faulty) and made to suffer the usual indignity of having of Who give them another ten rounds, only to find themselves wheeled back in the shed till the next time.
But this. This goes beyond anything I've ever dreamed of (and I can tell you I've had a few nightmares in my time). O'Bannon will be spinning at how he
could have made one of the most horrendous, evil, gut clinching monster films ever seen.
If only,
if only he could have waited until the talent we now have was available. Imagine the films he could have made.
Plus, it's a sad loss to history, that such a wonderfully rounded and well detailed monster has been wasted on a one off (though wonderful) episode of Team Tardis.
