Doctor Who's Magic Fades in Weeping Angels Part Two

Well, that wasn’t quite as good.

Don’t get me wrong, the second part of Steven Moffat’s return to the Weeping Angels was still a scary and inventive hour of television, and about as good as Doctor Who usually gets. But it was nowhere near as exciting as the first hour. I made the mistake of watching the first of the two-parter again, right before, and found it was still surprisingly quick and exciting – and given the third act twist, rewarding to watch on a second viewing. I don’t think I’ll be quite as excited to watch part two, and not by its own fault.

As I said last week, I feel like where “The Time of Angels” was Doctor Who growing up and acting like a real show, this week’s episode was a step back in the regular direction. The pacing was much slower, there was a lot less action and inventive editing, and far more of the Doctor talking fast at the bad guys and telling everyone how brilliant he was. And though Amy Pond once again got a stand-out piece, it depended on The Doctor being brilliant, rather than Amy figuring anything out on her own.

Too bad, really.

But! If we take this episode on the merit of it just being an episode of Doctor Who, it was pretty darn revelatory. I know, total 180 – what can I say, I’m a Gemini*.

One of the best things about Steven Moffat’s recent take over of the show is the tight continuity. It might play poorly in syndication  - though I don’t know if they have syndication over in England, they probably call it “The Queen’s Favor” or something – but I’m a fan of serial storytelling, and its great to get this season-long “crack in time” plotline playing out throughout, rather than just a bunch of characters saying “Bad Wolf” over and over, and that’s supposed to be some sort of plot.

It may have been used here as a bit of a Deus Ex Machina, but given where the season is going, and the teases here, it’s more than worth it. Oh, and Alex Kingston continues to kick arse as River Song. I hope we see more of her – and I believe we will by season’s end.

So while this may not have been the best episode of TV ever, it’s still a good episode of Doctor Who. Confusing, I know. But that’s time travel for you*! 

Random Notes:

• Anyone else notice the Doctor wearing his jacket – the jacket the Angels had very prominently taken off, and he isn’t wearing later – in the scene where he tells Amy to trust him? Think that was a mistake? Think that was maybe, as some have speculated, a Doctor from later in the season traveling back through his own timeline?

• Given the clues at the end of the episode, it certainly seems like opening the Pandorica (whatever that is) causes the crack in time, and River Song “kills” the Doctor by throwing him into it, and saving time, right? Sending the Doctor traveling back through his timeline as he disappears? Anyone get a different reading?

• I could have done without seeing The Weeping Angels ever move. And you?

*No I’m not.

*No it’s not.