It’s been a long, long wait for the new Doctor. The end of David Tennant’s reign was received with much sadness, and only the hope of history repeating itself kept us afloat. 
When Christopher Eccleston left to be replaced by Tennant, many of us cried foul even before watching the first episode. And now, Matt Smith takes the reins as the Doctor, and Karen Gillan as Amy (Amily) Pond. Now, with Stephen Moffat taking lead on the show, will we be in for a wild ride, or will we end up just like mr smushy-face here?
The good news was that Moffat definitely has some pedigree, for example being behind the very dearly loved episode Blink which possibly stands as one of the greater Dr Who episodes yet. And this episode begins with quite a hint of Blink, with quickly moving shadows and rough cuts adding to a large sense of dread. I’m also no big fan of horror so honestly some of the moments had me pausing and taking my headphones off for a breather…
I won’t go into detail about the story, but we do leave the horror bits behind us pretty quickly, so rest assured that it’s all high adventure from then on, especially for those with a weak constitution. We’re introduced to the new Doctor who’s still getting used to his new body, the good old Tardis, the misfiring sonic screwdriver – and Amy Pond. While @kakitaraisho was waiting to watch the episode I was nudging him to watch it in 720p just for Amy Pond’s redhead and her freckles. To sum it all up it’s all an amazing journey.
I’m still a little sad, just a tinge, that Tennant is gone. But given the rather long goodbye, and the slightly flat way the mini-movies ended I was hungering for more good Dr Who eps. And I don’t think I’m alone on this, but Matt Smith took the role and definitely gave it a good go. The Doctor’s still crazy and frenetic, just the way I like Tennant doing it, and now there’s the added zest of youthful vigour and a definitely sexual sizzle between him and Amy, and he’s admitting to being a madman.
A very strong feeling permeated as I was watching, on top of the early fear and a certain wariness. Seeing the Doctor and Amy interacting for the first time, the banter, the chemistry, brought me all the way back to the first time I was watching Eccleston interact with Billie Piper – that little magical moment playing out once again. Suddenly the show about time travel performed time travel and I was transported a few years back watching my first ever Dr Who ep. That feeling sold it for me. This was the Doctor. He’s back. This was Doctor Who. And the magic just gets better from there. By the time the trailer was shown my jaw was slack the entire time.
And so the ride truly begins. Thank you Stephen Moffat, thank you Matt Smith and thank you Karen Gillan. I’m boarding the Tardis and ready to go.
“Goodbye Leadworth, Hello Everything!”
