Rate and Discuss 3.10: Blink

[Stuart Wallis]

I really wasn't sure what to think about tis one by the time it was over, and I'm not sure how to score it now. My initial reaction was a cross between bewilderment and "I'm not sure I'm going to like this one once I've worked out what's happened". Horror's not a genre I tend to get excited about too much anyway; the plot was very time paradox-heavy, and was told in what for me was incredibly involved; and as Logo said, it felt like an NA - I wasn't a fan of those either. So I'll possibly have to come back to you on this one.

[Dave Tudor]

By the way, wasn't it good to see 'Frontier In Space/Planet Of Evil' actor Louis Mahoney make a rather moving return appearance as old Billy?

In fact, if I was feeling wicked, I might say that he finally gets to appear in a decent story!

[Pip Madeley]

I *knew* he looked familiar! Thanks for putting that niggle to bed, Dave.

[P-Bal]

I thought it was enjoyable fare, but not a pant wettingly outstandinly best thing you've ever seen.

Plus there's the aeons old Day Of The Daleks vibe of surely for Jack Sparrow to have given The Doctor notes on something she just said in relation to something she won't say unless The Doctor says what she gives him is a whop-off paradox of doom. Like an episode of Crime Traveller.

But the angels things were creepy.

But I missed Tennant and Agyeman more so than I did Tennant and Piper in last year's Love&Monsters.

[davethesailor]

I gave this 9/10.

I loved it! It was scary!!!! The statues were so creepy. My 7 year old god child was terrified for the first time ever watching Who.

The last 3 episodes have been quite superb, in fact this season has just been amazing.

Sally Sparrow was superb. I would love to see her in Who again.

PS

Lovely use of the TARDIS!

Dave xx

[SiHart]

Typical you get a new avatar and someone tries to muscle in on it

Don't worry Si I know how it feels when you don't like something about DW. Something you do like will always come along.

Bloody hell, count yourself lucky then. At least, for you, not enjoying the new episodes is the exception rather than the rule

True! I'll count my blessings and look forward to next week!

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

One thing I thought of today, which is probably just over-thinking it and giving too much credit - the Doctor's explanation of the angels is that they steal potential. Given that he's telling this to the young Billy, I think the fact that we've just had the lovely flirting scene between Billy & Sally, where there indeed seems to be so much potential, really helps us feel a sense of 'loss' on Billy's behalf, when he's told that he can't go back.

Too much thought? Probably. But I did enjoy it - this (so far!!!) has been a cracking season!

[WileyKat]

Some people have made some comments about mirrors.

Can I point out that the whole thing is an inversion of the Gorgon myth. In it, the Gorgons turn you to stone if you look at them. The weeping angels turn themselves to stone if you look at them.

In the myth, Perseus slays one by looking through a mirror and cutting its head off. Looking through a mirror has no effect. So, therefore, the mirror thing wouldn't work.

[Dirk Gently]

I loved this & thought it was excellent! I love paradox stories & this was a well written one. It all made sense to me and the inter-play between Lawrence & Sally was good in the DVD store scene. "When you say "you & the guys" you mean the internet don't you?"
"Go to the police you stupid woman,why does no one ever just go to the police?"

I gave it 10/10 & I've only given a 10 once before!

Angela (non-fan) gave it 9/10. Angela says that the last 3 episodes have been more adult orientated than previous episodes & I think she has a point.

[Matthew T]

I thought that was BRILLIANT and the best episode of series 3 so far, topping Gridlock! Sally Sparrow, as so many others have said, would have made a superb companion.

I voted 10/10!

[Perry Vale]

Best Episode 11 so far!

10/10 from me, and pleasing that it was a return to form for Moffat after TGitF. Some wonderful dialogue, and two of my favourite young actresses in television in Carey Mulligan & Lucy Gaskell (who I was suggesting for companion before Billie was cast).

11/10 for Confidential too.

[Ian Lethbridge-Stewart]

I enjoyed it - great monsters - really rather creepy.
However, I must just say that I'm not a fan of the idea of doing Doctor Who stories without much of the Doctor in them. I didn't enjoy Love and Monsters for this reason and as much as I enjoyed 'Blink' as a story (much better than L&M in my opinion) I do hope that RTD and co aren't planning on doing a 'Doctor-lite' story every year!!! We only get 13 episodes a year after all (ok, 14 if you count the Christmas specials)!!!
Also, I'm probably wrong but I wonder whether kids today really go for episodes that don't have much of the main character in them - I remember when I used to watch the old show every week, that the wait between episodes seemed to last forever - I think if I had waited a whole week to watch Doctor Who, and then the adventure mainly concerned someone I didn't know watching a few clips of the Doctor on a TV screen or computer, that I might be a little disappointed. Thinking about it, in the last 3 weeks I'd be surprised in the charactor of the Doctor has actually been on screen for more than 15 minutes!!! - that's a lot of episode time with no Doctor.

I loved Human Nature/Family of Blood and I did enjoy 'Blink' as a story but maybe I'd have put a more traditional Doctor Who story in between them just to keep the fans of 'The Doctor' happy!!!! - maybe I'm the only one who thinks like that about Doctor Who, but I prefer my Doctor Who to have the Doctor in it as the main character.

Still, like a said, some great ideas in 'Blink' and some very good actors - I just missed The Doctor.

[Paul Monk]

10/10 for me.

The first and only Who story that has made me jump out of mt pants (not literally of course). The first time the Angel turned all grotesque and scary!
I do seem to really like Moffat's Who stories don't I?
And where have I seen the girl playing Sally Sparrow from? She looks familiar.
And did anyone recognise the guy playing Lawrence Nightingale from those awful Doritos ads a while back. I seem to remember he was a smart arse film nerd in those too.

[Rob McCow]

maybe I'm the only one who thinks like that about Doctor Who, but I prefer my Doctor Who to have the Doctor in it as the main character.

Fair point - we have had 3 episodes in a row with only about 10 minutes of The Doctor being The Doctor in it!

It's always the same when you don't enjoy an episode that others have raved about. You try to look for reasons and end up focussing on the inconsistencies within the episode - to be fair, I reckon around 90% of the new and old Who episodes have had some kind of glaring inconsistency. And complete disregard for science, apparently!

I'm just completely bewildered that everyone is raving about this episode. I enjoyed it, but it didn't stand head and shoulders over everything else. I thought it was very similar to Fear Her, which wasn't raved about generally.

Perhaps it was the incidental music. At the start of Series 2, there was this handy 'alarm bell' sound that appeared in the music to tell you when you should be excited. It turns up several times in School Reunion.

In Blink, every time something scary was going to happen, there was a noise very similar to an old lady riding a squeaky bike.

So:

Alarm bell = excitement.
Choral Voices = Daleks.
Squeaky Bike = fear.

Some would say that argument is flimsy, but its the clincher, I tell you!

[MacNimon]

I've got to agree with everyone else thnat Sally Sparrow would have made an excellent companion. If Moffat takes over from RTD in the near future, we may even get our wish...

Another excellent episode, imo. The only problem I had with it was that it wasn't clearly explained exactly what Sally was doing in that old house to begin with...she really didn't have a good reason to be there, as far as I could tell. It wasn't enough to ruin my enjoyment of the episode, though. 9/10.

[Logo Polish]

Best Episode 11 so far!

10/10 from me, and pleasing that it was a return to form for Moffat after TGitF. Some wonderful dialogue, and two of my favourite young actresses in television in Carey Mulligan & Lucy Gaskell (who I was suggesting for companion before Billie was cast).

11/10 for Confidential too.

But it was the tenth episode...

Oh, hang on, I see, you're counting the Christmas episode...are you?

[Perry Vale]

But it was the tenth episode...

I was talking about the 'Next Week' trailer*.










*not really, I'd mis-counted

[Dino]

10 out of 10 for me.

But squeaky bike? I thought of something else..... Squeaking bed springs and a red faced Doctor shouting "Sally! Do you ever bloody knock?" and he hurriedly pulls up his trousers and... I've said too much haven't I?

[Dirk Gently]

The only problem I had with it was that it wasn't clearly explained exactly what Sally was doing in that old house to begin with...she really didn't have a good reason to be there, as far as I could tell.

Have you never investigated an empty house just because it was there?
I have, two in fact. The first (when I was 11) was a rather large house near the town centre that is now a firm of Solicitors & the second (when I was 15) no longer stands, it was demolished but not before I had a good snoop about. And I still look around empty properties now, auction ones usually but if they are empty then I'm happy to stick my nose to the glass.
The revelation that so many people had gone missing from around the area of the house is a good indicator that this house had been empty for some considerable time & was a place ripe for exploration.

I'm not having a go at Mac or anyone but I really don't see why this is such a problem. Why does anyone do anything? There are numerous reasons why people do things that in hind sight look odd but I don't this as one of them.
It's like the last 2 episodes, people were disappointed that the story appeared to start part way through but Rose started in the same way & no one moaned about it then (IIRC) but it's a problem now?
It just seems like criticising for criticisings sake.

I know people like to justify why they don't like an episode & want to rate it lower but to be honest I'm happy if someone just says, "yeah, it was ok but it really didn't do anything for me". I'll wonder why but I don't see why everyone has to justify it. It's a personal view point & we don't all enjoy the same things to the same level.
Si Hart is a perfect example (not picking on you but you are very good at defending your point of view & you know I don't mean anything), Si didn't like this episode. That's it, he doesn't have to justify it, it didn't hit the spot, so what. I really don't see what people rave about with Dalek or Smith & Jones or Christmas Invasion or Runaway Bride but I'll be cold in the ground before I feel the need to justify every aspect as to why.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've noticed a lot of people feel the need to list reasons just recently as to why they didn't like an episode when it gets a lot of praise from most of the board but as I pointed out Si is happy to say he didn't like it & it just lacked something. That's enough for me, he doesn't have to list every detail as to why. The same as I don't have to list why I really liked it, I just did. I might wonder what he found wrong with it & ask him when we next meet but if he's just not happy with it...well that's it really.

There doesnt have to be fundamental flaws for there not to be enjoyment.
I've just had to take a phone call & I'm not sure I've finished what I was going to say or made my point clearly. I'm a little distracted.
Can you see what I'm trying to say?
Some call it debate but it sometimes feels to me that those in the minority have to justify their position more than those in the majority recently & I'm not a fan of making someone fight to have an opinion.

This is a lot of a ramble & probably should be a thread of it's own.
Sorry.

[SiHart]

for Tim! Don't worry about picking on me, I don't mind at all!

To be honest I can't pinpoint what it is that I don't like about it, so I didn't try. I think you're right, you shouldn't have to justify everything. But people like to know why you don't like something as much as they do, that's the problem.

Si xx

[Perry Vale]

Have you never investigated an empty house just because it was there?

Of course, I have too. I'm also a little surprised by people questioning this, it was a 'haunted house' story, that's what happens in nearly all haunted house stories! It's a clich, a bit like the other clich in horror stories that they "never go to the police".....

[Logo Polish]

I'm not sure now, but didn't Ace investigate Gabriel Chase out of curiosity (although I think she might have been running away from something)? Good thing it wasn't the house in this one...I wonder if the stone angels were flammable?

Regarding Dirk's post, I think it can work either way. I'm sure I remember someone saying the other week that he didn't want to go into a lot of detail about why he didn't like the episode that had just gone out, partly cos he didn't feel like writing much about it, but also cos he felt he might have to keep on justifying his arguments again and again.

[Lord President]

And where have I seen the girl playing Sally Sparrow from? She looks familiar.

She was in Bleak House recently playing Ada, along with Torchwood's Burn Gorman!

[Paul Monk]

I didn't watch that so maybe I saw in ads for it or something.

And I'd like to point out that Jody actually got quite into this episode. People who know her will realise just how significant that is

[Dave Lewis]

I'm glad that so many other people liked it, because I thought I'd appear to be a right saddo for saying that Blink was, by a long stretch, the best episode of new Who, and therefore the best Doctor Who ever. Scary, funny, moving, exciting... I'm glad I only gave Human Nature nine out of ten so that for once, the rating system actually works. Ten out of ten for absolute perfection.

Doctor Who being the breakneck show it is nowadays, I felt his bit was just a little bit too rushed for us to totally feel any proper emotion for him.

Has Transvamp hacked Pip's account?