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[Doctor Who Spoiler Review] The Angels Take Manhattan


Spoilers abound…

Mix in parts of Blink with Back to the Future and Ghostbusters II and you get The Angels Take Manhattan.
I’m on the fence on this one since at first glance it’s looks like a great episode when you ignore the fact the Doctor and Co are traveling in time and space.
The episode calls back to the Angel’s original episode of Blink where they are shoving people back in time to use up their energy. The city of New York feels ten times more real that the NYC of The Daleks take Manhattan. We get the beginnings of an interesting character in Mr. Grayle but this is a one part episode so instead he is quickly dispatched w/ shock and the story focuses on Rory and Amy’s dilemma of ending up stuck in the past. Oh and let’s not forget about Mrs. Robinson’s, er, I mean, River Song and her death defying cleavage.
I think the Doctor with Amy’s glasses is a perfect match but I know they’ll never do that again since #10 did it.
I wonder exactly why the DP thought it would be great to shoot an unflattering shot of Amy disappearing and once the Amelia Pond’s picture fades out I think about it.
Just like everyone else has thought about it.
The thought goes like this: What’s to say they put in grave markers and catch the next ferry back to the UK? No, I’m not kidding, people have posted about and I agree with them.
Hell, Captain Jack spent half the twentieth century buried underground or in the Torchwood 3 morgue.
The paradox took out the Angels and their human batteries and so what if 1930’s NYC is full of temporal rifts where no can visit.
What’s not to stop them from not raising Melody Pond in 1960’s USA (remember the last 3 minutes of The Day of the Astronaut), ship her home to the UK and let their younger selves grow up with her in that awful flashback sequence during Let’s Kill Hitler!
Or do we want to even remember the heinousness of Season 6?
Personally, I don’t think the BBC wants to remember Season 6. If Moffat is stretched between Sherlock and Who, I think it’s time to choose one and let go of the other.
Ignoring the heart strings being pulled on this is the worst episode of Doctor Who because the time travel mechanics of the TARDIS and the Time Vortex Bracelet from Captain Jack is the biggest dues ex-machina card ever created. I don’t care if you are landing a plane in the middle of a snowstorm. If they can bring the Master back then the Ponds aren’t gone either.
I’m not in denial. Let’s face some facts: Rose got left in a parallel universe and she got out with alt.UNIT’s help. Donna’s memories got wiped but she re-appeared in 10’s final season.
And what happens now after the speech he gave Brian?
The Doctor Who Anniversary is coming up after all…
It gets four regenerations for the heart but two regenerations for the story mechanics even with the Doctor and the Wife fighting.

Published inReviewstelevision

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