They didn't keep on killing Rory

At last. Something to make Saturday evening television watching bearable. The Space channel has made this season's Doctor Who available for Canuck Whovians within hours of the episodes' airing in Britain. Of course, we have constant commercial interruptions and promos for Space's vast array of blood-spattering vampire shows, but at least we don't have to illegally download the series anymore, which saves us both time and bandwidth.

How does it look so far? Let's start with the stuff that I find distracting. (Note: anything that pulls me out of the willing suspension of disbelief is a liability):

1) We're starting with a two-parter. Now, I can understand why, because the plot requires that the Doctor has not seen his companions for a matter of months. (Or weeks. Or years. I probably need to watch this a third time.) However, every single other New Who season opener has had rather more levity to it. The world has always been in danger, that's a given, but the season traditionally starts with a light-hearted romp. Two-parters tend to be a bit more serious. This one certainly is.

2) Historical bobbles. Granted, these are petty, but they put me off. The hair is way too long for 1969, especially for government types. Long-hair really didn't become mainstream until the seventies. Plus, we have an African-American Secret Service agent issuing orders. Really? In Richard Nixon's White House? Kennedy hired the first black secret service agent in 1960 (he lasted about three months), and African-Americans make up something like ten percent of the Secret Service fifty years later, but I doubt there were many, if any, serving Nixon in the late sixties, and they certainly would not be yelling at Nixon about "engaging with the suspect". (Or whatever he said. I'll definitely have to watch it again.)

3) An American lady (played by an American actress, as it happens) says: "Hang on, didn't I just say that?" Wouldn't she say something like "Wait a minute"? Americans do say "hang on", but not in this context which is a British usage. Again, it's petty, but it knocks me out of the story, and I have to waste time getting back in.

The good stuff:

1) Steven Moffat and his twisty-turny, timey-wimey complex plots. It usually means I have to watch his show several times to wrap my poor excuse for a brain around them, but he's also very, very funny, so it's not a hardship.

2) River Song. Gawd, I love River Song. River Song and Emma Thompson are the closest I've come to girl crushes. If we can't have Elizabeth Sladen anymore, can we have Alex Kingston in her own River Song spin-off series? Please?

3) I do like Matt Smith as the Doctor, particularly when he drops his voice. I'll never fancy him, but I didn't fancy Christopher Eccleston either and he worked, too.

4) They promised to kill off a major character in this episode and it wasn't Rory. Thank goodness. That really would have been over-kill.

I guess the "ayes" have it. Not one of my top ten episodes, but it passes the Persephonic Doctor Who Multiple Viewing Test. And by the way, I'm not promising to review each episode. Aren't you relieved?

Now THAT'S more like it...

I think it was when Matt Smith's Doctor was roaring along in a firetruck when I exclaimed: "David Tennant must be kicking himself!" (Or is that a spoiler? Sorry...)

I mean, he could have been in this. And after suffering through the five overwrought specials of the last year that even David Tennant and a crew of other fabulous actors couldn't quite redeem, wasn't this a relief? It was scary. It was naughty. It was witty. It was edge-of-your-seat action. It was, in short, Steven Moffat. All hail the Moff. Whew. And where did they get Caitlin Blackwood, as the young Amy? Wasn't she fabulous? I think this is going to work. Mind you, I've been watching Matt Smith in Party Animals on TVO for the past few weeks, and knew from that and what little else I've seen him in, that he's a competent actor and that's really all you need with Doctor Who, aside from good writing. Loved Karen Gillian as Amy, trying to run full out while pulling down her mini.

Elder daughter worked her magic, illegally downloading the episode overnight and has informed me that if I keep referring to Matt Smith as "Frankenstein", she's going to get very annoyed. I can't help it; he's a literal tête carré, and I still want to stick bolts in his neck. Never mind; he'll do.

I'm so relieved. I'm off to finish my chocolate before my family returns from church, where I trust they weren't praying to Santa Claus.

Oh, and please tell me Annette Crosbie will be making regular appearances....