NuWho Review: 2010 Minisode "Meanwhile In The TARDIS"

By: Steven Moffat

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet watched this minisode, please go and do so before proceeding.

          There was a period when I felt ready to condemn Steven Moffat to the portion of my brain labelled 'Should Only Write Minisodes', and while he's still not entirely out of court yet, I have managed to forgive him some for the truly dreadful Series 7 he gave us (though not for his treatment of poor Clara).

             This minisode chronologically takes place in-between The Eleventh Hour and The Beast Below and shows us Amy's first hour in the TARDIS as she tries to figure out who The Doctor really is and what he's all about. Witty dialogue abounds as Amy quizzes her friend on everything from his choice of fashion to whether or not he's actually a little squid in a human suit. He assures her that he is not and she tweaks his ear. Oh Amy...already playing the part of the mother-in-law!

         The episode teems with witty dialogue and quotable one-liners and is an opportunity for Matt Smith and Karen Gillan to bounce off of each other and show off their acting chops. It provides some interesting insights into their characters and helps to show their growing friendship.

         And that's pretty much all there is to it. Just a bit of cute, fluffy fun that helps to bridge the gap between two episodes and close off some loose plot threads (Imagine that...Moffat resolving something?!) concerning Amy's relationship with her Raggedy Doctor.

        After his maniacal behavior and repeated abandonment in the previous episode, Amy and The Doctor would have had some definite issues to work out together before they could reach the level of camaraderie that we see in The Beast Below. And, as much as I'm having some issues with Steven Moffat's writing choices of late, I have to admit that he is remarkably good at packing a lot of emotion and character development into three-to-five minutes. I would even argue that, after Season 5, his minisodes remain his best work. Because they are so short (one might even say 'mini'...haha) there's no room for plot-holes or even for witty quips that either defy or don't fit with the established canon of the show.

              Meanwhile In The TARDIS 1 is the type of minisode that you go to whenever you're just looking for a laugh. It's not particularly deep or mind-boggling and mainly serves just as a witty bridge between two episodes. It does, however, have plenty of lovely character moments and lots of perfectly-delivered jokes. If you have never seen it, I encourage you to go seek it out right away. You can find it on the Series 5 DVD set or, if you're really lucky, several people have uploaded it on YouTube. Go check it out. You'd really be missing out on something great if you don't.

Sherlock Review: 2013 Christmas Minisode "Many Happy Returns"

By: Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss

              So I've been a bit behind on my reviews of this unparalleled show, due primarily to the fact that the episodes are so long and complex (no complaints!) But I just had to get on and talk about the big event that has been teased for years now: the return of Sherlock Holmes.

               This week we had the chance to view the Christmas minisode Many Happy Returns. If you haven't seen it, make sure you head over to the BBC YouTube channel and do so as it is brilliant and will get you all psyched up and ready for January. I should also put out a **Spoilers**  warning right here as the only way to really talk about Sherlock is to just spoil away. If you are still reading after this point then I am going to assume that you either have seen the minsode or you don't care about things being spoiled. So let's dive in!


Favorite Moments & Random Thoughts:

- Anderson is now a member of the Sherlock Holmes fanclub. For some reason that just cracks me up!

- John's new flat has pink wallpaper that is just as ugly and strange as the brown pattern at 221B. Seems that nowhere he goes can he escape hideous décor.

- John drinking and watching a video of Sherlock. I can feel the tears welling up already.

- The video is pretty funny, though.

- Sherlock was taking out Moriarty's web while he was away. It is also quite funny that Anderson is the only one to pick up on the pattern.

- Whatever happened to Sally Donovan?

- That piano music. Gah!

- "You can stop being dead for me."
   "Okay, fine. I'm ready now."
    Curse you, Moffat!!!!!!!

               In short - Sherlock is looking to be brilliant as always and I can't wait until The Empty Hearse airs in January. Until then - grab your deerstalkers, hide your guns, and #SherlockLives!

NuWho Review: 2013 Minisode "The Night of the Doctor"

           

By: Steven Moffat

**Spoilers**
If you have not yet seen this episode, please go and do so before proceeding.

           I don't understand why people hate the made-for-tv movie so much, really I don't. Sure it's nothing particularly splendid and can be at times both un-meaningly campy and unbearably dramatic...but, c'mon! Aren't there plenty of episodes that suffered from far worse in terms of premise and storytelling? Personally I think that anyone who skips the movie really misses out on something special - and that something special is Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor.

            It was so exciting to see his Doctor on the screen again, especially with better effects and writing than what he had to contend with in the film. This minisode is so, so important because it gives us the Eight - Nine regeneration that we had been missing (and more or less confirming the rumors that Eccleston is, in fact, the Tenth Doctor) but it also gave McGann his first on-screen appearance as The Doctor since the 1990's! It was great to see Doctor Eight again, wonderful to see that mysterious regeneration and the return of the cult from The Brain of Morbius, and I can't wait for the 23rd to come! Where's Jack Harkness and his Vortex Manipulator when you need him...?

NuWho Review: 2005 Children in Need “Born Again”

By: Russell T. Davies

**Spoilers**

If you have not yet watched this special, please go and do so before proceeding.

            So Christopher Eccleston’s 9^th Doctor absorbed all the energy of the Time Vortex, sacrificing himself for the sake of his companion, Rose Tyler. He then regenerated leaving us with a grinning Scottish bloke named David Tennant (although he doesn't use his native accent for the role).

      It takes the poor Time Lord a moment to regain his bearings (he was rather distracted by a brand new set of teeth) but he’s soon gobbing on about Barcelona - the planet, not the city - where they have dogs with no noses. After setting his beloved TARDIS en route to Barcelona, he then proceeds to examine his new form.

            “Now then…what do I look like? No, no no, no no no. No. Don’t tell me. Let’s see…two legs, two arm, two hands – slight weakness in the dorsal tubercle. Hair! I’m not bald! Oh, oh! Big hair! And sideburns, I’ve got sideburns! Or really bad skin…

 

            Little bit thinner, that’s weird. Give me time, I’ll get used to it. OH! I…have got…a mole! I can feel it – between my shoulder blades, there’s a mole. That’s all right. Love the mole. Go on then, tell me. What do you think?”

           This entire speech is an opportunity for Tennant to show off his impeccable comedic timing and he grabs it with both hands. The scene makes me laugh out loud every time I watch it and you’d be hard-pressed not to at least crack a smile. His exuberance and excitement over finding the mole is so cute and hilarious that it will make you fall in love with this new doctor in no time at all.

           It takes Rose a bit longer to warm up to him, however, and this is where it becomes obvious why Tennant was chosen for the part. After Rose goes through accusing him of being a Slitheen (Seriously, Rose? He's far too skinny for that!) and he's forced to recall that night in Henrik's where he saved her from the shop dummies to convince her that he is indeed The Doctor. 

           Rose asks him if he can change back to which he replies no. His emotions go from deadly serious (the Slitheen) to joyous grin (Rose calling him 'Doctor?') to sad realisation (when she wants him to turn back) to rejection and resignation (when he resets the coordinates for the Powell Estate in order to return her home). It is just a shame that so many of the writers for his first season seem to think he should bellow out bratty five-year-old lines like a pained buffalo because that's not who this Doctor should be. Tennant does his best with those scripts, but it is here with the subtle humour and meaty emotions that he truly excels.
          

            It's great when he's trying to cheer Rose up by recalling the adventure where they had to hop for their lives and his joke about Jackie's cooking got a chuckle from me (as did his joy at coaxing a smile from Rose) Unfortunately, the tentative peace was not to last as The Doctor seems to suffer some sort of seizure and breaths out a cloud of Artron energy. He realises that the regeneration is going rather wrong and starts accelerating the TARDIS so that he can get Rose home before he collapses. The last we see of him is The Doctor driving like a maniac and spluttering something about ripping through the Time Vortex as Rose desperately clings to the console. Remember this - it will be important for The Christmas Invasion.

        

           Over all, Born Again is a nice bit of fun that provides a bridge between the ending of Series 1 and the Christmas Special. Not entirely vital for the casual viewer (although it will make The Doctor's incapacitation during The Christmas Invasion make more sense) but certainly worth a watch!

        

What did you think? Who is your favourite version of The Doctor? There are eleven (soon to be twelve or potentially thirteen) correct answers to that question.