TV: Doctor Who series returns

Reading time: 2 minutes...

Whilst I have the greatest respect for Steven Moffat as the writer for last night’s opening episode episode (he did write ‘Blink’, my favourite of all time), ‘Let’s Kills Hitler’, left me confused and slightly annoyed.

Let’s start with the title. I think there should be a rule that says you can’t name an episode in a way that implies that’s what the episode is about. I think Hitler must have been in it for no more that five minutes, tops – and this episode was NOT about him!! Removing the Hitler component (or indeed leaving it in) made no difference to the story-line at all!

It must be increasingly difficult to pen an episode that keeps all Whovians happy, but i was expecting the mid-season opener to also be a little more mainstream, in order to catch those that hadn’t been converted – but maybe that wasn’t the BBC’s strategy. In my view, this was Doctor Who at its worst and  would have sent casual viewers behind the sofa for all the wrong reasons, just to avoid the complexity and incomprehensiveness of the episode – I’m just glad I didn’t leave the room for a second, as there was so much going on. Phew! Watching it was just so exhausting. ‘Who is River Song?’ ‘Who is ‘Mels’?’, ‘How come the Doctor is dead?’ ‘Why would River Song kill the Doctor?’ or should that read ‘Why would Melody Pond’ kill the Doctor?’.

It was all sooooo confusing. It seemed to me to be just a load of random facts jumbled together. It reminded me a bit of Patrick McGoohan writing the final episode of The Prisoner – and confusing the whole nation! I really hope this is not a case of the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ where the BBC think this episode is poor…they’re just too afraid to tell the great Moff

I’m going to read a few Who Forums now to see what others thought of it…

Well it seems that as always, opinions are mixed, although there were quite a few that implied confusion. (It’s not just me then!)

I really did want to like the episode… really, but this is just the sort of self-indulgence nonsense that would drive potential new viewers away in their thousands, and leave die-hards like me thinking: bring back RTD.

I really hope the next episode: ‘Night Terrors’ returns to form. I’m now going to re-watch Blink,  to remind myself of what great story-telling is about.

Maybe I should watch last night’s again???