When we last saw the Doctor and his group of militarized clergymen, they were surrounded by a motley group of perhaps the most deadly creatures in the known universe - the Weeping Angels. Stranded on a dead planet absolutely brimming with half-starved Angels looking for a kill, the Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillam) and wayward companion River Song (Alex Kingston) may have finally met their match.
The Doctor, River Song, and more Weeping Angels...oh my! Keep reading for the conclusion of last week's stellar "The Time of Angels" with this week's equally-outstanding (if not better) "Flesh and Stone" micro-review!
It would be difficult to follow-up last week's stunning cliffhanger and not disappoint those looking for fault in the first two-parter in the Matt Smith-era, but that's exactly what we've got in "Flesh and Stone". Thank goodness, too, as the return of River Song and the Weeping Angels was easily the most anticipated moment in all of recent Who History. Combining the most popular elements from favorite episodes "Blink" and "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead" was a natural recipe for disaster, but Steven Moffat and his crew pulled it off, and in spades. Equal parts terror and suspense, it's also one of the funniest and most emotionally complex episodes since the series was reactivated, which makes for some seriously compelling television watching.
The Angels themselves continue their reign as the most terrifying villains in the Who lexicon, and having them at the forefront of the action was a smart move, even if somewhat ironic, as they...don't move. At least not that often, though we do finally see them get somewhat animated during a pivotal moment. The Angels remain scarier when simply being their staccato strobe-light selves, which is used to great effect in the episode's defining Byzantium Forest/Oxygen farm locale. While most shows indulge on simply putting forth great science-fiction concepts, Who lives to populate and explore them, often in universally disrupting fashion.
Matt Smith does his very best work yet as the most discombobulated Doctor in the show's history and I mean that in the very best sense of the word. He's absolutely bonkers, and isn't afraid to lay on the internal angst that living 900+ years has certainly build up inside his Gallifreyan system. More to that, his relationship with Amy Pond feels right and very real, and here he gets several opportunities to really demonstrate exactly why he was chosen to replace the great David Tennant. The concluding moments here might leave some baffled (no spoilers), but I imagine there's a good reason for a amorous Ms. Pond to start getting her knickers all in a bunch.
I also love the growing (and time-disrupted) relationship of the Doctor and River Song, which remains as big a mystery after the final credits as it did before. Although one very large hint about Song's past is dropped towards the end, observant fans will likely pick up even more if they keep their eyes and ears out for them. Who thrives on using deus ex machine when things get tangled, and while there's a few whoppers weaved throughout this adventure, I imagine there's a larger and more convoluted plan just waiting to unfold here. Count on it.
Also returning to the fray is the mysterious Crack, which first appeared in a young Amy Pond's room in "The Eleventh Hour" and takes on a larger - and considerably more foreboding - significance here. Introducing and continuing these seemingly irrelevant (or worse, forgotten) elements is a common Who plot device, and it's always fascinating to play connect-the-dots as the season plays through.
So what's so important about the date 26.06.2010, other than its matrimonial significance for Amy Pond (and the thirteen-week anniversary of the airing of the very first Matt Smith-helmed Doctor Who)? I guess we'll have to keep hanging onto every scrap of info that Moffat sprinkles throughout the rest of the season, starting with next week's "Vampires of Venice", which looks as far from the limp Twilight series as (in)humanly possible. Thank goodness.
As we've come to expect from the excellent (and very official) BBC Doctor Who website, the little bonus that accompanies this week's episode is an interesting panoramic photograph of the Byzantium Forest, which lets you take a 360 degree peek at the lush environment featured in the episode. Check out the interactive fun and more (including another print-and-cut Weeping Angel mask) right HERE!
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