As the Doctor (Matt Smith) and companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) continue their fantastic journey through time and space, a quick trip to one of the largest museums in the universe has uncovered an ancient artifact that catches the Doctor's eye. Dubbed a starship's Home Box, a mysterious message seems written on its panel, and one that could have been intended for a certain Time Lord to decipher. Dated 12,000 years in the past, the box's message is written in the dead language of Old Gallifreyan, and couldn't have been clearer:
"Hello Sweetie..."
And such begins the first two-parter in the Matt Smith reign, which should make fans quiver with excitement, as this is the one we've been waiting for...and it doesn't disappoint. Keep reading for the whole micro-review of "The Time of Angels" episode!
In many ways "The Time of Angels" is the most anticipated episode that hardcore Who fans have been waiting (more than) patiently for since the inception of the new series, as its really the first to play off of this new iteration of Doctor Who's original mythologies. Whereas many episodes play off - and at times overuse - classic villains like the Daleks, Cybermen, and others, show-runner Steven Moffat returns two of his most famous creations, the hideous Weeping Angels from "Blink", and the mysterious River Song from "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead". Except their return is no simple repeat, as the Doctor and Amy Pond must now join River and a group of soldiers from the Church (which has apparently moved on) as they attempt to hunt down a single Weeping Angel on a planet of stone statues.
To put it simply, if "Blink" was the movie Alien, then "The Time of Angels" is its Aliens.
For those unfamiliar with the Weeping Angels, they're an alien race who has developed the most perfect evolutionary defense mechanism ever - they're quantum-locked. This means they can only move - and kill - when absolutely no living creature is looking at them, including themselves. As the Doctor says, they're the "only psychopaths in the universe to kill you nicely." When they've been seen, they become stone statues themselves, which makes the prospect of hunting a single one on a dead planet of stone remnants of its past all the more challenging - and deadly.
In every instance "The Time of Angels" is a significant improvement over the disappointing "Victory of the Daleks", as the triumphant return of River Song and the most genuinely frightening adversaries the Doctor has ever faced, the Weeping Angels, was more than worth the wait. The effects look great this time around (especially a particularly gorgeous scene with River giving herself to the confines of space - and the Doctor's trust), and the dark catacombs of the "Maze of the Dead" make for the best set piece I've ever seen on this show.
But apart from the great effects and spectacular set-designs, it's really the reappearance of River Song (once again played by Alex Kingston) and her continued ill-fated relationship with the Doctor that sells it. As the two keep meeting each other "in the wrong timeline", she remains the only character in the Doctor's history to continually befuddle him, as she appears to know the one thing in the universe he doesn't - his own fate. The show hints that the two become quite close, possibly married, and they certainly act like a couple who can finish each other's sentences. How River uses this to her advantage to manipulate time itself was ingenious, and her line about being ‘sonic'd' ("You sonic'd her!") was absolutely hysterical. It's moments like these that keep me watching this never-ending story unfold, and why I hope it never does end.
If there was any disappointing elements (apart from being made to wait for the concluding episode), I imagine some fans will take umbrage with the considerably beefed-up Angels themselves, which appear to have gained a few new powers since we first encountered them in the "Blink" episode. While still terrifying, they no longer simply zap you back into the past (to "live yourself to death"), but can break necks, and have even learned a thing or two about virtual reproduction. Religious symbolism abounds , and those who look too deeply into the Church's apparent future-reformation (clerics = soldiers) and other bits will likely miss the point.
But such nitpicks are for others, as I completely loved every second of "The Time of Angels", and can't wait for its conclusion in next week's "Flesh and Stone" to see how this all plays out. The extra features on the official BBC website aren't as much fun this time around, however, as they're limited to a single PDF of River Song's diary, which can be printed out and used to cover your own book-of-choice. Oh well, at least they're still giving out the goods. Check it out right HERE!
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