On imaginary horses and vespoforms

Danger! Danger! Spoilers Will Robinson!
Future series four clangers will be dropped in the following post!

So finally saw this Agatha Christie episode, ‘The Unicorn And The Wasp’. While it didn’t quite measure up to the very high bar set by ‘The Fires Of Pompeii’, it was bloody funny stuff. And it kept the good Doctor sufficiently alien and Donna all worldly wise with common sense. Which is what makes her so fab, after all.

Loved the “no no, don’t do that” from Ten as Donna’s doing her best Pimm’s accent – did they realise what they were starting way back with series 2’s ‘Tooth And Claw’ (and perpetuating with series 3’s ‘The Shakespeare Code’)? And Donna’s comment about all the best men taking the other bus – and Ten’s rejoinder re: the Time Lord possibility. We were in stitches at the attempt at poisoning the good Doctor, especially Ten’s outraged “How is ‘Harvey Wallbanger’ one word?”

Loved the Harrogate Hotel sign (although Bestest Mate did point out that the sign she stands next to really should have actually said ‘a hotel somewhere in Harrogate’, just for fun. I could not agree more!) and the neat package at the end. But ooh, was that Ten telling Donna off for killing something for doing what was in its nature? Hmm, looks like Ten’s gone full circle on this Putting Your Foot Down And No First Chances thing. Which means in best ‘Doctor bloody Who’ tradition he’s about due for some hearts-rending angst at the hands of Russell T Davies. Or was that always going to be the return of Rose?

Speaking of which, I do actually feel he’s outgrown Rose Tyler. He’s had to, after all. When Martha came along with more brain and less blusher I get the feeling he was happy to have someone who could do skience stuff too. And could run really quite fast in heels – expensive ones at that. And then came Donna.

More sisterly in her jibes, more grounded in her very human view of the events, more able to slap Ten into perspective when he needs it – and sometimes when he thinks he doesn’t. Can he really go back to the Lost Girl who thought a couple of celestial bodies shone out of his arse, simply because she’d known him for two lifetimes? Don't get me wrong, Rose did wonders for Nine and probably brought the twisted, broken Time Lord back from The Edge. But unless she’s been working for Parallel Torchwood long enough to grow up a bit, she might become a bit of a drag for me.

(Speaking of parallel Torchwood, can it be Jack Harkness time now please? Oh no, wait, he’s back later in the series too. Can we wait? Can we bloody hell as like!)

Good times so far, series four-wise. Just have to hope it continues this way. With the news that Russell T Davies is stepping down after series four and handing over to none other than prize-winning screenwriter Steven Moffat, this looks likely. I’m sure a cheer went up around Blighty and from peer-to-peer forums around the world when that news hit. Shortly followed by a huge sigh of relief. I can’t think of anyone better to take over executive producing, keeping it on the right track and giving us more of what we want. The man who brought us ‘The Empty Child’, ‘The Girl In The Fireplace’ and of course possibly his best work, ‘Blink’, should be confident he has the support of the Who fandom (should that be ‘Whodom’?). Mr Moffat, the Whoniverse approves of your appointment. (Especially as he can deliver without going off into floating-down-stairs-in-Jesus-moment territory.)

And that’s about it, I think. Must get ready for the off; it's ‘Indy 4’ in about an hour's time. Will obviously be squeeeing long before I get to the pictures.

Soopytwist.

Tags:
Doctor Who ~ RTD ~ Steven Moffat ~ BBC ~ spoilers