After Episode 1 and 2 of Series 6, I shrugged. For as cleverly Moffat wrote them- for whatever reason the camera is just placed weirdly and it's randomly edited in a fake-JJ-Abrams-Joss-Whedon-cinematic style that I honestly found a bit distracting, idk why (I really like JJ's Star Trek and The Force Awakens) but I didn't connect to the episodes more. I do like that they shot it on location in America and the general idea they were going for with the two parter.
However, this episode was much simpler- not trying to be a complex Netflix show and is just this awesome genre episode written by Steve Thompson (who also did the brilliant Time Heist episode from Capaldi's run) that feels akin to Russel T Davies' Midnight (standalone adventure set on a train). Like I always say, Doctor Who is at it's best when it's character focused and experimenting with genre and that's exactly what this is!!! The team on this episode said: "what if we just became Gore Verbinski and made Pirates of the Carribean except Doctor Who??" Such a brilliant, brilliant decision- it works so well. The Verbinski Pirate movies are pieces of the most epic adventure cinema ever and Matt Smith's Doctor performance and aesthetic fits so well into the style. The rainy sequence and use of visual effects almost has you forget this is just a boat set with no actual sea haha.
All the character work and visual storytelling in this thing is fire. This episode is what all television should be imo. It's also a masterclass in revealing exposition and holding it for the most possible emotional effect. My favourite performances from the cast in a while (I love, love, love Matt Smith, Karen Gillen and Arthur Darvill) and my favourite episode for the relationships with Amy and Rory and all the characters so far. This great character work is paralleled really well with the episodic story of the pirate crew too. It also turns a bit Alien (1979) at the end and is genuinely unpredictable and tense. Finally, my younger brother has actually been scared from a Matt Smith episode even if it was only a brief moment that was just there for maximum effectiveness not because the episode is a proper Horror one. Highly recommend this!! The black spot concept works so well. And the ending is a perfect set up for the rest of the series. I'm hyped for the Doctor's Wife! The way the Doctor runs to the TARDIS with desperate love at the same time Amy runs to Rory in this episode at the end made me laugh so hard- so well timed. A DAMN CLASSIC. Also need to mention Murray Gold's score is perfection for this episode.
However, this episode was much simpler- not trying to be a complex Netflix show and is just this awesome genre episode written by Steve Thompson (who also did the brilliant Time Heist episode from Capaldi's run) that feels akin to Russel T Davies' Midnight (standalone adventure set on a train). Like I always say, Doctor Who is at it's best when it's character focused and experimenting with genre and that's exactly what this is!!! The team on this episode said: "what if we just became Gore Verbinski and made Pirates of the Carribean except Doctor Who??" Such a brilliant, brilliant decision- it works so well. The Verbinski Pirate movies are pieces of the most epic adventure cinema ever and Matt Smith's Doctor performance and aesthetic fits so well into the style. The rainy sequence and use of visual effects almost has you forget this is just a boat set with no actual sea haha.
All the character work and visual storytelling in this thing is fire. This episode is what all television should be imo. It's also a masterclass in revealing exposition and holding it for the most possible emotional effect. My favourite performances from the cast in a while (I love, love, love Matt Smith, Karen Gillen and Arthur Darvill) and my favourite episode for the relationships with Amy and Rory and all the characters so far. This great character work is paralleled really well with the episodic story of the pirate crew too. It also turns a bit Alien (1979) at the end and is genuinely unpredictable and tense. Finally, my younger brother has actually been scared from a Matt Smith episode even if it was only a brief moment that was just there for maximum effectiveness not because the episode is a proper Horror one. Highly recommend this!! The black spot concept works so well. And the ending is a perfect set up for the rest of the series. I'm hyped for the Doctor's Wife! The way the Doctor runs to the TARDIS with desperate love at the same time Amy runs to Rory in this episode at the end made me laugh so hard- so well timed. A DAMN CLASSIC. Also need to mention Murray Gold's score is perfection for this episode.