kindkit | Doctor Who 5x01, "The Eleventh Hour"

That was awesome. That was well-plotted, exciting, full of joy, crisply written, with hints of seriousness and future troubles but nothing too anvilicious.

I like Amy so far (both little!Amy and grown-up Amy)--there's a forthright quality to her that's really appealing--and I'm looking forward to learning more about her. The wedding thing--she must know that the Doctor's promise that he can get her back by the next morning is unreliable, because she's twice seen him fail to come back for years. And yet she went anyway. The Doctor was right about her--she's not really settled in her life and she's happy to go.

Matt Smith managed to put his stamp on the character far more than I would have expected. Eleven is definitely not Ten, despite some very Tennish lines for continuity's sake. He may be a mad man with a box, but already he seems less crazy than Ten did, without the wild extremes of emotion. I'm not one of those fans who wants the Time War never to be mentioned again, but I do think it's time for the Doctor to start healing a bit, so I'm pleased to see a more . . . solid? . . . Doctor and his genuine, unforced enthusiasm for his new self, his new friend, his gorgeous new TARDIS, and a whole universe to explore.

I wonder if we'll be seeing more of this episode's minor characters? Although I'd like the show to be less earthbound than it has been, I do like Rory (who immediate made me think of Fitz, to the point that I was half expecting him to be called Fitz as a shout-out) and the older neighbor lady (what episode was she in? I remember seeing her before, but not where, to my shame) and "the good-looking one" (not very good-looking, in my opinion, but I'm amused that the Doctor thinks so).

About the only thing that didn't work for me was the "humor" in the Doctor's initial meeting with Amy. Stuff like spitting out the food wasn't all that funny and it went on too long. But the episode soon settled down, and as I said, I really liked everything else. ETA: Just remembered a couple of other things I didn't like: the ridiculous "geronimo" catchphrase (the Doctor doesn't need a catchphrase, dammit!) and the almost unrecognizable new theme.

I'm optimistic about the new season. Even though the Daleks, the most overused villains in Who history, are coming back.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SPOILERS: I'm avoiding spoilers for unaired episodes as much as possible. I've seen the trailers, but that's it. I don't even read interviews. So PLEASE do not spoil me for future episodes. Not even hints. Your consideration is much appreciated.