Doctor Who 5x05, "Flesh and Stone"

[kindkit]

I don't have a whole lot to say, but I liked this week's episode much better than last week's. I'm not sure the plot actually made sense, but the characterization did. All the interactions (especially Doctor-Amy, Doctor-River, and River-Amy) felt natural and true, with emotional moments growing out of the narrative rather than being pastede on yay. Instead of being told how wonderful the characters were, we saw them being brave, smart, and kind, and not congratulating themselves or each other about it. And that did a lot to restore my affection for all three of them.

Not so sure about the very ending, though. I was hoping we wouldn't have another companion who fancied the Doctor. What I did like was the lack of coyness, either in narrative terms or from the characters. Amy went for what she wanted, directly and without embarrassment, and that was pretty cool.

On the other hand, Amy needs to learn that no means no. Her continuing to try to touch and kiss the Doctor after he said no was not funny and not okay.

Comments

[lilacsigil]

I was really enjoying this episode (though I wonder if it really needed the angels at all) but that last scene nearly made me crawl backwards over the couch in embarrassment.

[kindkit]

I'm surprised it didn't hit my (severe) embarrassment squick harder. I think I sort of zoomed past embarrassment into "Amy, he said no. Stop trying to rip his clothes off!"

though I wonder if it really needed the angels at all

Good point. Some other monster of the week would've worked just as well, the angels would've stayed the cool interesting scary things they were in Blink, and Moffat wouldn't have looked faintly pathetic for having to recycle his own ideas so early in his run.