Here's my review of the trailer:
SPOILERS AHEAD
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
First of all, allow me to say that this mini episode has revived my faith in the possibility that the 50th won't be destroyed by Moffat. As you may know from reading my past Doctor Who posts I loved his work on individual episodes in RTD's time as show-runner, but I feel that ever since he's taken the lead there's been a steady decline in quality. Well, this mini-episode "The Night of the Doctor" is glorious!
First of all, the first thing the Doctor utters is going to go down in Who history: "I'm a doctor, but probably not the one you were expecting!"
Not the one I was expecting at all. Paul McGann's appearance in this mini-episode is a very welcome surprise. His acting is perfect for the situation. He goes through so many emotions, shows such a great range of acting that by the time the mini-episode was over I felt as if I had watched a much longer piece. There was more good acting in these six an a half minutes than in many full length episodes.
The best thing about this mini-episode of course is that it looks back on the past and brings together the eighth doctor and the mysterious Time War that we've heard so much about but seen very little of since "Rose" in 2005. This brief glimpse into the Time War gives us a taste for the tragedy and scope of the war and its effect on people and on the universe. We're so used to seeing companions' eyes glow with excitement upon encountering the TARDIS. We're so fond of the "bigger on the inside" line that almost every companion utters, and who can forget Donna's "smaller on the outside?" So when the Doctor is trying to save a woman from certain death in a crashing spaceship and she pulls back in suspicion and anger upon hearing that it's "bigger on the inside" we can feel the Doctor's pain at this reaction.
Overall, this episode is an epic addition to Doctor Who. There were, however, two lines that just made me cringe.
Two lines/phrases in "Night of the Doctor" that should not have been uttered:
1. "I took the liberty of preparing this one myself."
*shakes head* After the excellent dialogue that the doctor and the priestess had just been exchanging, after the wonderfully funny quips and the Doctor's very emotional refusal to fight in the war this just felt cheap and amateur. It was a pathetic line and had no place in this awesome episode.
2. "Doctor Who" spoken by John Hurt at the end.
This one wasn't as pathetic as the previous line, but it really served no purpose and it brought me out of the mood. Instead of leaving us with the emotional departure of the eighth doctor and the wonderul glimpse of the (younger) John Hurt, the "Warrior" they had to lamely have Hurt lamely say "Doctor Who" at the end. I know what I'm watching, thanks. Sometimes silence makes a much more powerful ending.
And in the spirit of the countdown I'm going to give you some more of my personal Doctor Who best/worst lists:
The Two Worst New Who Introductions:
1. Mickey
He grew on us in later episodes, but in the first episode Mickey was very pathetic. From his cowardly clinging to Rose to his stupidity he had the worst introduction I can think of.
2. Donna
I refer here to the terrible Christmas Special she starred in. You know the one; that cringe-worthy special called "The Runaway Bride" where it turns out that some weird alien ship caused the formation of the earth out of space debris and Catherine Tate does a lot of shouting. It was a terrible intro to one of the best companions.
The Two Most Disappointing New Who Characters:
1. Clara
I know. I put Clara above River Song in this. I hate River Song more, but let's be honest, Clara's introduction was intriguing. The mystery built up around her character was actually very well done. She keeps showing up in various historical time periods and dying and then showing up again in a different time. A great mystery and one that did not seem to revolve around the Doctor. She seemed to be interesting in and of herself. Well, so much for that. Turns out it's all about the Doctor all the time... unless it's about her "skirt that's just a little too tight" *sigh*
2. River Song
I have to be honest. As much as I hate River Song she was intriguing in Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. Someone who seems to know a lot about the Doctor and more about some things than he does. Awesome. Too bad Moffat had to go destroy it with that convoluted Melody Pond plot-line.
The Two Worst New Who Villians:
1. The Great Intelligence in Season 7
I understand that the Great Intelligence is a classic who villain and I'm sure there's more to it than I understand, but I could not keep myself awake for the GI plot in Season 7. It was terribly executed and just... boring. A villain should not be boring.
2. The Silence
The Silence were interesting at first. They are quite frightening. No sleeping was going to occur while I watches their episodes, but in the end that whole plot was left hanging. There was so much foreshadowing that we hadn't seen the worst of the Silence and so much mystery around them and their goals that was never explained or tied up at all.
The Two Funniest Doctor One-Liners:
1. Tenth Doctor's "Are you my Mummy" in The Poison Sky in season 4.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJkULLzX5WI
I don't think I need to explain this.
2. "Shamble, Bobble, Dibble, Dooble" - in Midnight.
Even in one of the most frightening Who episodes where all his words are being used against him the Tenth Doctor is hilarious! I did have trouble picking this one because there are many awesome one-liners as you know, but this one just sums up the tenth doctor's personality so well - and all in four non-nonsensical words.
The Two Hanging Plot-lines that need to be revisited:
1. The Silurian/Human Earth-Sharing Talks
I wasn't a huge fan of the Silurian episodes in The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood, but you have to admit there is potential there for a far future in which Humans and Silurians share the earth. That is good Sci-Fi and would make for an interesting Doctor Who adventure if he decides to visit the talks in a hundred years when the Silurians wake up again.
2. Donna
Donna had the worst intro and the worst exit imaginable as well. "If she remembers anything about her time with the Doctor her brain will self-destruct." Sure. This is a plot-line that really needs to be revisited so they can give Donna the decent send-off she deserves. The reason I put this in second and not first place is that I don't want Moffat anywhere near Donna so I'd rather leave it hanging as it is than have Moffat attempt it!
The Two Most Overused Plot Conveniences:
1. "I'm Stuck in an Alternate Universe and Can't Ever Possibly Even be Contacted Or the World will Self-Destruct"
Let's see. Rose. Mickey (who somehow always managed to get stuck in the universe that Rose wasn't in just to make sure there wasn't a chance of them getting back together). Reinette. Baby Melody. The Ponds.
2. The Weeping Angels
I know that they're monsters/villains, but Moffat uses them as plot conveniences not as characters or villains. Basically, they're whatever he wants them to be and they have whatever powers he wants them to have in that episode regardless of what they were like last time we saw them. Someone please erase all instances of weeping angels after Blink from my memory.
That's it for now. Do you have any other Doctor Who "top twos" you want to discuss? If so, leave a comment below!
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