Hello, Doctor.

 

Well! We’re here. Here we are. At the beginning of our journey. I actually have no idea how to start this. Except…

Can we talk about how delightful Christopher Eccleston is as the Doctor? I mean, I’m a nu-Whovian, so I have no idea if he draws on older Doctors, but I think he captured it perfectly.

He’s funny, but not in a kiddy way, and he has this way of seeming ageless without seeming old. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain without something to compare it to, so I guess I’ll pick this back up when we meet Ten later on. Still. Let it be said that Nine made me fall in love with the Doctor.

Now. On to the episode itself. First of all, I liked that it’s centered on Rose rather than the Doctor. As someone new to Doctor Who, I was expecting to be bombarded with all this mythology and all these inside jokes that I would just not be familiar with, so I really appreciated that the show made an effort to put me in a place where I’m discovering things just as Rose is.

I mean, I had no idea the Doctor was an alien. That was brand-new information. I also had no idea that the TARDIS was a space/timeship and that it was bigger on the inside. I straight-up thought that he traveled in a tiny box, all smooshed up like in an airplane bathroom. Haha, I’m kinda dumb.

All in all, I think this episode was good for what is was: Exposition Central. The humor worked for me, as did the character introductions, and overall, it made me want to keep watching. Like I said… Success!

And now, for lists!

Things I liked:

• “Nice to meet you, Rose. Run for your life!”
• Jackie. I love Jackie. Can we have more Jackie?
• “Ha. We’re talking millions.”
• “Hmm. That won’t last. He’s gay and she’s an alien.” Doctor, I <3 you!
• Fast-paced dialogue? Always a favorite. Fast-paced dialogue in British accents? ORGASMIC.
• “You’re full of it!” “Sort of, yeah.”
• Okay, I liked Clive. I liked the juxtaposition; conspiracy nut, yet totally normal husband and father. Dead now, though. :(
• “Lots of planets have a North!”
• Love that it took the Doctor forever to realize what Rose was trying to tell him. Super-smart, yet a little slow.
• That tiny look of disappointment when Rose turns down the Doctor is really telling, and I love it to pieces. Already this show is not what I was expecting! Yay, surprises!

Things I noticed:

• The shop is giving Rose “airs and graces”? Wtf are “airs and graces”? Is it like a special bonus on your paycheck?
• That photo of the Doctor at Kennedy’s assassination is the worst. Photoshop. Ever.
• All this hullabaloo, it’s… well, it’s all kinda public, no?
• The Doctor has hints of dismissiveness when it comes to humans. First with Mickey, and then when he addresses the Nestene Consciousness and calls humans “stupid little people.” Not a condemnation, just… something I noticed.
• “Time Lord” is the only thing we understand the Nestene Consciousness say. I missed it the first time, but I heard it this time.

Oh, and can I just say? I work in a shop. One with dummies in it. The creepy kind with heads and no faces. Moving dummies? No forever, thank you. Especially if they all come with that gun thing in their hands. Just. Let’s never go there again, please? Thank you in advance.

 

Stay tuned for The End of the World.