Another of the great David Tennant two-parters, but this time with the first and second instalments forming very much of a matching pair (as opposed to an intro episode leading into a qualitatively different second, as happened with several of the recent greats).
And, more than perhaps at any previous stage, this looks firmly like fare for adults, and that's not just because of the walking skeletons and the all-embracing (and all-consuming!) shadow-creatures. No, here we've got a mindblowingly intricate multi-level plot, almost boundless imagination at work, quite a lot of real creepiness as well as a great deal of laugh-out-loud wit from both the Doctor and Donna (notwithstanding the many serious themes), but also some remarkably touching stuff about how people clutch at straws to stay alive, and to hold on to fragments of their sanity, and also about love and parental devotion. We also have a dumb beauty (ignored by most, or else noticed for the wrong reasons) who becomes a disfigured genius, people who don't want to let go of life but just have to, a new level of love interest for the Doctor (which he's not even aware of) - thanks to the sassy River Song - played by Alex Kingston, ostensibly hard-edged characters who mellow into heartwarming empathy and kindness, and quite a bit about (the very relevant contemporary theme of) what electronics may keep of us once we've gone. It's an extremely heady cocktail, with a large amount of creative tension on display; and it's also very spoiler-resistant because one simply can't put it all into words. Or at least, if one did, it would take almost as long as the two episodes, given the huge amount of content and subtlety and depth! Under the circumstances, there's no choice left but to watch ... and (certainly) enjoy!
And, more than perhaps at any previous stage, this looks firmly like fare for adults, and that's not just because of the walking skeletons and the all-embracing (and all-consuming!) shadow-creatures. No, here we've got a mindblowingly intricate multi-level plot, almost boundless imagination at work, quite a lot of real creepiness as well as a great deal of laugh-out-loud wit from both the Doctor and Donna (notwithstanding the many serious themes), but also some remarkably touching stuff about how people clutch at straws to stay alive, and to hold on to fragments of their sanity, and also about love and parental devotion. We also have a dumb beauty (ignored by most, or else noticed for the wrong reasons) who becomes a disfigured genius, people who don't want to let go of life but just have to, a new level of love interest for the Doctor (which he's not even aware of) - thanks to the sassy River Song - played by Alex Kingston, ostensibly hard-edged characters who mellow into heartwarming empathy and kindness, and quite a bit about (the very relevant contemporary theme of) what electronics may keep of us once we've gone. It's an extremely heady cocktail, with a large amount of creative tension on display; and it's also very spoiler-resistant because one simply can't put it all into words. Or at least, if one did, it would take almost as long as the two episodes, given the huge amount of content and subtlety and depth! Under the circumstances, there's no choice left but to watch ... and (certainly) enjoy!