After only a handful of days, I have finished up Series 5. This is the Eleventh’s first season, and it has been wonderful. As stated 2 pages ago, the Eleventh Doctor is very much MY Doctor. His combination of manic energy, bizarre behavior, a tendency to engage mouth before brain, and a certain alien quality that I can’t find the words to express that wasn’t present with the Tenth, along with a greater ability being able to connect emotionally, have grabbed me. I will be sad when Matt Smith leaves at the end of the year.

However, as per usual, here is a page on my thoughts on the “Best and Worst” of Series 5, along History and Doctor Who.

Best Episode: Vincent and the Doctor- I had seen Vincent and the Doctor before getting the Complete Series 5 Boxset, and has been one of my favourite episodes. This watch-through has simply confirmed feelings on this. A wonderful little episode that focuses on a historical figure, this follows in the Tradition of other New Who episodes like “The Unquiet Dead” (Charles Dickens), “Tooth and Claw” (Queen Victoria), “The Girl in the Fireplace” (Madame de Pompadour) “The Shakespeare Code” (William Shakespeare, obviously) and “The Unicorn and the Wasp” (Agatha Christie). However, this is like the most well executed of this type of episode. It humanizes the historical figure many of us have read so much about very effectively, and the moments between the Doctor, Amy, and Vincent are beautiful. The tear-jerking conclusion is also quite effective, as the Doctor pointed out that they very much added good to his life. Also, Bill Nighy appeared, and his speech was magnificent.

Worst Episode: -The Lodger-A flawed episode, it had a fair amount of good in it. For example, it highlighted a contrast between the 10th and 11th Doctors. While the Tenth Doctor could near effortlessly blend in with humanity, the Eleventh quite clearly cannot. In addition, it does show the 11th forming a connection with 2 non-companions, characters who come up again in Series 6. The Doctor also shows some expertise in relationships in this episode, helping two people who are in love, but afraid to move because they don’t want to ruin a wonderful friendship. However, the flaws are too big to overlook. For example, who was responsible for the quasi-TARDIS? While the next series suggests the Silence, it is never fully explained. Also, if there are plans to the flat, how come no one noticed the non-existent second floor until Amy pulls them up on the TARDIS. Or how Craig and Sophie never noticed people coming into the flat. And finally, why did Craig or Sophie never go upstairs to ask about the Mold. The plot-holes in this episode are so numerous, if the episode was a nautical vessel, it would founder on launching.

Historical figures & History in Doctor Who

As expected on any show about Time-Travel, Doctor Who has a number of episodes on meeting or interacting with figures from history.

In fact, it has been there from the very beginning, with period piece episodes. With the first Doctor, played by William Hartnell, for example, you had the serials The Crusades, The Massacre of St. Bartolomew’s Eve,Marco Polo for starters. And in the Second Doctor era, you had The Highladers. All of these have been said by those who remember seeing them to well crafted and well paced episodes.

So, why exactly I am mentioning the fact the accounts of people seeing them? Because, these serials are unfortunately the lost episodes. The entirety of Marco Polo, The Highlanders, andThe Massacre of St. Bartolomew’s Eve are missing, with only still photos and audio remaining. Of the four episodes making up The Crusades only two remain.

Why is this you ask? Because, sometime between 1972 and 1977, some Sheep-Shagging, Penny Pinching, Addle-Brained Nimrod of a Human Being burned the last surviving copies of those episodes. This compounded by the fact that The Massacre of St. Bartolomew’s Eve introduced the companion Dodo Chaplet and The Highlanders introduced the 2nd Doctor’s constant Companion, Jamie McCrimmon.

The Sheep are running from the Addle-Brained Nimrod, who is off screen on the left.

While there were others at the time, one set in the Wild West had Musical Elements to it. After the 1st and 2nd Doctor Periods, the period piece/historical person episode format started to fall out of favor, with exceptions to the rule being The Talons of Wang Chiang in the 4th Doctor Period, and The Black Orchid in the Fifth Doctor Period being exceptions. We also have Delta and the Bannerman in the 7th Doctor Period, but we don’t like to talk about that serial, as it was totally horrific.

In the New Era, we have not had a strictly period piece. What we have had are episodes based in a Historical Era focusing on a Historical Individual, always with an Alien event occurring. And, these episodes are usually a load of fun, usually using a historical or literary mystery about the Historical Figure as a backdrop. One example of this is The Unquiet Dead, focusing on Charles Dickens during the 9th Doctor Era.

In addition, there are a handful of stories set in a period with a Sci-Fi plot. An example of this is The Fires of Pompeii, set in Pompeii on October or November 23th-24th, 79AD during 10th Doctor Era.

This is actually one sad thing with the Departure of Matt Smith. The Eleventh Doctor and Clara did not have any adventures of the first type (historical figure meeting). In consolation though, they had 3 of the second type (story in time period), with those stories being The Cold War, which is set during the Reagan Era on a Soviet Typhoon-Class Submarine, Hide, which is set during the mid-70s, and The Crimson Horror, set in the 1890’s in Yorkshire. Hopefully, the 50th Anniversary will rectify the lack of Historical Figures.

Expect another page next week, and I will prepare the Flame-Retardant suit, as the following commentary piece will get me into trouble.