S06E01 - "The Impossible Astronaut" [Season 6 Premiere] (S32E01)

[Tropicana]

Synopsis:

Envelopes in the colour of the TARDIS contain a position, date and time for The Doctor, River Song, Amy and Rory to meet in Utah. They make a trip to the Oval Office in Washington, D.C in the 1960s.

Preview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiqyDRrOnro

Airdates:

UK: BBC One, Saturday 23 April 2011, 6PM
US: BBC America, Saturday 23 April 2011, 9PM/8PM Central
CAN: Space, Saturday 23 April 2011, 8PM/7PM Central
AUS: ABC 1, Saturday 30 April 2011, 7:30PM

Official DW Page: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010tb7q

 

[Tropicana]

So I just watched this episode, it's so good to see the Doc again. I'm glad this time they explained a few things unlike S05 finale with the Doc being stuck in the Tardis then materialising in front of Amy and Rory on their wedding day.

Anyway, thought it was very good, definitely nice to see the gang again and so looking forward to next week's episode. There were some scenes I thought may have been slightly unsuitable for children IMO, with this show being on pre-watershed time, but shall see if there will be any parents complaining.

 

[heisenberg]

So I just watched this episode, it's so good to see the Doc again. I'm glad this time they explained a few things unlike S05 finale with the Doc being stuck in the Tardis then materialising in front of Amy and Rory on their wedding day.

Anyway, thought it was very good, definitely nice to see the gang again and so looking forward to next week's episode. There were some scenes I thought may have been slightly unsuitable for children IMO, with this show being on pre-watershed time, but shall see if there will be any parents complaining.

Can't wait to watch it

 

[YoshiKart64]

Just saw this - personally I thought it was a brilliant episode. Doctor Who has been first tier entertainment since Moffat took over, I can't wait to see how the second part of this episode plays out.

 

[EvilSpaceAlien]

I just watched the episode and it was fun, scary, and extremely entertaining. Just what Doctor Who is supposed to be.

 

[mzzz]

Oh man, I really want to know what happens. Is it just me or is the uh chick that's supposed to be a lover of the doctor later on kinda getting annoying? Sometimes I like her for her tongue in cheek, sometimes she is annoying with her knowledge of the doctor. I did find it intriguing though that she sort of hints that she ages backwards maybe? I don't know. Crazy episode though, the new aliens with their forget you saw me trait. Gotta love Doctor Who for their creativity.

 

[Joelist]

Oh man, I really want to know what happens. Is it just me or is the uh chick that's supposed to be a lover of the doctor later on kinda getting annoying? Sometimes I like her for her tongue in cheek, sometimes she is annoying with her knowledge of the doctor. I did find it intriguing though that she sort of hints that she ages backwards maybe? I don't know. Crazy episode though, the new aliens with their forget you saw me trait. Gotta love Doctor Who for their creativity.

River Song annoying? Hardly.

The thing with the Doctor and River is that we are seeing their stories out of order. The first time he meets her (Season 4 - Silence in the Library) is actually the last time she meets him. Their subsequent meetings have been following that track (each time he meets her is out of sequence).

On to the episode - simply brilliant. The new alien baddies are a VERY clever concept, and the time travel paradox plot being set up is also well conceived. Pacing and mood were also very well setup.

I have a weird suspicion that the person we see in the spacesuit who shoots the Doctor is River - that is the crime she is in prison for in the other episodes. And the invitations and the funeral and stuff at the beginning is "closing the circle".

 

[Bluce Ree]

We've been waiting nearly a year for the new season. Why would they start us with a cliffhanger?!? Dammit, give me a 2 hour premiere!

 

[JaffaKree!]

I think I'm getting too old for this show. The new doctor is hyperactive and unfocused. He reminds me of a puppy who just heard "walkies!" At least Tennant seemed genuinely manic.

BTW, did the Doc ever have a male companion (Rory and Jack don't count)? I really think it's time for a male companion.

 

[Joelist]

Gotta disagree here.

Matt Smith's Doctor is much closer to the classic series Doctors - he's quieter, not EMO (like Tennant got to be in his last season) and while high energy also eccentric. Plus, in this episode we have the added complexity that he does not really know why he is present - he got invited but does not know by who, while Rory, River and Amy do.

As to male companions, the last examples were Turlough and Adric during Peter Davison's tenure. They did not turn out well.

 

[JaffaKree!]

Gotta disagree here.

Matt Smith's Doctor is much closer to the classic series Doctors - he's quieter, not EMO (like Tennant got to be in his last season) and while high energy also eccentric. Plus, in this episode we have the added complexity that he does not really know why he is present - he got invited but does not know by who, while Rory, River and Amy do.

As to male companions, the last examples were Turlough and Adric during Peter Davison's tenure. They did not turn out well.

But we're not disagreeing at all! Tennant annoyed me especially during that last season. In my original post I went on quite a bit about his wide-eyed horror, combined with his new catchphrase "there's nothing we can do!", but I pruned the post because I didn't want it to be one big "things I don't like about Doctor Who" post.

Sounds like Smith is close to the mark then. I haven't seen the Doctor Who of olden days and I doubt I will (I know, shame on me) so I had no idea that this is the baseline for him.
I can't say I love the dizzy spasticness, but if it's correct for the character then I can't complain either.

It's nice to know that in the past they at least gave the male companion idea a shot.
Can I ask why they didn't turn out well?

 

[Joelist]

Part of the problem with both Adric and Turlough was they were playing opposite Peter Devison's fairly vanilla Doctor, which made it difficult to establish a solid repartee. But also they were both kind of flat. Turlough reminds one of Jonas in SG-1 a bit (but Jonas was done better) and Adric was simply terrible. I think the two bombs may have scared the producers off of future attempts like that.

 

[JaffaKree!]

Ok, I see. The "Jonas Effect", ouch.
Maybe they'll try again one day? I hope they do, because I'm so over the Sassy Females (TM).

 

[heisenberg]

Quality over quantity

OMG! Doctor who has done it again!
I just watched the premiere! Amazing writers! Grr...it ended in a cliffhanger.

 

[heisenberg]

erm not to be picky or anything but did anyone notice the camera was a little shaky?