So today was the series 7 premiere of Doctor Who, and I was pretty excited, as one would expect. But I really disliked it. The episode had its moments, sure, but overall, the plot was terrible (a promising set-up in the trailers, but it didn't deliver), the acting was bad, the witty dialogues were few and far between, the new character was stereotypical (flirty, self-proclaimed genius that we're expected to fall in love with), I didn't feel a single emotional connection (I was more confused than moved by Amy & Rory's interaction), and it just left me feeling really, really sad about how much I had loved the previous seasons.
Everyone knows how much I love David Tennant. The writer/producer during his seasons was very character-focused, so it was easier to excuse the silliness of the monsters and appreciate the dialogues and character development. I enjoyed almost every episode in those years, despite the fact that they were considered to be less "mature," or I guess less geared to a mainstream audience.
And the thing is that Matt Smith's first two seasons were not terrible. I really liked series 5, and several episodes from series 6 were amazing ("The Doctor's Wife," "The Girl Who Waited"). However, with my declining appreciation for the show in the last two seasons, I guess I was expecting to be underwhelmed this time? So the expectation sort of fulfilled itself.
And the sadness I was feeling all day sort of dissolved into anger after a while. It's strange, because it's usually the other way around. I read a few critiques of the episode (which I agreed with, for the most part). And I guess I finally understand the extent to which some people will confusedly continue to follow something they are almost scared to let go of, and to which others will go to shoot those people down.
Lestrade, Mr. Weasley and Filch next week, however! I’ll watch just for their faces. And I’m actually somewhat looking forward to “The Angels Take Manhattan” because of New York City, but once the Ponds leave, I’m out.
