So I'm enjoying how the new Dr Who series is shaping up:
Episode 1: Good twist and nice to see a take on the Daleks that isn't the usual Earth invasion or covert operation. However, Dalek asylum could have been so much more awesome. I was expecting an entertaining smorgasbord of gibbering sadists and nutty prophets rather than slightly beat up derelicts with an egg obsession and crackly voices.
Episode 2: Dinosaurs in space! Good although the talking robots were about as (un)funny as the Transformers characters they were ripping off. Mitchell and Webb surely could have been used to better effect.
Episode 3: A little underwhelming considering the awesome potential of a half-machine, alien bounty hunter taking on Eichmann II (I knew I recognised the metal-framed glasses from somewhere). The horse named Susan was pretty funny although the Doctor knowing horse (or baby or whale) is a joke that'd been done a million times. My main problem with this one was the stale underlying moral question. The 'Is it worth killing a few to save the many' question is a staple of science fiction and I like a bit more novelty in my Dr Who episodes. Intriguing that they didn't mention who the 'enemy' that the androids were created to destroy was though!
However, if it did tickle your fancy and you want to see similar themes handled better try 'A Dry Quiet War' by Tony Daniels. One of the best short science fiction stories I've read and, with the honourable exception of Firefly, the best blend of time travel, science fiction and western themes.
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