Musings and a bit of trivia on Asylum of the Daleks, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship and A Town Called Mercy

A part of me dreads rewatching The Angels Take Manhattan, which is why I have been taking my time with the first three episodes of season seven. There is only so much emotional turmoil a person can take. Unlike fans who were aware of Karen and Arthur's departure before it aired, I had no idea what I was getting into and now that I do I just want to linger in the other episodes a wee bit longer.

 

Asylum of the Daleks weaves an intriguing tale and it begins in a striking fashion.

 

 

Moffat was right in his assessment Daleks are no longer terrifying and to reimagine a way to bring back their initial horror. I really like the idea of people morphing into Daleks rather than their traditional look. There's an extra layer of unpredictability when the sleeper agent/Dalek isn't aware they are deceased or non human.

The unexpected partnership between the Doctor and Daleks is equally intriguing. Will the Doctor's morality allow him to help his enemy? When he chooses to help them, how far will his generosity extend? It is a far cry from when we saw Chris in his episode Dalek and a slight evolution from where we last saw Matt with his nemesis as well.

I absolutely love the way Matt delivers the line "You think hatred is beautiful". There is great beauty in his suppressed rage and disgust as he articulates each word. I love the way his eyes seem to penetrate the glass and stare directly into the Dalek's face.

 

In typical fashion, I cried during Amy and Rory's exchange with the bracelet. Karen's delivery of "I didn't kick you out, I gave you up" speaks volumes to their relationship. Karen and Arthur's chemistry explodes in these type of scenes and something raw pours out.  

I admit my favourite moment of the show comes near the end when we realize the full extent of Oswin's identity and we see Jenna deliver her infamous line.

 

 

For a look behind the scenes

 

 

 

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship is the episode I always refer to when I want to explain how ridiculous nature of Doctor Who, but I found it less silly in the second viewing. The one thing that has always intrigued me about Matt's era is the vast number of talented writers for the show. It is rare to see in American television such a cross over between genres. Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss are responsible for the hugely popular crime/literary adaption series Sherlock. Neil Cross wrote for Luther and Doctor Who. Chris Chibnall wrote the teleplays for Camelot, Torchwood, and Broadchurch amongst other shows.  

 

Admittedly, it is great watching Matt perform with Rupert Graves (Sherlock, Wallander), Mark Williams (Being Human, Harry Potter, Shackleton), and David Bradley (Game of Thrones, Broadchurch, Harry Potter, Tudors, Hot Fuzz). Not only is it cute to see Arthur Weasley in the same episode as Argus Filch, but there are other neat connections too. Rupert is part of Moffat's other huge success and has worked with Kenneth Branagh, who in turn has also worked with Mark Williams. David Bradley worked with both doctors and played one himself.

 

Despite the cute nods to various works or actors, I still find myself struggling with some of the issues in the story.

 

 

 

It is cute they have a slight nod to the previous Christmas special by having the Doctor say "I know" in regards to the dinosaurs on a spaceship, but there are a few inconsistencies with the characters. Granted Brian has never seen anything like this in his lifetime and it would take a while for his son to go over all the details of time travel, different worlds and how a great Egyptian queen and dinosaurs can co-exist on a spaceship; but shouldn't the basic family dynamics be covered first? At some point shouldn't Rory remind the Doctor or let Brian know the Doctor is his son in law? Wouldn't Brian like to know he is a grandfather and the only connection to his granddaughter is this mad man in a box?

 

I do understand not wanting to play up these familial issues as it does appear quite odd with the cast on hand, but it was Steven Moffat who wrote the wedding to River Song and it was a choice he did not have to make unless he planned to see it through. I sometimes think it would be better if they acknowledged the oddness behind the matchup rather than ignore it as audiences will make the connections themselves eventually.  

 

I had equal trouble with scenes like this

 

 

 

Although I think the production and special effects on this episode is higher than what we can expect on American television (just compare these dinosaurs to the ones on Terra Nova to see what I mean), there is just something so utterly silly about treating a dinosaur like a dog. Yes, that is probably the point of the scene in the same way that Brian seems to have a treasure trove in his chest jacket. There are, however, moments of silliness I do enjoy and that comes with the robots.

 

 

My favourite lines in the episode are:

Doctor: Ship the size of Canada

Canadians are always happy when anyone thinks of them. We just like being included.

Doctor to Rory and his father: Spelling it out is hereditary, wonderful
I love the layer of sarcasm in Matt's delivery.

 

Robot: We're cross with you
Pushing aside that all kids love robots (and yes dinosaurs), these comedic actors did such a great job at creating levity and humour in the episode.

 

Robot: You're going straight to the naughty step

Doctor: You're not going to kill us, rusty
It's nice seeing the Doctor being playful.

 

Doctor: I don't respond well to violence, Solomon

It's always great to see Matt threaten people. There's always this moment when you remember all the destruction and cruelty the Doctor has inflicted upon in the past.

 

Doctor to Rory before kissing him: Good thinking, Rory 

Pushing aside the Doctor is kissing his father in law, I think the kiss is marvellous

 

Doctor to Solomon: Enjoy your bounty 



There is just something so delicious about seeing Matt go a tinge evil

 

For a transcript of the episode, you can go here To learn more about what it was like to make the episode including how it felt for Matt to ride that dinosaur, take a peek below

  

A Town Called Mercy is probably my favourite episode of the three first ones to air. As a cinephile, it is great to see the set from so many famous films being used on a weekly television program.

I know Wikipedia isn't always the most reliable of sources for information, but I think for these episodes it provides a lot of great trivia. In the case with this one, we can discover the following facts:

Moffat was keen on putting Matt Smith in a Western setting, who he called one of the last people one would expect to replace Clint Eastwood

Moffat had been planning for the first five episodes of the series to have "movie marquee" themes.

Toby Whithouse noted that it was a genre he had not written before, but he "absolutely [loved] it". The Wild West has not been a setting for a Doctor Who episode since the 1966 third season serial "The Gunfighters". Whithouse was advised not to watch The Gunfighters by the other writers, who said it was "not exactly the jewel in the crown".

Whithouse felt obliged to include common Western tropes, such as the Doctor riding a horse and a face-off.

He stated the hardest scene to write was where the Doctor is forced to use a gun; the Doctor is a pacifist and he would need "the right sort of emotional journey".

Much of the episode was filmed around the desert area of Almería, Spain, where studios have built Wild West-style streets that have been used in the making of over 100 Western-set films, such as A Fistful of Dollars.

One of my favourite moments in the episode is when Matt swaggers into the saloon as if he was John Wayne only to have the whole persona fall apart due to toothpick.

The morality play within the episode set in the wild west could not have been more perfect. Pushing aside we are entering Star Trek territory with how the makeup department creates aliens, I do think they did a marvellous job with the gunslinger.

The cyborg Clint Eastwood meets Terminator thing may not necessarily be significant to the morality play, but it is cool. I have always enjoyed the less is more sentiment when it comes to presenting these stories. The main drama and conflict comes from what should the Doctor do with  Kahler-Jex. The Gunslinger could have just been a man sent to kill Jex in the same light that Benedict Cumberbatch's Khan is just a man seeking vengeance. Both Khan and the Gunslinger have been genetically altered, but you don't necessarily need to see it in order for them to be great antagonists.

I think one of Matt's best performances in the episode is when Amy confronts the Doctor about what to do with Kahler-Jex. I think it is in part to how Toby Whithouse writes such great scenes.

 

I actually found the best scenes in the episode were between the Doctor and Khaler Jex. There are the comedic lines such as the Doctor saying "I see keep out signs more like suggestions than actual orders, like dry clean only."

Then there are moments when Matt's anger takes you by surprise and suddenly we are all still clinging onto his next words such as when he screams "Sit down!" to Khaler Jex. Other great moments include:

Looking at you, Doctor, is like looking into a mirror. Almost. There is rage there like me. Guilt like me. Solitude. Everything but the nerve to do what needs to be done. -Khaler Jex

Violence doesn't end violence. It extends it. -Doctor

We all carry our prisons with us. Mine is my past. Yours is your morality. -Khaler Jex to Doctor

For a peek at the making of the episode, look below

I do think it speaks volumes to how well Matt adjusts to each episode. We have seen him in a science fiction setting followed by a traditional western setting and his mannerisms and gestures seem to alter slightly to each genre while still retaining the Doctor's personality and actions. I'd love to hear your take on the various episodes as well.