NineTenElevenTwelve Reviews

Doctor Who: The Woman Who Lived (2015) Season 9, Episode 6

One of Series 9's Best Thus Far!

[10/10 · 24 October 2015]

As is expected, Capaldi was great in this episode. He got a lot of moments to shine in this episode (both serious and comedic) and I absolutely adored his chemistry with Ashildr/"Me". It was interesting seeing Capaldi get an episode without Clara for the most part and see him play off just the guest cast. It was still nice to see Clara make an appearance at the end of the episode. Speaking of Clara, I must admit that this season is really pushing forward the idea of Clara leaving. They've addressed the idea so much throughout the season thus far that it's becoming a bit tiresome. Don't get me wrong, I love the dialog and the scenes in question but it just seems like they're shoving this in our face WAY too much. We know Clara's leaving. You don't have to keep reminding us about it through not-so-subtle foreshadowing.

Maisie Williams got to shine so much in this episode. While I liked her in the previous episode, she didn't really feel different from any other guest actor. Here, we got to see her play a pained, complex character who's lived for eight centuries and has grown desensitized by her immortality. Her anger and pain felt very real and Williams played the part with masterful skill. I really liked how this episode explored the idea of immortality and what it would truly be like for an average human to experience. A scene that really stood out to me was "Me" talking about why she forgets details about her life. An infinite life with a mortal memory. That...actually makes a lot of sense; and it only makes the concept of immortality all the more tragic. It's understandable why the Doctor can remember so much given that he's a Time Lord but the average human brain probably doesn't have the strength nor the ability to remember so much. It was nice to see "Me's" excitement for life revived by the end and I have a feeling that this won't be the last we see of her this season. Her ominously smiling at Clara in the background of Clara's selfie seems to be a huge bit of foreshadowing for the character's return at some point. Since this season's arc seems to be revolving around the hybrid Davros spoke of, it's becoming very obvious that "Me" is shaping up to being that hybrid. Will she be an enemy for the Doctor to face or will she become a new ally? We could have a new recurring character on our hands. If this means more of Maisie Williams and this character on the show then I'm all for it!

The only other guest characters who stood out were Sam Swift and Leandro. Sam was likable and I enjoyed his banter with "Me" and the Doctor. I also liked how the second Mire chip was used to save his life and stop the oncoming invasion. Sam's immortality was left open for debate given the situation he was in but I wouldn't mind seeing him again if he appears alongside "Me" in a future episode. Leandro had an interesting design and some vague, intriguing origins but that's about it. He pretty much had a similar plan to the Geth with opening a portal and allowing his kind to invade Earth. Oddly enough, both his invasion and the Geth's invasion involved death. Coincidence? Well, this season has been doing well at subtlety celebrating New Who's 10th anniversary so maybe this is more than just a coincidence.

Other quick things to note. It appears the sonic sunglasses are here to stay. Sorry to all you naysayers but I'm enjoying them so...tough. I also really liked the Doctor mentioning Jack Harkness to "Me". I wonder if this is a hint for a return. Please? Can we see more Jack? Well we're getting more River Song at Christmas so anything's possible, I suppose.

Overall, I loved The Woman Who Lived. It had great character moments, explored some interesting concepts, fully embraced its 17th century atmosphere, and gave some intriguing set-up for the future.

Doctor Who: The Girl Who Died (2015) Season 9, Episode 5

Utterly Fantastic!

[9/10 · 20 October 2015]

This was an episode I was definitely interested in. Granted, the biggest reason for that was seeing Maisie Williams on the show. And how did this episode fare? It exceeded by expectations ten-fold!

The dynamic between the Doctor and Clara has been absolutely outstanding this season! Their one-on-one moments with each other have been some of the best moments in the episodes thus far. I especially like how the Doctor reflects on how much he has affected Clara. It feels very much like a subtle callback to Davros explaining to the Tenth Doctor about how his turns his friends into soldiers. And speaking of the Tenth Doctor, holy crap that flashback! I honestly did not see that coming at all! This was a surprisingly satisfying way to wrap up the arc involving the Doctor's face with it confirming that the 12th Doctor did in fact get his face from Caecilius in The Fires of Pompeii. I can now say that, technically, there's an episode featuring my two all-time favorite TARDIS teams: 10 with Donna and 12 with Clara! But, beyond the fanservice, it still fit in surprisingly well with the story. Even now, the 12th Doctor is still struggling with who he is in some areas. This was a nice moment with him realizing that he subconsciously chose the face of Caecilius in order to always remind himself that he's the Doctor and he always finds a way to save people.

Now on to Maisie Williams. I think she did a really good job and I took a liking to her character. It's hard for me not to see some small similarities between her character of Ashildr and her Game of Thrones role as Arya Stark. Ashildr acted a lot like Season 1 Arya. I liked her moments with Clara and the Doctor and her temporary death actually was quite a surprise at first. Though, obviously, it's a bit hard to hide a plot point that's literally the title of the episode. Still, I did like how the Doctor went about saving Ashildr and I also like how the Doctor delved a bit into explaining what immortality can be like for a mortal. It looks like the next episode will delve a bit more into that as the Ashildr we're going to see next time, from what I saw in the trailer, appears to be much angrier and darker than the one we saw here. That probably makes sense given how, by the next episode, she'll have been alive for a few centuries at least. I also took note of the Doctor calling her a hybrid, which seems to be a reference back to the The Witch's Familiar with the talk of a Time Lord/Dalek hybrid. Obviously, Ashildr is only a human/alien hybrid but it does bring up some interesting questions about this season's arc. If Ashildr survives the next episode, there's a chance that we could see her again. Maybe she might appear in the finale? If the next episode ends with her still feeling angry with the Doctor, could she appear in the finale as Missy's companion? How crazy would that be?! But, of course, I'm getting ahead of myself. For now, let's just focus on her in this episode. As I already said, I liked her and I look forward to seeing her in the next episode. I also really liked the ending shot with her slowly going from happy to sad while everything moved past her. It was a good representation of her staying the same whilst the world she knew aged around her.

The rest of the side characters were entertaining but nowhere near as good as the supporting cast from the previous two episodes. Though I did take a liking to Ashildr's father. The Mire were an interesting threat for the episode but they did disappoint in some areas. We didn't get to see them do much aside from stomp around a bit, fire some attacks, and get scared off. The main Mire villain, "Odin", did have an interesting design (along with the rest of the Mire) and there was some interesting set-up for a future appearance by him. Whether this will be in the next episode with Ashildr, later in Series 9, or in a later episode altogether is currently unknown. But the promise for a future appearance is nice and, hopefully, they'll get more of a chance to shine later on. I did really enjoy how the Doctor and the others went about defeating the Mire. Tricking them into running off and then blackmailing them into retreating with threats of spreading a humiliating video of them across the intergalactic internet. The Doctor has become a troll. Anyway, the method of tricking them was also very well-executed by using electric eels, Ashildr's puppet skills, and the Mire's own technology against them. This was a classic Doctor plan. No TARDIS. No sonic. Just the Doctor, some friends, and a plan. This felt like a very subtle callback to how the 11th Doctor saved the world in The Eleventh Hour.

Overall, I really liked The Girl Who Died. It had some great character moments, some interesting and unexpected callbacks, and some intriguing set-ups for future episodes. And I know that the episode ended with "to be continued" but I still consider this episode and the following episode as one-shots. They, as of now, appear to be two separate stories that are only connected by one character and one particular plot element.

Doctor Who: Before the Flood (2015) Season 9, Episode 4

An Interesting Resolution Indeed

[8/10 · 20 October 2015]

And so the second 2-parter of Series 9 has drawn to a close. It's weird that we're already four episodes into Series 9 and yet we've only finished its second story. And how did this episode turn out? Pretty good, as far as I'm concerned.

The Doctor and Clara continued to shine (as is expected). I loved seeing the Doctor face off with the Fisher King and the opening scene with the Doctor talking to the audience was great fun. I liked how this episode continued to explore Clara's gradual transformation into her own Doctor persona. Series 8 showed Clara's travels with the Doctor becoming somewhat of an addiction and that addiction has never been more apparent than it was in this episode. Of course, the Doctor surviving at the end came at no one's surprise. But, when it comes to problems like this, a lot of the appeal comes from seeing how the Doctor will overcome the threat. Here, we got to see the classic "did the chicken or the egg come first" situation with the Doctor surviving and flooding the town only by seeing his ghost, which helping provide its past self with the clues. I also had a pretty good hunch that the Doctor had been the one in the stasis chamber.

The supporting characters continued to shine. I was actually pretty saddened to see O'Donnell die and I felt for Bennett. Cass continued to shine as a great character. One of my favorite moments in the episode was when she was being stalked by Moran's ghost with the axe. The moment where she knelt down and felt the vibrations was oddly similar to Toph's ability to sense vibrations in Avatar: The Last Airbender. I was really happy to see Cass and Lunn end up together at the end, even if it was a bit predictable.

The Fisher King was also a great villain for this episode. He had a huge, intimidating presence and the moment where he was stalking the Doctor, Bennett, and O'Donnell was really intense. The Fisher King also has one of the greatest alien designs this show has ever had IMO. I really hope we get to see more of his species in the future because that design was way too good for just a one-off appearance.

This episode felt just as intense as the previous episode. There were a lot of "hold your breath" moments and the feeling of impending doom was felt throughout the whole run time. The also liked the bit where the Doctor and Bennett went a half hour into the past. I always love time travel stories like that. The return of Security Protocol 712 from Blink was also a nice addition. And that rock version of the theme song for the opening credits was freaking AWESOME!

Overall, I really liked Before the Flood and found it to be a great conclusion to Series 9's second 2-parter.

Doctor Who: Under the Lake (2015) Season 9, Episode 3

A Fantastic Doctor Who Ghost Story!

[10/10 · 20 October 2015]

It's great for us to finally get a proper ghost story. Series 7 teased the idea with Hide and, while I enjoyed that episode overall, I was let down in some areas. This episode gave us a true to form ghost story with a good ol' Doctor Who twist! Capaldi's era seems to have a strange focus with the afterlife. Could it be a subtle reference to the Doctor going past his predicted final death in The Time of the Doctor or is it just a coincidence?

Both the Doctor and Clara were on fire in this episode. It's episodes like this that show why 12 and Clara have so quickly jumped up to being my second favorite TARDIS team due to how their chemistry is so wonderfully similar to that of 10 and Donna: my favorite TARDIS team. Moffat wasn't kidding when he talked about Clara becoming reckless. One of my favorite moments was when the Doctor talked to Clara about how he was concerned with Clara's eagerness for danger and adventure. And, once again, we got a "Clara is becoming more like the Doctor" moment with the Doctor talking about how the TARDIS only has room for one of him. Speaking of the TARDIS, it's nice to finally see the interior. It's strange how we went through the first two episodes of Series 9 with only one millisecond of the interior being shown to us. I really like the slightly new design with the addition of the yellow "round things". It feels like a nice mesh between Classic Who and New Who. Anyway, back to the Doctor and Clara. One moment that made me roll with laughter was the reveal that Clara has given the Doctor flash cards with generic kind messages on them for him to read to people when he says something insensitive. But I must take note that this season appears to be starting a trend with the Doctor and Clara being separated. Come on! I want to see them together as much as possible since this is confirmed to be Clara's final season! And that cliffhanger has certainly raised some questions. I can admit that the whole "the Doctor is dead" story is starting to get a bit tiresome. But that doesn't mean I'm not interested in seeing how this particular dilemma is solved. Maybe it's not even the Doctor at all. It sure was one hell of a cliffhanger, I'll admit.

The secondary cast was also really likable. I liked the inclusion of a deaf character and having her deafness actually play a role in the story aside from adding a bit of diversity. It's nice to see deaf people getting more recognition nowadays with shows like Switched at Birth and now an episode of Doctor Who! The only character who annoyed me was Pritchard as he was pretty much the "corporation man" archetype we've seen on this show throughout the years in episodes such as Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. I did like the Doctor's comment to him about him being an idiot. The only credit I have give him is that he made a pretty damn creepy ghost.

This episode was incredibly intense and, more importantly, scary. The ghosts had an incredibly creepy and eerie presence. Their misty forms and large, empty eye sockets sent shivers down my spine. The explanation for the ghosts was rather interesting and very sci-fi with alien writing planting a signal in your subconscious that plays out so that you'll become a ghost and constantly recount the signal following your death. We already know how Moran and Pritchard died but I am very interested in learning the origins of the suited man.

I must say that this is a very interesting execution of a 2-parter with Part 2 explaining the origins to the dilemma in Part 1. The next episode should be very interesting with the Doctor, Prentis, and O'Donnell a few hundred years in the past and Clara, Cass, and Lunn dealing with the ghosts in 2119. One last thing to note is that I've really taken a liking to the sonic sunglasses. They really suit 12 and have added a few more interesting tools to his disposal such as projecting his POV view via wifi to other screens and such.

Overall, I really liked Under the Lake! It was scary, intense, had great character moments, acted as a great first part to an interesting story, and had one hell of a cliffhanger.

Doctor Who: The Magician's Apprentice (2015) Season 9, Episode 1

A Spectacular Start for Series 9!

[9/10 · 20 October 2015]

This episode held no punches. Right off the bat, I was invested in what was happening. The episode didn't even wait until the opening credits rolled to drop a bomb on us! But I'll get to that.

Peter Capaldi has only gotten better as the Twelfth Doctor. His official introduction was easily one of the greatest Doctor introductions EVAH! The Doctor playing guitar while riding in on a tank in a medieval arena with everyone learning the word "dude" centuries before its time. It was confusingly amazing to see a British show screaming 'MERICA to the high heavens. All the Doctor would have needed was some guns, bald eagles, apple pie, and Jesus riding in behind him on a Tyrannosaurus Rex and he'd be a redneck's wet dream. And when he wasn't busy being awesome, the Doctor was facing some incredibly difficult dilemmas. His fear at realizing the child he was trying to save was a young Davros was perfectly shown in Peter Capaldi's expressions as was his fear and sadness at witnessing Clara being "killed" by the Daleks. I'm definitely interested in seeing how the next episode will follow up on the Doctor apparently attempting to change history by exterminating Davros as a child.

Clara was great as well. Her chemistry with the Twelfth Doctor has never been better. Their rocky relationship has been left behind in Series 8. They are now on the same page and willing to work together to solve any problem they face. Of course, she's a force to be reckoned with on her own as well. It was great seeing her work with UNIT and later Missy in order to try locating the Doctor. Clara's Doctor-like qualities have only become more and more apparent with time. It was also nice seeing that her life in Earth and her career as a teacher are still continuing. But, of course, I'm pretty sure Clara nor Missy have been killed by the Daleks. Obviously because Clara's not set to leave until the end of Series 9. Secondly, that whole scene had a very similar setup to the scene in Bad Wolf back in Series 1 when Rose was "exterminated". Also, both Clara and Missy disappeared when they were attacked. Normally, your body doesn't vanish from a Dalek attack.

Speaking of Missy, it was great to see her again and Michelle Gomez has only slipped further into the role. It was great seeing her bounce off Clara and the Doctor. She's quickly become one of my favorite Masters. Of course, I'm a little disappointed that we have yet to receive an explanation as to how she's still alive and how she escaped Gallifrey but I'm sure it's safe to assume those answers are waiting to be seen in either the next episode or at some episode in the future.

Now let's move on to HOLY SH*T DAVROS IS BACK! It's hard to believe that it's been seven years since Davros last made in an appearance facing the Tenth Doctor in the Series 4 finale. I remember hearing rumors about seeing Davros as a child a while ago and I was pleasantly surprised to see them proved true here. It was interesting seeing Davros as a child and later in his death bed...thing. Since Davros is apparently dying, I wonder if this 2-parter is shaping up to be his final story. But, with Missy as a prime example, big Doctor Who villains are hard to dispose of.

Seeing Skaro and many classic Daleks was great. It was an interesting twist to see Davros make all of Skaro invisible. This episode was overall filled to the brim with returning characters and groups. Kate Stewart and UNIT, the Judoon and the Shadow Proclamation; and Ohila and the Sisterhood of Karn. They all had a fitting amount of screen time and it was great seeing all of them. Of course, I hope we get to see Kate take on a more central role in the upcoming Zygon 2-parter.

Colony Sarff was also an interesting villain: a man made out of several snakes. Quite a unique creature. The reveal of Bors being a Dalek puppet was a great twist that I didn't see coming. I forgot to make a post about it earlier but Bors made a previous appearance in the second prequel to this episode: The Doctor's Meditation. It was a fun prequel and the Doctor and Bors had great chemistry. Too bad he turned out to be a puppet for the Daleks. The hand mines were also incredibly creepy. They felt like a nice reference to Pan's Labyrinth. The callback to the Fourth Doctor's choice in Genesis of the Daleks was also a welcome reference. And it's also interesting to note that this is the first series premiere since Series 4 to not have Matt Smith appear in it. Of course, it's hard to decide the true quality of this story until we see how the second half fares next week. But, overall, The Magician's Apprentice was a fantastic first half of this 2-part series opener. Great performances, great reveals, and an excellent cliffhanger that left me on the edge of my seat.

Doctor Who: The Witch's Familiar (2015) Season 9, Episode 2

A Wonderful Conclusion to Series 9's First 2-Parter

[9/10 · 20 October 2015]

Have I talked enough about how great a Doctor Peter Capaldi is? I really hope the rumors of him leaving next year are false because this man deserves many seasons and years as the Doctor! His range is spectacular. From anger to sarcasm to fear to joy. Capaldi captures almost every aspect of his Doctor in just this episode alone. And how great was it to see the Doctor roll up on the Daleks in Davros's chair? Admittedly, it's pretty dark when you realize that the Doctor literally ripped Davros out of his chair. Then again, this episode was loaded with lots of dark moments. Of course, I didn't expect the Doctor to kill the young Davros and I found the resolution to him saving him to be quite fitting.

Clara was also great in this episode. I can only imagine what it must have been like for Clara to work alongside the Time Lady responsible for the death of the man she loved. She clearly is the Witch's Familiar in this episode. After barely seeing her interact with Missy in the Series 8 finale, it was great to see her and Missy get so much time to work with each other. Even more so than the previous episode. I also liked it when Clara got inside a Dalek suit to control it. Clara has had quite an interesting history with the Daleks thus far. One of her echoes became a Dalek, she saw the Daleks in the Time War, she shrunk down inside a Dalek, and now she's disguising herself as a Dalek. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more of her and 12 together throughout the rest of Series 9.

If this episode doesn't prove Missy as the Master to the naysayers then I don't know what will. Michelle Gomez perfectly captures the dark insanity that is the Master. She makes it clear right off the bat that she works on her own agenda and has no shame in presenting her evil. One minute she's laughing alongside the Doctor at Davros's expense and the next she's trying to convince the Doctor that the disguised Clara is a Dalek who killed her. It was also great to finally get an explanation to how she survived the end of last year's finale. It may have been a simple explanation but it's good enough for me. I especially liked how it tied to how Missy and Clara survived being killed at the end of the previous episode. I'm also glad that we didn't see Missy escape the Daleks but saw her admit that she had a clever idea. Of course, we all know that she survived and will most likely return for the finale.

Now let's talk about Davros. Man, for a while, this episode actually had me believing that this was going to be Davros's final episode. Of course, it was a great twist to see him make a quick face-heel turn to reveal his true intentions with stealing the Doctor's regenerative powers to make him and the Daleks part-Time Lord. Julian Bleach gave a truly spectacular performance as Davros from a repenting old man on the verge of death to a crazy power-hungry scientist. It only made it all the more satisfying when the Doctor revealed he was one step ahead of him. And, although brief, it was great to see two of the Doctor's greatest arch-enemies meet. I would have liked a longer exchange but since I'm sure both Davros and Missy survived there's still a chance for a future episode to feature these two again. This 2-parter definitely succeeded in adding some depth to Davros and the Daleks as well. While this was definitely more of a Davros episode than a Dalek episode, we got a lot of interesting information about them. From their sewers basically being the rotting remains of decaying, living Daleks to how the vocabulary of humans translates through a Dalek's armor. It was really chilling to see Clara's phrases be warped into Dalek phrases. It was especially creepy seeing Missy toy with the living sewer walls. And, again, the ending resolution with the Doctor rescuing young Davros and thus ensuring a small bit of mercy to be implemented into the Daleks of the future was a very satisfying and fitting conclusion. It was also great to see Davros open his true eyes for the first time ever in the show's history. I also liked seeing all the different types of Daleks throughout the episode.

Other quick things to note. I liked the introduction of the sonic sunglasses. My best friend, who watched this episode with me, thought the concept was kind of stupid but I like them. I suppose Capaldi's Doctor is going to pull a Peter Davison and go without a sonic screwdriver from now on. Then again, he could get another one at some point. I also liked the explanation to how the TARDIS survived. It was a nice throwback to Series 7's Cold War.

I guess my only complaint is that Colony Sarff, while he got some cool moments, didn't get as much time to shine in this episode as he did in the previous one.

Overall, I really liked The Witch's Familiar and this 2-parter overall. It was a great character piece for the Doctor, Clara, Missy, and Davros; gave us some interesting information about the Daleks; and was a great opening story for Series 9.

Doctor Who: Kill the Moon (2014) Season 8, Episode 7

Scientifically Flawed but Emotionally Excellent

[9/10 · 6 October 2014]

This episode has gained quite a polarizing reaction from the look of things. While I can understand why others don't like it, I personally found it to be an excellent episode.

This was a very serious episode with lots of emotion. Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman really got to shine and their final scene together in this episode actually got me a bit choked up due to the raw emotions that the two characters were showing. The small supporting cast was quite good. Ellis George portrays a realistically likable teenager in Courtney Woods and Hermione Norris gives a good performance as Lundvik.

The monsters in this episode had a great design and the curveballs this episode threw (more specifically the ones involving the Moon and the Doctor) were wonderfully unpredictable. Some of the twists and plot points do require quite a suspension of disbelief; but, in a show about an alien who travels around time and space in an old English phone box and changes his face and personality every so often, it wasn't that difficult for me to buy some of the stretches in scientific fact.

Overall, I found "Kill the Moon" to be a splendid episode with fantastic performances, lots of emotion, interesting twists, great cinematography, and excellent sound design. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how Series 8 continues from here!

Doctor Who: The Caretaker (2014) Season 8, Episode 6

A Splendid Episode

[8/10 · 29 September 2014]

I had a lot of fun with this episode. I've been looking forward to seeing more of Coal Hill School and Clara's life as a teacher and this episode granted my wish.

We got to see a more humorous side of the Twelfth Doctor and he was a joy to watch throughout. However, this was definitely more Clara's episode than his. She has a lot of great scenes with the Doctor and Danny and the development of her relationship with Danny was wonderful. Danny got more time to shine in this episode and I'm really interested in seeing how his relationship with Clara develops further from here.

The supporting characters are decent and the Skovox Blitzer acts as a fitting monster for the episode.

Overall, "The Caretaker" is a fun episode with some good laughs and some excellent character development.

Once Upon a Time: A Tale of Two Sisters (2014) Season 4, Episode 1

I'm Ready for Storybrooke to Get Frozen Over!

[9/10 · 29 September 2014]

After the simply fantastic Season 3 finale, I had high hopes for Season 4; and I'm pleased to say that this premiere episode did not disappoint!

The characters from "Frozen" have indeed come to "Once Upon a Time" and they were cast perfectly! It's scary just how well Georgina Haig, Elizabeth Lail, and Scott Michael Foster faithfully portray the characters of Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff respectively.

But, fear not, the characters from "Frozen" may have indeed been brought into the "Once Upon a Time" mythos but they don't overshadow the other story lines and characters. Emma continues to struggle with the consequences of her actions in the Season 3 finale, Regina has a very interesting story arc set up for her, Rumple and Belle get some very heartwarming scenes, and the rest of the characters all get their own moments to shine (whether they be small or large).

Overall, this episode was fantastic and a great start for Season 4! I can't wait to see what happens next!

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls - Rainbow Rocks Animated (2014)

Way Better than the First and a Ton of Fun!

[9/10 · 29 September 2014]

I'll gladly state that I liked the first film in spite of its flaws; and I'm happy to say that this sequel is better than the first in practically every aspect!

The animation is a lot better this time around and the songs have more variety. The characters remain likable and the humor is really good. The references and cameos are still aplenty and, as a fan, I thoroughly enjoyed spotting each one. The villains weren't the best MLP has given us but they were still passable and served their purpose well.

But the best part about this movie by far was Sunset Shimmer. Her development, characterization, and arc in this movie were outstanding! This movie made me love Sunset (who I originally felt meh about after the first film) and I really want to see more of her in the future.

Also, just a tip, make sure to stay after the credits because there's a nice surprise at the end that opens up a world of possibilities for the future of "Equestria Girls".

Overall, "My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks" was a great movie and a huge improvement over its predecessor. I can't wait to see how this spin-off series develops from here!

Doctor Who: Time Heist (2014) Season 8, Episode 5

An Exciting Heist with Interesting Robbers

[8/10 · 25 September 2014]

This episode hooked me right from the get-go and I was invested for the rest of the ride. "Time Heist" is an interesting, exciting episode with a few nice twists up its sleeve and an excellent monster to protect them.

As is usual by this point, the Doctor and Clara were incredibly entertaining and fun to watch. Their banter never fails to make me smile.

The episode's supporting cast were very good too. Psi, Saibra, and Ms. Delphox all proved to be very interesting characters with enough depth to keep me invested in their respective dilemmas.

The Teller, for me anyway, will go down as one of the best monsters introduced in Series 8. Its introduction scene is easily the best monster introduction in recent years.

The production design was excellent and the world of the Bank of Karabraxos was wonderfully vibrant. For the most part, the episode is well paced but it's definitely an episode that could have used a few more extra minutes at the end.

Overall, "Time Heist" was a highly enjoyable episode with good supporting characters and a few interesting twists.

Doctor Who: Listen (2014) Season 8, Episode 4

Listen!

[10/10 · 25 September 2014]

"Listen" is the rare exception where an episode can positively live up to all the hype and anticipation surrounding it. This is a beautifully written, chilling, thought-provoking episode that will most definitely go down as one of Capaldi's best.

After a few episodes of fluctuating personality traits, Peter Capaldi's Doctor finally starts to come into his own in this episode. From being cold and angry one minute to encouraging and friendly the next, Capaldi continues to be one of the most enjoyably unpredictable Doctors yet.

This episode not only helped me love Capaldi's Doctor that much more but it also increased my love for Clara Oswald. She is hands down one of my favorite companions of the show and this episodes exemplifies that ten- fold. Series 8 is definitely shaping up to be Clara's definitive season as her development in these past few episodes alone has been phenomenal. As is expected, her chemistry with the Twelfth Doctor continues to be a highlight.

Samuel Anderson also did a good job as Danny Pink. The character is really starting to grow on me and I can't wait to see how his relationship with Clara develops throughout the rest of the season. The rest of the episode's cast does a good job as well.

I don't want to give away too much but I will say that the monster of this episode is incredibly thought-provoking and chilling. And, lastly, the ending of this episode was easily one of the most beautiful endings in the history of the show.

Overall, "Listen" was an amazing episode with fantastic performances, great atmosphere, awesome twists, and a beautiful, thought-provoking resolution.

Doctor Who: Robot of Sherwood (2014) Season 8, Episode 3

A Funny Medieval Romp

[7/10 · 25 September 2014]

This was easily the funniest episode of Series 8 thus far. The banter between the Doctor and Robin Hood was definitely the highlight of the episode (Clara also got some pretty funny lines as well).

After two pretty dark and serious episodes, it was nice for this season to take a breather with "Robot of Sherwood". The Twelfth Doctor and Clara continue to be a fantastic duo and I'm always happy to see them together on screen. Sadly, Capaldi's Doctor doesn't have a lot to do in this episode but he's still entertaining to watch nonetheless. Clara continues to show her cleverness and wit and acts as a nice buffer between the bickering Doctor and Robin Hood.

The supporting cast is decent. Tom Riley and Ben Miller give pretty good performances as Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham respectively. The robot knights had a very cool, intimidating design but I personally feel they weren't used to their full potential.

Overall, "Robot of Sherwood" won't go down as one of my Series 8 favorites but it was still an entertaining episode with hilarious banter and some truly heartfelt, deep moments here and there.

Doctor Who: Into the Dalek (2014) Season 8, Episode 2

A Decently Interesting Return for the Daleks

[7/10 · 25 September 2014]

The Daleks have grown fairly stale for me in recent years due to them constantly coming back over and over again at such frequent rates. "Into the Dalek" was far from one of my most anticipated episodes this season; and while this episode didn't make the Daleks my absolutely favorite monster it was still a fun ride.

The chemistry between Capaldi's Doctor and Coleman's Clara continues to develop wonderfully and entertain me in this episode. Both characters have very fun moments throughout the episode and I'm liking where their relationship is going.

The supporting cast, for the most part, was pretty forgettable aside from two standout characters: Journey Blue and Danny Pink. The Daleks, meanwhile, acted as much as I expected them to and held few surprises. However, it's the main Dalek of the episode, Rusty, that provides a lot of the intrigue that the episode has to offer. By the end of everything, I have to admit that I was fairly interested in seeing how the morals and behaviors of a Dalek actually worked.

Overall, "Into the Dalek" was an interesting, albeit by-the-numbers second entry in Capaldi's first series.

Doctor Who: Deep Breath (2014) Season 8, Episode 1

A Great Start for the Twelfth Doctor!

[9/10 · 25 September 2014]

Peter Capaldi certainly starts his era on a high note with "Deep Breath"! While the new Doctor's personality hasn't been fully defined yet, he's still a joy to watch and is a wonderfully sharp change from Matt Smith's kinder and more welcoming Doctor. Capaldi brings a vibe of unpredictability to the role that shrouds this new Doctor in a veil of mystery. How far will he go? Where does he cross the line? I don't know and I can't wait to see how his role develops!

Jenna Coleman absolutely shines in this episode as Clara Oswald. In fact, this episode is as much Clara's as it is the Doctor's. Clara's reactions to the new Doctor and the situations she finds herself in feel very believable. Her conflicted feelings about the Doctor's change bring an emotional punch to the episode and she really starts to come into her own as one of the best companions the show could ask for. As with Capaldi's Doctor, I can't wait to see how Jenna's Clara continues to develop!

I've always loved the Paternoster Gang and it was a delight to see them make a reappearance for Capaldi's debut episode. All of them get a fitting amount of screen time as well as flat out awesome moments of action and dialogue.

The main villains of the episode, not to give anything away, are intimidating and very interesting. They also act as a very nice reference to a previous episode (and I won't say any more than that).

Overall, "Deep Breath" is just a great start for the Twelfth Doctor's era with nice emotional moments, welcome development for its characters, and several interesting surprises.

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls (2013)

Not Perfect, Not Horrible, But Certainly an Enjoyable Romp

[7/10 · 25 September 2014]

This movie is not a masterpiece nor is it an abomination of storytelling. It's a fun romp of a film that acts as a fitting tribute to the series it's based on.

The characters are just as enjoyable here as they are in the main show. Despite the setting change, the characters are still the same characters we've come to know and love over the past few years. While a few of the new characters leave some to be desired, it's still incredibly enjoyable to see the characters we've come to know be placed in a different environment. It's also lots of fun to point out and catch all of the references to the main show as well as see various supporting and background characters being re-imagined in human form.

The animation and music are still top notch. Out of the six songs in the film, only one fell flat for me. The rest are, in my personal opinion, really enjoyable and pretty catchy.

Don't go into "Equestria Girls" expecting a masterpiece or an epic adventure. Go into it expecting a fun, character-driven story with good animation, catchy songs, funny jokes, and fun references. I'd recommend this to any fan of the show. It's not perfect but it's not horrible either. It's a good, entertaining, fun ride that I think any MLP fan can enjoy if they give it a chance.