Dr Who: The Pandorica Opens.

So, I'm a bit behind on this. Fortunately, as the this is the first part of the season finale I can fit a lot of other stuff in that crops up, including my half baked theories as to where this is going. I should say that, even with the slightly poor Silurian two parter, this has been the best season of Dr Who since it was relaunched. Hopefully the conclusion will be as good.

The episode opens with a sequence using all of the 'hero' characters from the series so far, with Vincent Van Gogh, River Song, Winston Churchill and Liz 10 cropping up to convey a message to the Doctor. It's nicely worked, and proves to be a great foil to the end of the episode. There's even a nod to the late, great Douglas Adams with the message on the cliff. E=If you've never read Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, do so immediately.

The Doctor duly arrives in Roman Britain, to investigate the giant plot device that is the Pandorica, which is opening. Once again everything is far too convenient, and Amy seems to be the focus of everything. The plot spins various directions as Rory returns, having been eraed from existence during the Silurian story, and just about every alien race encountered so far showing up, ultimately to outmanovour the Doctor. The Romans (and Rory) turn out to be Autons, and everything goes wrong at the end, with the Tardis exploding (with River in it), Amy being killed and the Doctor being locked in the Pandorica. The gathering of the villains is a lovely counterpoint to the opening with the heroes. So where from here?

One notable point is that this version of River Song is from before the Weeping Angels storyline. That means she has to survive the Tardis exploding. In theory at least - time is being unravelled by the Tardis exploding. Also of note is Leadworth, and how wrong it seems to be. Amy is clearly the centre of the story, so she can't be dead either. There is also no obvious villain for the story. They're all accounted for in the final scene of the episode, aren't they?

Well, no. There are two notable absences. The first is the Master. He seems unlikely to be the villain this time around after being the 'big bad' in the last major storyline, and he's supposed to be trapped on a dying Gallifrey.So who does that leave?

The Dreamlord, the only major villain from this season to not appear in the final episode. We know he didn't vanish completely at the end of his episode, appearing in a reflection to the Doctor. As a part of the Doctor, there are two distinct possibilities for an evil Doctor. One is that he is a future regeneration, who made his first appearance in the Doctors subconscious, but will one day be regenerated into. While good, this could limit the future regenerations so is unlikely. This leaves the possibility that he is the Doctor from the past, blanked out by his own subconscious. We only ever saw one story with the Paul McGann Doctor, and never saw him regenerate. Who know what he got up to?

Further evidence fo this is the 'Tardis' from the previous episode, the interior of which looked a lot like that of the Paul McGann Doctor's. If there's another Tardis, where is its pilot? Could it be a past Doctor, attempting to create a new Tardis?

A good indication that it is the Dreamlord in some form or another is that the whole lifting a trap from Amy's mind fits his MO, as does creating a perfect village that is wrong in someway in Leadworth. Finally, there's Rory. He was erased from existence, so the alliance would have no way of creating such a perfect replica. The Dreamlord was in his mind, so he'd be able to do it.

Of course, it could also be the Dreamlord gaining a seperate sentience somehow. Mymoney is on him being the villain in some way for certain. As for how the Doctor gets out of this one, and what Amy's secret is, who knows? It'll be fun finding out.

RIP Ronnie James Dio.

This will be just one more tribute to a great man, one of many that the entire metal community will be making. Dio was one of the greatest singers ever, and like so many people it was his albums with Rainbow and Black Sabbath that helped to get me into metal all those years ago.

I'm going to stick Rainbow Rising on, throw the horns one last time for him and be glad that i got to see him with Heaven and Hell last year.

Dr Who: Flesh And Stone/Vampires Of Venice

So, I'm a bit late with this. Two episodes rolled into one it is then, so I can have a chance of catching up tomorrow. Generally, the standard is still high, and the plot is moving like lightning compared to previous seasons.

Flesh And Stone finishes the Weeping Angels two parter, and has a lot of revelations about the crack in time (which, far from being ignored or merely alluded to is a major plot point). Amy doesn't save the day, but is hugely important again, and possibly far too good. She's a little too perfect, and as the Doctor says at the end of the episode, it's all about her.

Vampires Of Venice is light relief after the Weeping Angels, with space fish and explosions, and Amy's fiance along for the ride. The fish people (sadly not minions of Dagon... as far as we know!) have escaped the crack and want to restart their world. The Doctor decides they can't. We see that the Doctor is less tolerant and more independant than his predecessors, and that Amy is still saving the day. The crack shows up again, in the TARDIS lock and in the sky, hinting at bigger things to come.

So far I stand by the assertion that Amy is somehow causing the crack in time, but the Doctor's excitement at being able to rewrite history seems like it will be a major point too. I wouldn't be surprised if time is rewritten so that everyone on Earth forgets about the Daleks etc, bringing the series closer to the original.

Next week (Tomorrow, to be exact) we see the Time Lord against the Dream Lord apparently, and Amy makes a terrible choice. I could probably take a stab at what that will be, but I'd rather wait and see. An episode about dreams? I thought Neil Gaiman wasn't on board until next season...

Dr Who: The Time Of Angels

Another weekend, more Who. Matt Smith is quite settled now, so we can focus on what is actually going on in the universe now, so we get the first two parter of the series. The Time Of Angels bring back the Weeping Angels and Dr River Song, tying the new Doctor into his past.

It's his past that occupies us first, using the idea that he uses a museum in the far future to keep score of what's happening in the past. Interestingly, he seems to think a lot of it is wrong, which fits in with the 'something is wrong with time' line that the series is taking. The MacGuffin in the museum takes him neatly to a planet where he ends up Angel hunting.

Since it's the first of two parts, much of this episode is taken up building the atmosphere, taking cues from The Ring and Aliens, as well as introducing an army based on the Church, which is nice. Amy is remarkably clever again, and Song is still irritatingly vague about what her relationship with the Doctor is.

Being a two parter, it doesn't have to crowbar the crack in, which helps it. The trailer for next week has Amy noticing it, which seems to indicate that this particular plot line will be speeding up. I still hold that Amy is causing the crack. She's just too good otherwise.

All in all, it was another good episode. The Weeping Angels are excellent villains, and I like the idea that they may be idea given physical form. I've liked every episode so far this series, and am once again looking forward to the next one.

Blowing in the wind.

Today is new comics day in America, and that should mean that tomorrow would be new comics day here in the UK. Sadly, due to the incredibly inconsiderate volcano in Iceland, that won't be the case. Understandably freight is not going to be a important as moving stranded people around.

This got me thinking, though. We're hearing a lot about the digital future of comics, and there are apps and downloads available to let me read comics digitally. So I should be able to get around the problem by downloading an issue or two, right?

Wrong. Take, for example, Last Stand Of The Wreckers, published by IDW. It's one of the few single issues that I'm interested in buying in this week, so I headed over to their website. On the front page there's and advert for an iTunes store, which requires you to have iTunes installed to browse the store. I don't have iTunes, an iPhone or an iPad, so that option's out. There's an ad for the PSP too, but it's the same there. So far, no luck.

In the webstore, there's a small digital comics box that has... something in it. I'm not sure what as the details function reveals nothing. It's not what I'm after though. It appears that I can't buy it here. Nor can I buy it digitally anywhere else.

I realise that is symptomatic of the comics industry as a whole, which has yet to wholeheartedly embrace digital comics, but it strikes me as a missed opportunity. Getting digital versions of this weeks comics online for international customers would have made a lot of sense. As it is, casual fans will miss issues out.

The ridiculous nature of the situation is highlighted by the simple fact that in a few hours I'll be able to illegally download any of this weeks comics that I want on a multitude of sites. It's only when I want to pay for my downloads that it seems to be a problem.

Transformers go power metal!

I couldn't not mention this:



The Japanese theme to the dub of Transformers: Animated. It has more than a passing resemblance to the likes of Sonata Arctica, only it's in Japanese. And about Transformers.

I'm now going to start a campaign to get Blind Guardian to record a concept album based around Transformers: The Movie, in the style of Nightfall On Middle Earth.

No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die...

MGM have done what countless villains could not, and killed Bond off. The new film is on indefinite hiatus, causing mild disappointment in many. It would have been the 23rd film in the series, but the studio isn't sure it'd be around long enough to finish it off.

Amazingly, in 22 films (not the longest running film series, by the way. Godzilla claims that title with a mighty 30 films) I've yet to find one that I enjoy. Bond just isn't very interesting, and the formula is the same in each film. Despite this, the rest of the world seems to love them, and him.

I suspect it's because we're told we should. Bond is the ultimate 'man' character, shooting and shagging his way through acres of celluloid. My disliking him means I am not a true man and my man-card must be revoked. I can live with that.

Personal dislike aside, I doubt this is the last of Bond. The studio will leave him strapped to the table and leave the room, and he'll back to save the franchise in the final act. Men will have manly hugs and women will squeal with joy. I'll sulk in a corner and ignore it.

Dr Who: Victory Of The Daleks.

Daleks so soon? They're normally held until the end of the season, aren't they? Apparently not. Despite the Doctor 'always' beating the Daleks, they're back again, and revamped in new flavours for maximum merchandising. Not that I'm cynical about these things, you understand.

Anyway, the episode itself was rather good. The Daleks had a purpose and were used in a few unusual ways, there were Spitfires in space and yet more hints that not all is right with Amy. Amy didn't recognise the Daleks, which she should have. Something is clearly amiss.

I'm still finding this to be the best Dr Who in recent years. The build to whatever the big reveal is is clearly signposted, and the characters are engaging. Amy has now saved the day in every episode as well, which is a departure. Amy is not a normal companion.

Thinking of Amy, she seemed to react to the name of the woman that the robot professor mentioned. Her Grandmother, perhaps? I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Amy is the crack in time, which is why we see the crack everywhere she's been. She's inadvertently changing history as she travels with the Doctor.

The Daleks are clearly set to return as well. I'm hoping that they'll held off until next season, to be honest. It'd be nice to get something non-Dalek for the finale, and it'd give a nice build for the second season. I fully expect to see them again this season though.

Musing aside, next weeks episode features the Weeping Angels and River Song. No signs of overt British-ness in the trailer, so that may blow that out of the water. It should be a very good episode though.

Incidentally, the Matt Smith Doctor will be showing up in The Sarah Jane Adventures, giving Russel T Davies a shot at writing him. What are the odds on the episode having a power of love ending?

RIP Pete Steele

I've been holding off posting about this all day, mainly because it wouldn't be the first time that he'd faked his own death. However, it look like it's genuine this time. Pete Steele, singer/bassist with Type O Negative (and Carnivore) died last night. Time was you couldn't open a rock/metal magazine without seeing him in it.

Type O were one of my favourite bands when I was a young goth. They had a wicked sense of humour that undercut what were quite dark songs, and I loved that. If you've never heard anything by them, go and listen to Bloody Kisses or October Rust. If you only listen to one song, make it Black Number 1.

I never saw them live. I was supposed to in 1999, but the Ozzfest got cancelled. I missed every other tour they did since then too. Now I'll never get to see them, which is quite sad.

Transformers Revenge Of The Fallen Lockdown

It's been a while since I bought a new Transformer, but Lockdown finally getting a release in the UK broke me. For those unfamiliar with Lockdown, he made his debut in the Transformers: Animated line and gained a bit of a cult following, and has managed to earn a rather speedy update for this line. Go here for more about him.

The Animated toy was a bit of a disappointment, so the prospect of a hyper-detailed figure in the ROTF line was a big draw in getting this figure. The extra engineering and details looked as if they might fix the problems with the original toy.

In vehicle mode Lockdown is a stylized muscle car, complete with rubber spikes and a detachable engine on the bonnet. It's faithful to the Animated version while being realistic at the same time, and does look like something that you might find on a drag strip. It looks suitably evil too, which is nice. The only downside is that the rubber spikes are too, well, rubbery. I know that's so small children don't lose an eye but they feel a bit too soft.

He transforms fairly easily into robot mode although his arms have a tendency to pop off, which is a pain. As a robot mode he captures the the best elements of the Animated toy (the height - he's much taller than other figures in his sizee class, the hook hand etc.), yet adds to it. His legs are much more articulated and his face more detailed. The engine block detaches and re-attaches onto his arm to form a weapon, but it does look like he has just strapped an engine to his arm.

Negatives? Other than the limbs popping off, he has two problems. The first is his hook hand, which is again made of rubber. Once more it's too soft, and it bends out of shape too easily. The second is some poor QC. The paint on his pace is sloppy, which is a shame.

Despite that, Lockdown is an excellent toy. He'll be lurking on my coffee table for me to fiddle with for the forseeable future.

I'll update with a few pictures later.

More Who...

Via Bleeding Cool:

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/04/14/the-great-doctor-who-conspiracy-of-the-fifth-season/

Interesting analysis of a possible link to run throught he series, and something I hadn't considered but makes perfect sense. Either way, it looks like this is going to be a very tightly plotted series.

Dr Who: The Beast Below

So, the Matt Smith Doctor gets into his post-regeneration stories, which is where we start to find out what's different about this Doctor. So far he seems to be odder, more manic and has a bit of a temper. All of which work well. As for the episode itself...

Set on the Starship UK, over a thousand years in humanity's future, everything seems a bit familiar. It's almost a parody of London, taking the most exaggerated parts and presenting them as almost quintessentially British (more on that later).

The setting is good, and the 'villains' occupy more of a moral grey area than usual. It's well paced, has interesting character choices and some genuinely scary moments. It's a lot closer to the Dr Who of my childhood than the majority of the Russell T Davies era episodes managed to be. This can only be a good thing.

Interestingly, the Doctor doesn't actually save the day, and almost does completely the wrong thing. It's a departure, and marks Amy out as something a little different to previous assistants. She doesn't just default to the Doctor and I wouldn't be surprised if that's a continuing plot point.

Speaking of continuing plots, we get to see the Crack In Space again, clearly signposting what we're supposed to be looking out for, much like the Bad Wolf thing. Something slightly more subtle is the very noticeable Britishness of the episodes so far. The first episode was set in an idyllic English village, this one on the Starship UK with a giant Union Jack on it. Next we have Winston Churchill and Union Jack wearing Daleks. Deliberate or coincidence?

Overall, this is the best incarnation of Dr Who since it was revived with Christopher Ecclestone. Hopefully the quality will remain consistent.