{"id":149,"date":"2011-02-09T13:57:47","date_gmt":"2011-02-09T21:57:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=149"},"modified":"2011-02-09T13:57:47","modified_gmt":"2011-02-09T21:57:47","slug":"mark-watches-doctor-who-s03e10-blink","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2011\/02\/mark-watches-doctor-who-s03e10-blink\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘Doctor Who’: S03E10 – Blink"},"content":{"rendered":"

The angels are coming for you, but listen, your life could depend on this: don’t blink. Don’t even blink. Blink and you’re dead. They are fast, faster than you could believe. Don’t turn your back, don’t look away, and DON’T BLINK<\/em>. Good luck.<\/p>\n

I think it’s safe for me to say that “Blink” has provided me with one of the finest “hours” of television that I have ever seen. I think for any of us who watch television, and especially those of us who really yearn for a fulfilling, emotional experience from a show, there’s an episode every once in a while of that show that knocks us down or surprises us or makes us cry; it’s the same episode that we rush to suggest to our friends in a hurried voice. OH MY GOD, YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS, THERE’S NOTHING LIKE IT. Then we have to deal with the inevitable let down, because your friend simply doesn’t get it<\/em> or they operate on a different wavelength than you do, so you revisit the episode, you watch it again, and you feel exactly the same way as before, possibly even better. This is so good<\/em>, you tell yourself. This is the best thing I have ever seen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I’ve seen a few episodes of various shows that stuck with me, even to this day. “Leonard Betts” and “Memento Mori” from the fourth season of The X-Files <\/em>will always mean a lot to me. I won’t spoil why for those who might be watching it, but those who know what happens also know why someone would get attached to them. Six Feet Under<\/em> had too many episodes to remember; same with The Wire<\/em> and large portions of LOST<\/em>. The series finale for The Prisoner<\/em> made me re-examine my thoughts about serialized television. And I could go on and on about The Twilight Zone<\/em> and Rubicon<\/em> and Arrested Development<\/em> and Breaking Bad<\/em> and I’m going to stop.<\/p>\n

The previous two-parter of Doctor<\/em> Who<\/em> is no less fantastic because of this, for the record, but this episode\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6.MY GOD, STEVEN MOFFAT<\/em>. How? HOW DO YOU DO SUCH THINGS TO MY BRAIN?<\/p>\n

Many of you have spoken about how Moffat is able to take mundane, every day things and turn them into NIGHTMARES FOREVER, and this episode is a rather brilliant example of that. That, in and of itself, is a feat of a genius, and I don’t want to ignore that. But I found the way the story was organized to be even more impressive than the plot alone, especially as we spent over forty minutes wondering how<\/em> the Doctor was able to pull off so much of the warning to Sally Sparrow.<\/p>\n

Much like “Love & Monsters,” “Blink” is very light on the Doctor and Martha and it was refreshing to experience the story through someone else’s eyes. Sally Sparrow, played by Carey Mulligan, is one of the strongest female side characters we’ve seen in the run of the show; I can’t even imagine having to deal with the events of “Blink” without wetting myself a thousand times over, and yet she does it with a ferocious grace and poise and SHE IS JUST A BAMF, OK. I love that she’s demanding with her “interactions” with the Doctor, asking not to be patronized and to be treated with respect.<\/p>\n

Look, there are like a BILLION things I want to talk about and I don’t even know how to address this. GUYS. THAT SCENE IN THE DRUMLINS AFTER THE DOCTOR’S MESSAGE ENDS. I AM SERIOUSLY GOING TO PASS OUT RIGHT NOW JUST THINKING ABOUT IT.<\/p>\n

The fact that the Weeping Angels HAVE CHANGING FACES. Oh my god. I know it’s ridiculous that the angels only move a few feet at a time BUT I DON’T CARE. It’s a horrifyingly absurd arrangement and IT WORKS. IT WORKS SO WELL.<\/p>\n

Oh my god “Blink”. GUYS. GUYS.<\/p>\n

THOUGHTS<\/strong><\/p>\n