“Geronimo!!”

The longest ongoing Sci-Fi series returns yet again as the newly regenerated good Doctor prepares to make more house calls across all of time and space with the brand new season of Doctor Who! 

Fresh off Russel T. Davies’s 5 year run rebooting the classic series into modern times and bringing with it a host of amazing quality and timeless stories, Doctor Who is back at the front of  the Sci-Fi pack bringing in thousands of new fans making The Doctor a household name once again. Now RTD has passed on the torch to the fan favorite Steven Moffat, who has given us some of the best episodes of the recent reboot such as “Blink”, “The Girl in The Fireplace”, and “Silence in the Library”, to head up the next chapter in the Doctor’s life. With Moffat comes a brand new Doctor, played by newcomer Matt Smith, to take up the Timelord mantle. The question is, how do they fare?
No time is wasted introducing our new Doctor and companion, Amy Pond (played by the stunning Karen Gillan) in “The Eleventh Hour”, establishing not only the characters and the new status quo but also giving The Doctor a threat to fight against that would echo throughout the season as well as our standard “monster/alien of the week” he must contend with. Immediately we can see just how much the quality of the writing is brought up thanks to Moffat’s expertise along with showcasing the amazing chemistry between Smith’s Doctor and Gillan’s Amy that grows and expands throughout the highly memorable season.

In the back half of the season, Amy’s husband to be Rory (Arthur Darvill) joins in on the time-traveling fun which keeps the character dynamics interesting and is a welcome addition to the TARDIS crew to further differentiate Moffat’s Who from RTD’s run.
The season itself is actually very tightly woven-together story wise and very reminiscent of the Doctor Who serials of old. The universe is broken for some strange and unknown reason. Cracks in time are appearing throughout history causing massive problems and erasing anyone in history who dares to cross its path. The Doctor searches for answers and the reason behind the cracks, only to be met with more questions as well as the possibility that he himself caused them while having various adventures with Amy and Rory.

Episode Highlights:
“The Time of Angels”/”Flesh and Stone”: After receiving a very personal message from someone very close to him, The Doctor along with Amy go to investigate the crashed ship known as “The Byzantium”, where an old and dangerous enemy awaits them – seeking to regain its lost power in an attempt to terrorize all of time. It is in this episode Moffat reintroduces us to two elements he himself added into Who mythos during the previous seasons: The Weeping Angels and River Song. These two fan favorite creations come together with the current season story arc in a way that would make any fan squeal like a like a little school girl.
– “Amy’s Choice”: The Doctor, Amy, and Rory go against their most dangerous foe yet, a being that calls himself “The Dream Lord” and wants to play a little game with them. He presents the crew with two increasingly dangerous and deadly scenarios, one of them being a dream and one being real. It is up to them to figure out which one is which. If they die in the dream they wake up but if they choose wrong, they will actually die.
– “Vincent and the Doctor”: The Doctor and Amy go to visit the very eccentric yet genius painter Vincent Van Gogh, played excellently by Tony Curran (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen). Vincent is able to see a monster that no one else can, that is now attacking people. The Doctor must team up with Vincent to save the day, but can they save Vincent from himself? This was one of the most emotional and well acted episodes of the entire season as well as a great cameo by Bill Nighy (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, At World’s End).
– “The Pandorica Opens”/”The Big Bang”: In the stunning season finale, Moffat brings his first season to and end with a BANG! Saying much of anything will give it away but this finale brings together almost every major Who villain in such a way that will leave long-time fans breathless, wondering how in the world The Doctor will escape from this one, as well as giving us a finale without an actual big baddie to fight against. If you like wibbly wobbly timey wimey stories then you can’t afford to miss this stunning conclusion to the season.

The way this season manages to balance out its episodic stories while combining them with the ongoing story is nothing short of masterful and once you see it all come together you will be blown away at what Moffat has managed to pull off, all while introducing us to an even greater threat looming in the dark depths of time.

Matt Smith’s Doctor is set up very well and couldn’t be any more different than Tennant’s Doctor but still just as quirky and charming as ever. The Doctor’s classic know-it-all attitude is back once again in full force and is even more eccentric than ever before! Once you see him in action you will believe that bow ties (and fezzes) ARE cool! Karen Gillian’s Amy Pond is more of a well rounded companion than a lot of the ones we have had recently, not to mention smart and useful. And unlike certain other companions, doesn’t let her schoolgirl crush on The Doctor get in the way of doing what needs to be done. Also: Legs.

Murray Gold is once again at his best with creating an epic and overarching score that really sets the mood and gets you pumped up! The main theme of the season is nothing short of memorable and amazing. The music always hits all the right notes and really adds a lot of depth to the already impressive presentation of the show.

Special Features:

• Commentaries
• Two newly-filmed sequences, titled “Meanwhile, in the TARDIS…”, available only in this collection
• Doctor Who: Confidentials
• Monster Diaries
• Outtakes
• Video Diaries
• Deleted and extended scenes

This season was the first actual season of Doctor Who to be fully shot in HD, and boy does it impress. The various wonders of the universe and time that the Doctor visits are so crisp and clear and colorful that it will really be hard to go back to standard definition Who watching ever again. BBC has always been at the top of their game with their High Definition shot programs and its very good to see Doctor Who make the leap over.
While reportedly being given a smaller budget than previous seasons, Doctor Who Series 5 is quite a show to experience. You will very rarely tire of the story or settings since it changes so much from week to week. Its casting is truly inspired and well-done, and Stephen Moffat’s writing and care really shines through throughout the entire season. Perfect for young and old, with a completely new Doctor and brand new start, there has never been a better time to jump on board the TARDIS with Doctor Who! It is one of the most memorable Sci-Fi shows you will experience and after its over, will have you not very patiently awaiting the next season to hit US shores!
ComicsOnline gives Doctor Who Series 5–  5 fezes out of 5!

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