Love & Monsters

Through all I sit here and I wait, this filler episode will just not abate. The poorest show of season 2 (so far), the search by Elton for Doctor Who. But the Lord of Time is barely in it, the writer's fail their scope and remit (they get away with it in Blink though, Season 3). I fear the next (instalment) will not atone (it doesn't, it's gets worse) and Ursula-like, I turn to stone.

I'm not normally one to post reviews, but I couldn't let the one negative post sit here as testimony to this episode. Yes, it wasn't perfect. The broad comedy and grotesque nature of the central villain would obviously not be to everyone's tastes. But Marc Warren turned in an excellent performance, as did Camille Coduri. The group of people who set up the "club" were portrayed as decent sorts who didn't deserve what became of them, and there were moments of charm and sensitivity. The use of E.L.O. in the soundtrack is also a plus point! Overall, the episode was an interesting experiment. If I met Russell T Davies I'd happily discuss it with him (without resorting to the violence another on this thread seems to expound) and of course thank him for making Doctor Who popular with a mainstream audience again.

I actually really enjoyed the first 3/4 of this episode. That was, until the monster is revealed and the rest of the episode becomes disturbingly bad.

I can understand why there is a loathing for the Series' Marmite episode, but I fall into the 'love it' camp. It dares to be different, it is often branded with 'Fear her' as terrible and lazy. Fear her's script was a lazy one, this one isn't, it's different, full of life and full of laughs. The script is a goody, and it falls together nicely.

It's funny throughout, funny and terror work really well together. The funny bits are nuts, from the Jamie/Troughton-esque runs of Rose and the Doctor at the start to the utter brilliance of Camille Coduri, her seducing Elton is class, so funny. Bella Emberg's cameo appearance had me screaming laughing, what a gem!!

There are also some beautifully touching moments, The Doctor's visit of junior Elton and the sadness of his mum's death, the members of LINDA talking. The climax is wonderfully touching, and I applaud Marc Warren's performance.

I bet Peter Kay had the time of his life playing Victor and the Abzorbaloff, he's a great character and the effects are super.

I love the links back to Aliens of London and Rose episodes, so cool to see that done. (Especially with my friend Eve's face behind Marc Warren.) Victor comes from Clom, Clom is one of the planets that disappear when the Daleks take planets out of time and Space for Series 4's finale, and we also get the first mention of Harold Saxon for Series 3's arc.

It is just a joy, I love it 10/10

Oh come on! I've been watching Doctor Who since I was five years old (30 years ago) and I've never seen an episode quite as funny as this one (not even the one with Bertie Basset in it). Don't take it so seriously, it was a totally played for laughs, self-mocking episode. Chasing the monster backwards and forwards across the screen at the start of the episode was straight out of Scooby Doo or classic Laurel & Hardy. Peter Kays human costume was a parody of the eccentric costumes earlier incarnations of the Doctor had worn (Ecclestone and Tennant look just too plain by comparison), and his Abzorbaloff costume harked back to the days when Doctor Who monsters were obviously just men in rubber suits (although I admit the kid who designed it couldn't have realised that, but then he did want it to be the size of a bus). Peter Kay didn't even bother trying to disguise his voice and if anything sounded even more northern as the monster. The soundtrack was great (I love ELO) and the blow job joke at the end had me in stitches. All in all the funniest Doctor Who episode ever, and a fantastic bit of light relief for between "The Satan Pit" and the next few episodes.