Now, THAT's my division! - Doctor Who 7x02 "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" Review

Yeah, sorry, Lestrade pun. I couldn't help myself.
Actually, the following review is pretty much me fangirling over Rupert Graves... and, surprisingly, enjoying this episode.


“Dinosaurs on a Spaceship”

What a stupid title.
So what we got was a little bit Jurassic Park in space – at first I wanted to say Primeval in space, but it really wasn't much like Primeval.
I really though I would hate this episode. Because the idea is so... cheesy. And I thought Moffat would just make it some big blockbuster-y action-y thing that doesn't have much to do with Doctor Who. But to my surprise, I actually liked this episode – even better than “Asylum of the Daleks”, the only thing of which I truly enjoyed was Oswin Oswald. But, thanks to Chris Chibnall who wrote it, “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship” was actually a fun episode to watch. Which is really a surprise cause Chibnall wrote three of my least favourite episodes of Doctor Who (then again, he also wrote some of my favourite episodes of Torchwood - the world is a weird place).

So, at the beginning I thought I wouldn't like this episode too much. I thought it was just all really hurried and way to fast paced, with the Doctor popping in there, picking someone up, popping out again. Also, what I recognized in the Moffat era is the episode beginning somewhere in the middle of the action, but it's only a tiny bit that doesn't get much explained, and then we're somewhere else and the real episode begins. That's something I don't really like all that much. I loved the good old times, the Doctor and Rose/Martha/Donna/at times the Ponds arriving somewhere in the TARDIS and then the action begins. So, yeah.
But:
I enjoyed the character of Queen Nefretiti. She was cute, flirty (not overly though, not like River Song), a good person, yet fierce, and a powerful woman who can actually be girly and womanly and doesn't have to be some female warrior. I also loved Amy/Nefretiti. They could have become great friends. Also, Nefretiti sacrificing herself for the dinosaurs... and the rest of the gang... aww, let me love you! Bold move. And how she took Argus Filch down... You go, Nefretiti! (Also, fun fact: I looked her up on IMDb and the actress was also in the Hamlet movie with David Tennant... aww, all in the family.)
Rupert Graves. Do I have to say more? Ok, Riddell is a big game hunter, which shouldn't make him all to sympathetic. But... hello! The Indiana Jones outfit? So hot! And... well, I just love Rupert Graves, ok? Have done so ever since I saw him in A Room With A View (way too late, because he was so young I felt like a pedophile) and especially after seeing him in Maurice (oh, he does have a big gun, yes he does... wait... what?! I didn't say anything, he was lovely in that movie. I especially liked his Cockney accent and never looked during the naked scenes. So, there you go.) and DI Lestrade is my favourite thing about Sherlock. So... Rupert Graves just made this episode for me. I also really liked his character, but that's him, he can make any character likeable. I loved his flirting with Nefretiti (boy, but they are cute together!) and Amy (refusing him was real prove for how much Amy loves Rory – I wouldn't have said no). Yeah, shall I go on? Because Rupert Graves was like... my favourite part of the episode. I know it's shallow, but I loved looking at him. And in the end, with his sleeves rolled up and the stun gun? HOT!
Oh, and Rory is a Weasley! Ok, I loved Mark Williams aka Arthur Weasley as Rory's dad Brian. He was adorable. I only have one problem, but that might be me not properly remembering my Doctor Who canon: Wasn't Rory's dad at the Ponds' wedding? And if so, why not? Because if he was, he certainly wasn't played by Mark Williams or I would remember? So who's the one not getting their canon right? Moffat or me? But that aside: Brian Williams was another highlight of this episode. I loved the father/son moments, I loved how he seems to adore Amy, I loved how he was so confused and a bit scared and didn't like to travel initially but after his adventure with the Doctor couldn't stop. I loved how he carries all this stuff around. Golf balls!
Ok, I'm not a fan of Argus Filch, I certainly wasn't one of Solomon. I'm also not sure we really needed David Bradley in this episode, because there were already two other quite famous British actors and at some point it's just too much? Why not scatter them over a view episodes? And the character really could have been played by someone else. Also, the character of Solomon... well, I get he's a typical villain, very villainous and all... but threatening Nefretiti the way he did... cause I understood his implications as either torture or rape... or both... well, maybe a bit to much for a kid's show? Although one could argue they might not understand his ... admittedly vague... threat the way I did.
Silurian ship! Well, I'm alright with them, can even like them, when they're not the main villain of the episode. (As I said: Chibnall wrote three of my least favourite episodes of Doctor Who, the series 5 Silurian two-parter included). I like Madam Vastra (and Jenny) and having the spaceship be a Silurian arc was a nice idea.
Dinosaurs! I like them! Always did and am still very fascinated by them (hey, I love Primeval). I actually started writing a Tenth Doctor & Donna Noble dinosaurs fanfic, but it never got finished and now... well, that's not the point here. Lovely dinosaurs. They weren't really all that scary, but fun and that's ok too. I loved Tricey. I want to ride on a dinosaur as well. Actually, I always wanted a dinosaur for a pet when I was little. But then, who didn't? So I felt this fit really well with the children's show aspect of Doctor Who and dealing with stuff that children like and are interested in from a different angle.
The robots: a bit ridiculous, but again very cool from the kid's show angle. And funny. After I while I quite enjoyed their bickering. Again: not very scary.
Favourite things about the episode:
Rupert Graves.
Queen Nefretiti being a BAMF.
Amy Pond! See, that's what was so wrong about last episode: Amy was some stupid woman damsel in distress there, fainting and being converted into a dalek and now... she can be so awesome. I mean, in her little group, with Nefretiti and Riddell, she kind of took over the role of the Doctor. Exploring, pressing buttons, trying to find out stuff. She was brilliant! And then in the end, when Riddell says that taking out (stunning) the dinosaurs was a two men job and Amy took the stun gun and went, saying she was as good as two men and Riddell, the big game hunter, could help... omg Amy, let me love you! (Chris Chibnall, let me love you too!) Ok, these huge differences in writing Amy might make her seem like somewhat of an inconsistent character, but I just chose to ignore the damsel in distress portrayal and focus on awesome!Amy. Because she is awesome.
Rory and Brian Williams flying the spaceship. I loved the idea.
Adding up, what I really liked best was that the Doctor wasn't some kind of almighty hero/ godlike figure, he actually got help from his friends and companions and they saved the day together. I like that. Because that's how it's supposed to be. The Doctor is no good on his own, we know that.
Yeah, so... nice and fun episode. Maybe not too scary or exciting, but with superb guest stars and really good characterization. I'd like to see more of that.
(Of course I'll have to rewatch the episode tomorrow when it's not... well past 2 am and I might be able to be more objected and not as distracted by Rupert Graves)