Doctor Who: "Blink"

Time Travel Device: The weeping angels AND, of course, the Doctor's time machine

Time Travel Outcome/Purpose: In the case of the statues, to consume potential energy; in the case of Sally Sparrow & the time machine, to save the Doctor from 1969.

Coolness Factor: Watching the episode unwind from Sally's point of view

Flaws: Not a flaw but a query--does the Doctor read Sally's notes before he gets trapped in 1969? If so, why does he still allow himself to be trapped?

Paradox: Definitely predestination but predestination wrapped up in free-will since Sally causes her own predestination

Mike says the angels have the Phone-box! "Blink" is perhaps one of the best written time travel pieces of all time. Not only does it explore the idea of messages left in the past by people who know the future for someone living in the present (wrap your brain around THAT one), but it does it in a way that keeps you guessing, and believing, every moment.

I'm a reluctant Smallville fan, and when the second season came out I was very excited when Clark discovered a cave with the story of Superman painted on the walls. I was so excited, you'd think it was a real cave! Years later, I shake my head and laugh. The idea was cool enough to make me forget reality completely. The DVD Easter egg with the Doctor on it has a very similar effect on me. Every time I watch the episode, I get excited when Sally starts having a conversation with the TV. The best part is how the conversation works in different circumstances! Sally pokes fun at the Doctor's timey-whimey dialog and gets a shamed response early in the episode; later, when Sally references this, the Doctor's shamed response plays again, exactly the same as before but still completely in the right tone and context. Brilliant!

Sally Sparrow is also a wonderfully written and acted character. She is so vibrant, believable, and genuine, that we as an audience follow her and bond with her within just a few minutes. It's not often that a guest character can carry an entire episode in their FIRST APPEARANCE. It's a shame she couldn't have replaced Martha as the companion... while I LOVE season three, Martha can often be a little (and by a little, I mean extremely) )grating on the nerves. Sally, however, is enjoyable, adventurous and smart.

While I love Tennant's Doctor (he's still my favorite), I love how this episode uses him sparingly and effectively. Altogether he may have only 5-8 minutes of screen time, those minutes have a solid impact, affecting the plot, providing insight, and all while supplying a solid laugh or two.

Finally, I love the weeping angels. As a monster, the concept is chillingly simple and terrifying. We never see them actually move, yet these props are used so effectively that the danger they pose to characters feels real and immediate. The climax, when the Angels assault the phone-box as it disappears around Sally is truly suspenseful. Impressive for what was probably Styrofoam figures!

I'm always impressed with Doctor Who's ability to focus on time travel and yet continually make it fresh and enjoyable as a concept. "Blink," more than anything else, shows the result of truly solid writing. That a filler episode that barely features the main characters of a long running fan favorite show can quickly become one of the best episodes of the series really shows how good something can be when the proper effort is put in. Take that, Smallville.

Kate says this is an excellent episode for many reasons. I've always enjoy non-Doctor episodes--someone experiencing the Doctor's interference second hand.

The best part, however, is how simple the "magic" is (the Doctor's appearance on the DVDs, the writing on the wall, etc.) and how much it is based on the simple fact that we forget that the Doctor travels in time.

Okay, by "we," I mean "I."

It gets me every time. I know I'm watching a time travel show, but I'm so wedded to linear-thinking that non-linear-events still surprise me. When I first started watching Doctor Who with Eccleston, I remember thinking, "But the Doctor who shows up in historical photos wouldn't be Eccleston! It would be Peter Davison or Tom Baker." And then, I had that "a-ha" moment--oh, OF COURSE, Eccleston could travel to whenever he wanted, before and after Rose meets him!

This makes me sound far dumber than I actually am, but I think this is what makes "Blink" work. The Doctor's appearances seem magical, random, or just-dumb-luck. But in fact, they are carefully planned out and arranged. This isn't Bill & Ted which, however funny, used the same idea of "oh, yeah, we went back and fixed that" to get rid of plot problems. In this case, "fixing things from the past" IS the plot problem.

I also think it is cool that Sally Sparrow is one of the few people to come in contact with the Doctor who has the strength and self-confidence to take the initiative with him and to walk away when she is done. She is a simply awesome character who makes a definite "I could have my own comic book series" impression in just one episode. I also have a soft spot for Lawrence, especially for the line: "I've got it on my t-shirt!"