"It's all still waiting for you. The Fields Of Trenzilor, the Fall Of The Eleventh, and the question. The first question! The question that must never be answered, hidden in plain site. The question you've been running from all your life. Doctor who? Doctor who? Doc-tor WHO?"
Thus ends The Wedding of River Song and Season 6 of Doctor Who. As our beloved programs starts on its 8 month rest before returning for Season 7 (didn't that just feel like an eternity, even to those who weathered the "Wilderness Years"?)So many questions! So much we had to debate and discuss in the long 8 months which were to follow. The Doctor had admitted to Dorium he had "got too big, too noisy" and that it was "time to step back into the shadows" Indeed, a large number of dedicated fans had voiced that a return to more subtle story telling may be a good idea. My view is that the big season finishes, with the universe saved from disaster, were becoming an all to often occurrence. So what was this new shadowy Doctor going to be like? What of the Ponds? Strains were starting to show in their relationship during Closing Time, with Amy's modelling career taking off and Rory following like a dutiful puppy dog.
As usual with Moffat, the build up to last Saturday's Season 7 first episode was a multi media affair. Moffat is a master at ramping up the excitement and, with Twitter, the media and the BBC website at his disposal he certainly proved this to be the case. We have had leaks, unofficial and official, photos, artwork and those all important Pre Series start trailers. That's even before we got to Pond Life which dovetailed perfectly into Asylum of the Daleks. The trouble with hype is, the more it's utilised, the harder it is for a writer to deliver a story that satisfies and lives up to expectation. Moffat is writing his first ever Dalek story and its the season opener! So, did it live up to expectation? Well....
Oh yes, Moffat delivered a masterful story which featured suspense, real chills and a Doctor that is, in my view the darkest we have ever seen him.
My review will focus on character development but will also feature elements of the plot. So if you haven't seen Asylum of the Daleks please stop reading now!
