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We have grown to expect a lot of media interest just before a new series, but this year its been bigger, and thats possibly due to Peter himself.
I remember receiving an email from the BBC last autumn, inviting me to take part in a survey for Doctor Who. I recall a question, asking me if I thought Peter was too old for the role. What? Seriously? is that really relevant? Unfortunately, for some people this has obviously been an issue. To quote a few articles I have read recently, both David Tennant and Matt Smith have been described as "Boyfriend Doctors". This has been down to their age and good looks, and in my opinion, some of the unnecessary soap opera writing that has unfortunately turned a once asexual main character, into a science fiction stud to satisfy those in the audience who crave romance. Therefore, the BBC knew they would need to justify the massive change expected in series 8, and allow the younger generation of fans to experience the Doctor in a more 'Classic Who' style. Their need to justify this completely dominated the first episode.
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First of all, the opening credits. I had already seen the original concept on YouTube, a very clever graphics designer created a wonderful mock opening sequence, which caught the eye of the production team (You can see the original here). They kept a lot of the original, but decided to show Peter's eyes not the whole of his face as was the case in the mock title. I liked the transition from the vortex being the key element in title sequences for so long, with the introduction of a clock and its moving cogs, creating a steampunk feel.
However, I am not a fan of the new theme. Perhaps it will grow on me, but it feels too light, almost like an afterthought. To me, it doesn't really fit in with the visual titles either, which with its industrial feel could do with some more dramatic and powerful music. More horns and percussion could have complemented it nicely.
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After the cringeworthy Dinosaurs On A Spaceship in the last series, I groaned when I saw another dinosaur in the trailers for series 8. I hoped the writers had learned their lesson from last time, and realised putting in noisy big creatures without any storyline justification, just because it looks good, is doomed to fail. I am glad the dinosaur in Deep Breath didn't linger very long on the screen this time, I thought the reason why it was there was because it swallowed the TARDIS was acceptable, but the gimmick after that point started to wear a little thin.
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The interactions between Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax helped keep the episode quite light hearted at times. I did think on occasions the humour was overdone, especially in the scene with Clara having a checkup with Strax, which seemed to drag quite a bit for me, but did link into the cyborg's storyline nicely.
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I really enjoyed the links to the shows past. After The Eleventh Hour's tribute to all the Doctors, Moffat took it to the next level in Deep Breath. From Clara mentioning The Doctor 'redecorating' the TARDIS, to the mention of wearing a big scarf, it was a lovely and a subtle tribute to the past. The addition of Lis Sladen's husband's cameo made the tributes all the more special, and I could see flashes of Sarah-Jane in Clara's character too. I was also reminded of The Girl in The Fireplace, and this was confirmed when the Doctor discovers part of Madame de Pompadour has been used to power the cyborg's 'hot air balloon'. The colour of the roses he smells in that scene, pertains to the colour of her dress in that episode. There was also a strong link to The Christmas Invasion, with the Doctor passing out during the first half.
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I loved the cyborg, they were perfectly creepy, and the 'restaurant' scene, where the truth is uncovered was great. I think if I was a child, I would be feeling quite frightened. The special effects team did an amazing job on making them look real, and the actors were fantastic at maintaining the robotic, expressionless gaze. The scene where the Doctor tries to make the main cyborg see what is really going on was powerful, and the scene where Clara is trapped and defying him, was also well executed and suitably sinister.
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Jenna Coleman's performance was striking. She began as a confused, scared and bewildered companion, with a Doctor she felt she didn't know, then evolved to angry and frustrated, then ended defiant, strong and confident. From what I have heard in interviews, this is a sign of things to come for Clara's character, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Jenna progresses.
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Peter? Well, what can I say? He played the freshly regenerated Doctor well. Shades of Tom Baker could be seen in his performance, and as he leapt around in his first few minutes, I was reminded of Patrick Troughton in Power of the Daleks. He demonstrated virtually every emotion within this episode, with his tearful scene when the dinosaur dies, to his ruthless glare after we are left debating if the cyborg jumped, or was pushed. I was also glad to see the now traditional scenes where the Doctor indulges in mocking his new appearance; " look at these eyebrows, these are attack-eyebrows. You could take bottle tops off with these!" I also enjoyed the scene in the restaurant where Clara and the Doctor are bickering. They really work well together. Due to the fact this was a post regeneration episode, I don't think we have seen him at his full potential yet, but I am more than sure that is yet to come.
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I wasn't expecting to see Matt in this episode, and although this may be a controversial view, I felt it was a little overdone. I can see why Moffat put it in, as Clara was still very unsure about the Doctor, but I thought the scene went on for too long, and was probably more for the benefit of those fans who disliked the abrupt regeneration scene in the last series. I can also see the positive side, as it is not only helping Clara to understand he has changed physically, but is still the same Time Lord, but also to help younger fans see this point of view. I thought the scene with Madam Vastra and the veil was very clever, and also helped to emphasise this point.
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The last scene I felt was a bit disjointed, but it is obviously setting the scene for a story arc. I thought there was almost a Rani type feel to Missy, with undertones of Madam Kovarian. It will be interesting to see how she will integrate into the main plot later.
Overall, this was a good start to a new series. I think Peter is perfect for the main role, and I am looking forward to the rest of the series.
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