So far Briggs is painting the 9th Doctor as the intellectual working class hero Doctor. Someone who is going to support the oppressed and challenge the privileged. It is not a script that would work quite as well with any other Doctor but its SO perfect for Eccleston.

I adore how they have ditched the "sense of occasion" that would usually come with these releases and just pushed on straight with the action. Having not had new Eccleston for 16 years it was thrilling to hear him inhabiting the role from the word go, owning the space and just making it feel like a natural part of the ongoing narrative. First episodes often get caught up with a lot of fanfare, instead Briggs just gets straight in with the plot. And its a great plot, setting up the Ravagers arc.

Any fan of Doctor Who should love the idea of time eddies, its a neat concept which will give way for a bunch of interesting scenarios for The Doctor. Nova and Audrey are very intriguing. Having a companion with a unique back story - former indentured servant from a game station (I know - very series 1) who was forced to turn her back from her family - is another interesting set up which I think will pay dividends.