Fun fact, this is the first Doctor Who episode I “watched”. Technically, I caught a few brief moments of it on TV (specifically the scene where Sally sees the Angels on the cathedral outside the police station) before I went on with whatever child me was doing. It’s been a bit since I’ve rewatched, so I had figured that however good it was, and I’ve always liked the story, it might be overrated. I have to admit it though, this is such a fantastic episode. Weeping Angels are by far one of the best monsters introduced in NuWho and this introduction cements them as a formidable foe. Carey Mulligan as Sally Sparrow just knocks it out of the park, deserving of the reverence she gets for her guest role here. The core of this episode is what the Doctor so eloquently describes as timey-wimey: people being shot back in time, a conversation via DVD special features, and our iconic quantum-locked statues. There’s a perfect balance of the mystery on Sally’s side to confrontation with the Weeping Angels that ensures the monsters don’t overstay their welcome yet still leave a great impact. A decade or so earlier, I could see this being an episode of The X-Files, given the similar atmosphere it provides. But it is so specifically Doctor Who, and that is was what elevates it. It has just the right amount of absurdity combined with sincerity that really shows what the series is all about, telling creative stories that you’d see nowhere else.

Blink is another high water mark for the series. A perfectly paced, beautifully acted piece of drama that proves that the show has no defined formula and can even survive without its lead actors! Carey Mulligan delivers one of the best (if not the best) guest cast performances of all time. She is perfect dream casting companion material. Finlay Robertson’s Larry is the perfect companion to her companion - a brilliant comic foil.

The Weeping Angels, in a single 45 minute story, solidify themselves as a top tier classic villain - and there are only three of those. One introduced in 1963, another in 1966, this one in 2007. Quite an achievement, further cementing “new” Doctor Who’s legitimacy - it is here to stay.

Even after watching this story at least 50 times since I was 14 I found myself engrossed. The line about The Doctor’s timey wimey machine cooking an egg at 30 paces genuinely made me laugh out loud. Don’t think I’ve ever properly appreciated that line before. All these years later, still new details to take in.

WOW WOW WOW THIS IS THE BEST EPISODE EVER EVER!!!!

We've seen every episode and this is all three of us' favourite Doctor Who adventure ❤️❤️

Hassan's thoughts:

Come on, it's a story where you're not allowed to blink! Who wouldn't love that?

Lizzie's thoughts:

An absolute epic!

Robyn's thoughts:

It hasn't been this good since. #RIPDoctorWho

- Lizzie, Hassan, and Robyn. xxxxx

Next up: The Church on Ruby Road

Blink is one of the all-time great Doctor Who horror stories. It used to be my go-to as an introductory story for the franchise for newcomers, but I've since shied away from that a little bit. Blink is almost too scary and too good to the extent it feels as though it might leave new viewers with the wrong impression for the larger franchise. It's better for something fans discover on their own time, and let its work its magic more naturally without the weight of being somebody's first episode.

I love the framing of this story and it does a really good job of featuring the Doctor in a very limited role. Sally Sparrow is extremely entertaining and well done as a protagonist. I can totally see why she was considered for a more full-time companion part.  That would have been very cool.

The Angels are every bit as terrifying as when I first saw this episode. Blink is extremely re-watchable and holds up really well against the test of time. Even the DVD extras don't feel culturally irrelevant all these years and innovations later. It's easy to forget how ingenious these monsters were right out of the box, too. Moffat had a really good idea here and it is explored excellently across the episode, with so much care and attention given to building suspense and tension as we learn more and more about the Weeping Angels. It's a really strong build-up to a scary ending I really didn't know how our characters were going to survive, and the little trick with the TARDIS at the end works well for a quick resolution. Fine content overall, especially because you can figure out how everything fits together right at the ending in a way that is immensely satisfying for any story.

Blink is one of the most well-liked Doctor Who television stories and for good reason. It's gripping. It's well paced. The directing is excellent. There are multiple genuinely scary moments (not to mention the ending...). The characters are likeable. The plot feels interesting and clever. All of these and more work together to make Blink one of the best Doctor Who stories out there. The only thing holding me back from giving it a full 5 stars is that there are a number of plot holes and unexplained/nonsensical things which, when noticed, do detract from the immersion a little.