A marvellous bottle episode, as many of the best Doctor Who stories are. There’s a genuine heart to the story. A normal man and woman who are clumsily failing to fall in love, then an extraordinary man, The Doctor, clumsily failing to act like a human. Mixed together this makes a sweet combination, and without any companions for most of the episode, Matt Smith is given an opportunity to truly shine.

I am one of those people who can’t stand James Corden, but I have always acknowledged what an excellent actor he is. I wish he did more acting and less… everything else. Matt and James make a good double act. You can see why they were tempted by a sequel!

Gareth Roberts (another man with an unpleasant offscreen presents) delivers what is by far his best script so far, and given he’ll almost certainly never be employed again, I suspect this will always stand out as his best contribution to the main show.

It’s funny and sweet, which after the weight of Vincent and the Doctor and before the gravitas of a two-part finale, is what the show needs.

This episode is just kind of fun. The Doctor has to pretend to be normal and constantly shows up Craig who is essentially the companion for this episode

I feel like the instant memory transfer would be more useful but it seems to be painful for the doctor (presumably not only because he bumps his head to do it)

New Who Review #71

The Lodger

This story was fun. I enjoyed the chemistry between Matt & James it was so fun to see them together having a blast. I also really loved how the doctor has to become a normal mundane human and he struggles with that so much it's so funny to see. The monster was a bit ehh though it was just a hologram trying to build a tardis and failing badly. I also love how Matt gets to do his dream career in this for a little bit. He wanted to be a footballer but because of medical reasons he couldn't and became the doctor. This is also a love story between Craig & Sofie which is a nice development throughout this 45 minutes. This is also the penultimate story of the series too so the ending is fairly important with Amy finding the wedding ring. The music on that part was so creepy with a sort of broken Violin in there. It was creepy. The cracks are also opening now because of the finale being so close. Overall a fun story to watch before we start the big 2 part finale. 9/10

This one is interesting, because it's not made for you. 

Doctor Who at it's most domestic and arguably commercial. This is designed as pleasant and unobtrusive entertainment, and it hits that mark of what it's trying to do admirably, it entertains. But this is television that you're sort of meant to find hopping between channels and keep it on as a lark, watching the funny alien man try and be apartment friends with James Corden. Most Who fans will find that pitch a teensy bit agonizing in a way, their hero reduced to the barest sitcom pop culture components. Dr Who on the third rock from the sun. Dr Who does ALF.

But also, show this one to a non-Doctor Who fan (as I have several times) and they'll almost definitely have a grand old time. I admire The Lodger's efficiency, if anything, but it's just genuinely an oddity that it's hard to get much substance from.

James Corden you will pay for your crimes one day