Written by Steven Moffat
Broadcast 9th June 2007.
“Don’t blink. Blink and you’re dead!”
In all the
years of Doctor Who, I didn’t think anything could outmatch the Daleks, the
most formidable of foes, but then one evening in 2007, Steven Moffat created a
creature that would put all fear of graveyard walking after dark, or during the
day in fact, as a potential risk to any Whovian out there. There would be no more walking past stone statues
as if they were mere stone statues, there would be a level of whispering, a
close scrutiny of the angel quietly watching, there would be fear gripping
their very souls, and there would be lots of running! Oh and the fear of blinking, should we come into
close contact with any stone statues with the threat of our own extinction!
Yes, the
Weeping Angels have stolen the top spot once reserved for those pepper pots on
wheels.
Blink is
one of those episodes, much like the Absorbaloff episode (only better) that
features very little of the Doctor and his companion. They are there, somewhere, just to help the
story along, but the main characters are those unconnected to the travelling
Time Lord.
Sally
Sparrow and her friend Kathy Nightingale are investigating an old property in
Wester Drumlins. Sally’s a photographer
and something has always drawn her to the old derelict house. Of course she’s unaware of the angels in the
building, all waiting for her, or another unsuspecting human visitor. At first however, there seems little threat
and the viewer is treated to a little tension thanks to Murray Gold’s score,
and we notice something about the statues in that they move positions.
In a
wallpapered room Sally spots a tear in the paper and a message underneath which
tells her to duck and gives her a stark warning of what’s to come. Although she’s unsure at first, when she
brings her friend Nightingale with her to look around, they hear a knock at the
door. While her friend hides in the back
room, Sally answers the door to a young man with a letter for her, to be given
at that exact time.
What we see
unfolding is her Kathy’s letter to Sally, explaining what happened and who the
guy is who knocks on the door. Unbeknownst
to Nightingale, as both had taken their eyes off the statue out in the garden; she
has been transported back in time to live out her days in the past. It’s a little hard to take on board at first,
and it shows the magnitude of these creatures, far more dangerous than that of
the Dalek, who, yes, can kill you with its blaster, but that’s instant. The Weeping Angels feed off your time energy,
and all your happy moments in your life.
A bit like
dementors, but slightly better looking, until they bare their teeth of course!
The Doctor
and Martha are trapped in 1969 where another sad chappie is sent, that being
the policeman who happens upon the TARDIS in the cop car park. One blink and puff he’s gone.
The Doctor
and Martha however have found a way of contacting Sally and Kathy’s brother
Larry, through a series of Easter egg portions in 17 DVD’s which are in Sally’s
collection at home and are finally pieced together in script format enabling
Sally to ask all the right questions at the right time.
It’s an
ingenious idea and well thought out, and despite the sad lack of the Doctor in
proper form, this is still an awesome episode which still freaks me out even
today. This was our first introduction
of the Weeping Angels, and hopefully not our last. We’ve seen them beyond this with the 11th
incarnation and the sad farewell of Amy and Rory Williams – and boy was that a
heartbreaking episode.
I’d like to
think that we’d see more of them with the 12th and beyond.
There was
some talk that the two people standing behind Rassilon in ‘The End of Time’
were the early form of the Weeping Angels.
Now I’m not sure if this is true, or it’s another of those famous RTD
red herrings, but it would be interesting to find out all the same.
So, do you
still think that your garden statue is just a garden statue; do you dare take
your eyes off it for just a second?
No comments:
Post a Comment