Doctor Who: Season 5

At the end of this season, I'm struck by how very much like a fairy tale the overarching story of Amy Pond is...

The little girl who waits for the mysterious man... and when he show up twenty years later, she runs off with him on the night of her wedding. The mystery of the crack in the wall lingering throughout the entire season. The story of the Roman Centurion....

Compared to season arcs of previous years, it almost seems kind of small. But it's a very personal story, and on that level it's very intense. It definitely elevates Amy to my favorite companion, although given my love at first sight, I don't know how objective I'm being

River Song is the only holdover from previous years at this point, and a very suitable one. It would have been very disappointing if they didn't follow up on this intriguing character from the Doctor's future. Plus, I like the whole bit where their happening out of order. It seems like that should be a more frequent occurrence for a time traveler. I feel like I can't get enough River, and I hope to see her as a regular companion in the future.

On a side note about returning characters... I hope the Doctor's daughter, Jenny,  returns too. Does being married to David Tennant in real life make her more or less likely to be back, I wonder?

But back to companions... Rory... then introduction of Amy's fiance mid-season was... unexpected. He kind of defied any expectations I might have had by his willingness to accept all the insanity at face value and instantly step into the hero role. Rory works, better than I would have expected.

I will say I think they need to put a moratorium on Daleks. They're great, great villains, don't get me wrong... they just really seem overused at this point, and I think they need to go away for a couple of years. Ditto for the Cybermen.

I mentioned in my previous review that I wasn't sure what to make of Matt Smith, initially. Now that I've had fourteen episodes and a Sarah Jane Adventures cameo (Rest in Peace, Ms. Sladen), my verdict is... he's fine. He fits the part very well, and I really don't have a bad thing to say about him. He just doesn't bring the role to the level that David Tennant did.

Overall, this was a wholly solid season; not a bad episode in the lot. If I would even say this is a better jumping-on point than season one, if I were try to sell a friend on this show... although I would insist they go back and watch the original "Weeping Angels" episode right before viewing the follow-up here. Other than Dalek overload, I have nothing bad to say about it. 5/5 stars.

And since I started writing this, I've already started the sixth season.... wow, I think I'll be going to individual episode reviews... it's a good way to blow of steam while I'm waiting for the next new episode to come. :)