Don’t Blink!

[Possible Spoilers!]

While Les[1] is taking a wee break I thought I’d step in and write a review of possibly one of the best, and certainly scariest episodes of Doctor Who I’ve seen so far.

Blink starts off really well – nice girl wanders[2] into deserted mansion to take photos (something I can relate too, but now might not do so much!)

Things start to go a bit weird. Sally sees something written underneath the wallpaper. She pulls a little bit back and it shows her name, Sally Sparrow. A bit more and it says “Duck”. Then a bit more… “Now”. She’s still confused, still not sure what’s going on.

A few more strips of wallpaper later and she realises she really should duck! Just in time for a lump of stone to come flying through the window, over her head.

A quick look out of the window reveals nothing to be seen except a very overgrown garden and a old statue of an angel with its hands over its eyes, weeping. Back to the wallpaper and the final part of the script is revealed, “Love From The Doctor (1969)”.

Sally, freaked out by this strange message from someone she doesn’t know in the past, runs to fetch her friend, Kathy Nightingale. The two return to the mansion in the daytime.

Everything seems normal enough, apart from the fact that Sally is convinced that the statue outside has moved. Then, a knock at the door! Must be a burglar (who knocks?). Turns out to be a young man who we assume is a lawyer, with a letter for Sally Sparrow. The letter is old, and is from a women called Kathy Nightingale. Turns out the young man is her grandson. Meanwhile, upstairs, we see Kathy peering out from behind the door. Each time we cut between the two scenes one of the mysterious angel is slowly advancing on Kathy. Throughout the entire episode you never ever see one of the statues so much as move an inch, they just advance on you when you’re not looking.

Weeping AngelsWell Kathy ends up in Hull, in 1920, meets a guy, settles down, has a family and writes to Sally in the future telling her not to worry, she’s had a wonderful life, but to let her brother know.

As Sally runs around the house trying to find Kathy she comes across a room with 3 statues in, one of which is holding a key on a piece of string. She takes the key and leaves, as she does the statues all appear at the windows of the mansion, staring out at Sally.

I could carry on, but quite frankly you should just go and watch this episode. From here on in the statues get creepier, they ‘zap’ a cop back to 1969, and we discover that’s where the doctor is. There is a really cool conversation with the doctor on a DVD easter egg – him reading off a transcript that she gives to him in the future. Then the final ‘battle’ with the angels, and the rather clever conclusion.

Even though the doctor and Martha don’t appear in this episode its got just enough of him to keep you happy, with a very good story, brilliant editing, and really well paced action. I give it a 5 out of 5. I’m never going to look at another statue quite the same ever again.

[1] Waves at Les

[2] Played by Carey Mulligan

[tags]doctorwho, blink, scary[/tags]

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