But is Katrina a secret Quaker?

In spite of good moments, a hot mess. Also why the massive case of "tell don't show"?

Because Moffat?

Ok! Finally watched the Doctor Who... thing. Tried recording it last night. DVD player cut out when I turned off the TV. Missed the repeat this morning, looking after Ryan. Tonight I caught it. Basically agree with Hil and P-C.

I half expected Clara's grandmother to turn out to be named "Barbara Chesterton" or some such.

Ooh, that would've been nifty. Though I confess I'm already a little pissed off at how Clara's Impossible Girl thing is all about the Doctor rather than her. Maybe it's best that she at least get an independent ancestry.

I'm so glad I'm not really truly a big Doctor Who fan. Because that was... well. It was more of the same: lots of crap thrown at the viewer in the hope that we'll be all weepy and attached to the Doctor and not pay attention to the way the script is senseless.

I'm tired of everything being larger than life. Can the Doctor just, like, show up and save a little boy, or something? Why is it always the end of the universe at stake?

Also, how does it count as saving that planet when the residents all get killed in crossfire from Daleks? And how do the Silence team up with the Church of the Papal Mainframe? (Love the name of that church, though: that was awesome. As was Tessa.)

And how do the Silence team up with the Church of the Papal Mainframe?

I think the idea was that the Church had created the Silence in the first place, to serve as Confessors. The ones that the Doctor had fought before were serving a breakaway sect, the bunch that had kidnapped baby River Song, having decided that was the most sure-fire way to stop the Doctor giving his name.

Of course, I can't explain why anyone thought it'd be a great idea to have everyone instantly forget they'd been to confession. They'd spend all their time going back again and again. Not to mention forgetting that they were supposed to be saying two Our Fathers and three Hail Marys. (That's leaving aside just why it's a big plus to have priests that freak everyone the hell out. So to speak. Seems to me that the only thing anyone would be confessing is that they need a new pair of pants.)

It's a recurring habit of Moffat's. He comes up with cool ideas, but he tends to overstuff episodes with them and when you stop to try and fit them together, you realise it's all a bit of an incoherent mess.

I think this one was worse than usual. Worst Christmas episode ever. Maybe the worst episode in new series, I can't think of a worse episode in the original series for that matter, but it has been many moons since I watched the original Dr. Who, and I never saw all of them so maybe it is not the worst Dr. Who ever. Certainly a candidate.

Still not worse than the one about the fans. "Love and Monsters"?

Love and MOnsters was more offensive. But this was worse storytelling.

Adventures in Doctor Who with my son. We visited the ABC Shop and checked out the Doctor Who DVDs together.

Ryan [pointing to a picture of Amy Pond]: "Is that the Doctor's Opinion?"
Me: "That's his Companion, Ryan."
Ryan: "Oh. Look, that's a picture of the Doctor's ship, the Hardest!"
Me: "He calls his ship the TARDIS, Ryan."
Ryan: "Oh, it's the TARDIS. Daddy, can I see another adventure with the Garlics?"
Me: "...I think you mean the Daleks, Ryan."
Ryan: "Whatever."

That is simultaneously awesome and makes me wonder if his hearing needs to be checked.

That is simultaneously awesome and makes me wonder if his hearing needs to be checked.

Tom and Ryan just made me laugh like a loon!