(775) The Rebel Flesh

The Rebel Flesh is the first part of a two parter that I have never really liked that much. So it wont my a long review. This story was written by Matthew Graham who previously wrote Fear Her and whilst that was a mildly interesting story, there was something about this story that just doesn’t work quite well. The Doctor, Amy and Rory arrive on a planet which has a monastery type place and some acid surrounding it. There are people working there and they have dopplegangers (or just gangers) that after a storm start to turn on everyone. That is pretty much the plot for these two episodes and that is why I found this episode rather boring in 2011 and find it equally boring today.

The only thing of interest that happens in this story is that Rory is starting to stand on his own too feet. He doesn’t just do what Amy tells him to do and its good to see the look on Amy’s face when this happens. Actually the cliffhanger is quite interesting as it shows that the Doctor has become a ganger. I do genuinely believe that things will pick up because there were good signs in the final ten minutes of the episode but it would have been nice had the good stuff started earlier in the episode.

I don’t know if it’s the heat but there is something about some of the episodes that aren’t working on me in the way that the previous series did. I don’t think that it’s the fault of the regulars because Smith is just getting better and better and Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvil are also on good form. I just think that some of the stories have been a bit weak.