This way to squee!

[tardis_stowaway]

Vampires of Venice is my new favorite S5 episode.  Having vampires gave it an automatic +1 for me, but this episode was awesome in so many ways.  First and foremost, RORY!  I think I may have to grow a binary vascular system to encompass how much I *heart* him.  He leaves adorable messages on Amy's voicemail and does his homework on the crazy science involved with the Doctor!  He runs around Venice in a shirt with his face on it and then rocks the period costume!  He perceives the way the Doctor can be a bad influence on people and says it to the Doctor's face, but doesn't let resentment or attitude get in the way of getting the job done!  He comes prepared with a flashlight and useful nursing skills!  He fights a friggin' vampire with a broom and some laundry, then helps Amy while she slays it with a mirror!  His awesomeness makes me use lots and lots of exclamation points!!!!1!1! 

Eleven might have been a huge jerkface toward Rory initially, but he also wore awesome steampunk goggles while working on the TARDIS.  Goggles!  Plus, I laughed so hard when he popped out of the cake.  The jumping up and down squeeing about vampires with Amy was also quite adorable.  Also adorable in an ouch-my-brain sort of way:  "think of the children!" 

As high as the squee factor was, I also liked the serious stuff between the aliens and the Doctor.  The vampire space fish were trying to do a monstrous thing, but not just for eeevil or even profit.  Many humans would probably do the same thing if the last of our kind were forced onto an alien world and had to destroy a city and kill some aliens to ensure the survival of our species (see The Beast Below).  I liked the way the leader (Rosanna?) tried to play off the Doctor's last of the time lords issues. 

This episode was gorgeous to look at, funny, thoughtful, low on plot holes, well-acted by both regulars and guests, and all around fantastic.  All of the characters got to be useful.  Eleven out of eleven!  

Comments

[skalja.livejournal.com]

What you said, and also:

- I love that Nine had his companions, but Eleven is one of Amy's boys with Rory. It's an interesting character contrast.

- THE LIBRARY CARD. OMG.

[tardis-stowaway.livejournal.com]

To a certain extent, one could refer to Nine and Jack as Rose's boys (if Rose said jump, they would argue but eventually come around to asking "how high?"), but that's not the dominant dynamic as it is with Eleven and Rory as Amy's boys.

Hartnell library card FTW!

[skalja.livejournal.com]

Yeah, each person had importance in the Nine/Rose/Jack dynamic (which I hope will eventually also apply to the Eleven/Amy/Rory relationship as well), but there was a very clear-cut boss and that was Nine. This time, the Doctor is nominally the leader but as far as the emotional/relationship aspect goes, Amy's in charge.

It's also just really nice to have two Companions again -- correcting for differences in writing style/skill over the years, I think the show's more interesting when there are at least two Companions. Add one more character and have three times the relationships to develop!

I need a Hartnell icon, hmm.

[kaydeefalls.livejournal.com]

RORY. OH MY GOODNESS. SO MUCH WIN.

Also, awkwardtastic Doctor at Stag Party made me LOL a lot. :D

[tardis-stowaway.livejournal.com]

CAPSLOCK PARTY OF RORY LOVE!!!

The Doctor was indeed hilariously awkwardtastic. Eventually it even got through his thick Time Lord skull that he ought to be embarrassed, which really takes monumental awkwardness.