I liked this episode, though certain things bothered me, like the hitherto unseen TARDIS bluetooth. Lucky he had that bit of brand-new kit on him right when he needed it, eh? I also could gag over the "love saves the day" ending, which, like the Bracewell deactivation, proves that RTD did not corner the market on mawkish non-endings to his plots. Worth noting that both authors came to Who under RTD's reign.
BUT...the rest of it was very enjoyable and quite, quite funny. It's great seeing the Doctor at loose ends in the everyday world. He's fine on an alien planet or chairing an impromptu peace summit, but stick him in a living room and he's utterly lost. If the TARDIS is a device for hopping between genres, the "will-they-or-won't-they flatmates" and the "whacky friend turns loveable schlub's life upside down" domestic comedies are definitely new ones, and as alien to the Doctor as Vortis was to Ian and Barbara.
Oh, and that totally leaves out the flat-mate upstairs. These sequences were very, very effective and creepy. If this thread of the program hadn't been wrapped in sitcom antics, I think it would have been very scary. Alas!
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I actually thought that Next Time preview was a bit much. Usually I tolerate the trailers but this latest one reminded me why I think they should just be done away with altogether.
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I agree, Danny. The "Next Time" trailers this season have been WAY too long, and this was the longest yet. At least RTD kept them short and sweet.
Still, it looks like a fantastic finale. River Song mentioned the Drahvins (from Galaxy 4) among the alien baddies lined up for a shot at the Pandorica. That makes me smile.
