Doctor Who: Season 1, Episode 1: Rose review

Doctor Who: Season 1, Episode 1: Rose

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After hearing so many people talk about it, and seeing that it was on Netflix's instant watch, I decided to finally check out Dr. Who
While comic relief is hit or miss, I think they succeeded here and it added a certain charm to the episode as a whole

- by David Finniss
  
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  After hearing so many people talk about it, and seeing that it was on Netflix’s instant watch, I decided to finally check out Dr. Who. I managed to catch an episode on BBC a while back and it piqued my interest, so I decided to start from the “beginning” and watch it all the way through as I was doing with Babylon 5 (yes, I will get back into that show too, I know I’ve been slacking on tht front).
  
  As the show’s been going on for decades now, some may feel intimidated by the mythos of the show. You really needn’t be. This relaunch allows viewers to get introduced to the concept without being bogged down by the franchise’s history.
  
  Our audience identifier is Rose. We don’t really get a lot of info on Rose here. We know that she
  works (well, worked) at a department store and she has a boyfriend. Her life gets derailed when she is attacked by some living mannequins in said department store basement.
  
  It’s here where she meets the enigmatic doctor, played by Christopher Eccleston. I wasn’t sure how he would fare (the one episode I’ve seen was a Matt Smith episode), but he worked out pretty well. You could tell that Eccleston was having fun in the role, taking it seriously, but always having the doctor strut around with a beaming smile on his face.
  
  The doctor’s not exactly personable, in fact he doesn’t think much of humans at all, but he still sticks his neck out for them when things get bad. Rose learns that this doctor is actually an alien who uses his advanced technology to travel around space and time.
  
  This episode was ...
- self contained and, outside of Rose agreeing to travel with the Doctor, there doesn’t seem to be an overarching story. Even so, this episode still had a fairly large plot as the Doctor is pit against a sentient being that wants to take control of the Earth. It’s made clear that the threat is far bigger than walking mannequins, though when they do run rampant they prove to be a serious threat in their own right.
  
  I was a bit worried when Rose’s boyfriend was eaten by the trashcan. I’m not one to call foul over every little thing, but having the black boyfriend die in the first episode is a case of “dead bro walking” that’s hard to dismiss. Luckily, the story averts that trope.
  
  I was also surprised by the humor element. I knew that it was a science
  fiction serial and that it was relatively light hearted, but the writers were sure to throw in some jokes and witty back and forth to add to the enjoyment. While comic relief is hit or miss, I think they succeeded here and it added a certain charm to the episode as a whole.
  
  All in all, it’s a pilot episode. It introduces you to the characters and story, setting the stage for the series as a whole. It does that job rather well. If you’re unfamiliar with Dr. Who, this eases you into the series premise and lets you know what the deal is with all of the bizarre elements of the show. It does what it’s supposed to do and grabs viewers attention so that they tune in for the next episode. On that front, the show worked in spades.

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