2.7 - The Idiot's Lantern

I have no idea why this episode is so unpopular. I found it really fun, well acted and with some spooky elements to enjoy. It is not the greatest story and is not necessarily the most convincing idea if you analyse it but it is internally logical and entertaining. I thought the boy was very well acted and an endearing character and the 1950s setting was a nice aspect. The humour is excellent and there are nice touches to the script. Overall a good, very solid episode.

My rating: 8/10

Incredibly dull. Boring villian, boring plot, boring acting. It's just so boring.

I don't know what to say. This story has a good idea but is lost in the middle of good stories. If it was written by somebody else it could have been better but Gatiss don't know how to create good characters.

The Doctor, why did he take this haircut for this episode ? He look like the bad guy of the episode. He don't do anything so interesting he just beat the villain, use his screwdriver and save the world.

Rose is useless and irittating like always. I want to burn her because she's so arrogant and think she's the most important girl in the episode. No Rose, you're not. You spend half the episode without your face.

The idea and the setting of the story would've been good if it was used with a better story. I was bored quickly after the beginning and all the characters are blank (like their faces). They aren't memorables, I've even forget their names.

The ennemy is just an old guy who sold TV and possessed by a mad woman trapped in the TV. The woman only want to eat and that's all. She's only here for one reason: this is Dr who and we need a villain.

So Gatiss made something you'll forget easily and at this state I understand why Gatiss stop to hire him for the two next series.

A decidedly mixed story. The monster of the week is somewhat mediocre, although with just enough over the top maniacal laughter to not be boring. The main plot is often upstaged by a tyrannical abusive father whose relationship with his family is only tangentially linked to the strange goings on.

On the other hand, there's the Doctor and Rose who succeed in making the episode watchable. They're enjoying each other's company, and playing off each other but it feels more natural and comfortable than in prior episodes. Rose takes a strong role in investigating and finding the source of the occurrence and the Doctor is a charismatic dynamo in the second half of the story.

Overall, it's an okay episode and better than the similarly themed, "Fear Her,"