"This is my timey-wimey detector. It goes 'ding' when there's stuff"
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 9th June 2007
EPISODE NUMBER: Season 3, Episode 10
WRITTEN BY: Steven Moffat
Blink owes much of its existence to the considerably less popular Love And Monsters, from season 2. The episode may have had many flaws but introduced an interesting idea...the concept of a non-Doctor centric had potential. Coming in between a wave of formulaic episodes, it felt very fresh. Blink took the early promise and ironed out the creases to present one of the best episodes of the series.
The lead role goes to Carey Mulligan, a fantastic young actress who has now gone over to Hollywood and is receiving Oscar nominations. The plot is also a nice change of pace, as Sally Sparrow tries to piece together the nature of the Angels, the mysterious Doctor and how she fits into their plans. And Moffat's writing shows just why he was given the job as showrunner after season 4.
The Doctor is nothing without his enemies, and the monster design of the Angels was excellent. So many Doctor Who monsters look outdated...sorry, "classic". The Angels were refreshingly modern. They had an interesting and unique backstory - they don't kill people, but send them back in time. (Of course, the emotional impact from their victims isn't lost. The scene where Sally visits a Policeman as an old man is very moving, as they were never allowed to spend any time together.) They're also very scary.
The scares of the episode are mainly due to the expert direction of Hettie MacDonald, who manages to create the impression of the statues moving even when they're not. Close-up shots rack of the tension as the characters try to avoid blinking. The scene near the climax with the Angels getting closer and closer in the flickering light is a very effective scene.
You'll never look at a statue the same way again.
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