DW Review: Series 7, Episode 1: "Asylum of the Daleks"

Freaking baller! Moffat manages to surprise us in this episode, in a way I truly didn't ever see coming. I'm so glad I avoided spoilers for this episode, because the entire time, I was left wondering if my suspicions were correct. I'm not the best at facial recognition, but I seriously thought that looked like Clara at the start. Maybe not right away, but a few minutes into it. And as she revealed more about what a genius hacker she was, I was becoming more and more suspicious that it really was her. And finally, in the end credits, we see that it was indeed Jenna Louise-Coleman playing her. What a way to introduce the new companion. And rather sad, as I assume this is the end of her story, and we're gonna see how it began with the doctor earlier on. Did she know him? Probably, but I can't wait to find out more. And if this is a hint of things to come with their relationship, I'm liking it so far. Almost a match intellectually with the doctor, not a young girl pining for her imaginary friend. Don't get me wrong, Amy is fantastic and is my favorite companion, but change isn't a bad thing.

The episode itself was decent. Not nearly as stellar a series opener as The Eleventh Hour or The Impossible Astronaut, but I suppose the entire episode was constructed around a different purpose. Not to introduce a new doctor, or set up a series-long arc, but to introduce us to a new companion. And, the echo of "doctor who" at the end, mirroring the end of The Wedding of River Song, was a nice touch. I wonder if that's the real question; what if everyone forgets the doctor? Is that why the question is asked? And why is the doctor running from it? I can't wait to hopefully find out these answers.

Clara has such a strong personality. She knows about how much hatred the daleks have for the doctor, I'd imagine. I wonder if she somehow summoned him to the planet itself, or was it really the daleks who did it? And those dalek-human hybrids were cool, and although a bit odd (and thus very DW-ish), I'm glad the daleks are being updated to something a bit more overtly scary. Although, I think the scariest things about the dalek is their very nature; no fear, pure love for hatred, no mercy.

I was hoping we'd see River here, but alas, no such thing. Which is odd, because if I remember right, River was in every Moffat-scripted episode since he started running the show. I do hope we see her in this first half of the series. As for Amy and Rory's marital issues, it links in well with the end of Pond Life, and as to why Amy was so upset. I also like how they focused on how much Amy personally sacrificed, letting Rory go. And also, how the events of Demon's Run continue to plague her life. I wonder why the doctor left them back home at the end, though. Is he going to keep picking them up for each adventure this half-series? Because in the trailers, it seems in A Town Called Mercy, Amy hasn't seen the doctor in a while.... again.

The new credits are a bit.... odd. I'm not a fan of the blurred TARDIS and wormhole. The appearance of the names looks nice, but the new DW symbol looks a bit weird. A bit old-school, though, so maybe they're giving a 50th anniversary vibe. 

Moffat finds new ways to surprise us, and I'm so thrilled and surprised with how he did it here, with Clara. Next week looks very meh, from the preview to the title, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship. I feel like the next two episodes will be standalones, but I guess I'm really waiting to see what Moffat does with the Ponds' departure. Clara! Things are looking good for the rest of the season, albeit not the same arc-style storyline as last time, if this episode is any indication.