"Doctor Who" Watch: "The Bells of St. John" (S7E07)

The Bells of St. John
Written by: Stephen Moffat

And the doctor is back! This season continues the theme of one-off episodes, but we have a new thread, that of Clara, the impossible girl. We find the doctor ruminating in 1207 about her, when his TARDIS rings, and it's Clara on the other line. The doctor rushes there to find her, but she's zapped by a spoonhead. Why? For clicking the wi-fi, specifically ┓┏ 凵 =╱⊿┌┬┐. Don't click! The doctor brings her back, albeit temporarily, before she's taken again. The culprit is the great intelligence again, back from The Snowmen. The doctor saves the day, and invites Clara to travel with him, which she declines, to accept another day. 

After last year's heavy themed River Song and death of the doctor storyline, I'm not as big a fan of this looser arc. I'm glad at least the mystery of Clara is an ongoing link between episodes. Both this and The Snowmen had some filler scenes, I felt. Like, when the doctor's changing, or riding on the bike with Clara. But overall, it was an inventive episode. I wish the great intelligence wasn't utilized, in favor of an enemy that could be perhaps a new, long-lasting enemy like the weeping angel aliens. But overall, still a good story. I'm cautiously optimistic for the rest of the series. I just hope the silence and River storylines don't fall to the wayside. 

Next week: Egyptian stuff in space?