Vampires of Venice - Jones

Well this was a fast moving and somewhat satisfying episode. Plus very funny. Did I mention the funny?

Loads of stuff here, from the cake at the start to the wit and charm delivered via dialogue for so many, it was almost like Aaron Sorkin or Joss Whedon was writing it. Loads of fast and punchy dialogue, not much of it wasted.

Loads of little things too that made life a little jolly, the William Hartnell library card, the David Tennant throwaways to Casanova, wouldn't want to run into him!

Liked the fact that in the end there was a switch. A switch in the middle of a thunderstorm, on a very high peaked domed Venetian tower, but a switch none the less. No red wire, blue wire nonsense and no sonic screwdriver mystery save.

The boyfriend was good and I liked the fact that he cut through the crap and got to the "people want to impress you' bit.

What I did not like was the gaping holes left by dropping all the interstitial exposition and second unit type scenes. Like there was a cake and a pub and then we're in the TARDIS and the doctor is miffed because Rory did not quote this blog title (I did like that). And then there was a back up generator to the throne, and then all of sudden he knows where it is and then he's on the roof. And suddenly we're on the water and jumping with the fishes, and then there's sword fights and it just feels like it's been edited too harshly.

The cracks are now "the silence" and that is galloping along at a pace, who knows where it will lead but all the signs point to the Doctor being behind it - or at least to blame in some unknown, unwitting way.

I like the season, it's had it's lows (Daleks and Churchill) and highs - gravity shifts in the two-part epic of angels. But overall it's good, better than Tennant's first season so far, better than the awful Martha Jones nonsense. Not quite Eccelston, not quite Donna yet, but getting there at this rate.

Next weeks looks a bit Prisoner, a bit Nightmare on Elm Street, and a bit like an old episode I can't put my finger on...