TV

Castle
3x07 Almost Famous
[Watch it (again) on Demand 5.]


Doctor Who
32x04 The Doctor's Wife [2nd watch]

By chance rather than design, #bbbDW50 includes one episode from each of the Eleventh Doctor's series. This episode from 2011 (my God, is it really 2½ years old?!) was hailed as an instant classic by so many -- in part, let's be perfectly honest, because of the hype surrounding its writer. I'm not saying it wouldn't have garnered such love if it had been by anyone else, but... well, it wouldn't have garnered such love, would it?

I didn't fall for it quite so deeply. In fact, I thought it was interesting and fine, but held back by the level of expectation and the consequent, shall we say, "squee"ing over it. (I hate the 'word' "squee", making it perfect for this occasion.) Returning to it for the first time in 2½ years (my God, is it really 2½ years old?!) allows a chance for personal reappraisal.

...but not much has changed. It's a very good episode, and the conceit is a great one, but it's not flawless. House is not as effective an enemy as it feels he/it was imagined to be, and Amy and Rory basically run around corridors just so they have something to do. Similarly, the Doctor and Idris seem to fly their makeshift TARDIS for ages, again in a move that feels time-killing.

Still, the bits that work do work really well, and ultimately it's that sky-high expectation and overreaction from some quarters that can leave the episode to feel underwhelming.


Friends
5x03 The One Hundredth [4th or so watch]


Never Mind the Buzzcocks
27x07 Episode 7
aka The One With Huey Morgan And The Mug.


The Newsroom
2x08 Election Night Part I
2x09 Election Night Part II [season finale]

Good in places, spectacularly mawkish in others. Apparently it is coming back, but this does have the feel of a series finale... while also leaving plenty of doors open.