Doctor Who: Aliens of London Rewatch

July 16, 2014 5:54 AM - Season 1, Episode 4

The Doctor accidentally returns Rose to London a year too late, but get's away with it because everyone is distracted by a spaceship crashing into Big Ben.

This episode features:

Harriet Jones and her ID card.
Tedious Fart Jokes
The first reference to the Doctors age{900} (since Time and the Rani{953})

posted by Just this guy, y'know (8 comments total)

Harriet Jones and her ID card.

Yes, I know who she is.
posted by Servo5678 at 11:57 AM on July 16, 2014 [9 favorites]

These monsters and the farting/pigs/human suit plot are the low point of the first series of Nu Who, to my eyes. Still, the episode does have its moments, Harriet Jones among them.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:27 PM on July 16, 2014

I love how The Doctor orders the soldiers around and they kind of shrug and do what he says.
posted by ob1quixote at 12:34 PM on July 16, 2014

Everything about the Slitheen is, er, not good, but I do like Rose suddenly finding herself out of time, and the exploration of how the Doctor and British government see each other.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 1:21 PM on July 16, 2014

There is some great dialogue here and there, including the first appearance of this ongoing bit:

Mickey Smith: I bet you don't even remember my name.
The Doctor: Ricky.
Mickey Smith: It's Mickey.
The Doctor: No, it's Ricky.
Mickey Smith: I think I know my own name.
The Doctor: You think you know your own name? How stupid are you?

posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:48 PM on July 16, 2014 [2 favorites]

I was thinking of trying to do recaps every Wednesday, how would that be?

The new Capaldi ones can stand separate as First Watch threads.
That way the rewatch thread can saunter along and we'll be well into Capaldi's third year by the time we catch up.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 2:11 PM on July 16, 2014

Every Wednesday sounds good to me. Thanks for doing this, Just this guy, y'know.

It was great having Penelope Wilton in Doctor Who.

And Jackie continuing to harass Mickey despite him being questioned several times by the police and cleared, is just something Jackie would do. It fits the character.
posted by cwest at 9:38 PM on July 16, 2014 [1 favorite]

This was the episode that nearly killed my interest in Doctor Who. Farting aliens. Really.

But Harriet Jones saved it for me. So plucky and determined, I love her and still blame 10's undermining of her for the rise of Saxon whatsisface.
posted by harriet vane at 12:14 AM on July 22, 2014 [1 favorite]