1)Ah, it's the Victorian Odd Squad again. While I like the characters, they're a little bit too "public" for believability's sake. Also, Strax the Comedy Sontaran is amusing, but onyl in small doses, please.
3)It takes awhile for the Doctor to even show up in this!
4)"I once spent a hlle of a long time trying to get a gobby Australian to Heathrow Airport." One Tegan reference.
5)"Brave heart, Clara." And another.
6)I did enjoy how the made the flahback look sort of like an old movie.
7)"There's trouble at mill." I suspect that there's alot of humor at the expense of "the North" that goes right over my head.
8)"I'm the Doctor, you're nuts, and I'm going to stop you."
9)"Die, you freaks!" I've heard that more than once.
Cliffhanger: Clara's little friends rumble to the fac tthat she's a time traveler. Really? That's you first assumption when you find some pictures on-line that look like your friend? That they're a time traveler?
Overall: Another good story. Smith's "Frankenstein" bit was amusing.
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I recently finished re-watching most of the new series (including all the Matt Smith episodes) in order, and have even more recently begun re-watching Fourth Doctor episodes starting midway through Tom Baker’s tenure. Quite frequently while watching the new series, nearly every episode in fact, I get the impression that RTD or SM is putting his spin on a theme or element of the original show. (I wish I had been keeping track.) For example, this episode seems almost like a pilot for a “Victorian Odd Squad” spin-off, but it reminds me quite a bit of the Victorian setting of “The Talons of Weng-Chiang.” I think the trio of characters is Steven Moffat’s “take” on an updated version of Jago & Litefoot.
I reallly like the Talons of Weng-Chiang. If it wasn't for all the racism, it would be a near perfect story. Crimson Horror has its moments, but it doesn't live up to that standrad--although I do think the producers were trying to do a Robert Holmes type of thing. The theatrical back stage bits in Weng-Chiang are what made it so good. Crimson Horror doesn't give us such a delightful setting.
My real problem with Crimson Horror is Mrs. Peel. I had a big crush on Mrs. Peel when I was a kid and I always want to think of her that way. I realize how unfair this is--but there's no reasoning with childhood memories.
But I enjoyed all the other bits with Jenny, Vastra, Strax and Clara.
My recollection is in this one the Doctor flubs things at the climax by premature grandstanding and Strax saves the day.
I'm sad to have to pass on news of the passing of Dame Diana Rigg, who played Mrs. Gillyflower, in this episode and who is perhaps best remembered as Emma Peel in The Avengers, Sydney Newman's second most famous show.