Doctor Who: The Time of Angels

River Song's an archaeologist, right? I figure that's a good enough excuse to blog any episode she happens to be in!

Actually, she wasn't the only Pop Classics-y reference here - 'Octavian' is apparently a sacred name in the future. Interesting choice, since its best known as the name Augustus had during his cold-blooded killer phase, before he decided to revamp his image. But then, 'sacred' seems to mean something rather different here - it's as if the Salvation Army have suddenly gone very, very literal. I must confess, I really didn't take to the Christian army ranks. This is partly because I was really, really hoping that now that Russel T Davies has left, the series would leave religion and religious imagery alone for a while, since he really over-did it, and partly because all I could see any time anyone said 'Bishop' was this. They might as well have called themselves the Spanish Inquisition.

I do like the Future!Army guys though. Always good to see some army guys, even if they might as well all have been wearing red shirts.

River Song just gets more and more awesome. I'm honestly not sure whether 'hallucinogenic lipstick' is the silliest thing I've ever heard, or the most awesome weapon since Drusilla's fingernails, but I do like the way she was given an opportunity to strut her stuff in fancy evening wear as well as run around in fatigues. I personally may be a classicist/ancient historian rather than an archaeologist, but I think we all share a fondness for getting all dressed up from time to time, as well as for running around ancient sites in an old T-shirt. I liked the museum as well. I've been to several historical exhibits in churches so that made sense and it looked gorgeous, and I love that the Doctor wanders around museums looking for his own stuff - wouldn't we all do that, if we had the chance!

Nice use of time travel from the Structure King again (go back and watch Coupling - Moffat just loves to play with structure. It's his favourite thing). Though I have to confess, when River jumped out of the spaceship, I half expected her to be picked up twenty-nine seconds later and dumped on the pier at Southend.

All in all, not the best episode ever - like the previous episodes this series, it's a bit messy in places - but pretty good, looking forward to next week. And someone, please, give Amy a decent top to go with her tiny, tiny skirt.

Edited to add: Amy thinking her arm was stone was a bit odd, since Karen Gillan was 'The Fires of Pompeii'. Bit too similar there, took me out of the episode a bit. But I guess that would only bother super-geeks like me!