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Doctor Who Season 5 Episode 9

Cold Blood (2)

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8.4

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AIRED: 5/29/10

The Doctor must face his most difficult challenge yet. It is a battle in which he cannot take sides and a day when nobody must die…

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (7)

Cold Blood

10

By TrueTvWatcher, Dec 02, 2012

Cold Blood was a perfect follow up to the episode " The Hungry Earth". I really enjoyed watching because the story was awesome, the acting was superb and the action was fun and exciting. It was great to see more of the world below and more of its inhabitants. I liked what was learned about them and their dynamics were intriguing. The characters were interesting and I liked how every thing played out. The ending was awesome and it would be cool to see these characters again one day. The ending was also sad and mysterious. I look forward to watching what happens next!!!!!!!!!moreless
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I always thought it would be the Americans who would piss of Mother Earth, but then I read what BP is doing …and I though Thank God it wasn't us!

6.0

By Dunga103, Dec 12, 2011

Last week the Doctor and his gang come across a drilling crew in the middle of nowhere who decide to drill as deep as they can into the Earth's core for no apparent reason other then that the surface has blue grass growing on it. The smart and sane would test the soil or the grass first but hey, this is Doctor Who, and when did the British ever make any sense?

Anyway somewhere after passing the 21 kilometers the drill disturbs the peaceful slumber of some very pissed of humanoid reptilians who want the Earth back from apes…err Humans. Humans acting like the predictable ways they always do, aggravate the situation just when there is the possibility of peace with the reptiles, who then threaten to go to war, and wipe the surface of the ape infestation (thinking about it, they were right, we are an infestation). Normally that would have been good riddance but unfortunately for the reptiles the Doctor is there to prevent that and then the real drama begins.

Remember that stupid crack in the wall? Well its back again all the way down in the Earth's core of all places. So anyway the Doctor has about 10 seconds left to leave the Earth's core but instead telling everybody to get inside the TARDIS he decides to spew some meaningless crap and gets someone killed….and I was like wow, here was a potentially exciting episode (not as lame as the rest of the episodes so far) AND the writers decide to press the snooze button! I mean, was that really necessary?moreless
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The plot thickens...

8.5

By noelveiga, May 07, 2011

I confess there is still a weird emotional disconnect between me and this take on Doctor Who. Eccleston and Tennant drew me in perfectly, even back in the day Baker did the same, and it was the effects and the camp on the stories that sometimes kicked me out.

Here the effects aren't as much of an issue. I believed the Silurians and, man, that scarfaced one did look cool and mean. The emotional side, though, the angst caused by the terrible, terrible things that routinely happen in Doctor Who... well, it's a bit off.

That being said, I can't really object to the plot. While still a little short on actual action and developments, the pieces all align very well and when things do happen they have significance. Also, the ongoing season-wide plot is starting to go to places that I like. While in previous Whos we only got foreshadowing about a story that developed entirely in the season finale, things are happening throughout the season now in a more TV-like way. It has pros and cons. On the one hand, the mystery is actually engaging, unlike the whole Saxon or Bad Wold business, and after this episode's revelation I'm really interested to find out what it's all building up to. On the other hand, it detracts from the self-conclusive adventure feel of the show. For instance, Rory's apparent death and consumption by the crack in this episode felt less relevant, mostly because it was framed and presented in a way that clearly conveys that it will play a part towards the end of the season and we may very well see Rory again.

Which is also a problem with the increased focus on time travel. If you let timey-wimey (man, I hate quoting that meme) stuff get too integral to the show you risk the emotional engagement. Consequences are needed, and watching Rory die just to come back at a later date severely diminished the punch that danger has always packed in Doctor Who.

Overall, not terrible, actually quite entertaining but showing red flags that might become a problem later on. Much in line with what I've been saying of the entire season so far.moreless
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Co-exestence nagotiations, a Coup De Ta lurking in the shadows, a bloodthristy duo wanting war, and an even dangerous threat soon to arrive, can the Doctor bring about a peaceful treaty with the Silurians and the Humans?moreless

7.0

By 10thdoctorfan, Mar 25, 2011

With the following episode, this story is much better. There's less drawing out the tension for WHO is the enemy here, but now it's pretty clear who the SHARED enemy is for Silurians and Humans; the sisters Restac and Alaya.

The reason behind the bodies in the cemetary vanishing is revealed; Malokeh's excavating them to find out mroe about human anatimy, even living vivisections performed on Mo. Well, gaining info in the pursuit of science is a good cuase, but what he's been doing, ugh. A bit sickening to think your dearly departed relatives had the bodies unwillingly donated to Silurian science.moreless
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Return to its classic roots.

9.0

By AgentAlbertross, Sep 15, 2010

I enjoyed this two parter as it was a return to the classic roots of Doctor Who by reintroducing the Silurians. Both episodes were very watchable and the plot was believable with a nice update from the original 3rd Doctor series in that we can now see & believe that the Silurians are an advanced race of reptiles. My only disappointment was that they didn't have their 3rd eye - a vital part missing from their design as the original Silurains used it quite a bit. This new breed of Silurians do look the business now though and not just an actor in a rubber suit.

It was nice that the writer provided the continuity of what the Silurians were still striving for - to claim the planet from the apes that now own it, although I felt he should have gave the Doctor a comment to say about the dangers drilling too far into the earths crust. (see the Jon Pertwee Episode Inferno) On a end note is it me or has the writer got something against women? All the female roles are the antagonist in these two episodes. The female Silurian wants to envoke a war and kills Amy's boyfriend. The human female kills another Silurian and during the negotiatons its the human female that's against reptiles living on earth again.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Matt Smith (VI)	The Eleventh Doctor
Karen Gillan	Amy Pond

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Neve McIntosh	Alaya/Restac	Guest Star
Meera Syal	Nasreen Chaudhry	Guest Star
Robert Pugh	Tony Mack	Guest Star
Arthur Darvill	Rory	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- After his near-lethal "decontamination", the Doctor asks for a piece of celery. The Fifth Doctor wore a piece of celery on his shirt, claiming it had great restorative abilities.
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QUOTES (8)
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- Eldane: This is the story of our planet. Earth. Of the day a thousand years past when when we came to share it with the race known as humanity. It is the story of the Doctor, who helped our races find common ground, and the terrible losses he suffered. It is the story of our past, and must never be forgotten.
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- Restac: Do you understand who we are?
  Rory: Sort of. A bit. Not really.
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- The Doctor: There are fixed points through time where things must always stay the way they are. This is not one of them. This is an opportunity. A temporal tipping point. Whatever happens today will change future events. Create its own time line, its own reality. The future pivots around you, here, now. So do good. For humanity, and for Earth.
  Amy: Right. No pressure there, then.
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- The Doctor: Okay. Bringing things to order. The first meeting of representatives of the human race and homo reptilia is now in session. Ha! Never said that before. That's fab. Carry on.
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- Amy: You'll end up killing your own people.
  Eldane: Only those foolish enough to follow Restac.
  The Doctor: Eldane, are you sure about this?
  Eldane: My priority is my race's survival. The Earth isn't ready for us to return yet.
  The Doctor: No.
  Amy: Ten minutes, Doctor.
  The Doctor: But maybe it should be.
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- Elliot: But where are we?
  Mo: Well, I've got to be honest with you, son. We're in the centre of the Earth and there are lizard men.
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- Amy: Okay, sorry. As rescues go, it didn't live up to it's potential.
  The Doctor: I'm glad you're okay.
  Amy: Me too!
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- Rory: Amy, I thought I'd lost you.
  Amy: What, 'cause I got sucked into the Earth? You're so clingy.
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NOTES (1)
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- International Air Dates:
  United States: 19 June 2010
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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