Poll: Rate & Review Let's Kill Hitler

[Twisted-Sister]

I have gone with a four. It was a great return and the character stuff was really good to see, but there were too many things that felt a bit jammed in. The robot stuff didn't really make sense, the German stuff could have taken place anywhere so I am not really sure why we were even there because nothing to do with the setting was really even used and I didn't buy how calm Amy and Rory were about their baby being missing. It was more like they had lost a wallet or something.

I did really enjoy all the River stuff though and I thought the dialogue and banter between the characters was excellent. I enjoyed the overall story but the niggles I did have made me take a point off

[Vampyros Adric]

This was a really tough one to mark. It had all the elements to make it a real hit... but for me it fell a little short. It was like a recipe with lovely ingredients but the final product didn't quite work. Like TS, I didn't get the Robot business and the German idea was such a brilliant concept yet almost completely wasted (there was a real opportunity to explore the "Would you actually kill Hitler" idea and that was totally missed). I also found the dropping in of "Mels" at the beginning as being a little banal and the whole idea that Amy keeps meeting her daughter and not recognising her just strikes me as discordant.

On the positive side, as always Matt Smith was peerless and the consistency of his performances are truly remarkable. Alex Kingston ripped large chunks out of the script and really got stuck in. I also thought Karen Gillen and Arthur Darvill had a lovely chemistry and the difference between s5 Amy and s6 Amy is astonishing. I loved the regeneration(s) and its always a treat to see Amelia.

On balance I went for a 3 but actually i would score it as 3.5. It is not quite in the top echelon but a very enjoyable romp. Its just a shame that the elements didn't quite gel for me.

[Tardis-Console]

I went with a five. The German set stuff was pointless and not a lot was going on in terms of action, but I sort of appreciate that and I think the fact it focused more on the people made it better.

[Joshua]

I'm undecided. On one hand, it was really fantastically acted by Matt and Alex.

On the other, more timey-wimey with Melody's name p***ed me off and I didn't like that the episode title was a complete red herring. And the robot people ... what?

But before I rate, I need to rewatch

[Vampyros Adric]

I watched this again last night and I will say, it has definitely improved - if i was marking afresh I would give a four and not a three. Though I do think my initial complaints are still valid, it is one of those episodes (for me at least) where you get so much more on the second viewing.

My overarching concern (and it is not unique to this episode) is the lack of accessibility for new/casual viewers. This story - and certainly the dramatic impact of the ending - would make very little sense if you were not intimately familiar with all of season 6 and a good dollop of season 5. One of the mainstays of the Doctor Who viewing audience is the casual viewer who doesn't really like Sci-fi but will tune in to Doctor Who for a good old romp. Is there a danger of creating a show that is exclusive and so reliant on back-referencing that a large number of people who would normally watch will be switching over because they don't have a clue what is going on?

Like I said, this is a concern and not a criticism. I personally love the way season 6 has shaped up - it has produced some of the best stories I have ever seen and Matt Smith has been sublime. The interwoven nature of the plot has been wonderful for me - but as you all have guessed by now, I am a bit odd and I just hope it works as well for those who are not quite as 'Who' obsessed as I am

[Joshua]

My overarching concern (and it is not unique to this episode) is the lack of accessibility for new/casual viewers. This story - and certainly the dramatic impact of the ending - would make very little sense if you were not intimately familiar with all of season 6 and a good dollop of season 5. One of the mainstays of the Doctor Who viewing audience is the casual viewer who doesn't really like Sci-fi but will tune in to Doctor Who for a good old romp. Is there a danger of creating a show that is exclusive and so reliant on back-referencing that a large number of people who would normally watch will be switching over because they don't have a clue what is going on?

That was my thoughts too - if I wasn't an obsessed viewer, I would have little idea what was going on. The overall story this year is so complex (not a complaint) but that opens itself up to a lot of inconsistencies which we've all discussed here on the forum, not to mention baffling the casual viewer.

[Peri-Peri]

It definately needs to lay off some of the more involved storylines because I really think it would put people off from tuning in. This latest episode had a 'previously on' at the beginning but I don't think it was enough to keep the casual or brand new viewer up to speed. We had a similar issue with a certain 3 initialed showrunner in the 80's and look what happened then....

[Vampyros Adric]

I think the ship has sailed for season 6 and we are in full blown story arc mode right through to The Wedding of River Song (although the next couple of stories look like good old fashioned slices of Doctor Who)

This isn't any form of criticism on my behalf. This is shaping up to be my very favourite season for a very long time because it is so rewarding and has so many layers. It is more a practical concern about the viability of the show as mainstream family viewing. I think recent comments by the Moff indicate a return to the more episodic style for future seasons of Who. So perhaps he also realises things have gone to far.

[The Doc]

I went with a four, though I very nearly voted a 3. There were some great elements to it and Matt and Alex were brilliant, but all the different aspects of the story didn't really gel together that well for me and there were a few things that I felt were a bit wasted, like the opportunity to use Hitler and the robot people, who also needed more of an explanation. It was a good episode, but not the mind blowing return I had hoped for

[TheDoctorDonna]

I went with a four. It went a bit mad in the middle and the robot stuff baffled me but the character stuff, as others have said, was more than worth it. I don't think we needed to wait 3 months for it, but I wasn't unhappy with what we got.

[chrissymarieb]

I went with a 3.  Overall it was a fun episode and Matt and Alex were just amazing in what they did with their roles.  But as some others have said here, I just thought that there was too much stuff crammed into the episode.  Yes, a lot of questions were answered and yes, many questions were raised.  But there was so much extraneous stuff being fired at the viewer so rapidly that I felt it was a bit distracting. 

[Sandiwich11]

A 5 from me, absolutely loved it

[Tardis-Console]

I've watched it a few times now and I think perhaps would probably now give it a four rather than a five. It's not that it is less enjoyable, but more that the faults with it seem more evident now and the stuff with the robot is still annoying me

[Joshua]

I've gone for a 3. I don't love it, but I certainly don't hate it.