The Doctor is in (your TV)

By Rose Graner
Entertainment Editor
and Abby Watkins
News Editor

The sixth season of the British series “Doctor Who” began Saturday with the episode “The Impossible Astronaut.” The premiere gives longtime fans hope that showrunner Steven Moffat will continue the standard of quality he established after taking over last season.

“Doctor Who” began in 1963 and has played sporadically since then. The current series began in 2005 and the main character, the Doctor, has been played by Matt Smith since season five. The plot of “Who” follows the time-traveling Doctor’s misadventures through space and time.

The premiere episode was a gripping, inscrutable hourlong adventure. In the first 10 minutes, the Doctor himself was killed. Now, typically, his death warrants anticipatory curiosity rather than outright concern, because the Doctor’s mind can be “regenerated” into a new body.

In this episode, however, Smith’s Doctor is killed while regenerating, halting the process entirely. Surprisingly, the Doctor that is killed is in a version from several hundred years into the future; the Doctor whose storyline runs concurrent with the other characters is alive and well and turns up barely five minutes after the other is killed, prompting an investigation into the identity of his killer and how to potentially stop his death.

In fact, the episode as a whole demonstrates the best aspects of Moffat’s storytelling. His propensity for disturbing monsters whose abilities are based on the power of perception continued with his introduction of the “Silence,” alien-like creatures who can only be remembered as long as they are seen by their victims.

This creates a nice sense of continuity between Moffat’s seasons, something that is not always commonplace in a show whose cast and writers are constantly changing.

The new season also represents something new for Doctor Who: the introduction of a married couple as lead characters. Amy Pond (Karen Gillian), who traveled with the Doctor throughout the previous season, married longtime love interest Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) in the finale.

As a result, Rory has been promoted from supporting role to regular character. Considering that most companions are female and usually end up falling in love with the Doctor, it’s refreshing to have that storyline off limits.

By setting up an intriguing season-long arc with “The Impossible Astronaut,” Moffat ensures that season six of “Doctor Who” will be quality and sets a precedent for years to come. “Doctor Who” airs on BBC America at 9 p.m on Saturdays.