Day 755 - Blink

" The Lonely Assassins, that's what they used to be called. No one quite knows where they came from, but they're as old as the Universe, or very nearly. And they have survived this long because they have the most perfect defence system ever evolved. They are Quantum Locked. They don't exist when they are being observed. The moment they are seen by any other living creature they freeze into rock. No choice, it's a fact of their biology. In the sight of any living thing, they literally turn into stone. And you can't kill a stone. Of course, a stone can't kill you either, but then you turn your head away. Then you blink. Then, oh yes, it can."

Steven Moffat creates a terrifying new monster for the new generation of Doctor Who fans, the weeping angels!

This story is pretty much perfect. It's an episode I would happily show to someone who had never seen Doctor Who before as an example of how awesome the show can be. Each season tends to have an episode which does dot feature to much of the Doctor in order that the filming schedules can be completed and in some ways you would think that this would be a detriment to the show but on the contrary it allows them to come up with great ideas like this one.

The hero of the story is a young woman called Sally Sparrow who finds herself getting involved with the sinister weeping angels. These statues cannot move whilst they are being observed but as soon as you look away or blink then they'll get you! The way they kill their victims is also an interesting thing. They send you back in time and effectively let you live to death. This is what has happened to the Doctor and Martha and now they are cut off from the TARDIS and need Sally's help to prevent the angels getting their hands on it.

Some of the writing is just beautiful. After meeting a young police office called Billy, the very next time Sally sees him is as a dying old man in a hospital after the angels have zapped him back in time. He has a message for Sally from the Doctor but has been told that the only time he will see her again is the day he dies. Sally says she will stay with him to which he replies "Thank you Sally Sparrow, I have until the rain stops". Simple and beautiful.