Doctor Who: 10 Reasons The Rings of Akhaten Is The Best Episode Since The 11th Hour

7. The Monsters

doctorwho_cybermen Recent Moffat-era Who hasn€™t had a great run in terms of their monster choices. Moffat has relied heavily on NuWho standbys such as the Daleks, the Cybermen, and the Weeping Angels; and new creatures, while mildly intriguing, haven€™t made much of a lasting impression (the notable exception here is the Great Intelligence, but it seems we haven€™t seen the last of that one as yet). While it is occasionally exciting to see classic creatures appear, it was time for something fresh and frightening. With this episode, we were given two exciting creatures to combat the Doctor and Clara: The Vigil (who called to mind The Gentlemen from Buffy The Vampire Slayer), put in place to ensure that the Queen of Years was sacrificed, brought a great element of originality and believability to their relatively minor part. The ancient vampire imprisoned behind glass (€˜Grandfather€™s alarm clock€™) was a great bit of creature design and a fitting lead-in to the final villain of them all, The Slumbering God.
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Matt is a freelance writer and aspiring TV and film scriptwriter. He has a bizarrely eclectic skillset, and the interests to match. Find more of his work and ramblings over at the Breakwater Industries page on Facebook. He is a regular contributor to WhatCulture.com, and his work has also appeared in the essay collection "Joss Whedon: The Complete Companion", published by Titan Books.