The new "Companion" was first introduced in the first episode of the last of the Amy Pond series...
In that episode, she was portrayed as a humanoid Dalek who didn't know she was a Dalek...
And she died...
Then she re-appears in the Christmas show as a governess in Victorian England....
And she died...
And now she re-appears in contemporary times as a basically typical 21st century 20 something young woman...
And The Doctor is very perplexed and suspicious about this, and tries to sort it out by going back in time to the time her parents (in contemporary times) first met, and checking on various points in her life to make sure that she is who she seems to be...
Which all seems to be on the level, which only makes the question of how she could also be a humanoid Dalek and a woman living more than a 100 years ago, all the more vexing for him...("She's not possible..")
So resolving this puzzle is going to be one of the underlying themes of the new series, which I think adds an interesting twist....
Another recurring theme that's going to run is the presence, (begun first in the Christmas show, and again in the opening new season episode, which sort of tells the audience that this is going to be an ongoing theme) of "Dr. Simeon"...played by Richard E. Grant....
"Simon Marchmont" of Posh Nosh fame.... (I suspect they may have chosen the name "Simeon" as a play on "Simon"...in addition to the ape reference...because that's the sort of playful joke thing that the folks running this production would do....)
This seems like a true bit of inspired casting, because he makes an excellent , deliciously evil Über Villain....
A sort of Moriarty to The Doctor's Holmes...
We haven't seen the last of him....
As for The Companion herself, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman...
Lovely bit of crumpet obviously, but she also brings the kind of saucy feistiness and comedic chops to the role that really shows promise for good chemistry between her and Smith....
Which brings me to Matt Smith....
I didn't hold out a lot of hope for him when I first read about him taking over the role, (I thought he was too young...he was 22...and I was a big David Tennant fan) but I was pleasantly surprised by the way he was able to handle it right out of the gate....He showed more maturity than his age would indicate, and he understood Tennant's popularity, and has given an interpretation to the role very similar to Tennant's...
And over the past couple of years, he's gotten nothing but better....
And with this latest series he really seems to be coming into his own and starting to "own" the role....
I hope he plays the part for another five years...
(Another thing they've done is get him out of his tweed sports coat in favor of a longer sort of purple number, which I believe is an homage to an earlier Doctor, but off hand I can't recall which one)
Which brings me now to the writing, plot development and overall production...
If anything, it's gotten stronger....
You wouldn't think that a show as quirky and eclectic as this one, with a 50 year history could still be fresh, lively and engaging....
But it is...
It's clear that the folks who revived the show a few years ago (everyone involved...the writers, the producers, the directors, the folks responsible for the casting decisions, etc.) and created the high production value version that's on the air today have both great respect and affection for the historical integrity of the franchise, as well as enormous talent in their own right.
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