Television: Doctor Who, "Robot of Sherwood"

This one didn't hold my attention, honestly. It just gave me flashbacks to that episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. "Tonight the role of Worf will be played by the Doctor (who is not a merry man)."

Really, the story (such as it was) was that Clara could pick anywhere and anywhen to go, and she wanted to meet Robin Hood. The Doctor told her Robin Hood was just a legend. But they ended up in Sherwood Forest, facing Robert, Earl of Locksley anyway. A large portion of the episode then revolved around Clara squeeing and the Doctor loudly protesting that Robin could not be real, that there had to be some other explanation.

It was all a bit silly and not entirely engaging. Shame, since it's the kind of thing I would normally enjoy. You know, when done well. But here it felt alternately over the top and pointless.

The sum total of the plot was that alien robots (not-quite-Cybermen) had crash landed while on their way to The Promised Land and were in need of all the gold in the realm to repair their engines. Nottingham was aiding them because they promised land him the kingdom. No Missy this time around, but the nod to "Heaven" or whatever was plenty. One can guess either Nottingham or a few of these robots (or both) might turn up there in the end. Are we building toward some kind of "Judgement Day" in which the Doctor will be put on trial for his "sins"? Since we seem to be asking whether he's a "good man" and all that? (Hmm. Saw something like that on ST:TNG too . . .)

They also seem to like to make much of this new incarnation being old and crotchety. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet.