Thoughts on Doctor Who: The Impossible astronaut (SPOILERS AHEAD)

What to say about this year's start to Doctor Who? Well, it's creepy. It's also formulaic in its opening, reminding us of several past episodes so far. This seems to be a style Steven Moffat likes to go for. However he also seems to take cues from classic Who. I'll explain as I go...  

The premise of this episode concerns the Silent, an alien race with hostile intentions who manage to be scary in a way the Daleks aren't. Daleks are - for me - not scary at all.  They are intimidating by virtue of their ruthlessness and utter disregard for life.  The Silent seem to present a more realistic fear. 

A fear of the unknown that makes us think of the last 60 years of stories concerning UFO sightings and alien encounters.   

The fact that we only catch them in glimpses, just as the protagonists only catch sight of them briefly in the corner of their eye, makes this episode work incredibly well. No one can remember what they look like, a form of amnesia induced by the aliens themselves, and this is something that gives as even more reason to be afraid. 

We only catch them in glimpses and we can't remember them, yet they've been with us for a long time. Only the Weeping Angels can match that scare factor.

Mark Sheppard lends his gravelly voice to yet another popular sci fi series

What did I mean by formulaic opening? This episode opens up in a way that is all too familiar, not from the Doctor's perspective but from other peoples. Remember "Vampires of Venice" or "The Time of Angels" and you'll understand. This isn't a problem, just as long as it's done sparingly. Not that previous writers/directors in the span of 50 years of the show have never done this. 

Overall, a fine start.