Vampire-fish-things in Venice

Doctor Who has done vampires now. In Venice. It's called 'Vampires in Venice'. They're not really vampires though. Through some sci-fi reasoning that isn't really meant to be understood, they're only aliens that look like vampires. Is this is a bit desperate? Does Doctor Who need to bow to pop culture? This show is pop culture. Anyway, the episode itself is an enjoyable if slightly forgettable run around 19th century Venice, with sword fighting and bell towers and explosions. All good fun, but with one glaring problem that skews the whole episode. In hearing that the 'vampire' stronghold has to be infiltrated, Amy is thrilled at the chance to go in and get bitten. This is obviously what's going to happen, and it's obviously not a good idea. But she's tortured and bitten by the vampires and neither her nor Doctor seem bothered about it. Is it meant to be all part of the fun?

It's an oddly misjudged scene for a show that's usually so careful about what it shows its young audience. Has everyone become de-sensitised to vampires now? Aren't they one of the most violent monsters around? They suck blood out of you. No? Just me then. Aside from this, the episode introduces Amy's boyfriend Rory. Like Mickey that came before him, he's completely overshadowed by the Doctor and is desperate to impress. But there's a genuinely sad side to him. He only wants to be taken seriously by Amy but is almost constantly belittled and patronised. He's the little one that was left behind and resigns to the fact that he may have to give up his fiancé to this time-travelling lunatic. Until he fights a vampire with a broom he isn't worth Amy's attention. This is how things work.

And after all this foreshadowing, the pay-off for these cracks in time had better be really good.