241. (7.11) The Crimson Horror

The Crimson Horror is a slightly strange story as the Doctor doesn't show up until halfway through. It sees the return of Madame Vastra, Jennie and Strax, investigating missing persons in the north country. Which leads us to the legendary Dame Diana Rigg and her real life daughter playing her daughter. Seems as though Diana is having a bit of a renaissance with turns on Game of Thrones and Doctor Who. She's a wonderfully crazy villain. And you really feel the suffering of her daughter under her mother's abusive care. The true villain of the piece is a bit of a surprise but gets what it deserves in the end. The mystery of who Clara is continues...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crimson_Horror

240. (7.10) Journey to the Center of the TARDIS

Despite the odd beginning of this episode, it actually turns out to be quite good. From the moment the title of the episode was announced, I was quite excited to see what it held for us. I instantly started thinking of the classic Hartell story The Edge of Destruction, the only story to ever be completely confined to the TARDIS and was a psychological thriller. While this was only 95% confined to the TARDIS, it was thrilling just the same. There are many Easter Eggs packed into this one, with the TARDIS producing past Doctor's voices from past adventures. We also are shown previously unseen rooms, chock full of treats- the Book at the Time War being the biggest tease. The B-story line with the three co-stars is quite superfluous but seeing so much more of the new TARDIS console room is a treat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_the_Centre_of_the_TARDIS

239. (7.9) Hide

Half of this story is good and interesting. The other half is a little weird and confusing. The premise of a ghost buster story is fine and setting it in the 1970's is an interesting choice. The sci-fi twist of the truth of who and what the ghost is plays well for a Doctor Who story. The odd inclusion of the "monster" alien in love the Doctor helps to reunite with its mate just doesn't seem to work for me. But all in all, a decent story and it's always nice to see Dougray Scott in anything. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hide_(Doctor_Who)

238. (7.8) Cold War

The Ice Warriors return! Yeah! The Doctor and Clara are trapped on a submarine! Yeah! Guest stars galore! Yeah! It was a welcomed treat to see the Ice Warriors again after decades off the screen. And it's not just that they're back,we're given  something new and previously unknown to us. The revelation that the Ice Warriors wears cybernetic suits and that they're a skinny Martian lizard inside. It's a creepy base under siege by unseen menace with excellent production values. The resolution is sound and the promise of a bigger return gets me even more excited.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_War_(Doctor_Who)

237. (7.7) The Rings of Akhaten

For the obligatory new-companion's-first-trip-in-the-TARDIS, we get a kind of boring tale. I thought Amy Pond's first trip to the Beast Below was bad, but this is even more uninteresting. Rose's first trip to the End of the World still stands at the best of the new series. Martha and Donna both had historicals that were both wonderful. So I really hate to say this story is at the bottom of the list, especially after the super last episodes. Some of the elements of the story are interesting but it doesn't feel cohesive and it feels tired and unoriginal. Moffat loves having little kids, especially little girls, be the conduit for his stories and we get another one her, just like in the Beast Below. Yawn. Overall just an average story.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rings_of_Akhaten

236. (7.6) The Bells of Saint John

We are now treated to a third introduction to Clara Oswin Oswald! Having teased her out of this season, this is the "real" thing. This is one of the freshest, most energetic episodes in a long time and as an introductory story, if feels very original and is not easily compared to any of the previous. I personally loved all the location shooting in London, and it felt like a return to old form for the show. Jenna-Louise debuts her third incarnation of her character, the most contemporary of the three, and instantly sparks off of Matt. The mystery of her existence has been seeded and will pay off with dividends as the season goes on. The return of the Great Intelligence, again, so soon after their return last episode is a welcomed treat. All in all, a great kick off to the second half of this season and we're left saying "Amy who?".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bells_of_Saint_John

235. (7.Y) The Snowmen

Matt Smith's Christmas episodes have been a bit of a mixed bag. Not that they're bad and not to keep comparing them to David Tennant's specials, they're just different. Usually they're a nice bookend to the season that pretty much stands alone. This year's Christmas special falls in the middle of the season, serving as a bridge between the Amy era and the Clara era while continuing to develop the mystery of "Who Is Clara?".

Right off the bat, we're introduced to Clara Oswald, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman, who we saw back at the beginning of the season in the Asylum of the Daleks. But she died there. How can she be here too? Is she a bartender? Is she a governess? Why is she changing clothes in the back of carriage? So many questions!

Richard E. Grant is a marvelous villain. Ian McKellen is a wonderful voice of the Great Intelligence. Shark-toothed snowmen eating people are amazing. And the return of the Great Intelligence is a fabulous 50th anniversary treat, that connects to their previous 2nd Doctor appearances. The story is chocked full of goodness.

The unexpected demise of Clara at the end and her uttering "Run you cleaver boy and remember." amps up Clara's mystery. Much in the same way Moffat played out the mystery of "Who is River Song?", he now introduces us to "Who is Clara?" that promises a nice payoff. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Snowmen