Blink Still Terrifies: How the Doctor Who Episode Introduced the Weeping Angels and Reinvented TV Horror
“Blink” is a 2007 episode of the modern-era Doctor Who (Series 3, episode 10), written by Steven Moffat and directed by Hettie MacDonald. It stars Carey Mulligan as Sally Sparrow and features David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. The episode is best known for introducing the Weeping Angels, a villain whose mechanics and scares are central to the story.
What is “Blink” about
The plot centers on Sally Sparrow (Carey Mulligan), who explores an abandoned house and finds her name written beneath loose wallpaper. Later, she discovers a message playing on a television from the Doctor (David Tennant). The Doctor gives an urgent warning: “Listen, your life could depend on this,” and he tells viewers, “Don’t blink. Don’t even blink. Blink and you’re dead.” The story runs about 45 minutes and largely follows Sally’s efforts to understand the warning and avoid the threat.
The Weeping Angels explained
The episode introduces the Weeping Angels: stone angel sculptures that are *quantum-locked* when observed. In other words, they cannot move while someone is looking at them. However, they can move between blinks — a split second is enough for them to change position. As the Doctor also says in the episode: “They are fast,” and, “Faster than you can believe. Don’t turn your back, don’t look away, and don’t blink.”
How the Angels kill (canonical mechanics)
In the show, the Angels do not simply inflict conventional physical damage. Instead, they send victims back in time and feed off the potential temporal energy of the life the victim would have lived. This method of attack is established in the episode and is referenced in later stories featuring the Angels.
Episode reception and awards
“Blink” received wide attention for its horror approach and for writing that limited the Doctor’s screen time. It won the 2008 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. Carey Mulligan’s performance as Sally Sparrow attracted notice; she later starred in the film Promising Young Woman (2019). Critics and audiences regularly cite this episode when discussing standout Doctor Who installments.
Later appearances of the Angels
The Weeping Angels returned in multiple Doctor Who episodes after their debut. Notable follow-ups include “The Time of Angels”, “Flesh and Stone”, “The Angels Take Manhattan”, “The Time of the Doctor”, and “Village of the Angels”. Later stories expand the Angels’ abilities and introduce smaller, cherub-like versions often referred to as Baby Angels.
Where to watch
The modern-era seasons of Doctor Who have moved between several streaming services. Previously, seasons have appeared on Netflix and HBO Max, and Disney+ currently holds the latest two seasons and some specials in certain regions. For U.S. viewers who want to own this specific episode, you can buy the episode via Amazon or purchase it through Apple.
Also, this episode is often included in Halloween or horror episode roundups; for example, Polygon has run seasonal features that include “Blink.”
