Executive producer Steven Moffat sees through the legacy and weight of almost a half-century's worth of stories and adventures, and finds the heart and soul of Doctor Who - its simple ability for an eccentric time traveler to connect with you through a television screen. Whether telling a little girl that "everything will be fine", imploring with her older self to trust him "for just twenty minutes", or ordering an armada of alien ships to flee with just a single word, Matt Smith embodies (and builds on) everything we've come to love and expect from the Doctor. There are certain elements of David Tennant's acting to Smith's performance, but given that the Doctor has just regenerated, and that this is the first episode of the season, I don't think it will be a problem. It's too early to see where Matt Smith will take his Doctor, but it seems clear that he is enjoying himself, and that Steven Moffat has big things planned for this new era of Doctor Who.

Karen Gillan appears to relish the role of the Doctor's companion and foil; she's not as enamored with him as his last three major companions were; she interrogates him when she first meets him; she accuses him of abandoning her after he promised to come back to her; she's forced to confess to a little old lady that she is not quite a policewoman, or a nurse, or a nun; she cautiously demands of the Doctor "Where?" after he invites her to travel with him; and has a twinkle in her eye when the Doctor changes into his new clothes right in front of her. Gillan does the wide-eyed stare of horror/amazement a bit too often (not when she watches the Doctor change), but this will probably recede as the season continues. 

Rory (Arthur Darvill) appears as Amy's somewhat-boyfriend, and is instrumental in helping the Doctor flush Prisoner Zero out into the open. He also provides most of the comic relief for the episode, but his similarities to Noel Clarke's character Mickey are disconcerting. The dramatic reveal in the closing moments of the episode makes one wonder if Rory will be again be the lost cause in the eternal triangle; but again, these are yet early days. Things might (and probably will) change for Rory's return appearances later in the season. 

The only thing that didn't work for me in this episode was the mysterious phrase spoken by Prisoner Zero - "the Pandorica will open and silence will fall". It's very much in the vein of the previous keywords scattered throughout Russell T. Davies' tenure as Doctor Who lead writer (such as "Bad Wolf", "the Medusa Cascade", and "he will knock four times"). While those prophecies built up to satisfying and epic conclusions, as I'm sure will happen this season, "the Pandorica will open and silence will fall" feels like we're rehashing old ground. It felt like, "What, more cryptic messages? Again?" It had all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, and maybe a something a bit more obtuse might have worked better. Of course, these are but early days for Moffat's first series as executive producer, and I might yet eat my words once we see the fall of silence. 

Towards the end of the episode, we see a montage of all the actors to have played the Doctor. As Tennant's Doctor looks up at the camera, Matt Smith walks through the image, bow-tie and all, and announces his arrival at the Doctor. It's an alternately sly and strong way of establishing Smith among the pantheon of Doctors, this twenty-seven year old man playing a character over 900 years old. For an introductory episode, and the first of a new series, new actors and new showrunner, "The Eleventh Hour" hits all the right buttons. It will satisfy fans (both new and old), and has enough fun and action to please casual viewers. Most of all, it promises and assures that with Steven Moffat and Matt Smith, Doctor Who is in good hands (with lots of fingers).