What immediately stands out in this episode is the excellent cinematography of the opening sequence. Filmed on location, this period piece looks amazing. Especially impressive is the initial fight sequence between the said quarterstaff-bearing Scottish kung-fu monks and the custodians of the Torchwood manor. There was even a wire-based slow-motion flip sequence that was particularly stunning. Even if it feels completely out of place, it sure looks cool.

Also impressive is the CGI work used for the werewolf. Anyone who has previously complained about the special effects for the show being sub-par only need to look at this episode to see what is likely to be the best visual effects work to come out of British television. While it's not quite Gollum quality, the werewolf transformation was definitely up there with anything we see in a Hollywood blockbuster.

So, the episode looked great - what about the story? Well, this is where things don't hold up so well. There were a few exciting moments, but the overall episode didn't feel as satisfying as it should have. Just like the zombie bits from the previous episode, the werewolf chase sequences felt slightly out of place for a Doctor Who episode.

Queen Victoria's decision to banish the Doctor and Rose from the British Empire felt a bit abrupt too, especially because she does it immediately after knighting the duo. One could conclude that the motivation for the banishment came from her concern about the Doctor "consorting with stars and magic." It probably seemed unnatural to her and she didn't want the Empire to have anything to do with it. Cleverly picking up from a thread placed during the "Christmas Invasion" episode, we find out about the origins of the Torchwood Institute. It seems that the queen establishes the extra-terrestrial and supernatural investigation and research institute after the events of this episode.

SCI FI Channel

It should be noted that a Doctor Who spin-off series aptly titled Torchwood is set to air on the BBC this month, and will chronicle the activities of the Torchwood Institute and will feature some crossover between both shows. This surely means that we'll be hearing more about the Torchwood Institute in later episodes this season.

Another interesting thread established this episode is Rose's apparent connection to the werewolves. Before its release, the human form of the werewolf mentions that he sensed a bit of the wolf in her. It will be especially interesting to see if this connection is further examined in a future episode.

Overall, "Tooth and Claw" was a fairly entertaining hour of entertainment. David Tennant continues to impress as the eccentric Time Lord, and he seems to be very comfortable in this role. In addition to some seriously witty dialogue, the writers also managed to cleverly tie in to the season premiere by showing the origin of the Torchwood Institute. While some of the story elements felt out of place, the episode was visually stunning, and the special effects were quite impressive. "Tooth and Claw" is certainly worth watching, but don't expect it to be as exhilarating as the season premiere.