Doctor Who - Series 7 Part 1 (2012)
We are doing something a little different here. This isn't the first time that "Doctor Who" has split into two separate halves. I usually just deal with the series as a whole. I felt like it was best to deal with each part on their own because they feel like two distinct parts. The first part deals with the Ponds and how they end their time traveling with the Doctor. It's a big moment and these last few episodes deserve their own post. So, let's get right to it.
 |
| This isn't Narnia |
The Doctor continues his holiday literary adventures with "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe." This is the story of Madge Arwell and her children, Lily and Cyril. They have a not great Christmas Eve when Reg, Madge's husband, is shot down over the English Channel. Madge had once helped the Doctor locate the TARDIS, so he decides to help make their Christmas a little brighter. A portal under the Christmas tree eventually leads the Doctor and the rest of the Arwell clan to a snowy world where sentient, humanoid trees need Madge's help to escape the acid rain that is going to start falling on the planet.
This special continues the literary theme that Matt Smith's have had. This one is a play on C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Smith's Christmas specials have been really strong and this one isn't any different. You immediately root for the Ardwell family and the. humanoid trees are interesting pseudo antagonists. It's fitting that these aren't really villains and that Madge is the one to save them. Reg appearing alive and the Doctor spending Christmas with Rory and Amy for the first time in two years is icing on a really delightful cake.
Series 7 begins in earnest with the premiere, "Asylum of the Daleks." The Doctor is called up on by the Daleks to help them. It turns out an planet they use to house Dalek's have gone insane has been hijacked by those insane Daleks. They need the Doctor and his companions to turn off a force field so the planet can be destroyed. While on this asylum planet, the Doctor communicates with Oswin Oswald, a bright young women who crashed on the planet in a luxury space liner. He also learns that Amy and Rory are on the brink of divorce.
This premiere is a nice set up for this last run of episodes featuring the Ponds. The Daleks are classic Who villains and they will always be a part of the show. The issue is keeping them fresh and this episode really does this. The conceit of the Daleks needing the Doctor to help is cool and I liked the Dalek sleeper agents. The twist that Oswin is a Dalek is genuinely surprising and this is a nice little preview of what Jenna Coleman will bring to the show before she makes her full-time companion debut. Erasing all the Dalek's memories of the Doctor is a cool twist and I'm excited to see how that will play out in future episodes. The thing that doesn't work for me is the strife in Amy and Rory's marriage. It seems to come out of nowhere and feels really contrived. Like clearly manufactured drama. The reveal that Amy pushed Rory away because she can't have anymore children and he wants them was weak. Gillan sells the hell out of it, but it's hard for me to believe that Amy wouldn't feel comfortable having a grown-up conversation with Rory about it.
"Dinosaurs On a Spaceship" is exactly what it sounds. The Doctor, the Ponds and bonus companions Nefertiti, big game hunter John Riddell and Rory's dad, Brian head to a satellite that is going to crash land on Earth. It turns out that it's a Silurian ark that houses a lot of exotic creatures including the dinosaurs in the title. It was headed for a new planet until it was high jacked by black market dealer called Solomon who wanted to sell what it was carrying and has now set his sights on Nefertiti.
This is a decent episode. It's standard "Doctor Who" episode-of-the-week stuff, but it's really entertaining. My biggest gripe is that it could have had more dinosaurs in it. I love this relationship that the Doctor and the Ponds have now. Rather than traveling with him consistently for extended periods, he just shows up randomly in their living room and absconds with them and sometimes extended family members. Brian Williams is a nice foil for Rory, even though he is a big stereotypical, stodgy disapproving dad. Extra special to Riann Steele and David Bradley who play Nefertiti and Solomon respectively. This episode also serves as a nice reminder the Doctor is not to be fucked with, as evidenced by having the Earth missiles shot at Solomon's escaping ship.
"A Town Called Mercy" is "Doctor Who" meets "Westworld." In the American West in 1870, there is a town called Mercy. When the TARDIS lands there, they find out that the town's doctor is an alien named Jex who is being hunted by a cyborg gunslinger. The Doctor and his companions initially defend Jex from the gunslinger until it's revealed that Jex and his fellow aliens conscripted men against their will and subjected them to terrible experiments to create these cyborgs in order to win a war. The Doctor is ready to leave Jex to his fate but Amy isn't convinced that the Doctor is in the right. When war is involved do the ends ever justify the means?
The Doctor hasn't had to deal with a thorny moral issue in a while and I can see why they decided this was the right time. Why the Doctor needs companions has been a recurring theme throughout the revival of the series and the answer has always been clear: Companions are the Doctor's moral compass. They help him make the correct decisions. This is the heart of the speech that Amy gives when the Doctor is ready to turn Jex over the gunslinger. It's a great speech and Karen Gillan delivers the hell out of it, but it's a speech we've heard before from everyone from Rose to I believe Donna. I don't necessarily have a problem with the show sort of revisiting these issues, but a lot of times they don't do it in new ways. That's my main issue here. Everything else about the episode I enjoyed. The Doctor in the Old West is a hoot and the gunslinger is pretty cool. It has a nice emotional through line. Again, I just wish that the main conflict between Amy and the Doctor didn't feel so well worn.
The Doctor spends some extended time with the Ponds in "The Power of Three." When black boxes start showing up all around Earth, the Doctor decides to live with Amy and Rory and do some investigating. The Doctor can barely stand a week on Earth and once he learns Kate Stewart, daughter of his friend Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, is the new head of UNIT, he leaves them in charge and Earth. He's gone for a year and in that time good things are happening in Amy and Rory's normal lives and they are contemplating leaving traveling with the Doctor behind. One year after the cubes appeared, they reactivate and start stopping people's hearts. The Doctor returns, but can he revive the one-third of Earth's population that had their hearts stopped?
In the penultimate episode of the Ponds run, they are doing something we've never really seen the Doctor's companions do, think about leaving him of their own free will. It makes sense. Rory's nursing career is taking off, Amy is able to make real relationships with her friends and do friend stuff like be a dependable bridesmaid. The length between the Doctor's visits makes this idea of leaving him even easier. The black boxes are a classic "Doctor Who" misdirect. Just when you think they are harmless, they stop hearts. I loved the sequence at UNIT where they boxes are all doing different weird things. Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) is a great addition and she has an easy chemistry with Matt Smith. I'm excited to see more of her and UNIT. Rory's dad, Brian, continues to be a joy. I loved how seriously he took his direct from the Doctor and him telling the Doctor to keep traveling with Amy and Rory was sweet and ominous at the same time.
The mid-season finale, "The Angels Take Manhattan," also serves as the swan song for the Ponds. While traveling in present day New York, Rory is caught by a Weeping Angel and sent to New York City, 1938. Luckily for the Doctor and Amy, the Melody Malone detective novel the Doctor has been reading was written by River Song and it's based on true events. The Doctor and Amy use River's book to find Rory, but they also find that the Weeping Angels have taken over a hotel and are trapping people there. They are continuously sending people through time to feed on their energy. Rory is next on their hit list. Can the Ponds defeat the Angels and secure their happily ever after?
This is one of my favorite episodes of "Doctor Who" ever. It's also an episode that I may never see again. The whole family is back together again as River joins the Doctor and the Ponds and I always forget how much I miss the energy that Alex Kingston brings to the show until she shows up again. There's a lot of great visual set pieces here. The tortured Angel that traps River. The Statue of Liberty as Weeping Angel. It's thrilling. It's fast paced. It's creepy. But it's the performances that really push this episode into the top tier of "Doctor Who"episodes. Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill rip your heart out on the roof of the hotel. And just when you think the emotions are over, then the final few minutes of the episode. When Rory is taken into the past, Gillan murders everyone with her acting. I could barely see the TV because I was bawling as she first said good-bye to River and then to her Raggedy Doctor. Sure there are some holes. How does anyone know for sure that Amy and Rory will end up together? Did the Doctor really not notice that afterword until the very end. But those are tiny nitpicks. I felt like this was a super satisfying end to the Pond's travels with the Doctor. I'd say it's the most satisfying conclusion to any companion story.
I'm super bummed to see Amy and Rory go. It's always tough when new companions show up and I haven't heard great things about Clara. I'm trying to go into everything with an open mind. I thought Jenna Coleman was super sweet and engaging in her little premiere episode one off. I'll be interested to see if Oswin factors into her time as the new companion. I'll find out soon.
I'd love to hear about other people's love for this little family. It won't be the same, but "Doctor Who" is about change. Let me have it in the comments.
This special continues the literary theme that Matt Smith's have had. This one is a play on C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Smith's Christmas specials have been really strong and this one isn't any different. You immediately root for the Ardwell family and the. humanoid trees are interesting pseudo antagonists. It's fitting that these aren't really villains and that Madge is the one to save them. Reg appearing alive and the Doctor spending Christmas with Rory and Amy for the first time in two years is icing on a really delightful cake.
 |
| Exterminate this marriage. |
This premiere is a nice set up for this last run of episodes featuring the Ponds. The Daleks are classic Who villains and they will always be a part of the show. The issue is keeping them fresh and this episode really does this. The conceit of the Daleks needing the Doctor to help is cool and I liked the Dalek sleeper agents. The twist that Oswin is a Dalek is genuinely surprising and this is a nice little preview of what Jenna Coleman will bring to the show before she makes her full-time companion debut. Erasing all the Dalek's memories of the Doctor is a cool twist and I'm excited to see how that will play out in future episodes. The thing that doesn't work for me is the strife in Amy and Rory's marriage. It seems to come out of nowhere and feels really contrived. Like clearly manufactured drama. The reveal that Amy pushed Rory away because she can't have anymore children and he wants them was weak. Gillan sells the hell out of it, but it's hard for me to believe that Amy wouldn't feel comfortable having a grown-up conversation with Rory about it.
"Dinosaurs On a Spaceship" is exactly what it sounds. The Doctor, the Ponds and bonus companions Nefertiti, big game hunter John Riddell and Rory's dad, Brian head to a satellite that is going to crash land on Earth. It turns out that it's a Silurian ark that houses a lot of exotic creatures including the dinosaurs in the title. It was headed for a new planet until it was high jacked by black market dealer called Solomon who wanted to sell what it was carrying and has now set his sights on Nefertiti.
This is a decent episode. It's standard "Doctor Who" episode-of-the-week stuff, but it's really entertaining. My biggest gripe is that it could have had more dinosaurs in it. I love this relationship that the Doctor and the Ponds have now. Rather than traveling with him consistently for extended periods, he just shows up randomly in their living room and absconds with them and sometimes extended family members. Brian Williams is a nice foil for Rory, even though he is a big stereotypical, stodgy disapproving dad. Extra special to Riann Steele and David Bradley who play Nefertiti and Solomon respectively. This episode also serves as a nice reminder the Doctor is not to be fucked with, as evidenced by having the Earth missiles shot at Solomon's escaping ship.
 |
| Giddy up... er.. Geronimo? |
The Doctor hasn't had to deal with a thorny moral issue in a while and I can see why they decided this was the right time. Why the Doctor needs companions has been a recurring theme throughout the revival of the series and the answer has always been clear: Companions are the Doctor's moral compass. They help him make the correct decisions. This is the heart of the speech that Amy gives when the Doctor is ready to turn Jex over the gunslinger. It's a great speech and Karen Gillan delivers the hell out of it, but it's a speech we've heard before from everyone from Rose to I believe Donna. I don't necessarily have a problem with the show sort of revisiting these issues, but a lot of times they don't do it in new ways. That's my main issue here. Everything else about the episode I enjoyed. The Doctor in the Old West is a hoot and the gunslinger is pretty cool. It has a nice emotional through line. Again, I just wish that the main conflict between Amy and the Doctor didn't feel so well worn.
The Doctor spends some extended time with the Ponds in "The Power of Three." When black boxes start showing up all around Earth, the Doctor decides to live with Amy and Rory and do some investigating. The Doctor can barely stand a week on Earth and once he learns Kate Stewart, daughter of his friend Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, is the new head of UNIT, he leaves them in charge and Earth. He's gone for a year and in that time good things are happening in Amy and Rory's normal lives and they are contemplating leaving traveling with the Doctor behind. One year after the cubes appeared, they reactivate and start stopping people's hearts. The Doctor returns, but can he revive the one-third of Earth's population that had their hearts stopped?
In the penultimate episode of the Ponds run, they are doing something we've never really seen the Doctor's companions do, think about leaving him of their own free will. It makes sense. Rory's nursing career is taking off, Amy is able to make real relationships with her friends and do friend stuff like be a dependable bridesmaid. The length between the Doctor's visits makes this idea of leaving him even easier. The black boxes are a classic "Doctor Who" misdirect. Just when you think they are harmless, they stop hearts. I loved the sequence at UNIT where they boxes are all doing different weird things. Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) is a great addition and she has an easy chemistry with Matt Smith. I'm excited to see more of her and UNIT. Rory's dad, Brian, continues to be a joy. I loved how seriously he took his direct from the Doctor and him telling the Doctor to keep traveling with Amy and Rory was sweet and ominous at the same time.
 |
| Look away! Er... don't blink. |
This is one of my favorite episodes of "Doctor Who" ever. It's also an episode that I may never see again. The whole family is back together again as River joins the Doctor and the Ponds and I always forget how much I miss the energy that Alex Kingston brings to the show until she shows up again. There's a lot of great visual set pieces here. The tortured Angel that traps River. The Statue of Liberty as Weeping Angel. It's thrilling. It's fast paced. It's creepy. But it's the performances that really push this episode into the top tier of "Doctor Who"episodes. Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill rip your heart out on the roof of the hotel. And just when you think the emotions are over, then the final few minutes of the episode. When Rory is taken into the past, Gillan murders everyone with her acting. I could barely see the TV because I was bawling as she first said good-bye to River and then to her Raggedy Doctor. Sure there are some holes. How does anyone know for sure that Amy and Rory will end up together? Did the Doctor really not notice that afterword until the very end. But those are tiny nitpicks. I felt like this was a super satisfying end to the Pond's travels with the Doctor. I'd say it's the most satisfying conclusion to any companion story.
I'm super bummed to see Amy and Rory go. It's always tough when new companions show up and I haven't heard great things about Clara. I'm trying to go into everything with an open mind. I thought Jenna Coleman was super sweet and engaging in her little premiere episode one off. I'll be interested to see if Oswin factors into her time as the new companion. I'll find out soon.
I'd love to hear about other people's love for this little family. It won't be the same, but "Doctor Who" is about change. Let me have it in the comments.
No comments:
Post a Comment