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patentdragonAll righty then, let's do it...
So there we have it - the "sun" sets on Steven Moffat's first season of Doctor Who, and the wait until Christmas beings. We get some of our much-needed answers - but not ones involving the phrase "Silence will fall", and just why the TARDIS "blew up". There is, however, a reason - I'll be getting to that in a minute.
Overall, the season finale was a good strong episode, more "Who-science" than "let's blow everything up", but I'm thinking we've been led to expect the huge spectacle. Russell T Davis was spoiling us in the past, with things like "Doomsday" and "The Stolen Earth / Journey's End". All genuinely seems lost as "The Big Bang" begins, but gradually an "escape plan" worthy of Michael Schofield (Prison Break) comes together - it's a paradox, there's no denying that (try finding a logical start-point), but reality is coming apart, and in circumstances like that, anything might seem possible...
The first half of the episode is a crazy ride, as the plan to free The Doctor from The Pandorica takes shape, thanks to a whole bunch of time-leaping as The Doctor both secures his own freedom and saves a seemingly-dead Amy Pond. This reviewer simply let it all wash over him, and sat back to enjoy the ride. So sue me - there was A. STONE. DALEK. That, on its own, earns The Moff a "Get Out Of Jail Free" card, and it's not the last.
As I said before, this isn't a shoot-em-up blow-em-up finale - no, it has far more heart than that, as personified by Rory, the "comic relief", as he earns himself a gold-plated "you rule" with a selfless act that possibly surpasses The Doctor's (ooops, getting ahead of myself). In the contracting remnants of reality, he becomes a legend, and rightly so, guarding the Pandorica for two thousand years until it can be opened at the right time. Rory, consider yourself "cool".
Back to the story: The question of just how the Earth managed to survive every star in the universe exploding - bet you all didn't think about that, eh? - is the first to get a truly plot-critical answer, and it's a great one. The Doctor rescues River Song, they just manage to escape the Stone Dalek, River shows just how much "mer-cy" she can show in thoroughly cold-blooded fashion (River's only real stand-out moment in the whole episode), then it's time for goodbyes, as an audacious plan to save the universe goes into effect...
...and then, a rather subdued conclusion, in comparison to what's gone before. You could say that The Doctor's "rewinding" echoes Tennant's prolonged and somewhat contentious pre-regeneration "farewell", but this time, it makes sense. The Doctor is trying to sow the seeds for his own salvation - and at the same time, perhaps explaining all the "lucky breaks" Amy has been having this season, which made me suspect she might be fellow Time-Lord and travelling companion Romana - and her exposure to The Crack over the years enables her to bring our hero back from the abyss, with just the slightest nudge from River. And so, reality is saved, and so is The Doctor... surely all is well with the universe now?
And here comes the real surprise... the story isn't finished yet. Rather than rush everything to a neat conclusion, and bundle away the companions to make way for someone else, The Moff keeps Amy and Rory, the happily-married couple, on board, AND leaves the thread concerning the mystery of the now-never-happened TARDIS explosion hanging for next season! In the last two minutes, the conventions of The RTD Era are swept away - possibly the intention of the whole, rather low-key finale.
I was left initially frowning at the very end - perhaps because one of my predictions totally sank without trace (Romana), and the second will have to wait until next year to be confirmed or denied, but the evidence does seem to support the involvement of someone who knows TARDISes, and who has a grudge against the entire universe... and no, I don't mean The Master.
This definitely requires another watching, and on the whole, I'm satisfied. Stone Daleks and the heroism of Auton-Rory chalked up two big SCOREs - and let's not forget River Song's final words...
Roll on Season Six. Matt Smith is The Doctor, and we are already anxiously waiting for more.
Next: the season review!
Doctor Who 5.13 - The Big Bang
So there we have it - the "sun" sets on Steven Moffat's first season of Doctor Who, and the wait until Christmas beings. We get some of our much-needed answers - but not ones involving the phrase "Silence will fall", and just why the TARDIS "blew up". There is, however, a reason - I'll be getting to that in a minute.
Overall, the season finale was a good strong episode, more "Who-science" than "let's blow everything up", but I'm thinking we've been led to expect the huge spectacle. Russell T Davis was spoiling us in the past, with things like "Doomsday" and "The Stolen Earth / Journey's End". All genuinely seems lost as "The Big Bang" begins, but gradually an "escape plan" worthy of Michael Schofield (Prison Break) comes together - it's a paradox, there's no denying that (try finding a logical start-point), but reality is coming apart, and in circumstances like that, anything might seem possible...
The first half of the episode is a crazy ride, as the plan to free The Doctor from The Pandorica takes shape, thanks to a whole bunch of time-leaping as The Doctor both secures his own freedom and saves a seemingly-dead Amy Pond. This reviewer simply let it all wash over him, and sat back to enjoy the ride. So sue me - there was A. STONE. DALEK. That, on its own, earns The Moff a "Get Out Of Jail Free" card, and it's not the last.
As I said before, this isn't a shoot-em-up blow-em-up finale - no, it has far more heart than that, as personified by Rory, the "comic relief", as he earns himself a gold-plated "you rule" with a selfless act that possibly surpasses The Doctor's (ooops, getting ahead of myself). In the contracting remnants of reality, he becomes a legend, and rightly so, guarding the Pandorica for two thousand years until it can be opened at the right time. Rory, consider yourself "cool".
Back to the story: The question of just how the Earth managed to survive every star in the universe exploding - bet you all didn't think about that, eh? - is the first to get a truly plot-critical answer, and it's a great one. The Doctor rescues River Song, they just manage to escape the Stone Dalek, River shows just how much "mer-cy" she can show in thoroughly cold-blooded fashion (River's only real stand-out moment in the whole episode), then it's time for goodbyes, as an audacious plan to save the universe goes into effect...
...and then, a rather subdued conclusion, in comparison to what's gone before. You could say that The Doctor's "rewinding" echoes Tennant's prolonged and somewhat contentious pre-regeneration "farewell", but this time, it makes sense. The Doctor is trying to sow the seeds for his own salvation - and at the same time, perhaps explaining all the "lucky breaks" Amy has been having this season, which made me suspect she might be fellow Time-Lord and travelling companion Romana - and her exposure to The Crack over the years enables her to bring our hero back from the abyss, with just the slightest nudge from River. And so, reality is saved, and so is The Doctor... surely all is well with the universe now?
And here comes the real surprise... the story isn't finished yet. Rather than rush everything to a neat conclusion, and bundle away the companions to make way for someone else, The Moff keeps Amy and Rory, the happily-married couple, on board, AND leaves the thread concerning the mystery of the now-never-happened TARDIS explosion hanging for next season! In the last two minutes, the conventions of The RTD Era are swept away - possibly the intention of the whole, rather low-key finale.
I was left initially frowning at the very end - perhaps because one of my predictions totally sank without trace (Romana), and the second will have to wait until next year to be confirmed or denied, but the evidence does seem to support the involvement of someone who knows TARDISes, and who has a grudge against the entire universe... and no, I don't mean The Master.
This definitely requires another watching, and on the whole, I'm satisfied. Stone Daleks and the heroism of Auton-Rory chalked up two big SCOREs - and let's not forget River Song's final words...
Roll on Season Six. Matt Smith is The Doctor, and we are already anxiously waiting for more.
Score: 8/10
Next: the season review!
