'The Wedding of River Song' Review

'Doctor Who' Series 6 Episode 13 - 'The Wedding of River Song'

Written by Steven Moffat - Directed by Jeremy Webb

So, here we are, the end of another series of our beloved 'Doctor Who'. It's been an incredible, complex and slightly disjointed journey and one which no fan wants to end, but hold back the tears and that sinking feeling of having to put up with mindless reality television every Saturday night from now on and let's assess tonight's finale. GERONIMO! 

Plot Outline:

April 22nd 2011 - The day of The Doctor's death. The location - Lake Silencio, Utah. The time - 5:02pm. This is the moment that has been waiting for him and the single thing even he cannot avoid. This is where 'Silence Will Fall'.

 Regular readers will know that I had quite a few problems with the mid-series finale 'A Good Man Goes to War' and indeed with having the mid-series break in general. The single thing one prayed was for 'The Wedding of River Song' not to replicate the disappointment and mistakes of episode 7 and with great relief it didn't. However, there were certainly some problems which I want to get out in the open now.

 Firstly, in regards to the series overall, it was not as consistent as series 5 and I truly believe this is because of the break. It made series 6 feel like two mini-series' rather than a complete package. It also made many episodes - amazing ones at that, seem utterly redundant; in fact the only episodes from the first half which truly impacted on the finale was 'The Impossible Astronaut'/'Day of the Moon' and 'A Good Man Goes to War'. 

Series 5 had a beautifully constructed continuity with the crack in Amy's wall amongst over things whilst 2011's adventures seemed fairly fragmented. That's not to say series 6 was bad, far from it - it featured 3 incredible episodes and a handful of brilliant ones, but it just didn't live up to it's predecessor.  

 'TWORS' sadly felt rushed in certain areas and did not allow enough time to build tension and momentum - this I believe is due to only issuing 45 minutes to a story which had so much heft and plot points to tie. It simply wasn't enough - it should have been a two-parter or at least an hour in length. Finally, the last complaint lies with Moffat and his 'promises'. Audiences were supposed to have everything tied up and understood; nothing left at a loose end. Yes, we found out a few things, but information regarding The Silence is still aloof as well as other important plot points. It's a real shame and a bit of a cheek in all honesty.

 So far you are probably thinking this is a one star review right? Well no, it's certainly not because despite it's flaws, 'TWORS' was a greatly entertaining and thrilling final episode which boasted fantastic performances, terrific action and beautiful dialogue from Moffat's superb script.

 The visuals were incredibly striking throughout - from the eerie hall of water tanks filled with the dreaded Silence, to the hilariously endearing futuristic London and Cairo - A pyramid with the USA flag and 'Area 52' slapped across it's side was amongst the highlights. Webb's direction was also fantastic and presented clear uses of advance camera movements and techniques. Dramatic close-ups and drifting wide angles were a-plenty here.

 Despite one's niggles with the series' linear narrative wrap-up in total, as in individual script, 'TWORS' was a success. As previously mentioned, the dialogue was excellent; "Texting and Scones" will become an infinitely quoted 'Who' line, plus the cross-cutting nature of the episode was engaging and gripping, and the big reveals were handled with great skill and tremendous execution from the TARDIS gang. Plus seeing Mark Gatiss pop up as Gantok was great and death by staving skulls was just genius.

 As the series closes, audiences now know why River Song is in prison and who she killed, and fully understood the elements to The Doctor and her's mismatched timeline - whilst he's 'dead' in one timeline, she is meeting him at the Byzantium in another. It also made use of the Teselecta from 'Let's Kill Hitler' which happened to become a major plot point - something which I did not imagine and was pleasantly surprised by. Fans also learnt about the mysterious eye-patch or 'Eye-Drive' which is a device worn when surrounded by The Silence in order for one to remember seeing them; a smart and intriguing concept from Moffat.

 As usual, Smith was electric here and gave a stunning performance. The sequences between him and River in the final moments were sublime and drenched with emotion. Alex Kingston was also fantastic and owned the screen in the scenes she featured. Gillan and Darvill were both brilliant too and had amusingly awkward chemistry. Rory's Silence Soldier referring to Amy as 'Ma'am' was funny stuff.

 So in summary, The Doctor's final outing in series 6 was a mixed bag, but I generally believe there was more sweet than sour offerings here and I'm pleased the series has ended on a higher note. With Claire Skinner ('Outnumbered') signed for the Christmas special and rumours that it will be based on C.S Lewis' 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe', there's plenty to get excited about over the next few months and the release of the new Adventure Game, 'The Gunpowder Plot' will hopefully ease some pain whilst waiting for December. Once Series 6 Part 2 is released on DVD and Blu-Ray, I'll spend a day watching them one by one and see just how much difference the break made, but at this current stage in space and time, I believe it made a significant difference and I sincerely hope Moffat does not choose to do it again...

'Closing Time' Review

'Doctor Who' Series 6 Episode 12 - 'Closing Time'

Written by Gareth Roberts - Directed by Steve Hughes

In Series 5, we were all treated to a wonderfully funny and refreshing episode from Gareth Roberts called 'The Lodger' which starred James Corden alongside our favourite Time Lord. Now we are lucky enough to see the twosome join up again in Series 6's penultimate episode, 'Closing Time', but after such a strong streak of great episodes in the second half of this series, will this episode join the list of hits, or fizzle out rather than bang?

Plot Outline:

It's 200 years later and tomorrow The Doctor will face his inevitable fate so he decides to visit his old friend Craig. After noticing strange disappearance stories in the local paper, the pair investigate along with Craig's young son Alfie. Soon it's revealed the Cybermen are back, and they won't leave quietly.

 After some strong emotional heft from the last two episodes, 'Closing Time' offered some of that great 'Who' wit we all cherish. Roberts' script is pin-pointed and smothered in brilliant humour making Smith and Corden a timeless double-act; a time-travelling Morecambe and Wise if you will. At points, one's sides were splitting at the great comedy that ensued throughout the episode and it was a great feeling with knowing what is round the corner for the Gallifreyan. Co-workers thinking the pair were a couple and The Doctor speaking 'baby' to Alfie (or has he wonderfully calls 'Stormaggedon') were amongst the comedic highlights.

 Much like in 'The Lodger', Roberts' story side-swipes Amy and Rory leaving The Doctor and Craig as the single driving forces. In the duo's previous outing, Amy was stuck in the TARDIS in a different time stream whilst here she happens to be famous and has her own fragrance on sale at the shop The Doctor decides to get a job in. There is a beautiful moment where The Doctor sees Amy's face on an advertisement billboard and Hughes camera angle makes it look like she's still watching over her Raggedy man. The product's strap-line is also "For girls who are tired of waiting" which is rather cool in my books.

 But aside from all the laughs and the usual companion alienation, 'Closing Time' offered the Eleventh Doctor his first proper Cyberman story. Although the robots have appeared in episodes with him ('The Pandorica Opens', 'A Good Man Goes to War' ect.), there hasn't been a good old fashioned tale with my favourite villains as the 'monster of the week' since Tennant's Tenth Doc. 

 Here the Cybermen are 'building' underneath a large department store and taking employees and stripping them of the emotions as they put them in that infamous armour; all in a normal day's work for the cyborgs. However, in this episode audiences are presented by Cybermats - small rodent-like robots which can bite and can lead victims to the Cybermen. The Doctor has faced these pests in the past, in fact they first appeared alongside the Second Doctor in 'The Tomb of the Cybermen' but these up-to-date Cybermats look sleek and creepy. It was great to see Roberts bring back a past, and perhaps forgotten element of the 'Who' world.

 The performances were equally brilliant - as previously mentioned, Smith and Corden have such electric chemistry together; they feel like they have been partners and best of friends for years even though they have only met twice. The thing that made 'The Lodger' so special was trying to see The Doctor adapt to 'normal' human life - seeing a man so intelligent having trouble brushing his teeth and showering was timeless, and a similar format applies here. The Doctor's job in a toy department was quite frankly amazing and both leads were tremendous here.

So in answer to my earlier question, 'Closing Time' snuggles in nicely to the winning streak of Series 6 and what really bumped up tonight's episode was that ending. River, The Silence, The Diary, The Impossible Astronaut, THAT CREEPY SONG. If those two minutes have not wetted your appetite dramatically for 'The Wedding of River Song' then nothing will, and I for one cannot wait to RSVP my invitation...

'The Girl Who Waited' Review

'Doctor Who' Series 6 Episode 10 - 'The Girl Who Waited'

Written by Tom MacRae - Directed by Nick Hurran

I've made no secret about my hopes for this episode, in fact it's been my most anticipated of the sixth series. My favourite episode of last year's series was the fabulous 'Amy's Choice' so the thought of another Pond-centred tale excited me beyond belief, but were my expectations met?

Plot Outline:

The TARDIS arrives on the planet Appalachia; a place The Doctor has told Amy and Rory is wonderful. However, on arrival the trio are welcomed to sheer white emptiness. It's soon revealed that Appalachia is a therapy facility in which the ill come to stay and eventually die. Amy unfortunately manages to lock herself into a different time stream to The Doctor and Rory which begins an eventful and emotional ride which is a struggle to overcome.

 'Doctor Who' is that rare television show that still after all these years, is able to shift and side-swipe it's audience. You could be thinking one thing but actually it's something entirely different. This is one of the areas where the show strives and 'The Girl Who Waited' re-enforces this idea completely. 

 What starts out as a intriguing Sci-Fi plot soon turns into a gripping, taut and harrowing exhibition of love, human rights and equality. Nothing is as it seems and consequently the plot reflects this to the viewer. One moment you could be laughing at another classic line from Rory before being shot back down to reality by an emotional bullet to the heart making this 45 minute tale is an extraordinary example of scripting, performing and above all else, television.

 Some of the show's best episodes have been 'Doctor-light' such as 'Blink' and 'The Girl Who Waited' rightfully joins that list. That's not to say The Doctor being absent is better, far from it and he is certainly more frequent here than in 'Blink', but it's nice to see that previous Cyberman writer Tom MacRae focused his story on Amy and Rory. It's rare to have two companions who are so intrinsically detailed and designed so it makes sense to give them an episode to express that, and what a better way of digging deep into a character's psyche than to have the particular character in question meet an older version of themselves?

 Old Amy had been through so much in her 36 years alone and isolated in her long-lost time stream - she has spent her days hiding and fighting off the 'friendly' Handbots and hoping that Rory and The Doctor would save her. Once Rory finds her, she is devoid of emotion and pity, and unsurprisingly has a sheer hatred of our Gallifreyan hero. The contrast between the Amy Pond we know and love, and the fearless and tormented elderly version forces an incredible weight onto Rory and indeed the viewers. Old Amy has basically lived her life for death, and for young Amy to be saved would shift her timeline once again causing the older version to have never existed. 36 years of solitude just to be wiped out for 'another' version of yourself is a heavy and monumentally unfair burden to face. 

 The gravity of Amy and Rory's situation is enormous and tests their relationship greatly, and it's here where 'The Girl Who Waited' shines brighter than the piercing white light from The Interface. Karen Gillan's performance is simply spellbinding - it's easily her best to date, and considering she's always great, this episode is proof of just how talented she is. Playing both young and old Amy, she snatches every scene and performs with heartfelt emotion, edge and grit, and believability. It was stunning to watch her act so fabulously. Arthur Darvill was exceptional too and nailed the tough decisions he must make for his 'wives'. The sequence at the TARDIS door was the most honestly affecting and powerful scene of 2011 without a doubt and that's not just in 'Doctor Who' - that's the most powerful moment in the year's general TV viewing. Darvill's stress and pity struck such a chord with the viewer - easily enough to make a grown man cry. Smith was very good as ever but as I previously mentioned, this was the Pond's hour and what a magnificently fine hour it was.

 My original hopes for this episode were certainly met and quickly surpassed making 'The Girl Who Waited' the best episode of Series 6 by a country mile. Television rarely meets these heights and manages to blow one away so dramatically. It was visually beautiful in it's set design, detail and production, narratively beautiful with it's perfect scripting, formatting and developing and painstakingly beautiful from the incredibly moving and satisfying performances. If anybody thought this would just be a 'filler episode', I bet they are eating their hats right now. The Handbots frequently exclaimed "This is a kindness!" and they were right; it was incredibly kind of MacRae and the 'Doctor Who' team to give the world this masterpiece.

Moffat's Web Wars...

Since becoming the 'Doctor Who' showrunner, Steven Moffat has had to deal with a fairly large amount of angry customers. Firstly 'fans' moaned about Smith, then at the newly designed Daleks, followed by the decision to split Series 6 into two parts, followed again by the 'forcing' of River Song and now because of the 'over-complexities' of the current series. 

 Through the magic of the internet, it's incredibly simple to voice your opinion about something and it's just as easy to gain a response. Thanks to Moffat's frequently active Twitter page, he has been subjected to a tyrant of rather cruel and undeserving comments and suggestions from supposed 'fans' of the show. The website Digital Spy released an article about this over the weekend (which Moffat himself has said to ignore as it is just "spin"), but it does highlight his emotions to those causing him this extra grief. 

 It was claimed that one Twitter follower threatened to "beat him up" which again is not the full truth, in fact the follower in question, Faz (@TheFarran) posted this:

Since he made this comment, he has made a lengthy apology to Moffat and can understand why his remark was misconstrued. Ultimately though the underlying point is why bother making such ridiculous comments in the first place? Moffat is a screenwriter for a television show; that is his job, so why should users or 'fans' question that? If you are unhappy with the current direction of show, simply do not watch it, or alternatively, watch and then constructively criticize - write academically or at least sensibly with no foul language and make you opinion heard as well as being equally valid. 

 Moffat has complained at the language he has been subjected too which is also inexcusable. Calling somebody the 'C' word is never nice regardless of whether it is in person or not. It's quite simple that those who are making these remarks are not fans of the show; sure there are episodes which I think are weaker than others and indeed some that are just plain bad, but I certainly wouldn't then jump online and start shouting and swearing about it like some squared-eyed Neanderthal. 

 What Moffat has done with the last two series' of 'Doctor Who' is simply magnificent - to create Saturday teatime television that doesn't spoon-feed the viewer and actually requires some audience involvement and brain activity is revolutionary, and even better, the original core heart of the show is as present as it was through the RTD era and so on. Moffat's passion for the show gleams through his own works and reflects greatly upon the fellow contributing writers, and this passion is actively and beautifully portrayed through the electric cast.    

 We love 'Doctor Who' because of it's endless imagination, it's consistent intrigue, it's impossible beauty and it's craftsmanship. We love it because it's Sci-Fi with a heart, with emotion and with humour. It's the ultimate package - what other show can take viewers each week to a different point in all of space and time? The answer is simply none, so why do a few individuals feel they have the right to bash the man who is keeping this show for what it is and in all it's irrevocable glory? 

 I adore Moffat's writing and I believe his talents are reflected in all of his projects, and it angers me to think that people have the right to be so nasty about somebody purely based on their work. They need to grow up and learn that it is unacceptable to treat people in this manor.

Mad Man, Blue Box backs Steven Moffat all the way.

By Chris Haydon