The Name of the Doctor

"Here I am, late to my own funeral. Glad you could make it."

Writer: Steven Moffat 

Format: TV 

Broadcast: 18th May 2013

Series: 7.13

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara, River

Synopsis 

A prophecy is coming true. The Doctor is summoned to Trenzalore where it was said he would fall. But what does the alleged site of his final battle have to do with the mystery of Clara? Can the Paternoster Gang help him avoid his apparent destiny? 

Verdict 

The Name of the Doctor is just outstanding. It's as simple as that. It holds my favourite ever scene in Doctor Who history prior to the opening credits hitting with the truth about Clara being revealed. She really is the impossible girl. We see her close by nearly every past incarnation of the Doctor at different points in his timeline and we even see her standing there and talking to the First Doctor the day he left Gallifrey with Susan. It's quite incredible to think that. Throw this in with Listen and Clara being under the Doctor's bed when he was child and she's rather been an important character in his life! So, why the random rewatch? After watching Silver Nemesis a few weeks ago with my seven year old cousin, who I have definitely now converted into a fully fledged whovian, he requested me to bring a Seventh Doctor story with the Daleks, which of course would be Remembrance of the Daleks which we did watch (check Wednesday's blog entry), and the Whispermen. I tend to try to lean towards him watching stories I haven't yet blogged (I've seen every story ever so it won't be new for me) but how could I deny him his first a Eleventh Doctor story being arguably his greatest when he alone is the Doctor. He wanted to see the Whispermen on screen due to getting a look at them in Doctor Who Adventures and thanks to that the next requests have been stories to feature the Zygons, and after getting a glance of the Kandyman in my copy of DWM, he now wants to see The Happiness Patrol because he seems to just be loving the Seventh Doctor. His wish is my command but I'll have to purchase the DVD first! He seemed quite surprised that River Song was the Doctor's wife and although this is probably a hard story to gain a first impression on an incarnation of the Doctor, he seemed to quite enjoy Matt Smith. I think with the post-revival Doctors it'll take more than one episode for him to take a shining to that incarnation. But I'm just glad we're getting through them! Just the first five and the eighth incarnations to go now for him. Well, and the War Doctor after getting a sneak preview of him in this story. I just remember watching this story on broadcast, after a heartbreaking Playoff Final defeat for my beloved football club, and I was just left gobsmacked by just about everything this story offered! The opening which I adore. The Doctor leaving Gallifrey (in a faulty TARDIS of course). The Great Intelligence was back for the third time in less than two years and this time he entered the Doctor's timestream and reversed every victory and befriended every friend the Doctor ever made. Now that would be quite the catastrophe! It'd be like Turn Left but on a ridiculously larger scale. The Paternoster Gang were back and my cousin, as I expected, found Strax hilarious. He has of course seen them before in his first ever story, Deep Breath, but the humour here increased his liking of the character. The episode was filled with an abundance of past story references with The Wedding of River Song, The Snowmen, Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead and Asylum of the Daleks all getting credible mentions. The Doctor being cold blood soaked was something you wouldn't expect but after references to Dinosaurs on a Spaceship and The Christmas Invasion, could you really argue? The scene where Clara recalls the events of Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS was quite emotional and set things up ready for the sacrifice Clara would make later in the episode. The Bells of Saint John and The Caves of Androzani also getting mentions was brilliant. The Doctor was dying throughout history. Oh, did I mention that in this episode the Doctor visited his grave? The one place he should never ever go. But with the life of his friends at risk, of course he'd go. The moment with River where they kiss is incredibly emotional and I do hope that the spoilers moment is one day referred back to with the Twelfth Doctor and Clara, even if it's not televised. Clara seeing all the faces of the Doctor makes her quite unprecedented when it comes to companions! There was one face she didn't recognise though. The War Doctor. His arrival had me jaw dropped for six bloody months before The Day of the Doctor was broadcast! My cousin recognised him which I was a little surprised by. Clara defeating the Great Intelligence across time was great and after watching this I think I appreciate Blood and Ice a whole lot more! Overall, it's one of the best ever. But this was purely so my cousin could get his taste of the Whispermen, and I have no complaints. He enjoyed. I enjoyed. 

Rating: 10/10