Rory's Story

"I was killed by a Silurian and stopped existing completely."

Writer: Neil Gaiman

Format: Short Story

Released: 11 April 2020

Series: #DoctorWhoLockdown

Featuring: Rory

Synopsis

It's 1946. Eight years after he was sent back in time by the Weeping Angels, Rory Williams is dictating his biography...

Verdict

Rory's Story was a tremendous little adventure to go alongside the #BiggerOnTheInside watch-along of The Doctor's Wife. Neil Gaiman is a marvellous writer and I loved the way this was written as a sort of lead in for that episode whilst being a little tale in its now right. It was only two minutes long which might go down as the shortest thing I have ever blogged, but it was just pure magic from start to finish! You can obviously see through Arthur Darvill just looking a little older that this is eight years on from the events of The Angels Take Manhattan and both he and Amy getting stuck in the past. With them being sent to 1938, they wouldn't have long before they got to experience living through the Second World War which was a brilliant inclusion. That's something I had never considered when it came to the two companions living happily together in the past, although I have always thought the Doctor's inability to get to them makes no logical sense whatsoever. Could they not just meet up say in the middle of 1938 in another American location? Would it really be so difficult for Amy and Rory to jump on a train to meet the Doctor in an alternative location where there wasn't so much time distortion around a place like New York City? Anyway, I'm going off track here as that's an argument for another day and time. Rory telling the tale as an extract in the biography he was writing to his child was lovely and I found it quite humorous when he told the life story of his and Amy's relationship. It was uncanny, that's for sure! Killed by a Silurian and not existing at all. Then guarding his wife in the Pandorica as a Roman solider after returning to existence as an Auton. Oh, and then something with a mermaid! That must have been rather intriguing and I'd love for that tale to be told at some point. I somehow doubt it will be though. I'm expecting a bit too much there. The mention of the Doctor actually then being their son's brother-in-law is magnificent and just so barmy for all of the right reasons. It really does show just how much timey-wimey nonsense was occurring during the Moffat era with the Eleventh Doctor. And I absolutely mean nonsense as a compliment. Rory just reeling off the timeline of events was wonderful. This little video undoubtedly put a smile on my face and I loved that we had a little sound cameo from Amy off camera. It made it so believable. The Doctor's Wife is one of my favourite episodes ever, so Rory calling its chapter in his biography 'I'm the Pretty One' was wonderful. I really did enjoy that and it led me to reminisce fondly on what is a superb episode. I'm saddened to have missed the watch-along, but this was all I needed for a bit of cheering up during lockdown! It was a format that worked so well given the current circumstances and was also a fantastic way to introduce the episode itself. Overall, a fantastic story! The best two minutes anyone could ask for really. 

Rating: 9/10