The Doctor's Wife

"The soul of the TARDIS has just vanished."

Writer: Neil Gaiman

Format: TV

Broadcast: 11 May 2011

Series: 6.04

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

The Doctor is lured by a Time Lord to a junkyard outside of the universe. There, the TARDIS matrix is implanted into a woman called Idris, and for the first time the madman and his box interact. But House is at hand, and plans on continuing his feast of TARDISes...

Verdict

The Doctor's Wife was just a beautiful episode of Doctor Who. The title is eye-catching for obvious reasons and it's quite fun that it actually has nothing to do with the series finale! Of course, this is an episode many had been waiting for forever! The concept of the TARDIS being humanised and allowing some interaction with it and the Doctor is just magnificent and what we get is just glorious. There is a sub story going on with everything concerning House and the wreckage planet in the bubble universe, but for me it's just all about the Doctor and the TARDIS getting to talk. I think Idris is a fine character to have the soul of the TARDIS go into and it's obviously a big jump to go from being a massive time and space machine with an insane amount of potential to being within one small body. There are so many enjoyable lines in the episode with Idris referring to the Doctor as her thief and it's quite fun to think that the events depicted in The Name of the Doctor would actually be orchestrated by the TARDIS! She also wanted to see the universe so she needed a madman to take the box. It's a wonderful concept and just shows how perfect they were for each other. I loved how much the TARDIS liked being referred to as old girl which is a classic and the outburst of sorts between the pair regarding the reliability of the TARDIS is both hilarious and very strong! It's no secret the Doctor couldn't always get where he wanted to go, but the TARDIS always got him where he was needed! It was hard to argue that. The humour and chemistry between the pair was marvellous and Suranne Jones is tremendous casting. She plays it so role and delicately because this episode is one that could have gone very wrong. Thankfully, it's superb. The Doctor's excitement at getting mail and having the hypercube knock on the door was brilliant. Watching as always in the modern era rewatch with my girlfriend, it was lovely to throw some Classic era knowledge on her with these coming from The War Games which so happens to be my all time favourite story. It's marvellous continuity. With Time Lord business at hand, it's fun for the Doctor to send Amy and Rory back to the TARDIS. We get to see a good exploitation of the interior though! And the return of the Ninth and Tenth Doctor's console room is really fun and just looks wrong to see this TARDIS trio in those surroundings! I'm all for it though. Idris thinking Rory was the sexy one was amusing but not something I agree with considering who his wife is! I also loved the referring to the companions as strays. That was perhaps a little harsh but is tremendous comic value. The way the Doctor takes on House is outstanding and the retort he has about fearing him because he's killed all of the Time Lords is chilling. This is Matt Smith at his best. Building a junk TARDIS is magnificent and it looks really great! There's a good sense of action as the story goes on and the anger of the Doctor is clear as Idris was correct that the boxes would indeed make him angry. The hints at the future with the meaning of the word in the key and then hinting at River's true identity was nicely done. Subtle enough but also something you can really appreciate in hindsight. Amy's reaction to learning about Idris was delightful as she thought the Doctor had wished really hard and Idris bursting out at being called Sexy was hilarious. There was a really emotional end though as Idris wouldn't last in the body and returned to the TARDIS when in the normal universe. But this was the time the Doctor and the TARDIS got to talk, and that's just stunning. Overall, a sublime episode! 

Rating: 10/10

The Curse of the Black Spot

"Any mirror, any reflection, and the Siren will attack."

Writer: Steve Thompson

Format: TV

Broadcast: 7 May 2013

Series: 6.03

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory

Synopsis

The Doctor, Amy and Rory stumble aboard a 16th century pirate ship. But there's a mystery occurring as the enigmatic Siren hunts the wounded and diseased, the crew are getting smaller and it's not long before the Doctor has to walk the plank.

Verdict

The Curse of the Black Spot was a decent episode to continue my way through the modern era rewatch and now into the thick of things with Series 6. This definitely an episode I would describe as filler as it doesn't do much for the overall arc of the series and sadly is somewhat forgettable, but what we do have for forty-minutes is just a lot of fun! The idea of Doctor Who doing pirates is great and this works fine here. The setting of the pirate ship is really good although I do think the set and directing could have been improved slightly. Unfortunately it didn't really look like they were actually at sea which is a shame. Perhaps that's just a consequence of watching again eleven years after broadcast and special effects have moved on? I'm not entirely sure. The introduction of the Doctor, Amy and Rory to Captain Avery and his band of merry men was amusing and the Eleventh Doctor is certainly the perfect incarnation for this type of story. He revels in where the TARDIS has brought him and his companions have brought him, although I do think his reaction to Rory getting marked by the black spot was a little strange. Surely he should have been at least a little worried? Amy getting all dressed up in her pirate gear and wielding a sword was marvellous and it's no wonder that her husband said she should dress up like that more often. He was a lucky guy, so him calling the Siren the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen was a stellar moment. Amy was seeing the funny side and knew he was under the Siren's control, but would still make him jokingly feel a little bit bad about it. The threat of a simple cut meaning death was very good and really evened the playing field when it came to Amy taking on the pirates. The emergence of the Siren was good and the aura around her was impressive. I particularly liked the shift from green to red light when she didn't get her way or was challenged. That injected a good sense of evil into someone we thought was the villain. Of course, she turned out to be nothing of the sort and was actually a medical doctor existing in a different plain of existence. Any kind of cut or even the Doctor sneezing and she was concerned on how she could aid them. She wasn't killing the victims she marked, she was actually aiding them. That was a good twist but it wasn't all that exciting. The confusion coming from two different ships occupying the same space but in different plains was good and the imagery once we crossed over to the Siren's medical base was really strong. I liked seeing the pirate ship essentially out of a window and being there but not quite reachable. The threat of Rory drowning and being helped was excellent and the shining moment of the episode is undoubtedly Amy resuscitating her husband on the TARDIS floor. He had every trust in her to save him once he was disconnected and he wanted her and not the Doctor to do it because he knew she wouldn't give up. That was a powerful moment and just cemented how strong of a couple they are. It's lovely to see. I thought Avery was a good character and the reaction of his son stowing away was amusing, and that was a big contrast to his son finding out that his dad was a pirate under the flag of the Jolly Roger. It was nice that Avery stuck behind with him and captained a different kind of ship with his crew. A ship was a ship after all! Overall, a more than decent episode! 

Rating: 7/10

Day of the Moon

"Repeated memory wipes fry your brain eventually."

Writer: Steven Moffat

Format: TV

Broadcast: 30 April 2011

Series: 6.02

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory, River

Synopsis

The day of the moon landing has come. After a three month undercover mission to find out all they can about the Silence, the attempts to launch a world wide revolution are put into action. Along with President Nixon's help, can the TARDIS crew defeat beings they can't remember, and who've been on Earth since the time of the wheel?

Verdict

Day of the Moon was another outstanding episode to continue the story already started in The Impossible Astronaut as an incredible way to kick off the sixth series! This really is audacious stuff from Steven Moffat in his second series at the helm as showrunner where he flipped the series format on its head. Starting with a two-parter worthy of a finale is fantastic and it absolutely works. Of course, watching in hindsight is great and you can pick up on the little hints at what is to come on this epic ride, with the first hint of Madame Kovarian an obvious aside. I remember being a little confused by her cameo appearance on broadcast and I still can’t wrap my head around the fact it was thirteen years ago now, but it seems I’ve reached a point in watching with my girlfriend Gemma where she isn’t 100% on the details which is fun for me to see her react. I pride myself on my Who knowledge so for her to not remember the fate of Amy here was brilliant. I think it’s really fun stuff to know that somewhere she was swapped and the TARDIS readings of her pregnancy being both positive and negative are exciting moving forward, but Gemma thought that meant the result just hadn’t been revealed yet. I’m excited for her to learn more as we delve back in. The moment we hear Amy talking to herself through the chip from the palm is emotional stuff and it did almost shed a tear from Gemma as she really is in love with the Amy and Rory relationship. It’s lovely to see. I think the way the Silence are tackled here with the markings on the skin is very good and I love how Canton captures each of the TARDIS team whilst hiding within the perfect prison constructed to house the Doctor. Seeing him with a beard and in a straight jacket is quite something, but it’s a clever way to get out. The emergence of President Nixon was delightful though as a moment of surprise for the soldiers looking on. Having him vouch for the Doctor after he was caught meddling with the Apollo rocket launch was terrific stuff. The moment the Silence are confronted in their own ship and the message of them orchestrating their own killing infused with the video of the moon landing that will be watched by millions upon millions and many more to come in the future is sensational stuff, and the flirting between the Doctor and River is a scene stealer. The chemistry between Matt Smith and Alex Kingston is palpable. They’re perfect together. I hope we get more of them from Big Finish one day. The scene at the end with River’s reaction to knowing that for the Doctor it was the first time they’d kiss after dropping her back at Stormcage was brilliant. For her it would be the last which just adds to the depths of their troubled and complicated relationship. I think the little shared moment between Canton and Nixon as the former reveals he wants to marry a black man is sensational. It’s so simple yet just perfect. The ending with the little girl regenerating is magnificent and I remember being stunned by that on broadcast. I was so excited. I also enjoy how Rory hears about the pregnancy and the discussions on what their baby might be like or become if conceived in the Vortex was very important even if it wasn’t presented as such. Overall, a tremendous episode!

Rating: 10/10

The Impossible Astronaut

"The Doctor's death doesn't frighten me."

Writer: Steven Moffat

Format: TV

Broadcast: 23 April 2011

Series: 6.01

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Amy, Rory, River

Synopsis

Space 1969. The moon landing. And the Doctor is up to something. Sending four envelopes to those he holds closest, the receivers meet up in America. An impossible astronaut looms and the moment the universe has been avoiding occurs. The Doctor dies. Could it be possible?

Verdict

The Impossible Astronaut was an outstanding episode to kick off the sixth series of the modern era of Doctor Who! The rewatch continues with a bang as this is some way to kick off a series. I've obviously watched this episode quite a few times since it was broadcast some thirteen years ago now, but as I'm watching in order and going through again alongside my longtime girlfriend, this feels a bit more powerful as an opener. It does feel a bit like it did on broadcast as there really wasn't any time to breathe. It essentially starts the series with a finale and that's some way to go about things. Within the first fifteen minutes we see the Doctor shot, start to regenerate and is then shot again. Oh, and then as if the finality wasn't enough we see his corpse lit alight. The Time Lord's body was well and truly dead. So how would the Doctor be escaping this one? Watching in hindsight is great because all of the pieces are already put together as the envelopes are all sent and we know who the recipients are, but also the entire arc of the Silence, Amy announcing her pregnancy towards the cliffhanger finish and even River's foreshadowing of events to come in how she first met the Doctor. It really is good fun. The moment the older Doctor sees Amy and Rory again is magnificent and I am really impressed with how well Matt Smith plays the two differently aged versions of his Doctor. He's phenomenal and just cements his place as my favourite incarnation. River shooting his stetson off in the desert was fun stuff as well and every time she makes a return we can't help but proclaim what a woman she is. We're huge River fans on this sofa. I do think she knows a little too much about the TARDIS controls in how she helps the Doctor get it to be invisible, but the value of him walking into it when shielded was tremendous. It's just extremely funny. The Doctor parking the TARDIS inside the Oval Office of the White House is sublime and I liked that we got a little backstory on President Nixon before meeting him fully. His recruiting of Canton Everett Delaware III was nicely done and I'm a big fan of the little girl calling the President direct. The way the Doctor gained the trust of Canton was fantastic and I liked how he got his five minutes to find out where the girl was calling from. It was really clever and I liked the use of the maps. The emergence of the Silence in this episode is just superb. The concept of not remembering them when you look away is excellent in its own right, but the appearance is just a stellar design. Gemma thinks they are one of the scariest designs ever and it's hard to disagree really. It's iconic now but even back then it made such a big impact. The method of killing as demonstrated in the bathroom was also incredible. Their knowledge on the Doctor is intriguing and really sets things up moving forward, and I really like how annoyed the Doctor is by not knowing who sent River, Amy and Rory. He knows they know and he won't trust River, but he does trust Amy which is touching. The cliffhanger finish here after Amy announces the bombshell to the Doctor regarding his pregnancy is outstanding as she sees the emergence of the Astronaut that supposedly killed the Doctor and it's the girl from the phone. Amy doesn't hesitate if it means saving the Doctor's life and shoots straight at her. History unravels and she doesn't think much of the repercussions at all. It's pure drama and it's hard not to love it. Overall, an incredible opener! 

Rating: 10/10