Closing Time

"I didn't know there was going to be an invasion of Cybermen."

Writer: Gareth Roberts

Format: TV

Broadcast: 24 September 2011

Series: 6.12

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor

Synopsis

Craig Owens is having enough trouble trying to care for his child. The last thing he needed was the return of his old friend the Doctor. And it looks like he's not alone as trouble seems to have followed him into Colchester, bearing a familiar silvery shine.

Verdict

Closing Time was an excellent episode as we reach the final moments of Series 6 in our modern era rewatch! I must admit this was a story I didn't remember all that well as I feel like from this point forward I have perhaps only rewatched the episodes once since broadcast so I'm very excited moving ahead now as things won't be wholly familiar. I'm always a fan of the Cybermen getting involved but to my surprise they didn't actually feature a great deal here. There were definitely hallmarks to Army of Ghosts in how hidden the Cybermen were with that episode having them behind some building works and here they were down below the shop. There's something about a shop setting that just works and the big threat within its grounds was actually the Cybermat. The moment the Doctor stopped and smiled after hearing about the 'silver rat' was terrific. I liked pondering on him dealing with Amy and Rory having been left behind and it was both nice and really emotional for the Doctor to see them in the store. They'd moved on with their lives and Amy even had a perfume out for the girl who waited. That was terrific! I do question how the Doctor failed to see the massive advertisement hanging in the shop if he worked there, but I won't let that get in the way of a poignant moment. The reunion of the Doctor and Craig was brilliant and the continuity from The Lodger was strong. Craig had a baby now which was a really fun dynamic and the Doctor being able to speak baby was hilarious. Watching this for the first time since having a child provided a completely different perspective, and the Doctor's shushing ability would have been most welcomed! The moment he used it on Craig too after describing how it worked on life forms with not fully developed brains was magnificent. The Doctor revealing some fun information about baby Alfie was delightful and the silliness of him actually believing himself to be called Stormageddon was marvellous. Also referring to Craig as not Mum was both comical and a little harsh! I liked that he became Dad by the end of the episode. The Doctor and Craig being in the lift and questioning the means of a Cyber teleport was superb as it was always going to be that in a shopping store. Craig not noticing the surroundings changing as the Doctor proclaimed his love for him was just sensational and I refuse to believe Matt Smith and James Corden got through that in one take. It was comedy at its finest. I loved it. Craig being selected as intelligent and to become the new leader of the Cybermen was intriguing and the image of him going into the Cyber helmet is quite chilling in an otherwise lighthearted episode. It's impressive for that to be a feeling in a Cyberman episode where they weren't reduced to humour. The Cybermat design is not an upgrade on what we saw in The Tomb of the Cybermen and Revenge of the Cybermen in my opinion as it felt a little too robotic and manufactured, but its role was good. Craig coming face to face with one whilst the Doctor locked himself out of his house and was on the phone to warn his mate was terrific. The love Craig had for Alfie being able to defeat the Cybermen is a little cheesy, but I understand it. It's a nice moment, as is the Doctor coming to face with his fate of death at Lake Silencio and using his final moments to get the house in order for Craig and prove that he could do it on his own. Overall, a fantastic episode! 

Rating: 9/10