The Rings of Akhaten

"She's not possible."

Writer: Neil Cross

Format: TV

Broadcast: 6 April 2013

Series: 7.07

Featuring: Eleventh Doctor, Clara

Synopsis

Clara Oswald wants to see something awesome, so the Doctor whisks her off to the inhabited rings of the planet Akhaten, where the Festival of Offerings is in full swing. Clara meets the young Queen of Years as the pilgrims and natives ready for the ceremony. But something is stirring in the pyramid and a sacrifice will be demanded.

Verdict

The Rings of Akhaten was a decent episode to continue our way through the seventh series of the modern era! Despite my rating, this is probably the episode I was least looking forward to watching and it doesn't seem to have the best of reputations amongst fandom and I can understand why. It was my first viewing in around a decade so I was actually a little bit surprised by how much I remembered, but let's be honest the actual story is a little bit rubbish. The actual scenes on Akhaten are just filler for me as I was far more interested in the fact that this is Clara's first proper trip in the TARDIS. She very reasonably blanks when asked where and when she would like to go for her first adventure, and wanting to see something awesome sounds like a very good answer! The Doctor would be rubbing his hands at that so coming to the Festival of Offerings certainly had a lot going for it. Clara's face throughout after exiting the TARDIS was a delight as she was just taking it all in. Numerous alien species and the unfamiliar surroundings had her completely enraptured. It was tremendous. I thought the story of how her parents met was beautiful although the line when her dad gives the leaf to her mum was a bit cheesy with the number of times the word exact was used! My partner commented that the writer didn't know how to write romance very well, and if anyone is qualified to make such a comment then it's her as a published author in that genre. I liked it at least, and the importance of the leaf in bringing Clara to the world is actually something that frustrates the Doctor. She should be impossible, but yet she appears completely normal. I thought that being taken further with the TARDIS not liking her was terrific. I thought she showed good companion traits in helping Merry, the Queen of Years, when she was clearly on the run from something that was worrying her. The reassurance she was giving her and linking it back to her own story of getting lost and her mother reassuring her was really nicely done. I liked her reaction as well to hearing the Doctor mentioning visiting their current location previously and with his granddaughter! The image of the First Doctor amongst the crowd featured in this episode had me chuckling as I just couldn't see it. I think the song that was heard on numerous occasions throughout got overplayed and by the end it really was putting me to sleep, and not because of its calming tone or nature. I'd had enough. Thankfully, once Merry was taken by the would-be God, the Doctor was sparked into action. His reassurance to Clara that they didn't walk away was brilliant and his speech of his offerings is what I describe as the defining moment for Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor. It's a monumental performance for that minute or so as he describes all he has seen and felt. From the start and end of the universe to a neat little The Three Doctors reference. It has everything. The whole concept of sentimental objects as currency is actually quite sad because what use are they to others? But Clara using the leaf that she now had in her possession following her mother's death was pretty good. It was the most important leaf in human history as far as she was concerned as not only did it bring her into the world, but it contained a future of unloved days. I thought that was nicely done. The destruction of the god is impressive and the Doctor standing up to it was great, especially after the gaff with the heavy door on the pyramid. The means of getting there were a little unnecessary also. Just use the TARDIS? Anyway, still, a decent enough episode but without the speech which I just adore I think this would match my partner's rating of one mark less. Overall, it has its flaws and does drag, but there's enough there to make it a good episode. 

Rating: 7/10