Doctor Who 6x13 Review
Oct. 4th, 2011 12:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaThe Wedding of River Song
Overall I enjoyed it. There were a number of scenes and moments I liked a lot. I didn't however love it and I found the reveal at the end to be disappointing.
Top Three Scenes
1) Amy kills Madame Kovarian
Amy: You took my baby from me and hurt her. And now she’s all grown up and she’s fine. But I’ll never see my baby again.
Madam Kovarian: But you’ll still save me though. Because he would. And you’ll never do anything to disappoint your precious Doctor.
Amy: The Doctor is very precious to me, you’re right. But do you know what else he is Madam Kovarian? Not here. River Song didn’t get it all from you, sweetie.
This scene had such emotional resonance for me. After everything Amy has been through, after what her daughter was put through, I loved watching her confront the woman who was the cause (well, partially). I loved getting to finally see Amy’s anger over the loss of her daughter something I’ve felt we hadn’t seen enough of. This scene made it really feel as though her rage had always been there simmering deep inside her. I also really liked getting to see the hardness of the older Amy from 2x10 show in younger Amy. Plus I just thought this scene, and Amy, was awesome.
2) River visits her parents.
This! This is what I wanted more of in the latter half of the season. Both Amy and River’s behaviour was very casual and it certainly appears that River dropping by for a drink and a chat is relatively common. I really love the idea of River and her parents getting to know each other better, of them bonding and perhaps even going on their own adventures as a family.
- “I can remember it. So it happened. So I did it.” I loved Amy killing Madame Kovarian but I love even more her wrestling with the fact that she killed someone in cold blood and not accepting River trying to brush it away because it happened in an aborted timeline.
- “Of course I’m sure. I’m his wife!” – River
“Yes, and I’m his... mother-in-law.” – Amy
LMAO. Amy’s expression was perfect.
- One thing we didn’t get but that would have really made this scene perfect would have been Rory pulling River in for a welcoming hug. Or something. This episode gave us some of Amy's feelings about the loss of her daughter and her current relationship with River but with Rory - nothing. He was just there in the background. A hug would have been such a small thing and yet it would have implied so much.
3) The Beach Scene
Okay, so I wasn't pleased when this scene first started. I was deeply unhappy about River's complete lack of agency, that she was apparently only a victim, especially since I could see no reason why it even had to be River in the suit. The Doctor 'reassuring' her that she wouldn't even remember really only served to make me more irritated because how is that better? But then this happened:
River: Why would you do that? Make me watch?
Doctor: So that you know that this is inevitable. And you are forgiven. Always and, completely, forgiven.
River: Please my love, please, please, just run. Time can be rewritten.
Doctor: Don’t you dare.
Wow, Library flashback. I love how this scene mirrors the end of Forest of the Dead. I adored the Doctor reassuring her that she would always be forgiven by him and the way he said "don't you dare"... Emotionally the scene had me.
... And then the Doctor unexpectedly doesn't die because River's drained her weapons systems and I was left going LOL awesome!
Doctor: What have you done? This is a fixed point in time.
River: Fixed points can be rewritten.
Doctor: No they can’t! Of course they can’t. Who told you that?!
Hee. I love how affronted he is. Also I loved his reaction when he found himself not dead. The slowly squinting open his eyes, one at a time, to check was very amusing. I do find Smith's Doctor really adorable.
Other
• The reveal about how the Doctor managed to survive was a bit of a letdown because it was so obvious how he was going to do it.
• Wait the first question, the one the Doctor has been running from all his life, is “Doctor Who?” That made me facepalm. Seriously, Moffat? Anyway, so it’s all about the Doctor’s name then? Why can’t it be answered? And how exactly could it be the oldest question?
• It really did feel as if the show was building up to the reveal that River killed Rory and while I didn't want her to kill him now that we see that it really was the Doctor all along it feels like a bit of a letdown that the obvious answer was the true one.
• “It’s all still going on. For me it never stops. Liz the first is still waiting in a glade to elope with me. I could help Rose Tyler with her homework. I can go to all of old Jack’s stag parties in one night.” – Doctor. I am so easy. Just a little mention of Rose makes me ridiculously happy. Actually I really love it when the Doctor brings up any of his former Companions so the mention of the Brigadier was wonderful as well, if really sad. Poor Doctor. They all leave him.
• “If I had to die I didn’t have to die alone. ... If it’s time to go remember what you’re leaving. Remember the best. My friends have always been the best of me.” ♥ I adore that. Of course the Doctor would consider his Companions the best part of himself.
I did have one issue though – not with the words or sentiment but rather the implication the Doctor sees the Ponds as his closest friends. I can accept this as far as past Companion’s go – he didn’t invite Martha et al because they weren’t his, Eleven’s, Companions. But this Doctor is 200 years older! Is the show seriously trying to imply that he had no Companions in those centuries? Really? Because I just don’t buy it.
• I love the running gag of the Doctor missing very obvious things.
• “Special Agent Boss Lady” Amy reminded me a lot of Rose from Turn Left. Now I really want to read a fic where those two specific versions of the characters meet. And maybe save the universe.
• “Oh, they’re flirting do I have to watch this?” – Madame Kovarian. Heh. I personally adore their flirting. I love all their repeated lines/in jokes – “hi honey, I’m home”/”what sort of time do you call this?”, the handcuffs, their back and forth over archaeology which he calls ‘ideal gossip’. I love their innuendo laden back and forth.
• Amy/Rory were lovely. I loved him covering her retreat, as always, protecting her. I loved her coming back to save him. I loved his very laid back acceptance of Amy telling him they should get a drink and then that they should get married. That is so them.
• “River, this is ridiculous. It would mean nothing to anyone. It’s insane. Worse it’s stupid. You embarrass me.” – Doctor. He really can be such an ass.
• So if marrying the Doctor isn’t how River learns his name then how does she learn it? Especially considering how Ten reacts when she says it. It has to be something big. Are River and the Doctor even actually married?
• “I got too big. Too noisy. Time to step back into the shadows.” – Doctor. Hmm. Yeah, let’s see how long that lasts. I vote half an episode.
• I have a lot of feelings about River Song and where Moffat has taken her character but at the moment I don't really want to deal with it. I still love the character but at the same time... eh.
Overall I enjoyed it. There were a number of scenes and moments I liked a lot. I didn't however love it and I found the reveal at the end to be disappointing.
Top Three Scenes
1) Amy kills Madame Kovarian
Amy: You took my baby from me and hurt her. And now she’s all grown up and she’s fine. But I’ll never see my baby again.
Madam Kovarian: But you’ll still save me though. Because he would. And you’ll never do anything to disappoint your precious Doctor.
Amy: The Doctor is very precious to me, you’re right. But do you know what else he is Madam Kovarian? Not here. River Song didn’t get it all from you, sweetie.
This scene had such emotional resonance for me. After everything Amy has been through, after what her daughter was put through, I loved watching her confront the woman who was the cause (well, partially). I loved getting to finally see Amy’s anger over the loss of her daughter something I’ve felt we hadn’t seen enough of. This scene made it really feel as though her rage had always been there simmering deep inside her. I also really liked getting to see the hardness of the older Amy from 2x10 show in younger Amy. Plus I just thought this scene, and Amy, was awesome.
2) River visits her parents.
This! This is what I wanted more of in the latter half of the season. Both Amy and River’s behaviour was very casual and it certainly appears that River dropping by for a drink and a chat is relatively common. I really love the idea of River and her parents getting to know each other better, of them bonding and perhaps even going on their own adventures as a family.
- “I can remember it. So it happened. So I did it.” I loved Amy killing Madame Kovarian but I love even more her wrestling with the fact that she killed someone in cold blood and not accepting River trying to brush it away because it happened in an aborted timeline.
- “Of course I’m sure. I’m his wife!” – River
“Yes, and I’m his... mother-in-law.” – Amy
LMAO. Amy’s expression was perfect.
- One thing we didn’t get but that would have really made this scene perfect would have been Rory pulling River in for a welcoming hug. Or something. This episode gave us some of Amy's feelings about the loss of her daughter and her current relationship with River but with Rory - nothing. He was just there in the background. A hug would have been such a small thing and yet it would have implied so much.
3) The Beach Scene
Okay, so I wasn't pleased when this scene first started. I was deeply unhappy about River's complete lack of agency, that she was apparently only a victim, especially since I could see no reason why it even had to be River in the suit. The Doctor 'reassuring' her that she wouldn't even remember really only served to make me more irritated because how is that better? But then this happened:
River: Why would you do that? Make me watch?
Doctor: So that you know that this is inevitable. And you are forgiven. Always and, completely, forgiven.
River: Please my love, please, please, just run. Time can be rewritten.
Doctor: Don’t you dare.
Wow, Library flashback. I love how this scene mirrors the end of Forest of the Dead. I adored the Doctor reassuring her that she would always be forgiven by him and the way he said "don't you dare"... Emotionally the scene had me.
... And then the Doctor unexpectedly doesn't die because River's drained her weapons systems and I was left going LOL awesome!
Doctor: What have you done? This is a fixed point in time.
River: Fixed points can be rewritten.
Doctor: No they can’t! Of course they can’t. Who told you that?!
Hee. I love how affronted he is. Also I loved his reaction when he found himself not dead. The slowly squinting open his eyes, one at a time, to check was very amusing. I do find Smith's Doctor really adorable.
Other
• The reveal about how the Doctor managed to survive was a bit of a letdown because it was so obvious how he was going to do it.
• Wait the first question, the one the Doctor has been running from all his life, is “Doctor Who?” That made me facepalm. Seriously, Moffat? Anyway, so it’s all about the Doctor’s name then? Why can’t it be answered? And how exactly could it be the oldest question?
• It really did feel as if the show was building up to the reveal that River killed Rory and while I didn't want her to kill him now that we see that it really was the Doctor all along it feels like a bit of a letdown that the obvious answer was the true one.
• “It’s all still going on. For me it never stops. Liz the first is still waiting in a glade to elope with me. I could help Rose Tyler with her homework. I can go to all of old Jack’s stag parties in one night.” – Doctor. I am so easy. Just a little mention of Rose makes me ridiculously happy. Actually I really love it when the Doctor brings up any of his former Companions so the mention of the Brigadier was wonderful as well, if really sad. Poor Doctor. They all leave him.
• “If I had to die I didn’t have to die alone. ... If it’s time to go remember what you’re leaving. Remember the best. My friends have always been the best of me.” ♥ I adore that. Of course the Doctor would consider his Companions the best part of himself.
I did have one issue though – not with the words or sentiment but rather the implication the Doctor sees the Ponds as his closest friends. I can accept this as far as past Companion’s go – he didn’t invite Martha et al because they weren’t his, Eleven’s, Companions. But this Doctor is 200 years older! Is the show seriously trying to imply that he had no Companions in those centuries? Really? Because I just don’t buy it.
• I love the running gag of the Doctor missing very obvious things.
• “Special Agent Boss Lady” Amy reminded me a lot of Rose from Turn Left. Now I really want to read a fic where those two specific versions of the characters meet. And maybe save the universe.
• “Oh, they’re flirting do I have to watch this?” – Madame Kovarian. Heh. I personally adore their flirting. I love all their repeated lines/in jokes – “hi honey, I’m home”/”what sort of time do you call this?”, the handcuffs, their back and forth over archaeology which he calls ‘ideal gossip’. I love their innuendo laden back and forth.
• Amy/Rory were lovely. I loved him covering her retreat, as always, protecting her. I loved her coming back to save him. I loved his very laid back acceptance of Amy telling him they should get a drink and then that they should get married. That is so them.
• “River, this is ridiculous. It would mean nothing to anyone. It’s insane. Worse it’s stupid. You embarrass me.” – Doctor. He really can be such an ass.
• So if marrying the Doctor isn’t how River learns his name then how does she learn it? Especially considering how Ten reacts when she says it. It has to be something big. Are River and the Doctor even actually married?
• “I got too big. Too noisy. Time to step back into the shadows.” – Doctor. Hmm. Yeah, let’s see how long that lasts. I vote half an episode.
• I have a lot of feelings about River Song and where Moffat has taken her character but at the moment I don't really want to deal with it. I still love the character but at the same time... eh.
