Friday, April 29, 2011

The Impossible Astronaut



I will be irregularly posting responses to series six of Doctor Who. I will be assuming that readers have already seen it--so no spoiler tags or plot summeries

I'd seen a lot of promotional materials about how this was supposed to feel like a finale--the "what-else-can-possibly-go-wrong" feeling.
It delivered.
The first ten moments are a rollicking adventure, full of shoutouts ranging from 18th century France to Hogan's Heroes, Laurel and Hardy, school buses, John Wayne, and 1950s American diners. But less than ten minutes it, someone dies.
I knew from teasers that either Rory, Amy, River, or the Doctor died in the opener--and after a check of the TV Tropes Sorting Algorithm of Mortality., I guessed Amy was the one. But I was so wrong.
As he walked up to the lake, I was mentally screaming--no, no, not him--but it didn't work. Karen Gilrean was absolutely amazing--and her scenes on the Confidential really were heartbreaking. The funeral scene was even worse--Murray Gold's brief song was gut-wrenching painful, and really added to the tragedy.
Of course, in classic Moffat fashion, we are wrenched the other direction moments later as River, Amy, and Rory walk into a diner and met...the Doctor (Rassilion, that sounds like a bad joke. No wonder River slaps him.)
From there, it's a madcap adventure, ranging from Nixon's Oval Office to the Space Center, and raising even more questions about River Song, Amy, and...oh, the Silents?
Did you forget the Silence?


What was I just saying?

3 comments:

  1. My master theory is that Steven Moffat is bonkers.

    I never said I'm not enjoying it, though!

    But the Doctor MUST be alive in the end, because it's his show. And so many things about the death don't add up. Like, what about his age?

    The second part was great too...

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  2. Moffat is either brilliant, bonkers, or an exile from the world of Monsters, Inc, attempting to end an energy crisis.
    I'm fond of the last one, though

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